With nearly two decades of culinary and hospitality expertise under his belt, Executive Chef Nestor Marin mixes traditional cooking practices with new-age technologies at Monterey Bay’s ocean-to-table, Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette at the laid-back luxury hotel destination, The Sanctuary Beach Resort.
Chef Marin has had a fascination with culinary arts and a love for eating delicious food for as long as he can remember. Following a brief stint studying Computer Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he was compelled to pursue his dreams and embark upon a career in the hospitality industry. After a few years working in the field, Marin decided to refine his skills and attend culinary school at The Art Institute of California, San Francisco where he earned his Certificate of Culinary Arts Diploma. Throughout the years, Nestor has explored a number of different cuisines and techniques including French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Latin American, establishing himself as a rising star chef to watch in Central California.
Ahead of accepting his role as Executive Chef at Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette, Marin served as a Chef de tournant and Kitchen Manager at The Sierra Mar Restaurant at the five-star Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, California. During his six years at Post Ranch Inn, he lived on-site and worked under Chefs Elizabeth Murray, Jonny Black, Colin Shane, Reylon Agustin, and Hoon Kang, where he further honed his skills and learned to connect food to the overall ethos of a hotel, utilizing farm-fresh and local ingredients to tell the story of the destination through food.
In search of a reason to move back to be closer to his family, in December 2022, Chef Marin stumbled upon the role at The Sanctuary Beach Resort, where he immediately saw the potential of Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette. Nestor is at the helm of the ocean-to-table and wood-fired restaurant where he is responsible for overseeing the staff, menu development, and the overall dining experience.
At Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette, they prioritize sustainability using organic and ethically sourced ingredients, in part to support the oceanic ecosystem. Nestor often finds himself pulling natural inspiration right from the source itself and enjoys experimenting with unique techniques including foraging, pickling with ocean water, and dry aging. Chef Marin and his team attend the farmers markets on a weekly basis and partner with local purveyors including Otto’s Bread Company, California Caviar Company, Rocky Oaks Goat Creamery, Bakers Bacon, and Coast Organics to gather and serve the freshest local goods. Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette also work with the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust to help make connections with local fishermen including Monterey Abalone Company, Ocean2Table, Santa Monica Seafood, Real Good Fish, and Sea Harvest – majority of whom have hubs right around the corner from the resort in Moss Landing. Standout dishes utilizing all of these ingredients combined with many different cultures in technique include the Seafood Pozole, where the broth is made utilizing a nose-to-tail method and doing a smoked fumet, or the Beef Fat Market Potatoes & Wild Mushrooms, where the tallow from their locally sourced bone broth is used to cook the potatoes and is topped with a Rocky Oaks goat cheese fondue.
In his free spare time, Nestor is primarily focused on helping raise his son, Mateo. When he does venture out, he enjoys grabbing a bite locally and exploring the beautiful Monterey Peninsula through various activities including foraging, hiking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, free diving, and SCUBA.
Learn more about Chef Nestor Marin
1. When did you realize you wanted to become a chef?
I’ve been cooking for as long as I can remember. Both my parents worked full-time while I was growing up, so my daily routine after getting home from school was finding anything in the fridge that I could cook and attempting to make something delicious.
Living near the coast definitely had its perks, especially in this area. Shore fishing was something my father taught me at a very young age, and it was one of the few bonding activities we shared when he wasn’t traveling.
Sunset State Beach, back in the early ’90s, was a major underground hotspot for clamming. My sisters and I would stand on the shore, letting our feet sink beneath the wet sand as the waves washed up and down until we could feel the clams beneath us. We would just reach down and pick them right out of the sand. We’d bring them home and cook them in butter, garlic, and white wine, and they were absolutely exquisite.
2. What is your culinary education background and experiences?
My journey into the culinary world began quite unexpectedly. In my early 20s, I applied for a serving position at a Spanish restaurant in Tucson, AZ. During the interview, they mentioned there were no openings for servers and asked if I could cook. Although I had no professional experience, I expressed my love for cooking. They welcomed me into their kitchen and trained me from scratch. I spent a year there learning basic techniques before moving back to California.
At that time, I developed a keen interest in sushi. Determined to learn, I applied to every sushi restaurant in town until my favorite spot finally hired me. Over the next four years, I immersed myself in Japanese and Korean cuisine, working at several restaurants around Monterey Bay. Realizing the need for formal training, I enrolled in the Hospitality Management Program with a concentration in Culinary Arts at the Art Institute of California, San Francisco.
Around the same time, I received an irresistible job offer from Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur. I relocated and accepted the position, but I was determined to continue my culinary education. I coordinated with my chef and instructors to balance both commitments. For a year and a half, I worked a demanding 50-hour week and attended school in San Francisco on my days off. After graduating, I was promoted to Supervisor, trained on every station, and eventually became chef de tournant.
After six dedicated years at Sierra Mar, I felt it was time to return to my hometown. I took on a new role at Salt Wood Kitchen & Oysterette, continuing my culinary career with the rich experiences and skills I had accumulated along the way.
3. How do you describe your overall cooking philosophy?
My style has always been primarily seafood-oriented. Even when I dine, I seek out fish and seafood from every menu I encounter. I prefer to cook what I love to eat, so my dishes always feature some sort of pickled or fermented component, along with incorporating smoke and grilling, which is perfect for us here at Salt Wood. We have a large wood-burning Santa Maria grill in the middle of the dining room and an offset smoker out back.
4. What is the most important thing you look for when purchasing seafood i.e. consistency, quality, local, etc.? Why?
Growing up in Monterey, I’ve spent almost my whole life in the ocean, and this little peninsula has some of the cleanest water in the world. So, it’s a no-brainer—by purchasing locally and sustainably, the quality and consistency will always be up to par.
5. What are some of your favorite seafood items on your current menu? Why?
Whole Grilled Fish is currently the star of the show. Everything about this dish depends on seasonality and locality. Right now, we’re cycling through a series of rockfish species coming out of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Moss Landing, depending on availability. Even the sauce changes with the seasons—the fruit-based chutney is currently made with stone fruit, fish sauce, and liquid shio koji, and will soon switch to citrus when it’s back in season.
6. We’d love to know more about your favorite seafood. What do you enjoy cooking at home and professionally?
My favorite way to enjoy and prepare seafood is through sushi—but not the elaborate, colorful rolls many Californians associate with it. I’m talking about Nigiri and Sashimi. There’s something truly special about the simplicity. When the seafood is fresh from the ocean or the ingredients are just harvested, all you need is a touch of seasoning and a bit of texture to fully appreciate the natural flavors.
7. What do you like about Santa Monica Seafood’s product and service?
Santa Monica Seafood is our cornerstone among seafood purveyors. They consistently deliver reliability, offer an incredible variety with great availability, maintain competitive pricing, and they’re conveniently located just down the highway.
Salt Wood Kitchen and Oysterette
3295 Dunes Drive
Marina, CA 93933
Ph. (831) 883-5535
saltwoodkitchenandoysterette.com