Christopher Bracken

Chef, Owner, and Founder

As a youngster, Chris honed his taste buds on the family mashed potatoes working with a Sunbeam Mixmaster. At age 15, his first job was a “cook” at a popular Italian restaurant called Sybill Creek.  Through high school he worked at gathering places perfecting Greek salads, pastas, Beef Bourguignonne, seafood, steaks, and the highly technical “short order.” 

Chris' dad was an accomplished jazz saxophonist. As a young boy, he remembers the “gigs” in the basement with shady guys named Gus and Louie who would jam with his father all hours of the night. In honor of having never mastered an instrument, or perhaps homage to his father, the name “Culinary Concerts” was created in 1985.

After high school and a 6 months working in Saudi Arabia, he returned home to begin work as a lead cook at Howard Johnson’s - where coincidentally, Jacques Pepin was the Corporate Chef. Years later, he would help Jacques and Julia Child with their programs for PBS in kitchen support.

Chris then accepted positions at the Mercy Conference & Retreat Center in Madison followed by restaurant work in New Haven (Whistlers), Middletown (The Inn) and the UCONN Health Center where the team cooked for a flash mob of 2,500 every day.   

For five years Chris returned as lead Chef at The Mercy Center while studying at the Hotel & Restaurant program at the University of New Haven.   He aced all of his courses except one. It was at Mercy that he first began work in catering.

Chris was a key member of The Connecticut Shoreline Chef’s Association - which was accredited by the American Culinary Federation. There, he organized fund-raisers, produced and performed cooking demonstrations, chaired committees, wrote and photographed for the group newsletter, and served as secretary and vice president on the board. He was mentored by Chef Daniel Varano – a Culinary Arts Instructor and United States Culinary Team member.

Chris continued studies in cooking, nutrition, and sanitation and in 1985 earned the status as a “Certified Working Chef”. In 1988, he advanced to Certified Executive Chef. The Culinary Institute of America’s Certified Master Chefs (twenty-four individuals in the country at the time) were accredited by the same program.  

In 1989, Chris was honored to receive the “Chef of the Year” award from his peers. It was at this time he left employment at Mercy to start Culinary Concerts, Inc.  

Later the same year, Chris set the Guinness World Record for Omelet Making; 379 in 30 minutes while the Culinary Concerts team catered brunch for the 400 guests at that unique event. 

Today, Chris’ daughter is a virtuoso at the piano having started with lessons at age four. She plays church organ, sings, and is presently enrolled in college while studying to be a music educator.

Chris’ son works as a licensed realtor in the city of Chicago and as a flight attendant for United Airlines. In his free time, he works at the Dawson Restaurant (check it out) and is strongly considering flight school to become a pilot. He first flew at the age of 13.

Chris is an avid birder, loves to cook for family & friends, has seventy hours in his flight log, landscapes, fishes bluefins off the Cape or trout in the Hammonasset, golfs, and enjoys working with wood. He sings lead vocals with the party band “Train Wreck” when their main lead is out and keeps fit with long bike rides along the shore. He donates free time to St. Thomas More - the catholic center of Yale University - and to any of his friends and family that needs support. He is a parent to a handsome pug named “Al Pacino” of 15 years.

Experience:

The company has graciously entertained events from a black-tie dinner in honor of Earl Spencer to the grand reopening for 1,300 at The Yale Center for British Art. One summer they served a seaside wedding with three Oscar winners and 150 runner-ups in attendance. They have served up the most “delish” events at Eolia Mansion for 21 years.

They catered four large events - including the wedding reception on Block Island for Ted Kennedy Jr. and his wife Kiki -  all with just 90 days notice.  They spanked out 550 dinner plates in 13 minutes for The Connecticut Arts Gala at the Bushnell in Hartford and worked for the Bush’s to honor their daughter’s graduation from Yale.  

And for the near-million or more people they have nourished along the way, they like to be thought of simply as that Italian grandmother who always made sure everyone was fed; “G’eat?” …but never quite figured out how to spell that.

Today, they quietly go about their work with stealth-like precision and attention to the most minute of details.