Award-winning Chef Bernard Guillas joined La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, Inc. as executive chef in June 1994. In addition to Club Dining, Guillas is responsible for directing the resort's other two restaurants and all catering services for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club and the landmark Marine Room restaurant. As executive chef, Guillas oversees all menus, wine lists, and special events.
Guillas, no stranger to classic tradition, insists, "a good cook is a sorcerer who dispenses happiness on a plate." Born into a family of butchers, bakers, and restaurateurs, Guillas' Britannic upbringing was influenced by his daily exposure to fine cuisine. He began his formal training in 1978, at Le Bretagne Restaurant in Questembert, France, where he apprenticed with the legendary Georges Paineau.
Over the next six years he expanded his culinary knowledge at several Maitres Cuisinier de France fine dining restaurants. Jumping continents, Guillas moved on to become chef de cuisine at Le Dolmen in French Guyana. Richly diverse South American flavors influence his food today.
Chef Guillas promotes sustainability and plays an active role in supporting his local community. He regularly participates in Mama's Kitchen, Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation fundraiser for hunger relief, the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival, and is an annual guest chef for Celebrities Cook for Cancer to benefit the University of California San Diego Cancer Center. Guillas is also the chef spokesman for the Macy's School of Cooking where he shares his passion for the culinary arts. He travels extensively throughout the world promoting his restaurants and the San Diego region.
