Once and future chef taking over Tellers in Islip
Cornelius Gallagher has joined Islip-based Bohlsen Restaurant Group as corporate chef. The Garden City resident was with Sonnier & Castle in Manhattan as executive chef. The restaurants within the Bohlsen Restaurant Group include Prime Restaurant in Huntington, Tellers Chophouse in Islip, H2O Seafood Grill in Smithtown and the Beachtree Cafe in East Islip. (August 2009) Credit: Handout
Cornelius Gallagher, corporate executive chef of the Bohlsen Restaurant Group from 2009 until this past March, has come back to Long Island to take over the group’s flagship restaurant, Tellers American Chophouse in Islip.
Gallagher, who lives in Garden City Park, started his career at La Plage in Wading River before earning national accolades at Bouley, Lespinasse and Oceana in Manhattan. In April he left the Bohlsens to open Dragonfly, an Asian-fusion restaurant on the Upper East Side; he was both executive chef and a partner. Yesterday, Dragonfly announced that Gallagher was no longer involved in the restaurant and that Scott Gery, the chef de cuisine, was the new executive chef.
Gallagher’s appointment to the top job at Tellers signals the Bohlsens’ intention to revitalize the kitchen of their oldest fine-dining restaurant. Said Michael Bohlsen, “Cornelius’ passion and talent will no doubt bring Tellers to heights Long Island diners have yet to see on our Island.”
When Gallagher officially takes charge of Tellers’ kitchen in two weeks, he’ll start tweaking the menu, but it will be the upcoming fall menu that will fully reflect the chef’s contribution.
Tellers is at 605 Main St. Islip, NY 631-277-7070
