Personalities

Bradley Ceynowa

Bradley's Links:

Chef- Pizza Antica

As the executive chef of Pizza Antica, chef Bradley Ceynowa oversees the restaurant’s four California locations: Lafayette, Mill Valley, Santa Monica, and Santana Row. Ceynowa brings over 14 years of restaurant experience to his role at Pizza Antica. In 1993, he graduated with honors from San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy. Upon completion, Ceynowa spent 12 years in Sweden where he honed both his cooking and baking skills. It was there that he developed a deep appreciation of pure, local flavors, as well as the intrinsic connection between a culture and the region’s food. Upon returning to the United States in 2008, Ceynowa took a position at Camino in Oakland where he remained for nearly two years, mastering the craft of the wood-fire oven and open fire cookery. There, he gained experience working with local farms and cooking with seasonal produce. At Oakland’s Boot and Shoe Service, Ceynowa found his true calling making pizza and other Italian-inspired dishes. Under the tutelage of respected pizzaiolo Colin Etezadi, Ceynowa learned to craft the perfect dough and assisted in the creation of the restaurant’s menus. In 2011, Bradley moved to San Francisco to be the sous chef at Michael Tusk’s Cotogna. There, he continued to expand his culinary repertoire, becoming skilled at butchery and pasta making.

Now comes Pizza Antica. As chef, Ceynowa oversees the daily operations of all locations. His depth of knowledge and diverse kitchen experiences are seen in his development of the restaurant’s menu. With new dishes such as slow roasted lamb shoulder with farro, artichokes and fava beans,as well as the spring onion, pancetta, parsley and marjoram pizza, Ceynowa focuses on the seasonality and vibrancy of local products. When asked what guides his cooking, Ceynowa says, “My philosophy stems from a simple approach, using superb ingredients, and never masking flavors or overcomplicating preparations.”