Joel Viehland began working in restaurant kitchens at 16. He cooked at such award-winning restaurants as New York's Gramercy Tavern, Noma in Copenhagen, and Herbsaint and Bayona in New Orleans before becoming the opening chef at Community Table in Connecticut in 2010. It was there that he began his focus on locally sourced New England ingredients, emphasizing seasonal simplicity, depth of flavor, and purity flavor. During his five years there, it was nominated for three James Beard Awards, including Best New Restaurant and Best Chef New England. In 2014, Cooking Light named Joel the Best Small Town Chef in America, while Yankee Magazine named Community Table The Best Locavore Restaurant in New England in 2015.

His new restaurant Swyft, opened in Kent, CT, in fall 2017 and Ore Hill will open in 2018.

Photo Credit: Evan Sung