Jeff Murphy – Chef
Born in upstate New York not far from the main Culinary Institute of America campus, Jeff Murphy grew up in the Silicon Valley. He started cooking for his family when in Hawaii as a teen. "I even made my own granola, using grated coconut," the Bistro Sabor chef recalls.

But his real culinary education started in the '80s when Murphy was a pre-med student in college. "I ran a wholesale fish market in Reno," he noted, "and at the same time I volunteered to cook at a very popular French restaurant owned by a well known chef, Yves Pimparel. He had friends from all over and one night I found myself in his kitchen prepping alongside Jacques Pepin."

That experience led to a trip to France "with a wife who couldn't cook. I did all the cooking. But I tried to get a job in France because I thought all I had to do was show up. Well, that was easier said than done. I wound up in a dank, dark kitchen for one month peeling carrots with a bunch of guys all vying for one job. Since I didn't speak the language fluently, guess who was the first to go. I came back to the states with a dollar to my name."

Before long, he signed on as a pantry cook at California Cafes. That led to an executive chef post, with Murphy running the Alameda operation and before long opening three California Cafes per year. "I opened 13 restaurants with them," he said.

Prior to moving to Napa, Murphy had his own restaurant in Oakland, LMNO, and manned the stoves at Seasons Restaurant in Davis.

"I met Ariel when I was taking a salsa lesson (at Ceja Vineyards' downtown Napa tasting room)." He wound up talking food and the idea for a new restaurant — eventually collaborating on menu and recipes. "I guess it's all about salsa," he added with a smile, referencing both food and dance.

-Excerpt from "Tacos y Sake" by Pierce Carson for the Napa Valley Register