Text by Armella Stepan
Chef Chad Huff’s career path was mapped out for him early in life. A California native, Chad credits the state’s natural bounty and his mother’s tutelage in the kitchen, when he was young, as the spark that fired his passion for cooking.
“To my surprise and my mother’s delight, cooking came naturally to me,” Chef Huff reminisced.
Throughout his career, his training grounds were some of the most revered kitchens in the world. Huff graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and sought out mentors close to his native California.
He learned butchery alongside Curtis Stone at Gwen. He studied the delicate complexity of seafood from Michael Cimarusti at Providence and the fine art of handmade pasta from Evan Funke at Felix. In fact, he became so enamored with crafting pasta, he has the chemical compound for gluten tattooed on his forearm.
Now, as the Chef de Cuisine at Hotel Casa del Mar’s ocean-view Terrazza Restaurant, Chef Huff is excited to bring his Mediterranean-meets-California vision to Santa Monica Beach. Shopping locally as well as sourcing unique ingredients found only around the Mediterranean, he is blending the best of both regions.
Highlights include Hamachi Crudo, Spaghetti with Patagonia Shrimp Scampi, and Mediterranean Lubina.
“The California coastline provides us with the most incredible backdrop at Terrazza,” Huff says, gazing out at the sea. “When you pair that stunning view with crave-able dishes and attentive service, you can’t wait to return.”
