Ryan Grant Chef de Cuisine — El Bizcocho

Do you remember your first five-diamond, three-Michelin-star meal? Ryan Grant does. His was lunch at Jean Georges in New York City, where he had foie terrine with radicchio, milk-fed Scottish pheasant with chanterelles, and monkfish picatta with ginger-carrot puree. On his second visit to the acclaimed restaurant, Ryan not only had eight courses paired with eight different wines, but the restaurant's namesake -- one of the most celebrated chefs in the world -- cooked the meal himself. Each course was better than the previous, the experience providing just the inspiration a young chef needed. And the rest, you could say, was culinary history for our Chef de Cuisine.

A self-taught whiz in the kitchen, Ryan started cooking at age seven, alongside his Italian father who made sauces from scratch. Hungry for experience in a professional kitchen, at 19 he worked his way through New York's high-profile restaurants. He served as Chef de Partie at Vong (Jean Georges' restaurant serving Thai-inspired French cuisine); Alan Ducasse at the Essex; Mix; and Bouley, where he was one of the only cooks to have a dish on the menu: short ribs stuffed with foie gras cooked sous vide with truffled taro root puree and dried fruit. In 2005, he was recruited by Executive Chef Doug Psaltis to open Country, which was awarded three stars by The New York Times and a Michelin as well. He went on to become Sous Chef at Ilili, Executive Chef at Frederick's Downtown, and most recently, Executive Chef at Elizabeth, where he earned a star from The New York Times.

His resume is filled with notable names. He's been in newspapers, on Iron Chef, and even a character in a book. But after all that's been said and done, for Ryan, the culinary experience still rules. It's all about global flavors. Unique style. And bringing to the table a balance between the familiar and unexpected. One of the dishes he's most proud of, for instance, is his "Grand Slam – an Ode to Denny's" -- an amuse bouche consisting of three corn blinis, sautéed foie gras between each, accompanied by a sunny-side-up quail egg with golden osetra caviar, crouton-crisp potatoes and two lardons of bacon all made in a mini cast iron skillet.

"I like to bring together unique flavors that may seem crazy at first, but they work together beautifully on the palate," he says. "Sweet, salty, sour, spicy and bitter – all perfectly balanced so you don't get a judo kick in the mouth. Plates so pretty you don’t want to destroy them and food that tastes so good you wish you had another bite."

In addition to his refined palate, Ryan brings to our team a zest for cocktails and a fashion sense showcased in his many hats. While the kitchen is where he does his finest work, we don't expect to keep him there. He's already been seen beside many a table, setting fire to his famous Absinthe Minded Professor and dishing out memorable tasting menus – all while sporting his signature kangol.

Margaret Nolan Pastry Chef

Dark chocolate tequila truffles may sound simple to some, but for Pastry Chef Margaret Nolan, they are liquid gold.

"These truffles provide just the right amount of decadence to end a meal," says the new addition to the culinary team at Rancho Bernardo Inn Resort & Spa. "The subtlety of the tequila blends with the chocolate, leaving a warming sensation that clings to your lips. And when you break through the shell, it's like liquid gold melting in your mouth. I've never had someone eat just one."

The same can be said of any of Margaret's creations. No one ever eats just one. From her Meyer Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Huckleberries and Crème Fraiche to her Lemon Verbena-Soaked Olive Oil Cake to her Dark Chocolate Brownie Infused with Cumin and Paprika then Covered with Chocolate Ganache – her pastries are more than indulgent, they are down right addicting.

Having come from a long line of sweet tooths, Margaret says in her large family, life thrived and revolved around the dining table. Her love for sweets was born during childhood, when tea parties and baking with Grandma were the norm. Today, after having trained at The California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and worked at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, The Ivy Hotel and Currant American Brasserie, this talented chef creates each dessert as though she were embarking on a fun new adventure.

"The amazing chefs I've worked with have taught me the importance of respecting the ingredient," she says. "I learned that just one ingredient can make a dish come alive and dance across your spoon."

Margaret loves taking familiar flavors like chocolate and infusing them with wasabi, exotic spices, garden herbs and other seasonal ingredients. Vanilla ice cream infused with saffron and cardamom. Chocolate with tequila. Pistachio-lavender sugar. She even makes her own limoncello and apricot brandy. And when oranges are harvested from Rancho Santa Madre, her family's farm in Valley Center, you can be sure to see her signature marmalade.

"So much of food stems from our memory," she says. "A good dinner and an even better dessert is like nailing that perfect driver's license photo -- you don't forget it and you try to hold on to it for as long as you can."