Chef
Carrie Nahabedian
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Chicago, Illinois, United States
i. Biography
The Climb
Career progression in serious kitchens tends to show up in the titles first: assistant chef to the garde manger at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, then cook at Le Perroquet in Chicago, then chef at Le Francais in Chicago. Carrie Nahabedian’s early path moved through exactly those rooms, including work in Illinois, where repetition and station discipline would have mattered as much as any finished plate. By 1989, the work had shifted into hotel structure. At Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Illinois, Carrie Nahabedian became sous chef, then moved into Executive Chef posts at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, Illinois and Four Seasons Hotel Biltmore in California. Those promotions tracked a kitchen skill set built for scale: managing timing, holding standards, and keeping flavor and presentation consistent across service. Return to Chicago became a defining business decision when Carrie Nahabedian left Beverly Hills to open NAHA. From 2000–2018, she was chef owner at NAHA in Chicago, Illinois, where the restaurant became a one-Michelin-star Chicago restaurant and a vehicle for highlighting her Armenian roots. The work also brought a James Beard Award, placing NAHA among the places where her point of view was most clearly expressed: controlled, rooted, and built with exacting technique.
Today
At Brindille in Chicago, Carrie Nahabedian works as Executive Chef and co-owner, and the food stays centered on refined Parisian cuisine with classic French roots, excellent sauces, and precise plating. The style is direct and disciplined, with the kind of finish that depends on restraint more than flourish. Ownership now spans Brindille and the earlier NAHA chapter under Carrie Nahabedian’s name, with the present work at Brindille carrying the same operational clarity. The restaurant reads as authorship through control: composition, pacing, and the details that make a service hold together.
Recognition
Recognition for Carrie Nahabedian tracks the same qualities that define the kitchens she has led: precision, consistency, and a clear command of classic technique. Her honors include James Beard Foundation Award for the Great Lakes region (2008) and Inducted into the Chicago Culinary Museum's Chefs Hall of Fame. Taken together, they mark a career rooted in Chicago but built through disciplined work across multiple kitchens and formats.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Carrie
What is Carrie Nahabedian's current role?
As of 2026, Carrie Nahabedian is Executive Chef and Co-owner.
Where did Carrie Nahabedian work before?
Carrie Nahabedian's earlier career included Resorts Casino Hotel, Le Perroquet, and Le Francais.
What recognition has Carrie Nahabedian received?
James Beard Foundation Award for the Great Lakes region (2008).
