Taste - Dining
Meet the Chef
Chef Pandee Pearson
Chef Pandee Pearson was born in Ventura California (third generation southern Californian) where she started cooking as a child and has never stopped! Although food was always her love and her hobby it did not immediately become her vocation. Pandee didn't realize she wanted to be a professional chef until her late twenties. At first, she was convinced she would become a restaurant general manager or work somewhere in the wine industry, but after graduating from the California Culinary Academy in 1988 her career took another direction. Thus, a new adventure began. Pandee's resume reflects a remarkable dedication to developing her career. Among the many mentors who have had a significant impact on Pandee's career are Wolfgang Puck, Dean Fearing (The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas), Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill, Napa Valley) Jody Denton (Restaurant LuLu, Auzie, and Zizibbo, San Francisco), and Marc Valiani (Jianna, San Francisco). Pandee's multicultural health conscience cuisine revolves around seasonal high quality fresh ingredients taking great care in preparation and sound cooking methods. "I feel the ingredients should be the "stars" and the chef's job is to create interesting combinations that are complimentary and reflect balance". Other influences have come from her travels across America, France, Italy, Mexico and her home state of California where she frequents restaurants, wineries, food artisans, and markets taking pictures and tasting everything possible returning home with specialized utensils, ingredients, and cookbooks. Pandee is an enthusiast of wine, an avid gardener (food and flowers), loves animals, travel, design, and music. "Cooking is not just my job, but part of a lifestyle that is connected with everything else I love." Pandee lives in beautiful Morro Bay with her pets.
Chef Pandee Pearson was born in Ventura California (third generation southern Californian) where she started cooking as a child and has never stopped! Although food was always her love and her hobby it did not immediately become her vocation. Pandee didn't realize she wanted to be a professional chef until her late twenties. At first, she was convinced she would become a restaurant general manager or work somewhere in the wine industry, but after graduating from the California Culinary Academy in 1988 her career took another direction. Thus, a new adventure began. Pandee's resume reflects a remarkable dedication to developing her career. Among the many mentors who have had a significant impact on Pandee's career are Wolfgang Puck, Dean Fearing (The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas), Cindy Pawlcyn (Mustards Grill, Napa Valley) Jody Denton (Restaurant LuLu, Auzie, and Zizibbo, San Francisco), and Marc Valiani (Jianna, San Francisco). Pandee's multicultural health conscience cuisine revolves around seasonal high quality fresh ingredients taking great care in preparation and sound cooking methods. "I feel the ingredients should be the "stars" and the chef's job is to create interesting combinations that are complimentary and reflect balance". Other influences have come from her travels across America, France, Italy, Mexico and her home state of California where she frequents restaurants, wineries, food artisans, and markets taking pictures and tasting everything possible returning home with specialized utensils, ingredients, and cookbooks. Pandee is an enthusiast of wine, an avid gardener (food and flowers), loves animals, travel, design, and music. "Cooking is not just my job, but part of a lifestyle that is connected with everything else I love." Pandee lives in beautiful Morro Bay with her pets.
