Back of the House Happenings
Executive Chef Beck Bolender has returned to the kitchen at One Twenty One Restaurant in North Salem. We say returned because, funny enough, he started his career there at the sprite age of 14. Today he’s Culinary Institute of America-educated and boasts five years of experience in some of Manhattan’s top restaurants. With his expertise poured into an updated menu, he’s looking to elevate the culinary offerings at this North County staple.
After graduating from the CIA, Bolender embarked on a culinary climb that would take him to some of Manhattan’s most revered restaurants, starting as a garde manager at Nougatine at Jean-Georges, then moving to Jean-Georges as their youngest-ever sous chef, then back to Nougatine as executive sous chef. He worked with One Twenty One General Manager Jeffrey Skiba and designer Pamela Dailey to rebrand the North Salem restaurant, formerly 121, updating the menu (the interior has been renovated as well) to reflect Bolender’s culinary know-how.
“I want to open our guests’ eyes to a new world of food and flavor trying dishes that they have never had before,” says the chef. “Especially in North Salem.”