Chef Christian Randell Of City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill At Loaves & Fishes Cookshop

Executive Chef Christian Randell of City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill will be doing a cooking demonstration at Loaves & Fishes Cookshop on Saturday, June 21st from 12 - 2p.m. Chef Christian Randell will demonstrate a few specialties from his New American menu and provide tastings. The items will include:

* Quinoa, farro and cous cous salad
* Grilled baby artichokes with treviso, fennel and mint
* Grilled balsamic-brined pork loin chops

A California native, Executive Chef Chris Randell has a passion for regional American cooking. Inspired by the North Dakotan dishes of his grandmother and mother, Randell prefers cooking simple and flavorful home-style food. Completely attitude free, Randell judges his performance in the kitchen by the smiles and satisfaction of customers in the dining room. As Executive Chef of City Cellar Wine Bar & Grill, Randell has enjoyed creating and executing a menu of creative dishes inspired by foods from around the globe. Dissatisfied by his studies in the theater at a local junior college, Randell's father suggested that he learn a trade. Having heard about a skilled European chef cooking at a local restaurant in California called John Dominis, Randell decided to pursue an apprenticeship with the chef, Lasse Sorrensen. He quickly discovered that not only was he good, but he also truly enjoyed the work. After three years at John Dominis, Randell moved on to become the lead cook at Kellog West Hotel & Conference Center in Pomona, California then to a position as the pantry chef at The Cellar Restaurant in Fullerton, California. He moved to San Francisco in 1997, working as a sous chef at popular restaurants including, LuLu in San Francisco, Absinthe in Hayes Valley and as chef de cuisine at The Buckeye Roadhouse in Mill Valley. It was during this period that Chris co-hosted the wildly loved cable access show in San Francisco, "Feast or Famine". In 2001, Randell moved to New York City, taking a position as garde manager at Danube for two months before working as a saucier at Tocqueville under chef/owner Marco Moreira. He then spent a year as chef de cuisine at Pershing Square before moving to Steve Hanson's Dos Caminos, where he spent two years cooking classic Mexican dishes that he remembers enjoying in his native Southern California. Randell then opened Mo Pitkin's House of Satisfaction and was acclaimed for his creative blend of traditional Jewish and Spanish foods of the Lower East Side. Chef Randell's passion for food and the art of preparation have lead him to excel in his current position as Executive Chef at City Cellar. His knowledge of foods from all continents is a true marvel, and allows him to not limit himself or the menu.