PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BRADLEY CENTER

Martin’s Gardens is a new greenhouse at The Bradley Center in Robinson where the legacy of Martin Thomas, Chartiers Country Club’s executive chef, will grow right along with cooking herbs and other edible plants. 

In a partnership with doctoral students from Chatham University’s Eden Hall campus in the North Hills, children and adolescents with mental health and developmental disabilities will participate in therapeutic gardening inside the 8-foot-by-12-foot, climate-controlled structure. 

Its namesake didn’t even know it existed until last Sunday.

“He’s so humble,” says Lisa Fox, CEO of The Bradley Center. “If we told him we wanted to honor him, he probably wouldn’t show up.”

The staff surprised Thomas with the greenhouse announcement on Sept. 17 during A Gathering of Chefs, the nonprofit’s signature fundraiser. It was the eighth and final time Thomas helmed the sold-out event at The Barn at Soergel Hollow, a working farm in Portersville, Pa. 

Every September, Thomas invites culinary experts from around the region to help him create an all-you-can-eat, farm-to-fork feast that generates more than $153,000 each year for the center. 

Now, at age 62, he is passing the torch to Megan Wine, vice president of operations for 1781 Club, a golf and dining club in Peters. The next A Gathering of Chefs will be held on Sept. 22, 2024 at Kinsey Events, a repurposed industrial space in Oakdale that can accommodate 350 people, 100 more than the picturesque Portersville venue.

“The event itself will not change, but it will feel very different,” Chief Development Officer Pat Hargest says. “We love the concept as do our guests and sponsors. We love the idea that there are generous, amazing chefs who are willing to donate their time and prepare their signature dishes for us.”

Thomas doesn’t plan to hang up his apron any time soon. His role at Chartiers Country Club keeps him busy. He’s a regular at the Mt. Lebanon Farmers Market, where he buys fresh ingredients — including whole steers – directly from area farmers, ranchers and small businesses.

He got his start in the industry as a 16-year-old busboy at the Wooden Angel in Beaver. In 1980, he was classically trained at The Culinary Institute of America in New York, learning from European masters at a time when culinary schools were still a relatively new concept in the states.

After working in restaurants in Pittsburgh, he opened Seasons Cafe with his brother in Coraopolis which would no doubt be a hit with modern-day foodies. 

In addition to running kitchens, he served as an adjunct professor at Westmoreland Community College, where he passed on his knowledge to a new generation of culinary students. 

Due to the pandemic-related labor shortage, he believes the restaurant industry is in dire need of career-oriented professionals with passion and creativity.

Despite some hurdles, Thomas is optimistic about Pittsburgh’s dining scene.

“It’s nice to see so many young chefs opening restaurants and seeing them support local agriculture,” he says. “Pittsburgh has become a restaurant city with a lot of great talent in it. It’s a pleasant experience going out to eat.”