Bryan O’Kelly started his culinary journey washing dishes at a Charleston restaurant to make money as a college student. He quickly moved behind the stove and never looked back, ditching college to cook in restaurants.
Next stop was McCrady’s, then operated by celebrated chef Sean Brock, where O’Kelly cooked alongside Ben Norton, who became a close friend and mentor. Working his way up through other concepts in the Neighborhood Dining Group, he landed at Husk Savannah and then on to Husk Nashville, again joining Norton, who was executive chef at the time. When Norton left, O’Kelly became executive chef, his present position.
Bryan O’Kelly, Executive Chef of Husk Nashville
In this role, he has created a Southern-inspired menu sourced from local purveyors and farmers. While guests will find some classics like shrimp and grits, pimiento cheese and cornbread, these are reimagined with modern, ingredient-driven twists. There’s even an onsite garden that yields homegrown produce for both the cocktail list and food menu.Â
O’Kelly’s mission is to provide guests with such a fun and memorable Nashville experience that they think about the next time they can come to Husk before they even leave, he told us.
Listen as he talks about his love for Carolina Gold rice and benne seeds, how he’s keeping an eye on affordability despite rising food costs and how he encourages his sous chefs to try all their off-the-wall ideas.
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Menu Talk is a collaboration between Restaurant Business Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. You can subscribe to it wherever you listen to podcasts.
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