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Karen Hatfield’s pastry career began not far from home at the Los Angeles Culinary Institute, where she perfected her innate ability to take classic combinations and translate them in unexpected ways, a signature of Hatfield’s today. Upon graduation, Hatfield served as a recipe tester, followed by a pastry chef position at the venerable Spago Beverly Hills and Spago Hollywood, where she met her husband, Quinn. A few years later, the two moved to New York and quickly immersed themselves in the New York restaurant scene. Karen held positions at Café Boulud, Jean-Georges and Gramercy Tavern, where she worked alongside James Beard award winner Claudia Fleming. In 2002, the Hatfields decided to return to Los Angeles with the goal of opening their own restaurant. After an extensive scouting mission in Los Angeles and successful stint at Cortez restaurant in Union Square’s Hotel Adagio where Karen also managed the front of the house, the two chefs discovered a quaint restaurant space on Beverly Boulevard and quickly began work on their labor of love. Three years later, the culinary couple have re-opened in a larger space on Melrose Avenue, where they continue to execute their critically-acclaimed New American cuisine earning accolades such as “Best New Restaurant” 2010 by Angeleno magazine and a three-star review from The Los Angeles Times
Quinn Hatfield discovered his culinary passion at an early age, having spent much of his childhood in the kitchens and dining rooms of Splendido’s and Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in San Francisco. Eventually settling in Los Angeles in 1997, the North Carolina native worked as Sous Chef of Spago Hollywood, where he met his wife, Karen. Shortly after, he was named Chef de Partie at Spago Beverly Hills working alongside esteemed chef Lee Hefter, before relocating to New York with Karen. Back east, Hatfield’s career led him to a number of esteemed restaurants, including Rocco DiSpirito’s Union Pacific, Jean-Georges and Bouley’s kitchen, where Hatfield thrived in the competitive restaurant scene. In 2002, the dynamic duo helmed their first restaurant working side-by-side with Quinn as Executive Chef of Cortez, a restaurant located in Union Square’s Hotel Adagio. Leading his own kitchen for the first time reinvigorated Quinn’s dream of opening his own restaurant. During a scouting trip to Los Angeles, the Hatfields uncovered a quaint space on Beverly Boulevard and the first inception of Hatfield’s restaurant debuted in 2006. A true labor of love, Hatfield’s flourished in the 40-seat space and the couple decided to fulfill their dreams of owning a larger restaurant. This new incarnation of Hatfield’s restaurant on Melrose Avenue opened in February 2010 to great acclaim, including accolades such as “Best New Restaurant” 2010 by Angeleno magazine and a three-star review from The Los Angeles Times.
As Chef de Cuisine of Bouchon in Beverly Hills, Rory Herrmann is responsible for the daily supervision of the restaurant kitchen and staff, in addition to ensuring that the restaurant’s high standards are met in each and every dish. Since opening its doors in November 2009, locals and guests alike have come to embrace the traditional country cuisine Bouchon provides. Most recently, the Los Angeles Times bestowed a 3-star rating on the restaurant and Angeleno Magazine rated it as one of LA’s “Top 10 Hot Spots.”
Previously, Herrmann served as the Private Dining Chef for Per Se, Chef Thomas Keller’s fine dining restaurant in New York City. In this position, he was responsible for the culinary preparation and execution of all large parties and offsite events. He first joined Per Se as Chef de Partie when the restaurant opened in 2004.
Herrmann is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. He has worked under notable chefs in the industry, including 3-star Michelin Chef Alain Ducasse at his eponymous restaurant at the Essex House and at the more casual Mix; as well as for Chef Dan Barber at Blue Hill Restaurant, all located in New York City. Herrmann also worked for several years in the kitchens of the Sundance Resort in Sundance, Utah.
A California native, Herrmann is a firm believer in giving back to the community and actively contributes his culinary talents in helping raise funds and awareness for charitable organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, March of Dimes and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
With equal amounts of passion and creativity, Chef/owner Ricardo Zarate crafts his inspired cuisine using market-fresh ingredients and a vast knowledge of food gained while working in some of London’s top restaurants for over 13 years. From the defining kitchen of Zarate’s childhood home in Lima, Peru, this chef has been creating sublime, memorable meals for serious food lovers for over 15 years.
Zarate success can be traced to his modest roots. One of 13 siblings, all the children were expected to help in preparing the family meals. Lima, having been a center for trade for centuries, was a melting pot for all types of cuisines and food products and young Zarate began experimenting much to the delight of his family. At the age of 17, he realized his love of history could be combined with his passion for cooking. Zarate applied and was accepted to the city’s top private culinary school, the Institute of the Americas where he received his three-year certificate. Soon after he graduated, he headed to London.
Zarate worked in London for 12 years where he held various positions with top restaurants and hotels including One Aldwych where he was Chef de Partie and the top Japanese restaurant in London, Zuma.
The Millennium Hotel Group then offered him the top job at Sai Sai at the Biltmore in Los Angeles in 2003. Wanting to see more of the world, Zarate jumped at the chance to come to LA and to have his own kitchen.
During his 18 months at the hotel, Zarate redesigned the restaurant, renovated the menu and increased sales by 300%. In 2005, Zarate moved back to London to consult for six-months with Gordon Ramsay Holdings on a new venture, Pengelly’s, a Pan-Asian concept. From there, he rejoined the Zuma Group as the Executive Chef for Zuma Events in London. It was there that Zarate took part in a dining revolution, perfecting his unique style of integrating French and Japanese techniques and product with methods and flavors from his native country, Peru.
It was then time for him to go to Los Angeles. With a very creative vision and a modest budget, Zarate opened Mo-Chica in summer of 2009 in Downtown Los Angeles. A little hole in the wall, a gem, as many have said. Named for the language of a pre-Incan civilization, the restaurant, located in a small food court near USC, has been hit since the day it opened. Mo-Chica was voted 4th Best Restaurant in Los Angeles in 2010 by Los Angeles Magazine.
As a chef, Zagat gave him in 2011 a 27 rating to make him one of the top chefs and restaurants in the city.
in August 2010, he opened what he called his pop up on steroides: Test Kitchen. It became one of the biggest overnight success of the past 10 years in Los Angeles. After 3 1/2 months, the pop up closed his door in order for Zarate to open his new restaurant at that same location called Picca in July 2011.
He will follow that opening with a second Mo-Chica called “Mo-Chica on 7 in Downtown Los Angeles in Fall 2011
In March 2011, Chez Zarate became Food and Wine Best New Chef, The People’s Edition and just a month later became Food & Wine Best New Chef in America Editor’s pick. One of the biggest award in his industry. In May 2011, he made the list of the top 50 “Best People in LA” by LA Weekly.
Samson and Pollack met in 2006 while working in Los Angeles. They immediately connected over a common reverence for traditional Italian cooking, though they had come to love that cuisine from different situations. Samson, born to a Bolognese mother and American father, was exposed to the pleasures of Italian food at a young age. Whether it was the experience he gained helping his mother in the kitchen at home or annual family trips to Italy that eventually propelled him toward a career in Italian cooking, one thing is certain: once Samson left medical school to become a chef, he never looked back.
By contrast, Pollack’s obsession with Italian cuisine began later in life, while pursuing a degree in architecture from Brown University. During a semester abroad in Florence, Pollack, though impressed by the architectural masterpieces around him, was uniquely mesmerized by the local food scene. The profound appreciation for Italian cooking which for Samson had accumulated slowly throughout his youth seized Pollack in a matter of months, and, like Samson before him, Pollack realized that a career in anything but Italian food was simply not an option.
United by their almost religious devotion to Italian gastronomy, Samson and Pollack dreamed about opening a restaurant together from day one. In January 2009, they had the opportunity to do so when they opened Pizzeria Ortica in Orange County. There, they created a warm and inviting destination where customers could enjoy Neapolitan pizza and other regional Italian dishes. Together they garnered rave reviews from numerous publications, specifically for their wood-fired pizzas and homemade pastas. Notwithstanding the restaurant’s off-the-beaten-path location, Samson and Pollack attracted the attention of international culinary publication Starchefs, which honored them as Rising Stars in 2010; they were the only chefs in Orange County to receive this award. Yet despite the numerous accolades they received at Ortica, the two chefs always yearned to bring their cooking home to fellow Angelenos. At the end of 2010, they were fortunate enough to partner up with veteran restaurateur, Bill Chait, to open Sotto -- a southern Italian restaurant here in L.A. where blistered Neapolitan pies are featured alongside lesser-known regional specialties.
Eric Greenspan began his foray into the restaurant business as a dish washer at the Café Med, a Berkeley breakfast establishment for over 4o years. Two weeks late he had reached the head chef position, and for the next three years served as head chef and general manager of the café that generated over $1 million in revenue.
Following his graduation from the University of California, Berkeley’s prestigious Haas School of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Eric attended acclaimed Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris, France. He went on to train in New York with such celebrated chefs as Alain Ducasse, David Bouley, and Rocco DeSpirito, as well as apprenticing at 3 star Michelin chef Ferran Adria’s El Bulli in Rosas, Spain.
As Executive chef for almost two years at Los Angeles’ world acclaimed Patina Restaurant, Eric Greenspan has been named as one of Angeleno Magazine’s “Eight Hot Chefs” in 2003, as well as garnering critical acclaim for his imaginative and bold cuisine. His kitchen scored a 27/30 in the 2004 Zagat Guide for food quality and was the top ranked French Restaurant in that same publication, while still maintaining high marks for overall popularity
In the fall of 2004 Eric teamed up with Tim Goodell and Domaine Restaurants to open Meson G in the former Citrus restaurant location on Melrose Avenue. Eric was involved in and responsible for all pre-opening aspects of the project, including restaurant and kitchen design, overseeing construction, menu formulation, initial staffing, budgeting, and acquisition of restaurant assets and equipment. Meson G opened to rave reviews and a profitable business, receiving 2 ½ stars from the Los Angeles Times, 4 stars from Angeleno Magazine, and achieving $250,000 of monthly sales revenue after only 12 weeks of operation. However, operational and creative differences led to the eventual firing of Greenspan, resulting in public disapproval and declining sales.
In the Spring of 2007, Eric opened The Foundry on Melrose to rave reviews and resounding success. The Foundry was awarded 2 ½ stars from the Los Angeles Times, was runner-up for Los Angeles Magazines “Best New Restaurant”. The Foundry further garnered Conde Nast Traveler Magazine’s Best New Restaurant and was a semi-finalist for The James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant in the country. With it’s swanky bar, live jazz, and un-surpassed cuisine, The Foundry on Melrose has already established itself as a player on the Los Angeles Scene, having been selected in Los Angeles Magazine’s Top 75, as well as Johnathan Gold of LA Weekly’s the “Essential 99”.
Eric has made appearances on numerous food related television and radio programs, and has been written up in such noted industry publications as the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Art Culinaire, Los Angeles Confidential, Angeleno, and Los Angeles Magazine.
My friends call me a food adventurer because I'm always in search of new flavors, open to new eating experiences, and have never been one to turn down a DIY food project. I've been cooking, eating, studying, reading, writing, and engaging in all things food since I was a teenager. Growing up in Los Angeles, my family put the emphasis on fun, and good food was always tucked in there somewhere. Eventually, I caught the bug and began cooking — a lot. I worked from high school on at all sorts of places from a gourmet deli and local bistro to California Pizza Kitchen and an internship at the Hotel Bel Air.
I realized that I could make a legit career out of my passion and attended Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. It was the best of times as I loved the program, but also the worst of time because I didn't do well with glacial temps of New York's Finger Lakes. Cornell fueled my love for food, but also piqued my interest in numbers so I combined the two during a stint in hotel real estate consulting at Ernst & Young's Hospitality Advisory Group. But then I woke up and realized cubicle life and scenario analysis was not for me. Fueled by the dream of working for a top-notch food publication, I quit my job and moved to Paris to further my food experiences and hone my kitchen skills at culinary school.
After studying both culinary and pastry arts, I left Le Cordon Bleu Paris with a Grand Diplôme. I book-ended my time in France with stints in Florence during which time I learned to speak Italian, to cook the food, and to find a much-needed work-life balance. One day I came across a New York Times article by David Carr that lauded a brand-new food magazine named CHOW, and, after many friends and family members forwarded me that very article, I took it as a sign. I contacted CHOW and, after some hounding, joined the San Francisco-based editorial staff in January 2005. During the nearly 5 years I was there, I worked my way up to Food Editor and got my hands in everything from researching and writing to recipe development, food styling, and instructional videos.
Some folks at Food Network came across my work and, from there Ask Aida, the interactive cooking show where I solve viewers' cooking conundrums, was born; it launched in August 2008. My second show, foodCrafters, for the Food Network's sister network, Cooking Channel launched in May 2010. In foodCrafters, I leave the kitchen to uncover handmade food finds from around the nation. I'm also keeping very busying working on my first cookbook, due out through Chronicle Books in Fall 2012.
A word about my cooking style: it has been coined west coast eclectic because I combine the fresh, seasonal ingredients key to California cuisine with the melting pot of ethnic flavors I ate growing up in Los Angeles. Though my food is rooted in European techniques and Mediterranean ingredients, I take artistic license to mix things up for recipes that are adventurous yet doable, reliable, and healthy (with the exception of the occasional cocktail or sweet). My goal with this site is to share my food stories, help you discover new flavors, and, ultimately, serve up recipes in hopes of inspiring you in the kitchen.
These days, I live in California and spend a disproportionate amount of money on local food and tabletop wares and reassure myself it's all in the name of research. I occupy my free time with trying new restaurants, building out my home bar, shopping for antique kitchen gear, and cooking for parties, potlucks, and just the fun of it. The rare moments when I'm not in the kitchen, I focus on giving back to the community. I believe that good knife skills lead to good life skills so I partner with nonprofits to help kids to gain confidence and to foster a healthy relationship with food.
L.A. native Amelia Saltsman is the author of the award-winning bestseller, The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook: Seasonal Foods, Simple Recipes, and Stories from the Market and Farm. A long-time champion of small family farms, farmers' markets, and home cooking, Amelia brings her passion to print, web, radio, and public appearances. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, National Geographic Traveler, and the Los Angeles Times. She is a frequent guest on KCRW's "Good Food with Evan Kleiman" and is a contributing editor to the annual food lover's guide, Eat: Los Angeles. Amelia serves on the California Certified Farmers' Markets Advisory Committee
Praised by Suzanne Goin, Nancy Silverton, Alice Waters and others as "an amazing resource," The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook has become a beloved bible for market shoppers everywhere and has won several awards. Amelia is currently working on a series of seasonal E-Cookbooks.
Amelia is committed to raising the food literacy rate: knowing how, when, and where our food is grown and by whom; knowing how to cook a simple, healthy, and inexpensive meal; and understanding the local and global impact our food choices have on our families and communities. All while having a good time.
Learn more about Amelia on her website www.ameliasaltsman.com
Follow Amelia on Twitter @ameliasaltsman
Lesley Bargar Suter is the dine editor for Los Angeles Magazine where she covers and critiques the restaurant scene in one of the country's most important culinary hubs. Prior to that, she acted as a writer and editor at various alternative weekly and monthly publications including Saveur, Conde Nast Traveler, L.A. Alternative, and the indie music magazine Filter. Her love for all things edible was founded at the kitchen tables of Europe, where she traveled several times a year from the age of 6, and the Provencal countryside where she lived for a time. She has appeared on a number of television and radio programs, including CBS 2 and Good Food on KCRW. Along with cooking, eating and travel, she enjoys trekking to the weekend farmer's markets from the home in Glassell Park she shares with her husband.