Christopher O'Harra
Maddi's Cookery & Taphouse
2019 Competitor
Starting his career at the age of 14 years old, Chef Chris O'Harra was washing dishes at a local delicatessen in his home town of Grafton MA, Grafton Meat & Deli. It was there that he learned a passion for preparing food for people; it was there he learned a solid work ethic; and it was there he learned how kitchens become family.
Years later moving into corporate dining, where over the next several years he worked his way from the bottom to running bustling kitchens both large and small, during which he felt he needed that “restaurant” experience, taking jobs at several local restaurants over the years while maintaining his position in that corporate dining atmosphere.
Soon realizing the night life, high anxiety, super high stress levels & the competitive food scene was where Chef Chris was meant to be, he moved fully into restaurant life in the heart of Worcester on Shrewsbury Street at the Flying Rhino Cafe, where in the last 6 years, he was overseeing numerous seasonal menu changes, recognized several times from Worcester's Best Chef, 1st place judges' choice & people's choice awards, Worcesters Chili & Chowder Fest also judges' choice & peoples choice’s, Worcester's First Annual Chopped Event held by Jeremias Inn, First Place Judges Choice, while also sitting on the Culinary Advisory Board for the Worcester Technical High School Culinary Committee, in which time we created two “Restaurant Takeovers” by regional High School Students at local eateries.
Recently taking over the culinary program for Maddi’s Cookery & Taphouse, and shortly there after The Depot Street Tavern in Milford comes with its own new and exciting challenges, that he looks forward to facing head on, in a new and inspiring way.