Ben Pollinger
Executive Chef Ben Pollinger’s unique cooking style artfully blends the freshest seafood with the finest ingredients from a global pantry. His seasonal cooking received critical acclaim when The New York Times’ Frank Bruni awarded Oceana three stars, calling Pollinger’s cooking an ‘exhilarating voyage”. Upon its relocation in 2009, The Times’ Sam Sifton complimented his running a “crack operation” and later named his Whole Curried Fried Pink Snapper one of the top 11 dishes of the year. He has maintained Oceana’s Michelin star six consecutive years. Ben was a Beard Foundation Scholarship recipient while attending the CIA.
Who was your most influential mentor?
Floyd Cardoz
What was your first job in the culinary world?
I cooked in the cafeteria in my dorm while studying economics at Boston University
What is your dream destination for culinary travel?
Southeast Asia
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Featured Recipes
Daniel Fox made this crusted lamb for at his springtime Beard House dinner
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This recipe comes from James Peterson, author of many cookbooks, including
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Michael Schulson prepared these simple oysters at his Beard House dinner. He
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