An Education in Delicious

I caught up with a few of my favorite San Diego chefs who are trailblazers in their industry. From pure, utter passion to technique and skill, these chefs are committed to their craft and provide delicious inspiration to everyone around them.

Chef Deborah Scott of Indigo Grill

Executive Chef Deborah Scott of Indigo Grill has a distinctive style in the kitchen, showing a love for aesthetics, presentation, and flavor contrasts. She attended AA Baltimore Culinary College and says her mentor was her dad. Chef Deborah Scott’s advice for up-and-coming chefs is straightforward: "Don’t put all your eggs in one basket! Get a good education and supplement with culinary classes unless you have a good amount of experience in the field." Using organic, local, and sustainable ingredients, Chef Deborah Scott loves to support local farmers. "Typically, I change the menu quarterly with seasonal selections," she says. "The theme of my cooking is eclectic, with a concentration on presentation and combining ingredients that play off of one another." Don’t miss Chef Deborah Scott’s Pipian-Crusted Brie or her new Bibimbap Hot Pot at the newly-remodeled Indigo Grill in the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy.  And since she loves spending time in the dining room interacting with her guests, you might get a special opportunity to meet her. 

Chef Ivan Flowers of Top of the Market

Top of the Market’s Executive Chef Ivan Flowers showcases a seasonal menu of the freshest and highest-quality seafood at this premier dining destination, which boasts views from Point Loma to the Coronado Bridge. He first started cooking with his dad who owned the Rendezvous Restaurant in New York at the age of ten. Chef Ivan Flowers is a French Escoffier trained at Le Cordon Bleu and learned unique skills through experimentation and mentors, including Chef Alessandro Stratta and Chef Bradford Thompson. He believes that flavor dictates the plating and that cooking without passion is like fire without heat and cannot exist. "You can taste passion and soul on a plate," he says. "Live and die for delicious!" Chef Ivan Flower’s cuisine is a cross between French, Mediterranean, Italian, and Southern Californian, with a pinch of Brooklyn. He prints menus daily with changes weekly and seasonally. Chef Flowers’s favorite item on the menu? Lobster Bisque with Roasted Porcini Mushroom Essence. 

Executive Chef Brandon Fortune of Kitchen 1540

Born and raised in Georgia and Classically French-trained from Le Cordon Bleu, Kitchen 1540’s Executive Chef Brandon Fortune jokingly says that his advice to up-and-coming chefs is to "run!" All kidding aside, he says the biggest factors to consider are dedications to the craft, patience, understanding, and acceptance. "As students are graduating culinary school at a very young age, natural human maturity plays a key role in taking on more responsibility in the kitchen," he says. "When entering the industry as a young culinarian, understanding the systems, structures, and hierarchy will help in better strategizing professional goals and help a person work up the ranks as time allows." Chef Fortune uses local, organic, and sustainable ingredients on his menu, doing his best to keep all produce purchased from within a 200-mile radius of the restaurant. "As we continue to mature as a food scene here in San Diego, our farmers will be able to continue to expand their services with us," he explains. "Our dishes are approachable, less fussy, simplistic, and all about flavors. Of course there is a dash of whimsy, but all-in-all, diners will find it soulful and warming because that’s what the nostalgic dishes do for me." At Kitchen 1540, Chef Fortune pays homage to classic dishes he enjoyed as a child including Shrimp and Grits, Chicken and Dumplings, and Curried Pork Gumbo.

Executive Chef Jeremiah Bryant of Saltbox

Executive Chef Jeremiah Bryant of Saltbox graduated from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, which is now known as the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. He has 20 years of experience in restaurants, hotels, catering, and as a private chef. "I have learned something unique from each experience I’ve had, whether it be what I should be doing or what I should not be doing," Chef Jeremiah Bryant explains. "I think any good chef is a puzzle of pieces fit together over time." Chef Jeremiah Bryant’s advice to up-and-coming chefs is to get in the kitchen and be the hardest worker there. Shaping a changing menu of seasonal items, he works with a close-knit team, encouraging them to have a vested interest in everything they do. "I tell all my cooks I will teach them everything I know so they can take my job one day," he says. Jeremiah Bryant may have a classical training background, but his style is much bolder than that. "I like to break down the components of traditional comfort food and reconstruct them in a way that is unexpected. I like to say my creativity is not to do what nobody does, but to do something everyone does in a way that nobody expects." Don’t miss Chef Jeremiah Bryant’s Fried Pickles or BBQ Chicken and Waffles.

Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa of GIUSEPPE Restaurants and Fine Catering

Born in the northeastern valley of Ferrara Italy, Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa was surrounded by food and family as a child. He enjoyed spending time in the kitchen and learning all of the simple culinary techniques from his mother. He strongly believes in cooking, eating, and using sustainable, local, and organic ingredients, as well as special ingredients imported from Italy. "I like to create all of the menus in my business," Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa says. "My idea of healthy eating is to incorporate everything your body needs: protein, fat, grains, and fruit. When I put together a dish, I make sure every category is included. I don’t believe in diets, I believe in discipline and regime." As an avid cycler and outdoorsman, it’s clear that Chef Giuseppe Ciuffa takes this philosophy seriously. Considered one of the most popular Mediterranean-inspired catering companies in San Diego, Giuseppe Ciuffa Fine Catering is available for all special occasions, including weddings and corporate events. Giuseppe Ciuffa’s popular San Diego restaurants include Caroline’s Seaside Café, Museum Café, the newly opened Sonata Bistro, High Note Café in Symphony Towers, and Bottega Americano which is scheduled to open in August 2014.