Food, in all its forms and complexities, has always been a part of me. Interested from a young age, I pursued formal education at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen School of Hospitality Management. In 2009, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy where I found a new appreciation for the natural beauty within each ingredient.
Over the last 15 years, I’ve worked across the food system alongside many experts. In 2017, as Chef de Cuisines, I helped build the fine dining team of Anaviv Catering & Events, owned by Chez Panisse alumni, Arnon Oren. I later went on to become the Executive Chef of Anaviv’s Table–a prix fixe, communal dining experience in Richmond, CA.
I am committed to sourcing locally; working to highlight the bounty each season has to offer. I aim to create simple, delicious food that will resonate with my guests long after the meal has passed. For me, understanding our food–the efforts taken to grow and harvest, as well as the distance it's traveled is imperative.
Over the years, my commitment to local food systems and a true desire to understand all their parts has taken me well beyond the kitchen. I have worked in the agricultural sector with Tomatero Organic Farm throughout the Bay Area in California and most recently at Seed To Table, a diversified vegetable farm in Sisters, OR. Teaching others–especially young people–about food is a particular love of mine, one that I have been able to pursue both at Seed to Table and Plant2Plate in Richmond, CA.
