Restaurant Chef Eileen Watkin
Biography

The good fortune of having a mother that cooked interesting, diverse cuisines as a hobby inspired Chef Eileen Watkin very early on. By the time she graduated High School, Watkin knew that she wanted to cook, and she followed this passion to the esteemed Culinary Institute of America.

As Internship at the Commanders palace in New Orleans connected Watkin to Chef Jamie Shannon, whose considerable skill, talent and energy demonstrated the benefit of an organized, well-run and consistent kitchen. Following her internship and graduation in 1997, Watkin went on to work under Francesco Materolla and Chris Scarduzio at Brasserie Perrier; It was also here that she met chefs Roberta Adamo and Ed Vadden, with whom she would go on to open two highly successful restaurants in the years to follow.

Watkin worked alongside chefs Vadden and Andrew Hewson under 2-Star Michelin Chef Kai Lerman, helping to create comptemporary American Cuisine focusing on organic produce at the opening of the Ritz Carlton in 2000.

Watkin re-joined Roberta Adamo and Ed Vadden at the opening of Penne in 2002, where she began as a Sous Chef and then accepted the position of chef de Cuisine. Eileen's fare focuses on 'fresh, bright flavors that create a stimulating and appealingly balanced experience for all parts of the palate'