NEW EXECUTIVE CHEF DOUGLAS GARDNER JOINS BIRD & BOTTLE INN - Brings Fresh and Creative Culinary Talent to the 250-Year-Old Inn

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GARRISON, New York (May 25, 2009) – Douglas Gardner of Cortlandt Manor was recently appointed executive chef at The Bird & Bottle Inn in Garrison, bringing a young and enthusiastic culinary perspective to the restaurant, which is located in a historic building that has served as an inn and tavern for much of the past 250 years.

In fact, having Gardner in the kitchen has brought the cuisine to a whole new level, says innkeeper Elaine Margolies. “We’ve been getting raves from our customers ever since Doug took over the kitchen,” says Margolies. “He works with many different tastes, textures and colors and never stops creating.”

A graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York City, Gardner joined the team at the Bird & Bottle in 2006 as a sous chef. After a brief hiatus during which he worked at Zeph’s restaurant in Peekskill, Gardner was invited back to the Bird & Bottle as executive chef.

While at the French Culinary Institute, Gardner attended classes and lectures given by his role model Chef Jacques Pepin, whose advice he has taken to heart. “Pepin said that a chef who says he has learned everything is not a chef, he is just a cook!” says Gardner.

The menu at the Bird & Bottle is officially French-American, but it’s much more eclectic than that, says Gardner. When asked what kind of food he cooks, Chef Doug says he calls it “global soul food.” In his vocabulary, there is no such thing as “American food.” With a little culinary inspiration, ordinary salsa becomes “Indian Marinara” just by adding a touch of cumin and yogurt to tomatoes and cilantro.

Gardner cannot emphasize enough the importance of freshness to his menus. He tries to work with ingredients that are in-season, and buys his meats and produce locally. His favorite season for cooking is the end of summer, when he prepares a lot of dishes using fresh corn, including corn puddings and souffles. In addition, he has planted an herb garden on the grounds of the inn and plans on having a full vegetable garden up and running this summer.

An example of a house specialty on the seasonal menu for spring is Big Eye Rack of Lamb with potato-herb goat cheese ravioli and spring vegetable ragout. Other entrees include a pan-seared pork chop served with caramelized onions, home-made apple butter and hand-cut spaetzel.

Gardner takes pride in the fact that he creates many of the dishes and ingredients on his menu from scratch, including breads, mozzarella, pasta, apple butter, peach and plum chutney, crème fraiche and all of the desserts, including a warm chocolate cake which is made to order and must be requested at the beginning of a meal.

Gardner’s enthusiasm for his work is contagious, and he ensures diners a memorable dining experience at the Bird & Bottle. “I don’t want people to leave saying, ‘That was a nice steak,’ I want them to say, ‘How did he DO that?!’”

Dinner at the Bird & Bottle is served Thursdays through Saturdays from 6 to 10 pm and Sundays from 4 to 8 pm. A special Warren’s Tavern menu is available Thursday nights, offering diners a three-course menu of tavern fare for $17.61 (to commemorate the year the inn opened). A champagne brunch is served on Sundays from 11:30 am to 3 pm.

The Bird & Bottle Inn is located on Route 9 in Garrison, just 10 miles north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, 30 miles north of White Plains and 50 miles north of midtown Manhattan.

For more information or reservations at The Bird & Bottle Inn, call 845-424-2333 or go to www.thebirdandbottleinn.com.