Bringing passion and experience to the table, Corporate Executive Chef Michael Kiernan has come to work at Wheatfields Restaurants, located at 440 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, and 54 Crossing Blvd., Clifton Park.

With a background at Franklin and Marshall, the Culinary Institute of America, and such establishments as Windows on the World and Ark New York City, Kiernan has a talent for heightening the natural flavor profile of foods and for attention to detail. These skills served him well as the chef for high rollers at Trump Taj Mahal, where the sky was truly the limit for patrons, since no menu was provided. He has the ability to create in a moment’s notice dishes using the freshest ingredients, something about which his new employer, Wheatfields Restaurants, is also passionate.

Wheatfields, widely known for its fresh handcrafted pasta and award-winning wine offerings, welcomes Kiernan’s ability to source the best locally grown products, continuing the restaurant’s history of farm-to-table menu items.

Wheatfields Bistro and Wine Bar in Clifton Park will be Kiernan’s home base as he cultivates a new menu for the brand this fall. Working closely with Chef Jonas Wu-Norman of Wheatfields Restaurant and Bar in Saratoga Springs, Kiernan’s culinary knowledge will put the brand in a position for continued growth, said owners Tim and Colleen Holmes.

Kiernan is the recipient of the Keating Award for Most Likely to Succeed. He calls the Capital District home with his three children, ages 13 to 16.

Ten years after the Holmeses took over, Wheatfields Restaurant and Bar has

evolved into one of the major success stories of the Saratoga region. Even during the recent tough economic times, the restaurant is attaining record sales with a burgeoning local following and a vibe that attracts new visitors every day.

The success of Wheatfields prompted the Holmeses to launch a second venue in nearby Clifton Park in 2009. With the same dedication to taste, quality and service, Wheatfield’s Bistro and Wine Bar has become another go-to restaurant and lounge in the Capital Region. 

--Jennie