Personalities

Adam Hinojosa

Adam's Links:

Chef - Per Diem

Adam Hinojosa started his restaurant career as a 14-year-old dishwasher in his cousin’s restaurant in Lake Tahoe. The creative process amazed him: the transformation from raw product to a finished dish. Watching the line cooks manage, organize and orchestrate the tickets every night left him in awe. He followed his newfound passion from the dish pit to the line, and moving quickly through the ranks, he decided to make his job a career. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon, Adam spent three years working in the Seattle area before returning to Lake Tahoe. It was there he met his mentor, Brian Shaw of Café Del Rio, and realized “I didn’t know sh*t”. This lead him on a path of self discovery; learning everything he could about flavors, textures, smells and how they can transport a person to another place and time. The two lasting impressions from this time was that the movie Patton was required viewing for every line cook and Chef Shaw’s mantra (West Texas accent please) “If you can’t stick a fork in it, and mush it all together and it don’t taste good, you’re doing something wrong”.

Adam has been at the helm in large hotel production kitchens and small family owned restaurants. After leaving his position at Moody’s Bistro in Truckee he went through another journey of self-discovery and opted to learn as much as possible from as many Chefs as possible. This led him back to the line and to the San Francisco Bay area, where his jobs included Osteria Stellina and Café Des Amis.

Adam’s kitchen has a place for American classic, Italian rustic, whole animal and locavore styles. His laid back personality balances an intense passion for the ingredients, the process, and the finished product. He is currently the Executive Chef at Per Diem Restaurant and owner of the Pallate Group consulting company.