Hudson Valley Restaurant Owner Showcased on Food Network

A Hudson Valley restaurant owner and chef was featured on the Food Network.

Brandon Walker, the chef, owner and operator of Essie's Restaurant in Poughkeepsie competed in Tuesday night's episode of Chopped on the Food Network.

Walker appeared on the hit show's 19th episode of season 46 entitled "Sweet and Sour Notes"

"Four chefs embrace a sweet-and-sour theme and seek to harmonise opposite flavours on their plates. A furious first round has them racing to figure out what to do with a ready-to-serve soup and three other basket finds," the Food Network writes in the description for the episode.

Walker, a Culinary graduate, told the Food Network his mother and grandmothers were great cooks. The food at Essie's Restaurant is globally influenced which is a homage to the woman in Walker's family.

The restaurant is located in the heart of the Little Italy section of Poughkeepsie on Mt Carmel Place. Walker's menu at Essie's Restaurant is said to be a modern American menu inspired by global flavors and his family roots from the Caribbean and American South, according to the restaurant's website.

"Chef Walker uses modern cooking techniques and local seasonal ingredients when available to support the local food economy and to show case the best ingredients that the Hudson Valley offers. The Dining room pays homage to the things of old with vintage, industrial, and reclaimed wood features to create a cozy, warm and inviting environment," Essie's Restaurant writes in the About section on its website.

To see how Brandon did check out the full episode which is posted below.