NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Brennan’s New Orleans announced new Executive Chef Kris Padalino, whose eight-year tenure at the restaurant represents merely one chapter in a remarkable journey.
The restaurant shares about the new chef, Padalino’s path began with a degree in Math and Chemistry from California State University, Fullerton, where creating experiments in petri dishes soon transitioned to preparing exceptional meals in the family kitchen, presented on 12-inch dishes – to her, that was more like it. After graduating from the Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, California, Padalino discovered her distinctive culinary voice through the artful merger of sweet and savory elements—a philosophy that continues to define her approach today. Padalino will honor Brennan’s traditions dating back to 1946, while embracing evolution, creating a cuisine that reflects both personal heritage and the city’s diverse epicurean tapestry—the very essence of what makes the culinary landscape so compelling.
As Brennan’s New Executive Chef, Padalino shares she will lead with a family philosophy – emphasizing collective excellence over individual achievement. Her kitchen operates as a cohesive unit, what she calls “one voice” representing the unified vision of the core team who began together eight years ago at Brennan’s. Padalino joined as a sous chef alongside two fellow cooks, the core team grew by one a year later, and then again. With the addition of the youngest but acknowledged for her exceptional talent—they’ve formed an inseparable culinary quintet and continues to evolve in numbers. She preaches community to her extended “culinary family,” in the entire kitchen, believing a well-rounded kitchen functions in respectful unison. “We grow in the kitchen every day together, having each other’s back,” she reflects, “sharing both our missteps and our triumphs as one unified team.”
At Brennan’s, Padalino, starting as executive pastry chef, it is said, flourished alongside Slade Rushing, the executive chef for the reopening of Brennan’s in 2014, and whose “explorative palate” created journeys of flavor while maintaining the restaurant’s storied identity, and later with chef Ryan Hacker, whose disciplined focus on the customary culinary elements celebrated and reimagined the distinctive cuisine of New Orleans. Together, their vision earned the restaurant prestigious accolades, including multiple James Beard Foundation Award nominations and recognition on the list of America’s Best Restaurants, nationally, by the New York Times.
At home, Chef Padalino gravitates toward Asian cuisines, particularly drawing inspiration from the vibrant Vietnamese community of New Orleans. This cultural cross-pollination exemplifies her approach to gastronomy which marries the significant culinary foundation of the city.
