Category: Uncategorized

Chefs Laura and Eric Lee | Custom Culinary Experiences

What started as two chefs creating glorious food and wine experiences for Simi Winery, resulted in an even greater pairing, partners in life! Over the past 10+ years, they have dazzled their guests by focusing on ultra-creative farm to table cuisine from around the globe. With a wealth of knowledge in food and wine pairing, sustainable agriculture, and global cuisines, they provide tourists and locals with unforgettable culinary experiences in the privacy of their own (or luxury vacation) homes. Sharing a driven spirit to travel, they have brought back the fruits of their experiences and working together they have built a reputation for providing some of the best food and professional service in the Bay Area.
Chef Eric, most recently a contestant on Food Network Star Season 8, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1992 with a singular goal: to create food memories all over the world. This passion for life is readily apparent during every meal that he prepares for his guests. He has loved so many stops along the way in his career from catering for photo shoots, being a culinary instructor, a Chef at Apple and Executive Chef at Sonoma State University. But nothing compares to working side by side with his adoring wife!
Chef Laura’s training comes from the hard knocks of working her way through the brigade of several large-scale restaurants in Monterey County. Leaving restaurant kitchens to start her family she shared her passion for everything culinary as an instructor of home cooks and budding professionals at the Napa Valley Cooking School, Home Chef and CIA Napa. Teaching through taste is truly her passion!

Chef Nathan | Goodness Gracious Eats

Chef Nathan had the privilege of growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he developed an appreciation for the regions extraordinary ingredients and diverse food culture. His formal training in classical French and contemporary California cuisine, as well as extensive experience in Japanese, Italian and Eastern European techniques, lends to the unique flavor profiles, precision plating and and highly technical, yet effortless, dishes he creates. While he has held positions at some of the best Michelin starred restaurants in San Francisco, Napa, France and Japan his passion lies in finding the best product possible and serving it in a fun, dynamic and purposeful way. We know you will be truly inspired by Nathan’s experience and travels once your try his Pan Roasted Filet with Smoked Potato, Sansho Pepper & Miso Butter, his Avocado Shibazuke, or his Crispy Skin Salmon with cucumber, charred green onion powder and buttermilk potato sauce.

Brigachero

Brigachero offers delicious Brazilian chocolate truffles. Based in Napa Valley, you can find us at several Farmers markets and at our trailer on Water St!

Crumbl

It all started with one big dream, two cookie-crazed cousins, and the perfect combination of flour, sugar, and chocolate chips. Crumbl was co-founded by Jason McGowan (CEO) & Sawyer Hemsley (COO) when they teamed up and dove head-first into the world of baking. After thousands of dollars in wasted dough, recipes that didn’t live up to expectations, and cookies that are just plain embarrassing to them today, the pair decided to take their ‘perfect cookie quest’ to the people. They gathered feedback and tested recipes—a practice that is still part of the Crumbl process— until they created the world’s best chocolate chip cookie. Crumbl features four specialty cookies each week along with the award winning Milk Chocolate Chip and Classic Pink Sugar cookies

Perch + Plow

Restaurant + Cocktail Bar
Overlooking the historic Courthouse Square, Perch + Plow serves an ever-evolving menu of food and cocktails using the abundance of local ingredients Sonoma County has to offer.

Dominique Shelton | Wit & Wisdom

Dominique Shelton was raised in Florida. Born as an identical twin as well as oldest of six siblings, some of his favorite childhood memories were spent around the kitchen table. Weekends were spent shopping at the local farmers markets and his mother, being a gourmet cook, loved to introduce the family to new ingredients and recipes. The dinner table was where everyone reunited day after day, jokes and laughter surrounding the table. This is where some of Shelton’s fondest memories and life lessons were learned. As a young adult, he began to work with his father who is a general contractor and began to enjoy working with his hands and creating. Although the work by nature could be grueling, he found that an enjoyable aspect of the creative process – a sense of accomplishment.
Preparing to go to college, Shelton began his first restaurant job in the fast-food industry. His competitive personality thrived off the pace of short order cooking and while attending school, Shelton kept a cooking job. In each of his tenures he was promoted to a leadership position. Realizing his enjoyment and developing a passion for the industry, he decided to move to Los Angeles to experience professional kitchens.
Starting with Cleo in Hollywood, Shelton cut his teeth under Chef Danny Elmaleh’s brand-new Mediterranean concept. Eager to continue to learn, he ventured to Pasadena to work at AKA Bistro and Bistro 45. Training under Chefs Steven Lona and Charley Houegban, Shelton was equipped with both French and American techniques. Desiring hotel experience, he then joined the Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse at the Langham Huntington under Chef Perry Pollaci. In 2017, he took over as CDC of the Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse and as the 2020 pandemic led to many fateful closures across the industry, he spent his free time volunteering at local food banks. From there, he was recalled to the Langham and assisted Executive Chef Denis Depoitre as the Banquet Chef of the property.
Now, as Executive Chef of Wit & Wisdom, Shelton brings a wealth of experience and leadership expertise to Award-Winning Chef Michael Mina’s latest Wine Country restaurant.

Roberth Sundell | Stockhome

Born in Stockholm, Roberth was surrounded by the delicacies of Scandinavian cuisine and culture since birth. His grandmother served as Garde Manger at the historic Swedish Inn, Ulriksdals Vardshus, and passed down many culinary traditions of Sweden to Roberth through large family dinners, and baking homemade breads together.
Roberth began his professional cooking career at the National Museum of Stockholm under Master Chef Orjan Klein from Restaurant KB, the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Stockholm. While at the museum, he cooked for the Swedish royal family and for a Nobel Peace Prize dinner. He moved to Britain to work as Chef de Partie at Bailey’s, one of London’s oldest hotels. During his tenure, he cooked for Prince Charles at Wimbledon Club.
Upon moving to the U.S., Roberth worked as an Executive Chef for Noble House and appeared on several morning shows in Scottsdale, Arizona. He later moved to Los Angeles where he worked for two years as Chef de Cuisine under Guy Gabrielle at Café Pierre in Manhattan Beach. In April 2008, Roberth moved to Northern California to work as an Executive Chef at a prestigious country club just outside of Lake Tahoe.
Finally, in 2012 he fulfilled his dream of opening his own restaurant, introducing PLÄJ to San Francisco in the summer of 2012, as an innovative concept melding California fare and Scandinavian flavors. PLÄJ is a celebration of local and seasonal ingredients inspired by the rustic flavors and simple elegance of Scandinavian cuisine. Within the first year of PLÄJ’s opening, Roberth Sundell was honored with the Scandinavian Pathfinder award acknowledging his efforts in bringing Scandinavian culture to the United States through the art of food. Today, PLÄJ is listed on the San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Restaurant List.
Expanding upon the success of PLÄJ, Roberth and his wife Andrea launched their second venture, Stockhome, in downtown Petaluma in 2018: the edible evolution of the Sundells’ culinary experience as well as a dual expression of love of Scandinavian cuisine and the Petaluma area, where the couple is successfully raising their four children. Stockhome was named “Bib Gourmand” in the 2019 Michelin Guide.

Kelvin Ott | Beer Baron Bar & Kitchen

With over 30 years’ experience, Beer Baron’s Executive Chef Kelvin Ott is no newbie in the kitchen.  As a graduate of California Culinary Academy, he has put his degree to work at such places as The Stinking Rose, Scala’s Bistro, Oola’s, Carnelian Room, and many others.
After recent stints at SP2 Communal Bar in San Jose & as a catering chef in the North Bay, Ott decided to join the Beer Baron team and bring his expertise to their kitchen.

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