At Home With Brad Farmerie

Inside the Saxon + Parole chef’s Brooklyn townhouse

Published on May 13, 2015

Brad Farmerie, chef-proprietor of five acclaimed restaurants, including New York City's Saxon + Parole, Public, and just-opened GENUINE Superette, has created an elegant, functional kitchen in his Brooklyn home. When he and his wife Jocelyn moved into their Clinton Hill townhouse three years ago, they gutted the kitchen and started from scratch, keeping only the French range and the farmhouse sink. With two young children, it was important for them to keep everything well organized and durable. "We wanted simplicity—we have functional pieces that we use," Brad explained. Before settling in New York, Brad traveled the world in search of culinary inspiration and worked in esteemed restaurants in England. He loves to bring souvenirs back from his travels, from antique corkscrews to bottles from the vineyards where he sources wines for his restaurants. From his prized French range to Harney & Sons tea, here's a glimpse of Brad's favorite design finds and the pantry staples he can't live without.

Laura is a Brooklyn-based writer and researcher whose words have appeared in Travel + Leisure, Departures, and Refinery29, among others. She is the co-author of a forthcoming guide to New York City's hidden bars and restaurants and wrote the Williamsburg and Greenpoint guides in Fodor's forthcoming Brooklyn book. She likes her gin shaken, not stirred.

Chef Brad Farmerie in his kitchen.

The Lacanche range was one of the only things already in the kitchen. When Brad and his wife Jocelyn renovated, they built everything around it. “All of my restaurants have French tops because I love working on them,” Brad said. The subway tile backsplash and hood were custom designed. Cluny by Lacanche, from $8,200 at frenchranges.com

The table—an iconic midcentury modern design by Eero Saarinen—gives the classic kitchen a mod feel. Atop it are a Moroccan tagine and a painted pitcher from Spain, which Brad and Jocelyn use when they entertain. Pedestal Table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, from $1,935 at dwr.com

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The art has personal significance. In addition to this photograph, which was taken by Peter Frank Edwards during a wild boar hunt Brad orchestrated with Men’s Journal, there are framed New York Times reviews of Public and Saxon + Parole (both of which only got one star). Brad hung them as a joke, but says, “I keep them up to remind myself that you’ve gotta do what’s in your heart and not worry about what anyone else says.”

The cabinet was custom made by Casa Collection, a local furniture designer in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Those bottles are just the tip of the iceberg. For Brad and Jocelyn, wine is not just for special occasions. They like to invite guests over and open a bottle. Custom cabinets, price upon request at casacollection.com

“I like bringing back wine after tasting it at the vineyard and talking to the winemaker,” Brad says. One of his all-time favorites is this Trimbach Cuvée Frédéric Emile Vendange Tardive, which he brought home from Alsace.

Brad and Jocelyn have a varied collection of glassware, including wine glasses they received as wedding gifts, antique champagne coupes, and these Moroccan tea glasses. Moroccan tea glasses, $64 at onekingslane.com

They have also amassed an eclectic collection of dishes, including French farmhouse pottery, cut glass plates, hand-painted Mexican plates, and these Irish bowls. Medium bowl by Nicholas Mosse, $31.88 at nicholasmosse.com

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“All Clad and Le Creuset are the only two kinds of cookware we have here and I love them both equally,” he says. All Clad copper core sauté pan, $199.99 at all-clad.com

Brad is a big fan of his Vitamix, which he bought recently and uses every morning to make a smoothie. It’s also great for puréeing vegetables into silky soups. Vitamix 7500, $529 at vitamix.com

Always on his counter: olive oil from California Olive Ranch. Brad met the owners while he was opening the Thomas in Napa. “They go straight to the chefs and ask us exactly what we want,” he says. Extra Virgin Olive Oil by the California Olive Ranch, from $11.95 at Whole Foods

Kibbeh by La Boîte à Épices (a fragrant blend of garlic, cumin, and parsley) is one of Brad’s preferred spice blends. He also uses smoked paprika and herbes de Provence liberally. Kibbeh N. 15, $15 at laboiteny.com

Brad says he used to consume way too much coffee, so now he sticks to green tea. His cabinets are stocked with a wide variety of Harney & Sons teas. Harney & Sons tea, from $7.95 for 4 oz. at harney.com