John Halligan
Executive Chef/Owner - The Park Steakhouse
Grand Tasting, Saturday March 16, 2013

Chef John Halligan is the owner and executive chef of two highly-regarded New Jersey restaurants: The Park Steakhouse in Park Ridge, and The Park West Tavern in Ridgewood. The Park West Tavern has been wildly popular since its opening in June of 2011, and offers fresh, beautifully-prepared food in a relaxed environment. The Park Steakhouse has been receiving accolades since opening in 2003. The New York Times wrote the "Unassuming Steakhouse is the Real Deal," and in 2010 named The Park to their shortlist of “Restaurants to Savor” in New Jersey. New Jersey Monthly Magazine named The Park Steakhouse the number one steakhouse in northern New Jersey.

Prior to opening The Park, Chef Halligan spent close to 20 years running the kitchens of some of Manhattan’s most prestigious hotels, including the five-star Regent Wall Street, the RIHGA Royal Hotel, and the Regency Hotel on Park Avenue. Under Chef Halligan’s direction, the restaurants Halcyon and 55 Wall received Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines, the AAA Four Diamond Award, three stars from Crains Magazine and a Gold Medal from the Societe Culinaire Philanthropique. The James Beard House also named Chef Halligan one of the country’s Best Hotel Chefs.

A 1982 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Halligan draws on his classical training and extensive travels to create distinctly American dishes that are familiar, yet inventive. He is regularly invited to guest-chef appearances throughout the United States and Europe, and has traveled extensively throughout Japan, studying food preparation and presentation with Japanese masters. Chef Halligan has twice competed in the Culinary Olympics, held every four years in Frankfurt, Germany, earning both personal and team gold medals.

Chef Halligan is an involved alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America, and gives his time to charitable and industry organizations, such as the Escoffier Society, Chaine Des Rotisseurs, Share Our Strength (SOS) and City Harvest.