Acclaimed North Fork Chef Gerry Hayden Dies
Gerry Hayden, the chef and proprietor of North Fork Table & Inn, passed away Wednesday, September 2, at the age of 50, almost five years after he was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease.
Hayden’s restaurant is highly rated by Zagat—the best on Long Island—and Hayden himself has been nominated for Best Northeast Chef by the James Beard Foundation.
A celebration of his life is being planned and details will be announced once finalized.
Hayden, a Setauket native, studied at Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and had an externship at The River Cafe. He was mentored by Charlie Palmer and served under him as the founding sous chef of Palmer’s Aureole. He later worked in San Francisco before returning to the East Coast to oversee the kitchen at the then new East Hampton Point. His resume also includes Marguery Grill, which won the Best New Restaurant award from Esquire magazine, and he returned to Aureole as its executive chef in 1999. Hayden set out on his own in 2002 and opened Amuse in New York City. His wife, co-owner and pastry chef Claudia Fleming urged him to move to the East End, where they opened North Fork Table & Inn. Hayden received the inaugural Two Forks Outstanding Achievement Award in 2012 at Dan’s Taste of Two Forks.