Former Hell’s Kitchen Finalist Megan Gill is Cooking at Hotel Marcel's BLDG in New Haven

While driving (read, stuck in traffic) along I-95 in New Haven, right by the IKEA, how many of you have noticed the rectangular cubed shaped building with the small windows and the void almost in the middle?

You’ve clearly seen it countless times. But if you’re like me, you probably always wondered “what the heck is it?”

Designed by modernist architect, Marcel Breuer, the building in question which began construction in 1968 and was completed in 1970, was the home of the Armstrong Rubber Company first, then Pirelli Tire in the late 80s into the late 90s. After Pirelli vacated, the space sat vacant for a long time. IKEA purchased it in 2003—and removed a piece of it— and owned it until 2019 when it was purchased by the development firm, Becker + Becker, who would develop it into a net zero energy hotel, that right now, is operated by Hilton Hotels’ Tapestry brand.

There’s a lot to read up on regarding Breuer’s design and all of the storied past of this structure if you’re an architecture nerd—and even more on the fact that it’s not only listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but “it,” now appropriately named Hotel Marcel, has won a ton of awards and recognition as LEED Platinum-certified and a 100% electric hotel that operates completely free of fossil fuels.

But within this hotel, there is a restaurant. And that restaurant has to operate like its hotel does, completely sustainable. And at this restaurant, that’s named BLDG, they needed a chef at the helm who believes in all of this through and through.

That’s where Megan Gill comes in.

Gill said that the kitchen equipment was a big learning curve, seeing how it’s all electric. GM Ben Webster jokes, albeit a fact, that their opening got held up because they failed their boiler inspection…because there’s no boiler in the building.

If you’ve seen Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, Gill competed on its 20th season, titled “Young Guns,” where she made the finale, and finished as that season’s runner up. After her appearance and having been seen by millions, Gill went back to her home state of Texas.

“I worked for this uber exclusive country club in Dallas, and I loved it,” she says. “Then I ended up working for the Dallas Cowboys for a year and growing up here, that’s always been a dream because I’m a fan. I left, wanting to do other things, like travel, then this opportunity in Connecticut came up.”

House made pappardelle, New England winter squash, squash cream sauce, crispy prosciutto, kale, sage

Snacks, in the form of lamb ribs w/coriander, sesame, and cardamom yogurt

That opportunity, as a result of a connection through a mutual friend she shares with Hotel Marcel’s general manager, Ben Webster, was a consultancy at the hotel’s restaurant. When her consultant’s contract was up, Webster says he was able to convince her to stay, although not much convincing was needed.

“I knew nothing about Connecticut before I visited,” Gill says. “I love it here and it felt too cohesive for me to leave. I feel like I can pour myself into it. And I moved to Colchester.”

“Time Off” — Redwood Rye, amaro, lemon, Litchfield Maple Syrup, fresh thyme, Luxardo Cherry

All the way to the right? That’s a vegan dish. Stuffed squash w/apricots, olives, barley, and preserved lemon gravy.

The fit between Hotel Marcel, the BLDG, and Gill is a dedication to sustainability and to sourcing strictly from farms and local purveyors in this general area, and each one is listed on the back of the menu. Gill states that her draw to the hotel and to what she’d be able to produce in an all-electric kitchen at BLDG was how she could make an immediate impact on the community through food.

“There’s a disconnect to the food that gets put on your table,” she says. “How it’s sourced, what goes into it, and who’s touched it. Lots of restaurants can’t say they know the location of where their ingredients come from or the name of the person that picked that vegetable. I’ve tried to live by this personally. The vision here is so fitting that I couldn’t not do it.”

Eventually, Gill says she’d like to break down animals herself and utilize every part possible if she can get a whole lamb or a half cow from a local farm.

Webster chimes in, “I admire chef because she’s really about using local and preaching local,” he says. “Places say they do it, but do they really? Her views are in line with the hotel’s views and that’s a driving reason as to why she’s here. Our sustainability is a detail of the building.”

While menu changes are expected due to seasonal availability of ingredients, we do expect there will be mainstays. Gill cites the Haus Burger as one of her favorite burgers ever, giving credit to the beef that’s from Four Mile River Farm in Old Lyme, a family operation that prides itself on giving its livestock the best life possible.

“It’s a remarkable product (we also get our pork and Italian sausage from them) because of the care and the time they spend with their animals,” Gill says. “It’s family-owned, all pasture raised, and the cattle are moved frequently to they get the right nutrients. They’re in a low stress environment and I think that makes a huge difference.”

Skate fish + chips

Even BLDG’s fish & chips implores a sustainable catch as the protein. Cod? No way. They use skate, as it’s not overfished, and it comes in fresh off a fishing boat from the waters of Massachusetts.

Figuring out where to source from, according to Gill, has been a challenge.

“Many hours and sleepless nights have been spent trying to figure it out,” she explains. “If we can’t visit, we do lots of research, and I know what answers I’m looking for when I talk to farmers. If you don’t meet those standards, it’s a never mind. I had a hard time in Texas trying to get people on board, as they’re either gung-ho, or they want nothing to do with you. It’s different here. Everyone is like, ‘Yes! That’s awesome!’ And that’s been lovely! I’ve only had a few here that couldn’t do it, simply because they don’t have the capacity.”

The bar program tries to use as many local spirits as possible. Even the beer list, is mostly Connecticut based craft beer.

And what Gill and her team can’t source, they obviously make it in-house, like the pappardelle pasta in a stunning squash cream sauce, and all the bread and pastry for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, that’s made every day at 2 a.m. by pastry chef, Sam Turner, who previously worked at Edge of the Woods Market.

By the time you read this, Gill and BLDG will have already hosted a multi course event called, Breaking Bread, Breaking Barriers: A Feast of Feminine Strength, where Gill cooked with her Hell’s Kitchen castmates Emily Hersh and Victoria Sonora to showcase future generation of female chefs, where a portion of the proceeds benefitted The New Haven Club, a local organization supporting women in business. It’s a safe bet that more of this is on the horizon, with Gill herself expressing interest in working with Connecticut chefs that she still hasn’t met, but is eager to do so! So, chefs, hit her up!

500 Sargeant Drive, New Haven
Inside of Hotel Marcel
475.766.8905, bldg-newhaven.com