The Top Bay Area Chefs of Cavallo Point

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.

A Marin County native, born and raised in Mill Valley, Chef Candace Rowan lived in Nashville for many years before returning to the Bay Area to attend the California Culinary Academy. It was during an apprenticeship at Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe that she became enamored with pastry. Her work has been featured in San Francisco magazine, and her recipe for Key Lime Pie was published in one of the final issues of Gourmet.

While raising her sons, Michael and John, Candace worked in many high-profile San Francisco kitchens. “Each restaurant taught me about different cuisines,” she says. “At Buckeye Roadhouse and Wayfare Tavern, it was all about American food. At Town Hall, I learned a lot about Southern food, and at Kokkari I learned all about Greek desserts. During my time at A16, my work really reflected the seasons of the year. Now when I create a menu, I always look to the local produce of the Bay Area.”