Andy Baraghani has built a career on bold flavors, viral recipes, and a James Beard Award-winning cookbook. But off the plate, the chef and food writer shares his life with someone who understands the creative world just as deeply: Keith Pollock, a design executive whom Baraghani married in 2024.
The two met in a way that sounds almost too perfect for a food writer — a chance encounter at Condé Nast that led to a “flirty friendship,” a pandemic-era romance, and eventually a black-tie wedding at one of New York’s most iconic venues. Here’s everything we know about Andy Baraghani’s husband and their relationship.
Who Is Keith Pollock?
Keith Pollock is a creative executive with an impressive résumé in the design and publishing world. He has served as the digital director of Architectural Digest and later became the senior vice president of creative at West Elm, the home goods brand.
Pollock’s background in design and interiors made him a natural match for Baraghani, whose own work blends food, aesthetics, and a distinctly modern sensibility. As Baraghani put it when describing their wedding planning, “Andy works in food, I work in design. Both of us are incredibly opinionated about everything.”
How They Met: A Condé Nast Love Story
The couple’s origin story began in 2017, when Baraghani spotted Pollock on his floor at Condé Nast. Baraghani was working at Bon Appétit, while Pollock was at Architectural Digest. Baraghani knew they didn’t work at the same magazine, so he did what any smitten person would do — some reconnaissance.
“I not so subtly maneuvered my way for someone to introduce me to him,” Baraghani recalled.
What followed was what Pollock describes as a “prolonged flirty friendship” before they officially began dating. The two built their relationship over years, eventually settling into a life together in New York City.
The Proposal: Keith’s Turn
By 2023, the couple was ready for the next step. Pollock proposed in March 2023, and according to him, it was always understood that he would be the one to pop the question.
“Whenever we discussed marriage, it was always acknowledged that a proposal would come from me, since he had initiated our relationship years prior. It was my turn,” Pollock explained.
He kept his word, though he admits the actual proposal was “clumsy” — he nervously rushed through the big question while getting down on one knee in their Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. Baraghani, of course, said yes.
The Wedding: A Black-Tie Affair at the Park Avenue Armory
Just over a year after the proposal, Baraghani and Pollock married at the Gilded Age-era Park Avenue Armory on New York’s Upper East Side. The venue, with its historic Veterans Room designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and Stanford White, set the stage for a wedding that was both classic and deeply personal.
The grooms planned every detail together with Josh Hamlet and Sue Chan of Care of Chan. They spent hours hunting for antiques for their altar and researching fonts for their invitations. One thing they agreed on immediately: a “black tie-ish” dress code that would let their creative, fashionable friends put their own spin on formal wear.
Baraghani, who is Iranian, incorporated a sofreh — a Persian wedding tradition featuring a table adorned with symbolic items representing the couple’s union. “Design plus food, I thought. It’s so us,” Pollock said. “It’s such a sweet tradition, and many of the guests had never experienced a Persian wedding before.”
Baraghani’s sister, Ghazal, officiated the ceremony. The grooms walked down the aisle in custom P. Johnson tuxedos to Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby.”
The Celebration: Desserts, Dancing, and Diet Cokes
The reception was catered by Jeremiah Stone and Fabián von Hauske of Wildair and Bar Contra, while Lauren Schofield, the former pastry chef of Flora Bar, created a cake table that Baraghani described as “to end all cake tables.”
“We wanted the night to feel lavish and have people get a little debaucherous,” Baraghani said. “People seemed to get second, third, maybe fourth servings of desserts. The non-smokers snuck outside and bummed cigs from the smokers. Our ’90s dance favorites kept the dance floor packed.”
The wedding went late into the night, with many guests continuing to bars and clubs afterward. But for Baraghani and Pollock, the evening ended more quietly: they returned to The Carlyle, drew a bath, and soaked together.
A Life Built Together
Since their wedding, Baraghani and Pollock have continued building a life in New York. Baraghani’s 2022 cookbook, The Cook You Want to Be, won a James Beard Award, and he remains one of the most recognizable voices in modern home cooking. Pollock continues his work in design and creative direction.
In interviews, Baraghani has offered small glimpses into their domestic life. He mentioned that he and Pollock both enjoy a specific mint tea he discovered in Paris, and that his husband loves it as much as he does. He also shared a story about making tea for Pollock when he was sick during a Thanksgiving weekend, calling the simple chamomile-and-mint concoction something he makes because “I love him so much.”
Their wedding, their home, and their shared aesthetic all reflect a partnership built on mutual respect, aligned taste, and a willingness to blend their Iranian and American traditions into something entirely their own.
For Baraghani, choosing to marry Pollock was simple. As he put it on their wedding day: “I was obviously excited, but not terribly nervous. Choosing to marry Keith was the easiest decision I’ve made in life.”
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