Chef Joan Sanchez

I was born and raised in a beach community here in San Diego. I appreciate the beauty that surrounds me and realize we must conserve what we have for other generations to value as well. I believe in using only the freshest seasonal produce and sustainable fish and meat. These principles are the only way to truly honor the beauty Southern California has to offer.

I grew up cooking and baking with my parents. I always knew I wanted to be a chef, but instead of going into restaurants or culinary school after college, I chose the safe path and went into the corporate world. After eight years, I decided I had to follow my heart and moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy. It was there I learned to love and appreciate so many new and different cuisines. While in San Francisco I had the opportunity to work in several well renowned restaurants with many highly acclaimed chefs. When I left San Francisco, I came back home to San Diego.

In San Diego, I have had the pleasure of working in many different restaurants including Mille Fleurs and Humphreys by the Bay. I had the honor of becoming executive pastry chef and the first woman in the kitchen at Humphreys by the Bay. One of my proudest accomplishments was to go into a kitchen led by men and gain their respect solely on my skills.

Now in catering, I work with my clients to meet and exceed their expectations. Using the skills and principles I learned along my path, I always try to go a step further by using only the freshest fish and meats. The best seasonal produce, and locally sourced products and adding the most important ingredient: love. My business is not just my job, it is my passion and I look forward to sharing this with you.