Personalities

Bridget Batson

Bridget's Links:

Executive Chef - Claudine, Gitane

Born and raised in New Jersey, Bridget Batson started her post-high school education as a Criminal Justice major. Like many young people, she soon changed her mind about what she wanted to do with her life, and had the epiphany that she would much rather watch Law & Order than actually pursue a career in the field.

With no culinary training, Batson enrolled in the famed Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School where she studied pastry under Chef Nicholas Malgieri. The experience, while valuable, helped her to discover that pastry is too restrictive, as she prefers being able to cook without such strict confines.

After graduation Batson cooked her way from New Jersey to Boston, before making her way to the West Coast. Her career in San Francisco began as an Executive Chef at Hawthorne Lane and TWO Restaurant. After 11 years of maintaining all aspects of the kitchen and catering department, Batson decided to “take a few months off” and became the sous chef at Pizzeria Delfina.

In 2010 Batson accepted her current position as the Executive Chef of Gitane and a year later added Claudine to her resume. Being new to Spanish cooking, she sat down with owner, Franck Le Clerck, and drew inspiration from his stories and photos of a recent trip he had taken to Spain. She soon realized that Spanish cooking was very much inline with her culinary philosophy: Keep it simple, rustic and ingredient driven.

In her two years as part of the Claude Lane Group, she has elevated the menu to a three star level. She hasn’t let the success go to her head and tries not to take herself too seriously – something she learned from one of her mentors in Boston, Chris Schlesinger.

On her days off Batson enjoys spending time with her husband (also a chef) and their dog. The pair spends their days off making different dishes and enjoying each other’s company. “I never really stop cooking. For me being a chef is not just a profession – it is a passion and a joy.”