Benjamin Hardy

Sommelier & Manager

Sommelier and Manager Ben Hardy has always loved going out to eat. Born in San Francisco and raised in Mystic, Connecticut on the New England shore, Ben developed an early affinity for seafood, from fried clams and fish and chips to raw oysters fresh from the Mystic River. Ben began working in restaurants as a teenager and developed a more serious interest in food and wine while living in Montreal, where he attended McGill University and later worked in a variety of roles in the music industry. Living in Quebec, Ben developed a love of French cuisine, along with an early foundation in the classic wines of France, from Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Rhone to the Loire, Alsace and Champagne.

After moving to Chicago in 2007, Ben began working in retail wine sales at Randolph Wine Cellars and the Tasting Room, where his interest in the wines of Spain, Italy and California grew. The following year Ben accepted a position as assistant sommelier at Oceanique Restaurant, bringing together his love of seafood with classic French food and wine. At Oceanique, Ben had the opportunity to work with an exceptional collection of red and white Burgundies, as well as many older vintages of classified growth Bordeaux.

After returning to Canada in 2011 with his wife, a Toronto native, Ben worked at Nota Bene before becoming manager and sommelier at Pangaea in September. As curator of Pangaea’s wine program, Ben looks to complement our seasonal cuisine with balanced, food friendly selections from around the world, seeking great value across all price points. Whether you are looking for a bottle from a benchmark region such as Napa Valley, Piedmont or Burgundy, or want to discover a gem from somewhere like Spain, Austria, Oregon or Ontario, Ben will take pleasure in sharing one of his favourites with you.

Outside of the restaurant, Ben enjoys music, sports and travel and is also an avid home cook.