Following his appearance as an exuberant contestant on the most recent season of Fox's hit primetime cooking competition MasterChef, San Diego's own Brien O’Brien has announced plans to continue within the culinary industry with the launch of private cooking classes and dinners centered around comfort food recipes and easy spins on classic cuisine.
In this new role, O’Brien welcomes groups of up to six guests into his home in San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood for cozy, home-cooked meals created over the course of two hours. O'Brien will also offer an option for fans to book a private four-course prime rib dinner for up to six guests.
"Since the age of thirteen I have always had the dream of becoming a chef, but never before has it been possible," said Brien O'Brien. "I am finally able to give this everything I’ve got and couldn’t be more excited."
From a vast pool of applicants, O’Brien was one of twenty home cooks from around the nation selected to compete on Season 8 of MasterChef. O’Brien filmed episodes in Los Angeles during August and September 2016, along with fellow San Diego-based contestants Jenny Cavellier and Dino Angelo Luciano, who won the competition. The nationally televised show aired Wednesday evenings and ended on September 20.
"Since the age of thirteen I have always had the dream of becoming a chef, but never before has it been possible," said Brien O'Brien. "I am finally able to give this everything I’ve got and couldn’t be more excited."
While on the show, O’Brien impressed judges during the first several episodes but was unexpectedly eliminated during the August 2 airing when he found himself in the bottom three for the first time, following a team challenge requiring chefs to make cannoli in a variety of flavors. As a result, he was named the "14th Best Home Cook in America" by MasterChef.
In addition to private cooking classes and dinners, Chef Brien O’Brien continues to make public appearances and showcase his cooking skills throughout Southern California. A calendar of upcoming classes featuring dishes like 4th Generation Meatloaf and Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala can be viewed online at ChefBrienOBrien.com.
