Forrest Pasternack

The Path

Pasternack was born and raised in Western Connecticut and grew up in Ridgefield. After the Culinary Institute of America, he cooked in New York — including at Aquavit, then a two-Michelin-star restaurant and a prior workplace whose stars belonged to the restaurant, not to him — and later at Terra and Morello Bistro in Greenwich. Coming back to Ridgefield was a return home. In early 2013 he became Executive Chef at Bailey's Backyard, the New American farm-to-table restaurant at 23 Bailey Avenue, and led that kitchen through 2018. He has said that after leaving he opened a consulting company and became Corporate Executive Chef for CulinArt Group in Rockville Centre, covering the Long Island and New York region from Norwalk, Connecticut to Montauk. Sourced dates for that CulinArt post are March 2017–June 2019, which overlap the end of the first Bailey's tenure; both are kept as dated. From June 2019 to April 2026 he was Executive Chef at 51 Hospitality Group in Ridgefield. In August 2023 he returned to Bailey's Backyard as executive chef. That return overlaps the 51 Hospitality dates; both remain dated. He is not the current chef at Bailey's.

The Work Today

He is Associate Director, Executive Chef, Auxiliary & Retail Operations at Yale Hospitality, listed on the official hospitality team page. The work is university Auxiliary & Retail Operations in the New Haven area.

Career - Associate Director, Executive Chef, Auxiliary & Retail Operations — Yale Hospitality (April 2026–present) - Executive Chef — 51 Hospitality Group, Ridgefield, Connecticut (June 2019–April 2026) - Executive Chef — Bailey's Backyard, Ridgefield, Connecticut (returned August 2023; historical, not current) - Corporate Executive Chef — CulinArt Group, Rockville Centre; Norwalk, Connecticut to Montauk (March 2017–June 2019) - Executive Chef — Bailey's Backyard, Ridgefield, Connecticut (2013–2018) - Earlier kitchens — Aquavit (prior workplace; the two Michelin stars were the restaurant's); Terra and Morello Bistro, Greenwich Education: Culinary Institute of America. CT Bites (2014) also reports he graduated with honors.

Signature

During his Bailey's Backyard years, Total Food Service (February 8, 2024) recorded roasted Hudson Valley chicken under a brick with Nora Mill Granary Speckled Grits, Dijon-chicken jus, and sautéed kale as his signature dish. No current Yale signature dishes are sourced here.

In Their Words "there's nothing quite like home." — on returning to Ridgefield (CT Bites, August 24, 2023) "I like to use Nora Mill Granary Speckled Grits from Chef's Warehouse in our roasted Hudson Valley chicken under a brick." — Total Food Service, February 8, 2024 "I love that Chef's Warehouse goes out of their way to find these amazing products." — Total Food Service, February 8, 2024

FAQ What is Forrest Pasternack's current role? Associate Director, Executive Chef, Auxiliary & Retail Operations at Yale Hospitality (official team page; LinkedIn April 2026–present). Where is he based? Connecticut / the New Haven area, with Yale Hospitality. He is from Ridgefield. Where did he train? Culinary Institute of America. Did he earn two Michelin stars? No. He worked at Aquavit when it held two Michelin stars. Those stars were the restaurant's, not a personal award.