Award-winning
Chef Bernard Guillas
~
joined La Jolla
Beach and Tennis Club,
Inc. as executive chef de cuisine in
June 1994. Right at home in La Jolla,
Guillas' affinity for the coastal lifestyle
reminded him of his home in Brittany.
"When I lived in France, the smell of
the sea and the lure of its bounty were
constantly part of our table," Guillas
recalls. "I'm inspired by the variety
and quality of the local produce and
seafood found throughout our region.
I love to use my classical training
and my love for Pan Pacific flavors
in all our restaurants." Guillas, 42,
is responsible for directing the resort's
three restaurants and all catering operations
for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club,
The Shores
Restaurant
at the Sea Lodge hotel, and the landmark
Marine
Room Restaurant.
As executive chef de cuisine, Guillas
oversees all menus, wine lists, and
special events. Guillas, no stranger
to classic tradition, insists, "a good
cook is a sorcerer who dispenses happiness
on a plate." For this chef, it is the
magic of adding unusual seasonings to
titillate the palate. He learned his
alchemy early. Born into a family of
butchers, bakers, and restaurateurs,
Guillas' Britannic upbringing was influenced
by his daily exposure to fine cuisine.
He began his formal training in 1978,
at Le Bretagne
Restaurant in Questembert, France,
where he apprenticed with the legendary
Georges Paineau. Over the next six years
he expanded his culinary knowledge with
several Maitres Cuisinier de France
fine dining restaurants. Jumping continents,
Guillas moved on to become chef de cuisine
at Le Dolmen in French Guyana. Richly
diverse South American flavors still
influence his food today.
In
1984, Guillas moved to Washington DC
as chef tournant, chef saucier, and
sous chef under Pierre Chambrin,
former White House executive chef, at
Maison Blanche. In 1989, he relocated
to San Diego and spent five years as
chef de cuisine at the Grant Grill,
located in the US Grant Hotel in downtown
San Diego's historic district.
Recently,
Guillas has added a cookbook and television
appearances to his roster of impressive
credits and awards.
Thanks to his being selected as one
of fifteen "Rising Star Chefs"
in 1996, he has appeared in Food
Arts Magazine, the "Rising
Star Chef" cookbook and PBS' "Rising
Chef" television series and "Cuisine
of California" cooking video. Guillas
was part of a San Diego regional team,
which appeared at the James Beard House
. He was also awarded the "Best
Chef in San Diego" award at the
California Restaurant Association, San
Diego Chapter's, Gold Medallion Awards
Dinner.
Chef
Guillas plays an active role in supporting
his local community. He regularly participates
in the Share Our Strength Taste
of the Nation fund-raiser for hunger
relief, the KPBS Food and Wine Festival,
and recently was a guest chef for Celebrities
Cook for Cancer, a fund-raiser that
benefits the University of California
San Diego Cancer Center. He travels
extensively throughout the country promoting
his restaurants and the San Diego region.
