Ed Brown is the chef/owner of eighty one, a restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The restaurant is the culmination of a career that began when he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1983.

He is the author of The Modern Seafood Cook and was a contributing author for the revised Joy of Cooking, updating the cookbook’s fish and shellfish section. He also wrote the foreword for the latest edition of Pierre Franey’s 60 Minute Gourmet.

When he was executive chef at The Sea Grill in New York, Ed was widely admired for his skill cooking fish and seafood. Eighty one showcases Ed’s wide-ranging culinary interests, and is not exclusively a seafood restaurant.

Ed’s first job after graduation from the CIA was as sous chef at New York's Parker Meridian’s three-star Maurice Restaurant, where he worked beside Chef Christian Delouvrier and Chef/Maitre Cuisinier Alain Senderens. Two years later, he traveled with Alain to Paris to work at the famous Michelin three-star Lucas Carton as chef de partie tournant. It was during this time that he was introduced to the cuisines of the world and the variety of techniques that are still evident in the combinations, flavors and simplicity of his cooking style today.

In 1990, Ed joined Restaurant Associates (RA) to open Tropica, the organization's first project in New York's MetLife building complex. He eventually oversaw the culinary programs at all of RA's restaurants in the building. Following a brief stopover at Judson Grill, Ed returned to the RA family in 1994 to begin what would be a 14-year tenure at The Sea Grill.  Esquire magazine called it “one of the best restaurants in the world” and Ed, “perhaps the most impressive talent in his field.” Additionally, he has earned an impressive collection of stars from the New York Times, 14 in all for such properties as Marie Michelle, Tropica, Judson Grill and The Sea Grill.

Ed has appeared a number of times on NBC’s Today Show, CBS’s The Early Show and other programs. He has also contributed to a number of magazines and other publications.

He lives in the New York metropolitan area. The website for the restaurant is http://www.81nyc.com/