As executive pastry chef for the opening team of Caswell Restaurant Group’s third restaurant Oak + Rowan, Brian Mercury’s vision for the pastry program largely focuses on “seasonal ingredients, locality, and redefining the modern New England table.” His notable contributions to the menu include a selection of house-made ice creams and sorbets in unconventional flavors, as well as an in-house bread and butter program. The talented chef comes to Oak + Rowan directly following a successful tenure as executive pastry chef for Himmel Hospitality’s acclaimed restaurant Harvest in Cambridge, where he garnered local and national recognition including Food & Wine “People’s Choice Best New Pastry Chef, East Region 2013,” Boston Magazine “Boston’s Best Pastry Chef 2014,” and Improper Bostonian “Boston’s Best Desserts 2013.”

Hailing from Rochester, NY, Brian grew up surrounded by a big family that placed importance on getting together and sharing good food. As a kid, he developed a sweet tooth by helping his grandmother make cookies and desserts, and spent most of his allowance on candy. A suggestion from his father lead Brian to pursue a culinary education, and he received his Associates in baking and pastry arts from the Culinary Institute of America, along with a Bachelors in food management from Rochester Institute of Technology. Brian arrived in Boston in 2004 and landed a job working for Peter Davis, Executive Chef of The Charles Hotel, where he worked under the guidance of Executive Pastry Chef Dan Angelopolus and closely with Rialto’s Executive Pastry Chef Susan Abbott. When he’s not concocting new desserts, Brian enjoys spending as much time as possible with his wife Denise, daughter Mia, and son Mason.