Nicholas Farina ~ Chef/Owner

Some boys grow up playing baseball. Nick Farina grew up playing chef. As a child growing up in Flourtown, PA, he reveled in watching his favorite TV star, Julia Child. That is, when he wasn't pulling the pots and pans out of the kitchen cabinets and setting them up on his "stove" also known as the living room sofa.

Today, Nick, chef/owner of Blush in Bryn Mawr on Philadelphia's Main Line, is exactly where he should be. Getting there, however, was a circuitous route. Following high school graduation, he went off to Temple University to study landscape design and horticulture, with a view toward joining the family landscape business.

But the only thing that made him happy was cooking - "my friends would tell me, 'you ought to be a chef,' " he says - and so he enrolled in Philadelphia's Restaurant School to pursue his dream and develop his talent. An internship at John Anderson's Solaris Grill in the city's Chestnut Hill neighborhood led to a position as sous chef. Recognizing the young man's ability, Anderson sent Farina to the Culinary Institute of America for continuing education.

From there it was off the Grand Tier at New York's fabled Metropolitan Opera House, where the atmosphere had the intensity of ... well, an opera. Forced to prepare a high-end menu that would allow music lovers to make their 8 p.m. curtain, Farina learned about life in a pressure cooker. He was ready to return to Solaris, where he became chef de cuisine.

He soon earned a reputation for taking familiar ingredients and turning them into something unique. The word reached locally-based celebrities, and Nick became personal chef to Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal. He was also in demand as a food consultant. Then, while working for Sysco Food Systems, his life took an exciting new turn. He married and decided that it was time to have a restaurant and a family of his own.

Nick Farina lives with his wife and sons in Swarthmore, PA, and is operating an exciting new restaurant. It's a dream come true. Only now the stove is real and the pots belong to him.

Jen Andrews ~ Sommelier

Jen Andrews culinary career began in Greenville, North Carolina at the popular Courtyard Tavern, where she doubled as a 19-year-old restaurant manager and a hard working college student. After earning her Bachelor of Art from East Carolina University, Ms. Andrews followed her passion and attended culinary school in Annapolis, Maryland. Upon graduation, Jen became head catering chef at Harry Browne’s, one of the oldest restaurants in Annapolis. Here she specialized in the preparation and planning of private parties for the Governors House and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Her success brought her high praise and after some time she was whisked from her post at Harry Browne’s and began the opening of a new restaurant, Aqua Terra, as Executive Chef.

Jen soon moved to Washington DC, and it was here that she realized her unique talent for wine and cocktail menu design. Moving from the back of the house to the front, Ms. Andrews began working at the trendy DC hotspot, Felix, boasting fine dining by day and live music by night. She was challenged to create a sophisticated wine list for those looking to dine and create a fun and innovative cocktail list for those looking to party. A challenge she took head on, helping make Felix more popular than ever before. Felix became so popular that the owners brought Jen along on their next restaurant venture, the opening of the beautiful piano bar, Grille 88.

Yearning for more, Ms. Andrews could think of no other place to bring her unique restaurant stylings than New York City. Snatching her up before she even arrived, (she commuted from DC for the first 3 weeks!) Thalia Restaurant, situated in the heart of New York’s theater district, became Jen’s new home. Here she developed several award winning wine lists recognized by Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast Magazines. She was featured in Entrée Magazine, highlighting her extensive knowledge of fine Scotch. Jen received her Sommelier Certificate in 2005 from the Sommelier Society of America.

Jen’s success at Thalia did not go unnoticed. She was recruited by Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr and asked to aid in the opening of his largest restaurant to date, the 340-seat French bistro in Rittenhouse Square, Parc. Here she acted as Sommelier, helping craft an eclectic wine list and create twists on classic French cocktails.

After years of big-city experiences and triumphs, Ms. Andrews comes to Blush with great enthusiasm. She is thrilled to be joining Chef Nicholas Farina and the entire Blush team. Jen lives in Wynnewood with her fiancé Brian, her dog Nonee and her two cats Neena and Lolita.