You Can Trust This Thin Chef

In an attempt to keep the canvas blank and unbiased, I purposely met Hudson House Chef Christopher Dunn only after I had sampled a few of his dishes, and not a minute before.

One by one, I was warmed up by the likes of colorful small plates of crab cake, scallop and tataki, not to mention a bowlful of chef's signature potato gnocchi, all finished down to the quick.

Admittedly, in my head I made an easy leap to a cliché; that of a big meaty guy wearing a lopsided chef's hat.

Nothing doing.

This chef came out of his kitchen, wiped his hands clean with an affable smile—and caught me way off guard. But do not for a moment be misled by his athletic frame. His history of rich and flavorful cooking is anything but thin.

As a teenage boy, Dunn took his time and paid his dues, evolving from a dishwasher to a butcher's assistant to a line cook, then to a culinary graduate from the Institute of Culinary Education in 2001. Hungry to absorb as much as he could—and inspired by his own humble roots—Christopher stayed mindful of both the skill and the art needed in the world of fine dining.

From there he further honed his craft as the Executive Chef of Dylan Prime and Devin Tavern, both part of an impressive NYC based restaurant group. After working under Chef Bobby Duncan of Gramercy Tavern fame, Christopher assumed the top position at Dylan Prime in March of 2004 at the age of 26. He led a kitchen staff of 50.

Years later and now being the "marrying kind", he was ready to leave the hectic city pace behind and carve out a kitchen where he could settle down and call his own. With the owner of The Hudson House Matt Hudson looking to refresh his menu, he posted a notice on a culinary job board. After a few brief exchanges, Dunn was invited to come to the restaurant anonymously, taste the food and if he felt he could do better, bring it to Hudson's kitchen.

More than hungry for the challenge, Dunn rolled up his sleeves, dove in and delivered a vast sampling of dishes. Right there on the spot, the two toasted to the future—and three years later, the magic continues.

His energy and refreshing youth have in fact been the driving forces behind his creations. Dunn extrapolates on this by keeping things fresh and new in the kitchen. Choosing ingredients from a few select and local organic farmers, Dunn works in sync with the seasons and heeds advice from local produce experts Joe Kleinberg and Goshen Greens.

"I love to get produce with dirt still on it," Dunn said. Apparently, the fresher the better.

"Just last week my produce guy showed up with 100 pounds of Jerusalem artichokes and a pile of Rainbow Swiss Chard," he added. "My job was to find new and clever ways to move it."    

He did.

Today, Dunn serves as the Executive Chef of The Hudson House. He creates contemporary interpretations of rustic New American cuisine with global accents. 

And they say not to trust a skinny chef!