Restaurant Experience
Brian Malarkey is one of the country’s most successful and sought-after chef/restaurateurs. Throughout his career he has created over 15 wildly successful restaurant concepts. In 2012 he sold majority stake of his first restaurant group (Searsucker and Herringbone) to global Hakkasan Group for $25 million, which he grew to include 10+ locations in the U.S. and internationally. Shortly after he resigned from the group and created a second restaurant group, the Puffer Malarkey Collective, with his longtime business partner, Christopher Puffer. Together they have opened 10 different San Diego based concepts in 5 years, including the nationally acclaimed Herb & Wood, coastal neighborhood gem Herb & Sea, his opulent Pan Asian experience, Animae, and soon to open Le Coq. In 2024, Malarkey is opening a restaurant in his hometown of Bend, Oregon named Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge. In partnership with Irvine Company he created Herb & Ranch, a concept for one of their Irvine-based business parks.
Television Experience
Malarkey is a regular judge on the Food Network on Guy’s Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and is the host of Beachside Brawl. He was a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars (Season 17), Top Chef season 3 finalist, and winning mentor on ABC’s The Taste, which he co-hosted alongside Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson and Ludo Lefebvre. Malarkey has judged a variety of television cooking programs, including Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook Off, Chopped All-Stars, and Cutthroat Kitchen. He can be seen headlining food and wine festivals around the country and making appearances on the Today Show and Good Morning America.
Television Appearances
Top Chef All- Stars, Season 17, 2020
Top Chef, Contestant & Finalist, 2007
Top Chef University: Getting Started, 2009
Top Chef Masters, 2009
Guy’s Grocery Games, Food Network Judge, ~35 Episodes, 2015-Present
Chopped, Food Network, Contestant, All-Stars Tournament, 2015
Cutthroat Kitchen, Food Network Contestant on All-Star Tournament, 2014
Rachael vs. Guy: Kids Cook-Off, Food Network, Judge on Finale Episode, 2014
Today Show, NBC, Guest, 12 Episodes, 2012-Present
Good Morning America, ABC, Guest, 4 Episodes, 2012-Present
Hell's Kitchen, FOX, Guest Judge, 2014
CBS This Morning, 2015
Entertainment Tonight, CBS, 2013
The Taste, ABC, Host, 8 Episodes, 2013
FabLife, ABC, Guest, 3 episodes, 2015-2016
Home & Family, Hallmark Channel, Guest, 6 Episodes, 2016-Present
Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag Himself, 2010
Mega Bites, Host, 2010
The Real Housewives of Orange County Himself, 2009
Trip Flip (TV Series) Guest, 2011
Fameless, TruTV, 2015
The Talk, Guest, 2 Episodes, 2014-2015
Personal Life
Growing up on a ranch in Oregon, and spending summers enjoying fresh seafood on the coast, helped Malarkey discover his love for food and cooking at a young age, prompting him to enroll in Le Cordon Bleu in Portland. Prior to opening his first restaurant, Malarkey held positions at several marquee restaurants in Los Angeles, including Chef Michel Richard’s Citrus. He has three beautiful children named Hunter (11) and twins, Sailor and Miles (9). He is active in his free time, surfing, paddle boarding, spear fishing and boating. He is also a racehorse owner and a past racetrack photographer. Always eager to give back to the community, Malarkey has supported dozens of organizations and nonprofits throughout the years, including Golden Rule Charity, Rady Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, Berry Good Food Foundation, Chimps Inc., Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Surfer’s Healing and more.
Brand Partnerships
Monogram
GE
Kitchen Aid
California Strawberries
California Avocados
Alaska Seafood
Disneyland
Super Bowl
Sub Zero
Kentucky Derby
Dacor
Dansko
Kaaboo
Ronald McDonald
House Charities
Feeding America/Starbuck