Creekside Dinner Series with Dickie Brennan

Join us Creekside at Grand Hyatt Vail for an unforgettable outdoor dining experience in the Colorado Rockies!

Only 30 Seats available per dinner, reserve your seats today!

Dinner Series Dates:

• July 8th with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef Dickie Brennan
• July 15th with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef Orlando Benavidez
• July 29th with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef Elise Wiggins
• August 5th with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef Amber Lancaster
• August 19th with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef James Murray
• September 2nd with Chef Pierson Shields & Chef Justin Brunson

Grand Hyatt Vail, Executive Chef Pierson Shields

Shields brings significant experience within the hospitality and culinary fields. Most recently, he served as Executive Sous Chef at Hyatt Regency Denver Convention Center following culinary appointments at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, Warwick Hotel, Tom’s Urban 24, and Hyatt Regency Phoenix. Shields also serves as a board member for both the American Culinary Federation and Auguste Escoffier Culinary School.

Chef Dickie Brennan

A third-generation New Orleans restauranteur of the famed Brennan family, Dickie grew up just two blocks from Commander’s Palace. In the 1970s under the tutelage of Chef Paul Prudhomme, Dickie worked with Commander’s Palace as they led the American Regional Cuisine movement by introducing the world to Cajun and Creole cooking. After graduating college, Dickie joined Larry Forgione’s An American Place in New York City. He later moved to France, where he worked and studied in six different kitchens to gain exposure and broaden his knowledge as a chef. In 1991, Dickie helped open Palace Café and later became Executive Chef, then Owner.With his sister, Lauren Brower, and business partner, Steve Pettus, Dickie went on to open Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, Bourbon House, Tableau, Acorn Café (adjacent to the Louisiana Children’s Museum, The Commissary Market + Eatery, and Dickie Brennan’s Catering & Events. Although each restaurant has its own distinct identity and cuisine, each shares the common thread of holding true to Louisiana’s culinary history through the use of local ingredients and techniques.

As an ambassador for New Orleans and its unique culture, Dickie remains active in the community and hospitality industry. He is an avid supporter of local farmers and fisherman and has taken an active role in trying to preserve heirloom varieties of Louisiana produce. Restaurant guests will find the best ingredients from the State, including Gulf seafood, fruit, vegetables, and products from artisan producers on the menus.

Dickie’s many accolades include:

• Gambit’s “40 Under 40” (1999)

• Young Leadership Council’s “Role Models”

• New Orleans Junior Achievement’s “Business Hall of Fame Laureates” (2009)

• Louisiana Travel Association’s “Restaurateur of the Year 2010”

• Culinary Humanitarian by Louisiana Cookin’ (2011)

• Induction into the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame (2011)

• Appointment as a “Kentucky Colonel” by the Governor of Kentucky (2009)

• New Orleans Magazine’s “Restaurateur of the Year 2013”

• New Orleans Council for Community and Justice’s Annual Weiss Award (2014)

• New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s “Galvez Cup” (2018)

During his career, he has served as President of the New Orleans Restaurant Association, President of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, Chair of the Downtown Development District, and Chair of the New Orleans Tourism & Marketing Corporation, as well as a member of the James Beard Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association, where he currently serves as their ambassador to the Canadian Restaurant Association. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association-Educational Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association, Edible Schoolyard Task Force, and in 2021 was appointed Chairman of the Board of the Louisiana Tourism Association. Recently his passion and expertise have been put to work as a founding member of the New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI). After many years of witnessing a void within hospitality training in his home city, he set out to make a change. The last six years have been spent working with a talented group of industry veterans to create New Orleans own premier hospitality and culinary school. NOCHI celebrated its first graduating class in the spring of 2019.

Host or Publisher Grand Hyatt Vail