Bios

Anne Gingrass-Paik
Executive Chef

For more than 25 years, chef Anne Gingrass-Paik has been at the helm of some of the nation’s top restaurants, crafting a personal culinary style that has earned her national accolades as well as devoted followers. Throughout her illustrious career, Gingrass-Paik has worn many hats: successful business leader, culinary innovator and role model for other female chefs, just to name a few. In addition, her long tenure behind the stoves at such legendary restaurants as Spago and Hawthorne Lane has established her as a culinary icon and mentor to some of the top chefs in California.

After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Gingrass-Paik journeyed west to cook under the tutelage of Wolfgang Puck at Spago. Working closely with Puck, she became the restaurant’s chef de cuisine, where she was not only a presence behind the stoves, but also was responsible for planning daily menus, coordinating with farmers and purveyors, managing celebrity catering and testing recipes for Puck’s best-selling cookbooks.

In 1989, Gingrass-Paik was sent by Puck to open the groundbreaking Postrio in San Francisco. As co-executive chef, she created an innovative menu that set new standards for fusion cuisine by melding the flavors of America, China and Italy. She also further developed a passion for sustainable cooking, making weekly trips to Sonoma Valley and working closely with farmers to incorporate the freshest ingredients on Postrio’s menu. Under her leadership, the restaurant was honored with a James Beard Award for “Best Newcomer.”

Gingrass-Paik and her then-husband, David Gingrass, left Postrio in 1994 to open Hawthorne Lane in San Francisco’s flourishing SoMa neighborhood. There, Gingrass-Paik honed a personal culinary style, using primarily organic ingredients to craft a menu that combined classic French technique with refined Asian flavors. The restaurant became popular during the dot-com years and beyond, attracting diners with its cutting-edge cuisine.

In 2000, Gingrass-Paik opened Desiree Café, a labor of love that became the first public restaurant in the Presidio. The cozy restaurant, which food critic Patty Unterman called a “hidden jewel,” focused on market-driven, sustainable cuisine and developed a devoted local following. Gingrass-Paik even collaborated with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to establish green restaurant certifications.

Brix represents a new beginning for Gingrass-Paik—and an opportunity for her to showcase the seasonal flavors of the Napa Valley and highlight the relationships she has cultivated with farmers and local purveyors in Northern California. Her contemporary selections use fresh produce from the restaurant’s extensive gardens and orchards to create a sophisticated garden-to-table menu flecked with Mediterranean accents.

Danielle Brocious
Executive Pastry Chef

Beginning her career in the kitchen at the age of 16, Danielle Brocious knew almost instantly that her true calling was to become a professional chef. Born and raised in Renton, Washington, Brocious worked in a few different restaurants and regions before landing her current position as Executive Pastry Chef at Brix restaurant in California’s Napa Valley.

After graduating from Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco, Brocious assumed the position of Pastry Assistant at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio restaurant. In 2003, Brocious was then hired at Desiree Café where she met and worked under Anne Gingrass-Paik, a culinary master with 25 years under her belt including that of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Los Angeles, and San Francisco’s Postrio and Hawthorne Lane. The cozy Desiree Café, which food critic Patty Unterman called a “hidden jewel,” focused on market-driven, sustainable cuisine and developed a devoted local following. After her time at Desiree Café, Brocious moved on to work as Assistant Pastry Chef at Boulevard, a restaurant located by the waterfront near the Financial District and known for its French-infused American cuisine.

“What I love most about having a career in the restaurant industry is that it is organized chaos!” says Brocious. “After Desiree Café, Anne and I stayed in touch and when she called me with the opportunity to work with her at Brix, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Anne is a great mentor as she is supportive and easy-going, yet always holds a high standard.”

As Executive Pastry Chef at Brix, Brocious creates seasonally driven desserts with a classic American twist, such as her Spiced Apple Crisp with vanilla ice cream, cherries and currants, raisins and streusel topping, her Meyer Lemon Pie with huckleberry sauce and whipped crème fraiche, the Bartlett Pear Tart with glazed walnuts and brown sugar ice cream, and her Ice Cream Sandwich with peanut butter swirl, rocky road and marshmallow fluff. She also oversees the bread program at Brix which initials’ sour dough baguettes, chive biscuits, brunch pastries, sandwich breads and rolls.

Danielle Brocious lives in Potrero Hill, a residential district on the south side of San Francisco, and in her spare time enjoys running and collecting antique bake ware.

Jeff Creamer
Wine Director

Jeff Creamer’s career in food and wine began shortly after college. Following his graduation from the University of Virginia, Jeff stayed in Charlottesville, where his love of food and restaurants drew him into a six-year stint as a cook. After one too many cuts and burns, Jeff decided to develop his skills behind the bar.

With a growing desire to work in one of the top food destinations in the world, Jeff moved to San Francisco in 2002, where he landed a position as bartender at Rubicon working under renowned Master Sommelier, Larry Stone. He became cellar master for Rubicon’s library-like wine collection and later, became assistant sommelier.

Upon his success in the elegant atmosphere of Rubicon, it was a natural progression to Hawthorne Lane. With the later transformation of Hawthorne Lane into TWO, Jeff created a wine program reflective of the changing culinary tastes of the city. His thoughtful selections of wines focused on value over brand-name recognition have brought a gamut of varieties, regions and styles into focus.

In his new role as Wine Director at Brix, Jeff is crafting a wine list that recognizes the greatness of the Napa Valley, and specifically of Oakville, as a prime spot for producing Cabernet Sauvignons. “Oakville has the ultimate climate and location for Cabernet,” Jeff says. “We’re looking forward to showcasing the wines that are produced here.”