Washing pots as a thirteen year-old with the aspiration of some day being allowed to chop parsley doesn’t sound like a thrilling introduction to the glamour of the culinary world. But that is the way Capische owner and executive chef Brian Etheredge got his start. Chef Brian has been in the restaurant and food service business since adolescence, and a lifetime of building skills, refining his talents, and hard work have led to his remarkable success in the highly competitive fine dining industry.
Forged in the crucible of high volume, high end restaurants and inns in his home town of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Chef Brian’s formal culinary education began with an apprenticeship at the age of 16 through the South East Institute of Culinary Arts while juggling the responsibilities of traditional classes as a high school student. Destined for success at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, Chef Brian built upon his many years of experience to edge out his culinary school peers in technique, proficiency and aptitude. His passionate flair in the kitchen grounded in solid performance and innate talent was recognized early on by the distinguished faculty and naturally led to Chef Brian’s successes in the celebrated kitchens of New York City’s most distinguished eating houses and hotels such as the venerable Waldorf Astoria.
Chef Brian’s culinary journey took him between the simultaneously classic and innovative kitchens of New York City and Florida’s exciting New World Cuisine havens. Making his rounds of the traditional kitchen brigade, Chef Brian’s stints as legumier, entremetier and other station experience solidified his focus on success through infatuation with quality and detail. Throughout his young career, Chef Brian was constantly given enormous responsibility that belied his chronological tenure in the business, yet challenged him to keep an eye on the prize without much regard for the mammoth tasks often handed down.
A chance encounter with Hawaiian Chef Sam Choy opened a door of opportunity for Brian. So he left the comforts of the mainland in 1998 to pursue his culinary dreams on Maui. He spent the first three years in the various food service operations of the Grand Wailea Resort. Chef Brian’s determination to lead and innovate propelled him through the ranks as he set a high standard of professional performance in the fast-paced rhythm of the resort’s massive food service operation. This experience also helped to diversify his skills as he encountered new and exciting local ingredients. Chef Brian’s growing reputation resulted in an invitation to open the original Capische at Ma’alaea Harbor as Executive Chef. In 2002 his entrepreneurial drive led him to acquire ownership of the restaurant and move it to the current location at the Hotel Wailea.
Along the way, his rich, broad experience and passion for excellence have positioned Chef Brian as a leader in shaping the Maui culinary experience for locals and vacationers. It is an industry norm today to focus on using locally grown produce, sustainability, and artisan-crafted menu components. Chef Brian’s demand for quality in these elements, however, continues to shape the Maui food scene through his close partnership and collaboration with local growers and producers. His vision benefits diners throughout the state that may never see the inside of his restaurant. His dedication to teaching kids about food sources in their community will impact the level of sophistication of diners of the next generation and beyond. Perhaps the most exciting commentary on Chef Brian’s career is not where he has been but where he is going and how delighted diners are that he is in the driver’s seat.
