In 2012, the Palo Alto Tasting Week would like to welcome the following chefs who have graciously agreed to come to Palo Alto schools to give a workshop on taste. We recognize how busy these chefs are and are extremely appreciative of their support in educating our children.
- Charlie Ayers, Calafia, Palo Alto
- Nathan Beriau, Ritz Carlton, San Francisco
- Jeremy Bringardner, LYFE Kitchen, Palo Alto
- Jean-Yves Charon, Galaxy Desserts, Richmond
- Cynthia Falatic, Ritz Carlton, San Francisco
- Marco Fossati, Quattro, Palo Alto
- Elianna Friedman, CUESA, San Francisco
- Jenny Huston, Farm to Table Food Services, Oakland
- Aaron Johnson, Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City
- Jordan Keao, Google, Mountain View
- Dennis Leary, Canteen, San Francisco
- Sophie Le Dore, Personal Chef, Palo Alto
- Brendy Monsada, The Left Bank, Menlo Park
- Bernard Moutal, Jeanne d’Arc, San Francisco
- Alicia Petrakis, Astaria, San Mateo
- Bruno Ponsot, International Culinary Center, Campbell
- Emmanuel Robert, Hotel Sofitel, Redwood City
- Peter Rudolph, Madera, Menlo Park
- Elizabeth Schindler, Google, Mountain View
- Laura Stec, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland
- Michel Suas, San Francisco Baking Institute, South San Francisco
- Kimberly Tran, Google, Mountain View
- Shawn Williams, Feve Artisan Chocolatier, San Francisco
- Penni Wisner, Kitchen Coach, San Francisco
- Lorraine Lee Witte, Professional Chef, San Francisco
- Olivia Wu, Google, Mountain View
Jean-Yves Charon, Galaxy Desserts, Richmond
In France, Jean-Yves worked as a manager for Brioche Doree/Paris Croissant where he opened stores in London, Paris, Canada and New York. Jean-Yves subsequently moved to the U.S. and managed production for Saralan, a cookie manufacturer in South San Francisco. Read more about Chef Charon.
Cynthia Falatic, Ritz Carlton, San Francisco
Cynthia went to Le Cordon Bleu in London, doing an externship at the prestigious Claridge’s Hotel. Upon returning to the states, she began her career with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in 2004 in Cleveland, Ohio. She moved to Texas in July of 2007 to open the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dallas and work under Chef Dean Fearing as the Assistant Pastry Chef at Fearing’s Restaurant. It is here that she gained a vast knowledge of how to use the freshest local produce and dairy in creating the finest desserts. Today, Cynthia continues her career with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel as the Pastry Chef in San Francisco.
Marco Fossati, Quattro, Palo Alto
Marco Fossati, Executive Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in Palo Alto, has more than twenty years of experience earned in kitchens from across Europe, America and the Middle East. “There’s always something to learn,” says Fossati; for him that means constantly seeking out new and innovative ways to approach his craft. He’s mastered techniques both classical and molecular, and blends them perfectly.
Although his knowledge and skill are impressive, it’s his passion that captivates. Anyone who talks to him can immediately see how much Fossati loves his work, and tasting his culinary creations fully affirms that fact. It’s this passion that inspired every dish on the menu, paired with fine wine and beautifully presented.
Eliana Friedman, CUESA, San Francisco
Chef Elianna Friedman is the Market Chef for Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA). CUESA is is dedicated to cultivating a sustainable food system through the operation of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and its educational programs. Read more about Chef Friedman.
As Market Chef, Friedman coordinates the in-market weekly cooking programs, monthly seasonal celebrations, and other education programs, as well as the culinary components of major fundraising events such as Spring Breakfast, Summer Celebration, and Sunday Supper. Friedman previously worked as the market director for the New Taste Marketplace, the student and family culinary educator at Congregation Beth El, and as the senior program coordinator at the San Francisco Food Bank. In addition to her culinary degree, Friedman also holds a MBA in Nonprofit Management.
Jenny Huston, Farm to Table Services, Oakland
San Francisco native Chef Jenny Huston has 30 years of wide-ranging experience in the restaurant and food services industry. A formally trained chef and professional cook, Jenny has worked with Patrice Boely, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters, Joyce Goldstein, Jeremiah Towers, and Patty Unterman in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. Read more about Chef Huston.
Aaron Johnson, Lake Merced Golf Club, Menlo Park
Chef Johnson is the Executive Chef of the Exclusive Golf Club, Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City. This last year he achieved Chef of the Year for ACF Chapter San Francisco. He has have been a part of the ACF for over 10 years and really enjoy giving back to the community and its partners. He has been in the restaurant business for over 25 years and has loved every day of it.
Jordan Keao, Google, Mountain View
Chef Keao’s first cooking experience was helping his grandmother bake cookies when he was eight years old; by age 18 he knew he wanted to be a chef. Keao attended culinary school at the Culinary International Art Institute of San Diego; at the same time held a part-time job at Roy’s San Diego Waterfront. After graduating, Keao continued working at Roy’s, but also joined Tower 23 as the morning Sous Chef. Working 15 hours/day for a year, motivated Keao to start his own business as a Private Chef. After a few years, Keao decided to move to San Francisco to develop and open four sushi restaurants. Looking for new experiences, Keao spent two years at La Folie before joining Google.
Dennis Leary, Canteen, San Francisco
Dennis Leary began his professional culinary career at the age of 14 as a dishwasher at The Red Lion Inn in his hometown of Cohasset, Massachusetts. By the time he graduated high school he had already moved on to become a line cook. While attending Wheaton College to study English literature, he worked at both Kimball’s, also in Cohasset, and at the renowned Parker House Hotel in Boston. Read more about Chef Leary.
Chef Sophie Le Dore grew up in the French Alps, between the lake and the mountains in Annecy, near Geneva. From a very young age, she was fascinated with food and the blending of flavors. At the age of 5 she began learning how to cook traditional dishes under her mother and older brother’s tutelage. Her older brother now runs and operates his own gastronomic restaurant “Aromatik” in the height of old town Annecy.
Brendy Monsada, The Left Bank, Menlo Park
Chef Monsada has significantly refocused the Left Bank Menlo Park menu to highlight south-of-France Provencal flavors with California influences and his dishes are based in local, natural, sustainable and organic ingredients.
A notable new appetizer Monsada created is the Gateau De Crabe, a delicious Dungeness crab cake with mandarins, watermelon radish, and blood orange emulsion. And of course, there is nothing quite like his show-stopping Mauritius Redfish preparation, Ombrine Tropical!
Bernard Moutal, Jeanne d’Arc, San Francisco
Bernard studied at the Ecole Hoteliere in Paris, France, where he specialized as Chef Saucier. He worked for several restaurants in Paris including the Grand Hotel, Hotel Meurice and the Cabaret La Colombe. He joined the French Marine Corps and then moved to the US in 1966. He started his American career in New York, working as Executive Chef at La Cremaillere. After moving to San Francisco in 1970, he was Executive Chef for a great number of restaurants, such as La Bourgogne, La Mirabelle, Chez Michel, Sonoma Mission, Le Chardonnay, and Chez Louis. For the past few years, he has been Executive Chef at Restaurant Jeanne d’Arc in San Francisco.
Alicia Petrakis, Astaria, San Mateo
Chef Alicia Petrakis believes that creativity combined with integrity of ingredients and guests who are comforted by Astaria’s friendly approach to service is what it is all about.
Prior to opening Astaria in 2003, Alicia and co-owner Eleni started Astaria Catering in 1995. Astaria began primarily as an offsite caterer until 1999 when they were invited to prepare meals for the 300 member Coyote Point Yacht Club and their guests. The 100 seat dining room of the Yacht Club was Astaria’s first glimmer into the differences that exist between the restaurant and catering businesses. Read more about Chef Petrakis.
Bruno Ponsot, International Culinary Center, Campbell
Born and raised in the eastern French town of Besançon, Bruno entered an apprenticeship to become a chef at the age of sixteen. In France, Bruno worked as a pastry chef at the world renown Paul Bocuse Restaurant in Lyon, did an externship at Gaston Lenôtre Patisserie in Paris, and spent a summer season with Alain Ducasse on the French Riviera. When Bruno moved to the U.S. he settled in Florida and worked as a chef in several acclaimed French restaurants before opening his own bakery & café. After nine years he moved to the Bay Area and is now a culinary instructor at the newly open French Culinary Institute in Campbell. Bruno has won a total of 12 medals in American Culinary Federation sanctioned competitions; 3 gold, 7 silver, and 2 bronze.
Emmanuel Robert, Hotel Sofitel, Redwood City
Executive Chef Emmanuel Robert combines eleven years of Bay area experience with a culinary background from his native France, where he held positions in the 2 Star Michelin rated Le Grand Louvre Restaurant in the Louvre Museum, at 1 Star Michelin rated Le Jardin Restaurant, and at the 1 Star Michelin rated La Maison du Danemark Restaurant, all in Paris. Robert has been with the Sofitel since 1996.
Peter Rudolph, Madera, Menlo Park
Chef Rudolph is the Executive Chef of Madera, the signature Michelin-starred restaurant at Rosewood Sand Hill® in Menlo Park, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ newest addition to its collection of distinctive properties. Chef Rudolph comes to Madera following two years as Executive Chef at Taj Hotels’ famed Campton Place in San Francisco, where he was named one of StarChef.com’s Rising Star Chefs in San Francisco. During his tenure, Madera has been awarded a 1 Michelin star rating for two consecutive years. Chef Rudolph is also working with the French Culinary Institute as a member of the Culinary Arts Program Advisory Board. Read more about Chef Rudolph.
Elizabeth Schindler, Google, Mountain View
Elizabeth Schindler is changing hearts and minds about vegan cooking one lunch plate at a time. That may seem like a painfully slow process for most chefs, but when the plates are being doled out at the rate of 180 a day to the highly selective and discerning employees of Google, one midday meal could very well start a movement. “There’s a huge misconception about vegan food — that you won’t get full, or that it will taste like cardboard,” says Schindler, a 41-year-old native of Long Island, who is the chef at Slice Café, one of 19 high-end eateries available to the employees who work at Google headquarters in Mountain View. Read more about Chef Schindler.
Laura Stec, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland
Laura Stec is a chef, author, educator and food industry professional who enjoys teaching about the artistry, health and energetics of cooking. ProChef® certified from the Culinary Institute of America, she also trained at the School of Natural Cookery and the Vega Macrobiotic Study Center. Her specialty is “contemporary-nutritional, high-vibe organic, California cuisine“.
Laura worked restaurants including the Left Bank and Flea Street Cafe (both in Menlo Park, CA) before starting Laura Stec Innovative Cuisine, which offers private chef services, wellness programs, and Green Cuisine workshops to business. Read more about Chef Stec.
Michel Suas, San Francisco Baking Institue,
South San Francisco
Michel Suas is internationally recognized as an industry expert and thought leader, and is a strong advocate of using education to advance the appreciation and craft of artisan baking. The Bread Bakers’ Guild of America awarded Michel their Golden Baguette in recognition of his enormous contributions to the Guild and the artisan baking industry. The Bread Project named Michel an honorary life member in recognition of his guidance and support. Read more about Chef Suas.
Kimberly Tran, Google, Mountain View
Chef KImberly Tran has always loved everything about food, whether it is cooking or eating. As a child she preferred to watch cooking shows rather than cartoons. So it came as no surprise when Tran decided she wanted to be a chef and attended the culinary school at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After working at several different bakeries and restaurants, Tran joined Bon Appetit at Google. Now she is responsible for planning the menus for Google’s four childcare centers and she manages a team that feeds 550 children a day.
Shawn Williams, Feve Artisan Chocolatier, San Francisco
Chef Shawn Williams, originally from New England, move to San Francisco after serving as a private admiral’s chef in the Navy. In San Francisco, Williams studied pastry and went on to work at several top tier restaurants including La Folie and Postrio. His passion for chocolate led him to apprentice under Doug Basegio and then to work for renowned sugar artist and chocolatier Ewald Notter in Orlando, FL. In 2007, Williams moved back to cofound Au Coeur Des Chocolats, which has now become Feve Artisan Chocolatier.
Penni Wisner, Kitchen Coach, San Francisco
Penni Wisner works as a writer and industry consultant. She has authored cookbooks and worked with clients such as Kuhn Rikon, the Swiss manufacturer of premium cookware and kitchen tools; Laura Chenel’s Chevre, the premium goat cheese producer in Sonoma County; and San Francisco’s Center for Culinary Development, and the Sonoma County Wineries Association. Her cookbooks include three for Michael Chiarello: Flavored Oils, 50 Recipes for Cooking with Infused Oils; Flavored Vinegars, 50 Recipes for Cooking with Infused Vinegar; and The Tra Vigne Cookbook, Seasons in the California Wine Country. Read more about Penni Wisner.
Lorraine Lee Witte, Professional Chef, San Francisco
Lorraine Lee Witte – known to San Francisco food enthusiasts as “The Chinese Lady,” began her career as the TV commercial spokeswoman for Chun King Foods. From the beginning, Lorraine knew that if Asian cooking (especially Chinese) was to seriously influence western cuisine and become a national (even international) food addiction, people would have to experience taste sensations far more diverse and delicious than egg rolls, chow mien and crispy noodles.
In the mid-70’s, Lorraine created her own Mandarin and Cantonese recipes, and taught Chinese cooking classes in the Los Angeles area — Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Holmby Hills, and Malibu. Read more about Lorraine Witte.
Olivia Wu, 
Google, Mountain View
Liv (Olivia) Wu is an executive chef at Google in Mountain View. She is a member of the culinary team that oversees the operations and special programs of 30 onsite cafes and 150 Microkitchens in NorCal. She has spearheaded the small farms partnership for the team, formed a Community Supported Fishery program for company employees, the first in Northern California, initiated and supported company-wide major health and nutrition initiatives, and brought authentic ethnic concepts to corporate dining. Previous to Google, she was an award-winning journalist with the San Francisco Chronicle, and an entrepreneur in several start-up food and communications businesses. She is the author of 2 books, one a cookbook, one not.