Evan Hennessey

The Climb

More than a decade at Stages at One Washington has given the room a clear identity, with Evan Hennessey serving as chef/owner since 2012. The work reads as accumulation rather than flash: a kitchen built through repetition, timing, and the kind of judgment that turns each service into proof of control.

Today

The title of Chef & Director of Operations puts Evan Hennessey in two lanes at once: the pass and the back-of-house structure that keeps it moving. He is also identified as executive chef and owner, which places menu direction alongside the daily management that underpins it. Sourcing, for Hennessey, is framed as a local system rather than a distant supply chain. “If more people are willing to come to New Hampshire to try our food, and then we are able to do more with it… we can really close the system on food, which I think is huge, and we can stop sort of sourcing from far, far away.” The idea of “closing the system” points to a kitchen logic built on proximity and making more of what is close at hand. It is a practical position, and one that treats restraint as part of the work. Pantry preference also shows up in the details. Hennessey has named “ras el hanout, which is one of my favorite spices in the entire world,” a cue to a palate that values layered seasoning and breadth of reference. The ingredient suggests a cook attentive to depth, warmth, and enough structure to keep complexity in line.

Signature

Hennessey’s signature dishes include Stages, Black Walnut Chocolate Bon Bons, Cherry Cotton Candy, and a trio that shows range across the menu rather than a single register. The names move from the restaurant’s own identity to confection work, with each one pointing to precision, finish, and a willingness to let sweetness sit alongside the savory frame of the kitchen.

In Their Words “If more people are willing to come to New Hampshire to try our food, and then we are able to do more with it… we can really close the system on food, which I think is huge, and we can stop sort of sourcing from far, far away.”