Chef Spotlight: Chef Edward McFarland of ED'S LOBSTER BAR

Edward McFarland, a New York City native, was born in June of 1973 to a family of food lovers. A keen appreciation of great food was passed down to him from the Italian side of his family. Ed's mother made every meal special by using a sprinkling of home-grown herbs, vegetables, and lots of love. The lessons Ed learned in the family kitchen were the building blocks of his future. These formative years were the perfect springboard for a future chef; Ed didn't choose his career path, it chose him!

Ed's passion for food led him to the esteemed French Culinary Institute. After graduating in 1995, Ed trained intensely to sharpen his culinary skills. Ed continued to hone his cooking skills under the tutelage of some of NYC's best chefs including, Sotha Kuhn at Le Cirque and Dave Pasternak at Terence Brennan's Picholine. As Ed perfected his cooking techniques, he was drawn to the delicate nature of seafood and thus chose his culinary path that led to an opportunity at the specialty seafood restaurant, Pearl Oyster Bar; a mainstay in the West Village. For over six years, he served as sous chef at Pearl Oyster Bar, preparing house recipes with his own personal touch. This training ground afforded him the opportunity to learn all he could about seafood and original New England style cuisine.

In 2007, Ed's vision of owning a restaurant became a reality and in March of that year, the doors to Ed's Lobster Bar opened on Lafayette Street in Soho. The restaurant, bearing his name, is the culmination of years of study and apprenticeship. Ed has created a truly unique spin on New England cuisine, using garden fresh produce, the highest quality traditional seafood and the same love and care that he learned from his mother's kitchen. In May of 2019, Ed expanded to the Hamptons where he opened a second Ed's Lobster Bar in Sag Harbor, NY.

Ed served as a judge on Beat Bobby Flay and was a regular on Toni On! New York, and has been featured on The Flay List, The TODAY Show, Fox and Friends, the Martha Stewart Show, as well as Food Feuds on the Food Network.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Edward McFarland for our "Chef Spotlight."

What was your earliest interest in cooking?

I became interested in cooking from a very young age. I loved spending time in the kitchen with my mom and grandmother. I also learned how to barbecue from my dad and regularly helped him grow vegetables in the garden.

Who were some of your career mentors?

Two of my instructors from the French Culinary Institute, Alain Sailhac and Henri Velain, were fantastic mentors in my career. David Patstranack from Esca taught me a lot about cooking and working in a restaurant.

What culinary styles have influenced your career?

I grew up cooking and eating Italian-American cuisine so that has certainly been an influence. I've been cooking up my family's meatball and chili recipes for as long as I can remember. I'm also really into Southern Mediterranean cuisine, Southern-France and Southern-Italian, with fresh flavors and lemon zests.

What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?

I believe in keeping it simple and letting the ingredients speak for themselves. When you use high-quality ingredients, the food truly does speak for itself. For instance, my lobster ravioli does not have any filler in it. It is all lobster inside the ravioli, there isn't any cheese, potato, or other binding agent. Additionally, my lobster roll has the least amount of mayo as possible to hold it together.

What is your favorite meal?

I could eat pizza everyday, but I don't let myself. Overall, a nice thick cut ribeye is my favorite food to eat. Shout out to my butcher in Scotch Plains, NJ, John's Meat Market, who custom cuts my ribeye as soon as I walk in the shop.

Tell me a little bit about your restaurant for our readers.

Ed's Lobster Bar opened in March of 2007 in the middle of a hail storm. I like to classify the restaurant as upscale, casual dining with an emphasis on high quality ingredients and the freshest seafood possible. It truly is a slice of Nantucket in New York City. In May of 2019, we expanded to Sag Harbor, NY, modeling the same formula that has worked for so many years in New York City.

Ed's Lobster Bar is located at 222 Lafayette Street (a few blocks north of Canal Street), New York, NY 10012. They also have a location at 1742 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, New York, 11963. Visit their web site at https://www.lobsterbarnyc.com/. You can follow them on Instagram @edslobsterbar and follow Chef McFarland on Instagram @chefedmcfarland.

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