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Our Chef ... Cetrella ...
Half Moon Bay |
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Robert
Holt, Executive Chef
With more than 16 years of
culinary experience from the East coast to the West, Robert Holt
serves as Executive Chef where he prides himself in using local
seasonal ingredients in his Mediterranean-influenced, daily-changing
menu.
As Sous Chef at prized San
Francisco restaurants, Holt worked under the guidance of Chefs Joyce
Goldstein at Square One, Nancy Oakes at Boulevard and Suzette
Gresham at Acquerello. To further develop his skills making coastal
Mediterranean cuisine, he joined Primo as Chef de Cuisine in
Rockland, Maine before becoming Chef de Cuisine of Cetrella in 2004
where he stayed until 2006. Returning to Cetrella as Executive Chef
in June 2007, he builds on his valuable contributions and has taken
great care to foster longstanding relationships with specialty
farmers and producers of fine gourmet foods along the Coastside. His
menu highlights the local farms and varies to reflect the seasonal
bounty guaranteeing freshness and variety.
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Holt utilizes the wood-burning oven,
Spanish Plancha and mesquite grills to create some of his signature
dishes including Alaskan Halibut Seared a la Plancha, with English
Peas and Oregon Morels, Sweet Pea Broth and Pea Tendrils and the
Wood Fire Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Leg Crepinette, Grappa
Roasted Local Bing Cherries, a Warm Salad of Toasted Umbrian Farro
and Wild Arugula. He and his team also produce their own
charcuterie, pasta, smoked fish, signature breads, pastries, ice
cream and fresh fruit sorbets in-house. “I love to see my cooks´
smiling faces when we have worked so strongly as a team to deliver
great quality food,” he says. “Smiling cooks lead to smiling guests
and both mean the world to me.”
Holt lives in Oakland where he
enjoys mountain biking, hiking and of course, dining out. At home,
he loves entertaining his friends and family by cooking fresh
grilled fish and vegetables from his garden. |
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