Chef Bret Thompson

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Chef Bret Thompson was inspired to create Pez Cantina, his seafood-focused restaurant in Downtown L.A., by his travels to Loreto on the Sea of Cortez and by his marriage into a Mexican family. At Pez he has a created a menu focused on sustainable, local ingredients that draws from the traditions of the distinct Coastal Mexican cuisines of Baja, Oaxaca, and the Yucatan Peninsula. Pez Cantina has quickly become a mainstay of Bunker Hill’s dining culture.

Bret’s earliest memories of the sea are from about the age of 7 when he would accompany his father and his uncles on overnight fishing trips out of San Pedro. His fishing skills at that young age were enough to draw the competitive spirit out of his adult relatives; it was on these trips that he first learned to love the sea.

Chef Thompson has been counting on Santa Monica Seafood for his fresh seafood since he was the opening chef for Catal at Downtown Disney in 2001. His advice to home cooks looking to make spectacular seafood at home is to focus on freshness first, heat second (“99.99999% of the time you cook seafood as hot as possible!”) and always be mindful of your spices. Don’t just salt once and be done with it – salt, taste, adjust and season again until you’ve got the flavor perfect.

Pez Cantina
401 South Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 258-2280
www.pezcantina.com