By Julie McCay Turner
Bedford’s Brendan Pelley, Executive Chef at Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar in Medfield, made his TV debut on Monday, March 3, as a contestant in Fox TV’s Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey.
Pelley’s signature dish, tempura soft-shell crab with yuzu aioli, quick pickles, and ginger garlic sauce, was judged to be a “4 out of 5” by Chef Ramsey, helping the men’s team to prevail during the season’s first challenge. The payoff? A chance for the team to meet William Shatner, aka Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, and a return visit for the program’s second episode, airing at 8 pm on Tuesday, March 10.
When open auditions for Hell’s Kitchen were announced in Boston almost two years ago, Pelley applied on a whim and after multiple nerve-wracking interviews, he became one of the 18 chefs competing in Hell’s Kitchen, Season 14. All of the episodes were filmed in 2014, but Pelley is sworn to secrecy until each one airs.
Beyond the on-screen drama, Gordon Ramsey is an “incredible chef, and teacher,” according to Pelley. “[Being on the show] is something I have wanted to do ever since I watched the first season of Hell’s Kitchen.” In a press release Pelley noted, “At this point in my career I want to grab the opportunity to learn as much as I can from Chef Ramsay. It was without question the hardest thing I have done in my career. And yes, I’m glad I did it.”
About Chef Brendan Pelley
Chelmsford native Brendan Pelley and his wife (who grew up in Littleton) settled in Bedford nearly three years ago because it was a reasonable commute to each of their jobs, hers at Children’s Hospital in Boston and his at Zebra’s Bistro in Medfield. “When we saw the house we now live in, we fell in love with it,” Pelley said, “and we don’t want to leave.”
After stemming spinach for spanikopita in his mother’s kitchen and working after school in local sub shops, the University of Lowell Fine Arts major sidestepped culinary school and began working in serious restaurants, reading biographies of chefs, and training under local and regional masters.
The path toward Pelley’s position as Executive Chef at Zebra’s Bistro included stints at the Franklin Cape Ann, in Gloucester; Stonehedge in Tyngsboro; Clio in Boston; and Tryst in Beverly. Pelley considers Peter Capaldo one of his principal mentors after two years at Tryst.
Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar offers Pelley an intimate atmosphere, and “farm to fork” dining. He likes knowing his guests by name; the small-town similarities that link Medfield and Bedford; a wonderful proprietor, Craig Neubecker; and a kitchen garden on the premises.
Click to learn more about Zebra’s Bistro and Wine Bar
Watch Chef Brendan in Hell’s Kitchen’s next episode!
Tune in to watch the second episode of Hell’s Kitchen, Season 14 at 8 pm on Tuesday, March 10, and watch for Chef Brendan Pelley. At the end of the hour we’ll all know whether he’ll be back for episode three.
Good luck, Chef!
Loading ...
