Chef Edgar Beas

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Executive Chef Edgar Beas leads the talented culinary team at the Radisson Blu Anaheim. Chef Beas is a classically trained chef who graduated from the San Diego Culinary Institute and trained in Spain at the three Michelin-starred Martin Berasategui Restaurant, where he worked closely with the world-renowned chef himself. Chef Beas grew up in a large family. That meant frequent …

Chef Jacqueline Keller

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Executive Chef, Jacqueline Keller grew up in an Eastern European family, and her early memories of fish are rooted in holiday traditions. “We were of modest means, so fish was a special treat enjoyed only on rare occasions.”  She learned to fish from her mother-in-law, who grew up fishing with her family. Chef Jackie said that the best way to …

Chef Rainer Schwarz

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Restaurateur & Chef Rainer Schwarz combines a rich cultural past with the finest culinary training to present menus unlike any other found in the region. His style of cooking focuses on simplicity by using only the best possible high-quality, seasonal ingredients. One of his passions is to pair each dish on his menu with the best possible wine selection. The …

Chef Richard Pelz

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Growing up, Chef Richard E. Pelz learned a great appreciation of French cooking from his mother, and less than desirable wines from his stepfathers’ hobby of making Zinfandel and Cabernet wine in the mountains of Santa Cruz. Some would say, food and wine have been coursing through Chef Pelz’s blood most of his life. After graduating from the Culinary Institute …

Chef Quinnton Austin

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Executive Chef, Quinnton Austin, is a celebrity status restaurant and hospitality professional. Making the trip from New Orleans, Louisiana to San Diego, California, Chef Quinnton, also known as “Chef Q”, brings a Southern flair to the local dining scene. With roots in Louisiana and early experience delving into the Bayou’s culinary culture, San Diego is in for a real treat. …

Chef Christopher Badilla

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Chef Christopher Badilla was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Tustin, Orange County. His earliest culinary memories consist of his dad showing him how to properly clean the starch from rice before cooking it, baking box cakes with his mom, and helping set the table at his grandpa’s house in Washington. His grandpa “always had a huge holiday …

Chef Oscar Amador Edo

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Raised in Barcelona, Chef Oscar Amador Edo fell in love with Catalonia’s rich culinary traditions at an early age. He grew up “10 minutes away from the Mediterranean where the quality of the seafood is unbelievable.” After graduating from the prestigious Hofmann BCN Chef School, he had the opportunity to stage at El Racó de Can Fabes, a three Michelin …

The Top 25: Seafood Sustainability & Conservation

smseafoodIndustry News, Special Announcement

By Madelyn Kearns September 24, 2020 Santa Monica Seafood Southern California-based full-service fresh and frozen seafood processor and distributor Santa Monica Seafood prides itself on being able to handle any specifications for seafood, with its expansive network of supplier sources and broad sustainability bonafides. A founding member of Sea Pact, Santa Monica Seafood has a foundation consisting of four key …

Chef Brian Smith

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Brian Smith began cooking as a young child alongside his mother and grandmother. His grandparents had a house in Kino Bay, Mexico where they would often go fishing. Brian remembers catching crabs and digging up clams. He says, “the first time I had clam chowder was when I fell in love with seafood.” By the age of sixteen, Chef Brian …

Chef Christophe Breat

smseafoodFeatured Chefs

Chef Christophe Breat grew up on a vineyard in Burgundy, France, where he watched his grandmother prepare dishes using fresh ingredients from her farm. Chef Breat’s fond memories of his grandmother’s cooking inspired him to become a chef. Chef Breat earned his Brevet Professional Diploma from CFA Pierre Dufour Culinary Art Institute in Roanne, France. Upon graduation, he honed his …