Bryan O’Kelly

Bryan O’Kelly is the Executive Chef of Husk Nashville, Tennessee’s outpost of The Neighborhood Dining Group’s famed restaurant known for celebrating the bounty of the area with local Southern fare. Hailing from South Carolina, Chef Bryan cut his time at the College of Charleston short to pursue a culinary career full-time, revisiting the enticing industry he originally discovered as a high schooler. While he knew from a young age that a traditional desk job wasn’t in his future, O’Kelly says it’s the people in the industry that pulled him in.

After working at fellow Neighborhood Dining Group restaurant McCrady’s in Charleston for a few years, Bryan accepted a job at Husk Savannah serving as Sous Chef before making the move to Nashville in 2021, where he served as Chef de Cuisine at Husk Nashville. This role reunited him with Chef Ben Norton, an old friend from McCrady’s who served as Husk’s Executive Chef. The two worked closely with local farmers and purveyors to source the season’s freshest ingredients in addition to utilizing the bountiful on-site garden before Chef Ben’s departure in 2025, when Chef Bryan stepped into the Executive Chef role.

Chef Bryan draws inspiration from all directions – his mentors and peers in the kitchen, the fresh produce that grows in Husk’s garden and neighboring farms, as well as other restaurants and cookbook authors he admires. He humbly owes his talent and creativity to the teams he has been a part of over the course of his career, especially at The Neighborhood Dining Group, where he serves as proof of the “promote from within” policy that has inspired a culture he’s proud to represent today.

In the kitchen, Chef Bryan inspires his team at Husk to always think outside the box. A creative at heart, Chef Bryan enjoys playing guitar, reading, listening to live music, and traveling in his free time.