Personalities

Mark Liberman

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Executive Chef - AQ Restaurant & Bar

Mark Liberman Executive Chef

Mark Liberman was born in San Francisco and raised in Sonoma County. His Colombian mother and Polish father presented him with food that was influenced by their own upbringings and always encouraged him to try different cuisines. ommitted to making his childhood passion a career, Liberman headed to New York in 1996, where he began his education at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. After graduating with honors in 1998, Liberman was fortunate to participate in a four month stage in France, at the two Michelin-starred Carre des Feuillantes, in Paris and Nice. He then returned to Northern California, where he began working his way through the ranks in kitchens at Savoy 614 Bistro in Folsom and Cascade’s Restaurant in Roseville, where he was chef de cuisine. In April 2005, Liberman moved to Las Vegas, where he worked as a saucier for Daniel Boulud Brasserie and then as chef de partie at MGM Grand’s world-renowned L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. Liberman next worked as chef de cuisine at Piero Selvaggio’s Valentino at the Venetian. In early 2007, he returned to San Francisco to take the position as chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred La Folie, where he worked closely with Chef Roland Passot. In early 2008, Liberman partnered with his brother, opening Forte, a contemporary Italian concept, located in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 2010, Liberman was invited to New York to participate in the Bocuse d’ Or, a biennial world chef championship. Liberman was ultimately among the top ten finalists in this prestigious event. Upon returning to California, he opened up Black Sheep Butchery, teaching charcuterie and whole animal butchery as well as underground dining Liberman joined forces with restaurateur Matt Semmelhack in early 2010 to collaborate on the opening of AQ Restaurant & Bar in the Mid-Market/ Western SOMA district of San Francisco.. Liberman helped to create the restaurant’s vision as well as AQ’s concept for a dynamic culinary teaching environment.