Personalities

Mark Gordon

Mark's Links:

Terzo and Rose's Cafe

Mark Gordon is full of creative talents. After exploring many arenas including zoology and photography, his passion for cooking turned him on to a different pursuit. As Executive Chef/Co-owner of Terzo, he features pan-Mediterranean cuisine inspired by his travels, with dishes changing daily to showcase seasonal, fresh produce purchased direct from local, organic farmers.

Gordon began his culinary career at the Kendall College Culinary Program in Chicago after spending years as a professional photographer for the Chicago advertising industry. Upon graduation, he moved to California and worked his way up in various Bay Area kitchens, including Fetzer Winery's Culinary Center under the direction of Chef John Ash and San Francisco's renowned 42 degrees. In October of 2000, he joined Rose's Café as the Executive Chef where he created a compelling, upscale Café menu to cater to the tastes of the trendy Cow-Hollow neighborhood.

After five years at Rose's Café, Gordon was ready for another challenge and worked closely with owner Laurie Thomas to create a concept for a new sister restaurant, Terzo. In June 2005, he traveled with Thomas, architect Cass Calder Smith and the rest of the design team to Sicily, Rome, Lisbon, Seville and Madrid to help solidify the design concept and brainstorm the menu for Terzo. Gordon explains, "To meander through the markets, restaurants and shops gave me a better knowledge of the food and how to emulate what the locals do at home. We put a lot of effort into making the food as genuine as possible and this can only be accomplished by seeing first-hand how it's done in a dish's native land."

In April 2006 Terzo opened for dinner and instantly gained critical acclaim from publications including Bon Appetit, The San Francisco Examiner and San Francisco Chronicle. "I believe the food speaks for itself at Terzo," says Gordon. "Start with a good product of any kind, and try to use it in a way that shows its incredible flavors."

In early 2011, Mark Gordon became executive chef at the third restaurant in the Nice Ventures family, Rose Pistola. To accompany a redesign of the restaurant's interior, Gordon has focused on updating the Ligurian menu and bringing back many of the original recipes that put Rose Pistola on the map when it opened in 1996.

Gordon lives in Oakland with his wife Lori Podroza, who is a Sous Chef at Terzo. When they are not working, they enjoy traveling and dining around the Bay Area.