Born and raised in France, Jean-Pierre Moullé graduated from Hotel School of Toulouse and trained in Germany and France. In 1975, following a stint in Washington D.C., Jean-Pierre moved to California to join Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. In the late 1980s he and his wife, Denise Lurton, created a cooking class and tour program, Two Bordelais. Today they divide their time between Berkeley and Bordeaux, welcoming guests into Denise’s family chateaux and their restored barn in the vineyards.
David Tanis
Restaurant Chef
David Tanis was has been affiliated with Chez Panisse since the 1980s, and has served as chef for both the upstairs café and downstairs restaurant. Currently he spends six months a year at the restaurant, and the rest of the year cooking and writing in Paris. He is most recently the author of Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys, and writes a weekly column for The New York Times.
Cal Peternell
Café Chef
Cal Peternell grew up on a small farm in New Jersey and graduated with a BFA in painting from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After graduation, Cal moved to Lucca, Italy, with his wife to pursue their art careers. Upon his return to the United States, he started cooking at Bix in San Francisco. He continued his career at Biba and The Blue Room in Boston, and returned to San Francisco as sous chef at Loretta Keller’s Bizou. Cal joined Chez Panisse in 1995 and has been chef since 2000.
Beth Wells
Café Chef
Beth Wells grew up in Friendswood, Texas, a Quaker town near Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Beth moved to San Francisco. Upon graduation from culinary school, she started as a volunteer in the Chez Panisse kitchen. She moved quickly through the ranks, becoming sous chef, and in 2008, chef of Chez Panisse Café.
Stacie Pierce
Pastry Chef
Stacie Pierce grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before moving to Norway to pursue a Master’s degree in Nordic Archeology at the University of Oslo. Upon graduation, Stacie remained in Oslo and worked for several years as a cook at Café Celsius and worked as translator of children’s books for a major Norwegian publisher. She returned to the United States to work at Foreign Cinema, and volunteered in the pastry kitchen at Oliveto. Stacie came to Chez Panisse in 2004 and was promoted to pastry chef in 2007. She also serves as a co-curator for the experimental San Francisco restaurant, OPEN.
Our Chefs