Chef Ryan Hardy

The Little Nell’s Executive Chef Ryan Hardy has developed a famous reputation for creating menus that appear to be straightforward and healthy culinary masterpieces that then explode with innovative and exuberant flavors. To supply his guests with the freshest ingredients, Hardy grows produce and raises livestock on his 15-acre farm, Rendezvous Farms, in addition to discovering local sources for his handcrafted foods. He also produces masterful cheeses and freely uses them in his recipes and offers them as appetizers.

As a leading light in the new generation of young chefs, Hardy improves upon many of the current trends in gourmet cooking such as:

• Selecting lighter foods that are still strong on flavor
• Adhering to the “slow food” movement that celebrates the bounty of the Earth
• Mastering the use of electrifying spices that naturally stretch flavors
• Sourcing the majority of the food from local farmers, ranchers, and his own organic farm
• Consciously avoiding the preparation of endangered fish species

Chef Ryan’s passion for cooking began as a child in Lexington, Kentucky where Ryan was entering (and winning) cooking contests while his friends were still dreaming of being astronauts or firemen. His path to The Little Nell is paved with an impressive list of experiences including the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant Rubicon, and the celebrated Rustique restaurant in Aspen.