The Top Bay Area Chefs of Cavallo Point

Executive Chef Michael Garcia and Pastry Chef Ethan Howard share a genuine passion for creating seasonal menus inspired by local ingredients. Learn more about Cavallo Point’s top Bay Area chefs.

Michael Garcia is the executive chef of the award-winning Murray Circle at Cavallo Point, where he creates dishes that reinvent San Francisco’s multicultural flavors with a modern twist.

A San Francisco native, Chef Garcia spent several years working through the ranks of many legendary San Francisco hotels and restaurants, including Cliff House, Farallon, Stars by celebrity chef, Jeremiah Tower, and the Palace Hotel.

Over the span of his career, Chef Garcia’s accomplishments include writing a bestselling cookbook, A Toast to the Home Cook, and his positions as the executive chef and partner of SOCIALE in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood. He was also the executive chef, manager, catering chef, and partner of TOAST Restaurants in Mill Valley, which he successfully opened in 2003 and helped build its impressive reputation as a fun neighborhood eatery serving creative, quality fare.

Ethan Howard, pastry chef at the award-winning Murray Circle restaurant, uses fresh, local ingredients to create the refined, sweet treats that complement Murray Circle’s ever-changing, seasonal menu. Chef Howard believes in the importance of natural simplicity and embracing the true essence of ingredients' natural flavors.

From the age of six while growing up in San Jose, California, Chef Howard knew he wanted to be a chef. He initially developed his sweet tooth for pastries while working with Chef François Payard in New York City. It was there he learned basic techniques and developed a passion for the art of baking French-style pastries.

Building upon his prior experience in New York City, Chef Howard had the opportunity to fine-tune his preparation techniques studying refined pastry at The French Laundry with Pastry Chefs Steven Durfee and Sebastien Rouxel. His next adventure led him to The Martini House in St. Helena, where he defined the pastry menu that served as a finale to the restaurant’s rustic menu. Before starting his position at Murray Circle, Chef Howard worked as a pastry chef at Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, California.

Chef Howard has developed a fond appreciation of working in Marin County due to the abundance of organic, seasonal ingredients available in the area. He has a genuine passion for experimenting with unexpected flavor combinations and he searches for his creative inspiration in everyday life and art. He is consistently sought after to create his renowned signature sweet finishes for tastings and special events around the region.