JP Pedhirney

It’s tough to be a chef in a town that’s going through a downturn, but you wouldn’t know it from the crowds lined up to get into Bridgette Bar. Calgary-born JP Pedhirney, local homegrown talent and graduate of the culinary program at SAIT, was first choice to take the helm as executive chef. Named after Brigid, the Celtic goddess of fire, the restaurant features a menu that is long on woodfired items. “I like to think of it as a masculine way of cooking with a delicate feminine spin,” says Pedhirney. A long counter of patrons sits happily sipping inventive cocktails while digging into platters of grilled octopus and roasted cauliflower tossed with an espelette mayonnaise. The chef artfully merges the tried and true—like roast chicken and fries— with the experimental, such as braised rabbit on toast or escargot tarts, and his carefully crafted menu focuses on seasonality combined with creativity. “But it’s not just me alone who’s responsible for the menu,” explains the busy chef. “The food we create at Bridgette is a compilation of more than two dozen people’s input. And it can take months to nail a recipe.” Clearly Pedhirney and his team have created something so right for today’s tastes.—