California Ranch Cookouts

Born in Ithaca and raised in Watkins Glen, New York, Brad’s earliest memories of hyper-local cuisine spring from a childhood of hunting and fishing along the Finger Lakes. By the age of fourteen, he was already working in small, family-run restaurants with an emphasis on from-scratch seasonal cooking. In 2009, he headed west to Los Angeles, working as the Sous Chef—and eventually Executive Sous—at Bar Pintxo. He first met Daisy and Greg as the Sous Chef at Cadet in Santa Monica, before spending several years as Executive Sous Chef under David LeFevre at Fishing with Dynamite and The Arthur in Manhattan Beach. In 2018, pursuing his growing interest in seafood sourcing, he joined Morro Bay Oyster Company as Research & Development Chef and Vice President of Sales. With the opening of Bar Le Côte in 2021, Brad looks forward to sharing a soulful menu of creative seafood dishes, as he builds a team of talented cooks who share his passion for coastal cooking.

Leading the culinary team for La Paloma is Chef Jeremy Tummel, well-known throughout the Central Coast. Jeremy’s experience draws from his time at Wine Cask, Bacara Resort & Spa, Pebble Beach Company, The Rosewood Miramar Beach, Santa Barbara City College Culinary Academy and The Bear and Star in Los Olivos. A third generation Santa Barbara native and part Chumash Indian, Jeremy’s love for Santa Barbara runs deep in his DNA.

Claudette Zepeda is an award-winning, San Diego-based celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur known for her fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine. A celebrated culinary anthropologist, Zepeda draws upon 20+ years of experience working in restaurant kitchens, as well as her extensive travels around the world and throughout Mexico that inform her vast knowledge of indigenous ingredients and cross-cultural expressions of cuisine. Zepeda’s multi-faceted expertise is showcased in her role overseeing the creative vision as Founder of Chispa Hospitality which started in the Spring of 2022, including food concepts in Australia and Mexico. VAGA restaurant in San Diego’s North County is where she authors a love letter to her hometown with a menu that celebrates local flavors and immigrant influences. Previously, Zepeda garnered more national acclaim for her time as the executive chef & partner behind El Jardín, a regional Mexican restaurant in the area. During her tenure, El Jardín received a glowing review from the New York Times, inclusion on Esquire’s 2018 Best New Restaurants, and recognition from Michelin on their 2019 Bib Gourmand list. Zepeda was named both Eater San Diego and San Diego Union Tribune’s Chef of the Year in 2018, and was a James Beard Best Chef West semifinalist in 2019. Prior to El Jardín, Zepeda was chef de cuisine at Javier Plascencia’s celebrated Bracero. She has competed on US & Mexico’s Top Chef , as well as Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend, winning her challenge & Iron Chef México where she successfully won her challenge and tied in the finale.

In 2019 Zepeda Founded Viva La Vida, LLC., establishing micro businesses with single mothers throughout Mexico’s seven regions to import their heirloom ingredients previously unavailable in the U.S. Through Viva La Vida, Zepeda helps Mexican women support their families without sacrificing their safety. Named for a famous Frida Kahlo quote, the company celebrates the colorful life and death Mexicans lead, with plans by 2023 to grow into a 501c3 fund dedicated to helping Hispanic women break from generational poverty in the United States.

Esteemed celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron has dedicated his life to gastronomy and exploring his culinary abilities. A true artisan, Marcel’s cooking is an extension of himself, and the earth is his primary grocery store.

Marcel attended the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York and achieved his Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. At the CIA, Marcel enrolled in the teaching assistant program where he served as the Sous Chef at the school’s award-winning Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. Since then, he has continued to pursue the progression of gastronomy and at the young age of 25 gained national notoriety in season two of Bravo’s hit reality series, Top Chef where he made it to the finals finishing “Runner-Up”. He has worked all over the globe with world-renowned chefs, including Joël Robuchon (named “Chef of the Century” by the Gault Milau) and Michael Mina (awarded “Best Chef of 2002” by the James Beard Foundation during the time of Marcel’s employment). Marcel has also spent time in Barcelona, Spain, where he took classes at El Taler with famed Chef Ferran Adrià of El Buli restaurant, which was named the top restaurant in the world in 2007 by Restaurant magazine. Marcel worked under José Andrés as the Executive Sous Chef of The Bazaar at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, which received the first 4-star review by the LA Times in five years.

Marcel participated in Top Chef Al-Stars at the end of 2010 and premiered the first season of Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen on the SyFy Network in February 2011. Marcel competed on The Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef in November 2012 and on Iron Chef in 2013. Food Fighters, America’s Best Cooks, Cutthroat Kitchen “Superstar Sabotage”, Chopped “Celebrity Chef Charity Version”, Top Chef Duels, and Tournament of Champions are a few of the more recent shows that al feature Chef. Marcel was the Chef and owner of One of LA’s Best Restaurants, Wolf which served Modern California Cuisine with style, and Tacos Lobos which served authentic Mexican street tacos. Marcel designed the restaurants, created the menus, and was at the helm of these establishments for five years until finally deciding to shut its doors in 2019 to focus on event production and entertainment. He currently resides in Malibu and was recently appointed as Executive Chef of The Aster, a first-of-its-kind members’ club and hotel in the heart of Hollywood that is home to Lemon Grove, a feature restaurant open to the public that features fresh California fare with a menu that will pay homage to the agricultural traditions of the city of angels.

Chef Redzikowski attended The Culinary Institute of America for a two-year program in Culinary Arts. Before graduating from college with high honors, he was recognized as “Outstanding Student” from Wine Spectator and was awarded with a full Scholarship. During his schooling, he completed an externship at New York City’s acclaimed Le Cirque 2000. After graduation, Brian moved to Aspen Colorado and worked as Chef de Cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa Aspen.

After three years at Nobu, Brian moved to Las Vegas to except a Sous Chef position at Joel Robuchon at the Mansion. At the time of his employment, Restaurant Joel Robuchon was awarded the prestigious Three Star Michelin rating as well as numerous awards for one of the best restaurants in the world. To round out Chef Redzikowski’s resume, he accepted the opportunity of opening the Yellowtail restaurant from ground zero in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. From there he moved to Los Angeles California as Executive Chef of a 107 room hotel with three meal periods and a staff of over 60 employees. Chef Redzikowski was the former Executive Chef of Flavor Restaurant in Del Mar and is currently the Executive Chef at Kettner Exchange.  Chef Brian leads menu development for all nine of SDCM’s creative concepts and is responsible for sustaining and elevating culinary offerings for all current and future projects.

During Chef Brian’s career, he has had the opportunity of competing in Iron Chef America as well as being awarded rising chef in the Los Angeles California area. Brian was also invited to cook at the James Beard house in New York City, was the winner of Cochon Los Angeles in 2018 and 2019 and was the Grand Cochon winner in 2019. Additionally, in 2019 Chef Brian’s own Kettner Exchange was selected to be included in the Michelin Guide’s prestigious Bib Gourmand list, an honor which it has maintained through 2024.