“I was born and raised in Huntington Beach, California- where I am lucky to still call my home.

My love for food began at a young age with my mother. My earliest memories are sitting on the counter and learning from her. Being taught the “family recipes” and learning that food is what nurtures the soul. Food is the focal point of my family and everything we do. Events, holidays, birthdays, you name it- my family puts food and the power it has to feed the soul, first and foremost. Now, being a father to my five-year-old daughter, I feel responsible to pass down the love and passion I have for food to her. It’s my turn to return the favor and instill the same recipes and memories that I had for food at that age. I want her to know that this isn’t just a job, but a burning passion. Being a chef isn’t something you just wake up and choose to do. I believe it’s something that is inside of you. And it’s my responsibility as a father and chef to build and nurture her relationship with food the same way my family did for me.

It was the support of my family that brought me to the kitchen. As a senior in high school, I felt lost and had no clue what the future held for me. One thing I did know for sure was my love for food and the burning desire to learn more about it. I spent months with my mother practicing my classic French cuts and decided to enter into a knife skills competition. After surprising myself and winning, the rest was history- I was hooked.

What continues to drive me is the fact that no one day is ever the same as a chef. I get excited to see what every day in this industry holds. Seasons change, I encounter new ingredients, I meet new cooks; every day is a new day to learn something new and evolve. We should never feel stagnant. And there is no better feeling than feeding someone’s soul and mind. As a chef, I feel it is our job to invoke emotions through food. Food is so powerful and can not only feed your stomach but your soul as well. “