I will remember Brian Shore for his Chocolate Tower, a dessert he made famous at the Arad Evans Inn, in Fayetteville: Hand-made from with dark chocolate, filled with chocolate mousse, garnished with spun sugar… What a grand, over-the-top, finale for a meal!
I will also remember Brian for one of his signature salads: spring greens, red grapes and candied walnuts, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese. We make a copycat version often, but it somehow lacks the flair that came to Brian so naturally.
Brian was found dead at his home Dec. 1, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Syracuse police said. He was 50.
His loss is a huge one for the culinary community in Central New York: purveyors, chefs, students and diners.
Brian worked as a chef at several of Central New York’s finest restaurants, including the Brewster Inn in Cazenovia and Sherwood Inn in Skaneateles, and most notably at the Arad Evans Inn. He worked there for three years, before turning his sights south of Syracuse and opening his own restaurant, Kettle Lakes, in Tully, in 1999.
Brian poured his heart and soul into Kettle Lakes for more than six years, wowing diners with his seafood creations, nightly specials and locally sourced and seasonally inspired fare like free-range chicken and butternut squash bisque topped with tiny gingerbread man croutons.
Despite glowing reviews the restaurant struggled financially, and it was with a heavy heart that Shore closed it in early 2006, returning, eventually, to the Arad Evans. When I interviewed him for a story for The Good Life Central New York Magazine that spring, he nearly wept as he discussed his decision to close the restaurant.
Our paths crossed several times over the years, when I was food editor at The Post-Standard. No matter how busy he was, he never said no to requests for interviews, photos and recipes. For one story, a feature on “Salt City chefs” and their salt preferences, Brian arrived at the newspaper dragging a wagon loaded with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, coarse-grain salts and fancy fleur de sel (sea salts in a range of colors) from France.
I immediately converted to kosher salt, exclusively, in food and on food. With a ringing endorsement like that, wouldn’t you?
Dessert sampler plate by Chef Brian Shore; photos courtesy of his Facebook page
Despite the challenges of running a restaurant, Brian devoted considerable time and energy to the Syracuse chapter of the American Culinary Federation and its premier event, the Great Chefs Dinner, an annual fundraiser/gala to benefit the American Red Cross.
His passion for food and commitment to local produce and ingredients was contagious. In the bustling kitchen at Skaneateles Country Club, a few hours before the start of the 2004 edition of the Great Chefs Dinner, he took a few minutes to sing the praises of the owner/growers of Fresh Herbs of Fabius – and encourage his fellow chefs to call on them, as well.
The last time I saw Brian was in April, at Savor Syracuse, a food-tasting event to benefit the Food Bank of Central New York.
He introduced his fiancee, Katie, and spoke excitedly of the possibility of running the kitchen at The Krebs, a landmark restaurant in Skaneateles purchased by Skaneateles resident Adam Weitsman, with plans to renovate and donate restaurant proceeds to charity.
A few months later, he was hired as executive chef at the LaFayette Country Club – a project that never got off the ground.
Brian has been described as a talented and troubled soul. I can only speak for his talents and creativity and his deep appreciation for and connection to food – from those who grow it, to those who work magic with it in restaurant kitchens to those who ultimately eat it.
If there is a heaven, it surely must have an herb garden and fully-stocked kitchen. And someone is sitting down to an amazing meal prepared by Brian, using what’s seasonal, local and at hand.
RIP.
