In House Private Chef

Tim Hardiman Owner, Executive Chef
The Tailor and the Cook 

Since opening in 2012, The Tailor and the Cook has become a leader in Farm to Table Cuisine in New York State. In late 2014, The Tailor and the Cook was awarded a great honor, being named one of the “Top 100 Restaurants in America” by opentable.com. In 2017, the Tailor and the Cook added to that honor by being named “A Restaurant of Distinction” by DiRoNA, and was again recognized again by opentable.com with “100 Most Romantic Restaurant In America” in 2018 and 2019. In 2022, The Tailor and the Cook was honored with a particularly poignant accolade when they were named by Wine Spectator with the “Award of Excellence”
for their incredible New York State Wine Program.

Along with his wife Melissa, Tim is a managing partner of the Utica based Mothership Food LLC, a Hospitality Group focused on bringing high quality food and service to Bagg’s Square, and all of Utica. In July of 2015, Mothership Food launched its second venture, Utica Bread – a European style Bakery offering exceptional bread and pastry. Utica Bread was sold in 2019, but the building, opening, and operation of the artisan bakery is a source of great pride to Hardiman. “I am their biggest fan!” remarked Hardiman on the sale of the business.

Tim Hardiman’s restaurant background is as well-rounded as it is brilliant. He earned his degree in Culinary Arts from Paul Smith’s College, and from there traveled abroad to study cooking in Paris and throughout the French countryside and even included an internship at a vineyard in Burgundy. Tim worked under his mentor, Chef Paul Rivet at Van Aukens Inne in Old Forge, NY after graduating from college. It was there under Chef Rivet that Tim began to develop his simplistic and rustic style of cooking, focusing more on the quality of the ingredient than on flashy presentations. Tim has worked in many great restaurants all over New York, New England and the Adirondacks, both in the front and back of the house.

Thanks to his background as both an executive chef and as a front-of-house manager, Tim is highly sensitive to creating the perfect guest experience. Beyond his love for cooking and pleasing his guests, Tim is passionate about local food and the mission of Mothership Food. “I’m inspired by the relationship between the farmer and the cook, and enjoy the artistry and challenge that comes with creating seasonal and regional dishes,” explained Tim. “One day I hope we’ll return to what our grandparents had, knowing who produced the food on our families’ tables.”

Along with local sourcing of ingredients for the restaurant’s menu, Hardiman has an insatiable interest in NYS wines. The wine list at the Tailor and the Cook is well known to cellar some of the finest wines produced in NYS, featuring hundreds of bottles from over 60 producers in NY. Chef Hardiman is proud to be a small part of the revitalization of Bagg’s Square, the great city of Utica, and all of Central New York by offering quality food, service, and hospitality to all who live locally, or are passing through.

Tim is the proud father of two son’s, Fionn Ray and Asa Francis and is proud to call his wife Melissa Hardiman his business partner, his muse, and his best friend. The Hardiman’s are originally from the Central New York area, and now live in Clinton, NY. In rare moments of rest, he can be found spending time with his family, enjoying the outdoors, or seeing live music.​