"Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

Alexandria's Story

Let me tell you a secret: I wasn't always hip to the potential for high quality food to bring about health & wellness, let alone reverse disease. 

I grew up believing we were predisposed to a set of illnesses, diseases, or cancers & had no real say in the matter. Luck (or not) of the draw, I guess. I also bought into the mentality that a calorie was a calorie was a calorie (now I know better, of course - 100 calories of pop is not the same as 100 calories of broccoli!).

Back in the day though, I had no clue.

After graduating from college, I landed my then dream job: working on Wall Street for a big, bad investment bank. I wore a power suit, got to practice my Español, & helped raise billions of dollars, euros & yen for large corporations all over the world. Health took a backseat, way in the back... 

But my general well being wasn't content to sit on the sidelines for very long. An undiagnosed condition I'd been ignoring for years since living in Argentina would eventually force me to reevaluate my work & lifestyle choices. But despite countless doctors visits (and countless colonoscopies, biopsies, & upper endoscopies...so much fun!), I was left with little to no answers as to why my body was failing me. 

That's when I realized I needed to take my health into my own hands & stop relying soley on allopathic medicine who kept telling me it was all in my head. I knew I wasn't crazy, though lots of supposed "experts" sure thought I was!

Slowing I started doing my own research. I began learning about how destructive the Standard American Diet (SAD) can be, along with the metabolic, hormonal, & physiological effects food has on the body. We used to cook health promoting, homemade meals made from produce in backyard gardens. Now we eat health deteriorating pre-packaged food-like substances created in a lab. The consequences of this shift are undeniable - look at the rising global rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, food allergies, & cancer.

I was beginning to understand that we might have more control over our health outcomes than I previously knew & I wanted to share the good news with everyone I could.

That's when I made the difficult, yet rewarding decision to leave my career in finance. I left friends & family in NYC & headed to San Francisco in pursuit of a passion I had just then uncovered. Since, I am grateful for having taken back my health after discovering a gluten intolerance & leaky gut that caused a myriad of issues over the years.

Now working to promote sustainable agriculture & being a Certified Nutrition Consultant, I'm armed with an understanding of how food can affect our bodies, foster disease, or reverse chronic illness. I've got the tools to help others stop their diseases & dis-eases at the source, not simply cover up the symptoms by popping another pill.

I'm so grateful you're here & excited to help you take back what's yours. It's time to regain your health!

Chef Stephen's Story

Born & raised in New England, I gained a strong appreciation for quality, sustainable, & seasonal ingredients at an early age while helping my mother in the kitchen & being surrounded by his father’s love of gardening. As a child, frequent fishing & hunting trips along the coast of Maine instilled a sense of locality & admiration for the way food is foraged & prepared.

I began my culinary journey in middle school, working my way up from dishwasher to cook in small, local restaurants. After high school & in pursuit of a professional career in the hospitality industry, I enrolled in Johnson & Wales University where I received a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts. During this time, I accepted a stage oversees working with Chef Peter A’our in Asberg, Germany; further allowing me to explore my love of locally foraged ingredients & family raised livestock.

After graduation, I accepted a position at Blue Hill at Stone Barns under the direction of the award-winning chef, Daniel Barber, where I honed my kitchen skills, while also tending to the livestock & cultivating produce at the restaurant’s own farm. After a few years in New York, I was ready for my next adventure. 

In 2009, the vegetable-focused Ubuntu Restaurant in Napa, California offered me an opportunity to work with the Michelin-rated, Chef Jeremy Fox, where I eventually became Executive Sous Chef. This experience, along with working with a farm-to-table traveling private events company named Outstanding in the Field further allowed me to deepen the relationships I'd developed with farms & farmers around the country.

After working as private chef for the events company (and visiting all 50 states!), I decided to take on my next challenge in 2011 – helping open State Bird Provisions in San Francisco as Executive Sous Chef with the well-known chef duo, Chefs Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krazinski. In 2012, the restaurant was named ‘Best New Restaurant in America’ by Bon Appétit and in 2013, received a James Beard Award and a Michelin star.

I'm so grateful for the opportunities I've had to date & the people who have helped me along the way. I'm excited to share as many delicious & memorable food experiences with you as possible!