My name is Hunter Ellis. I learned to cook from a dedicated restaurant owner who had spent many years in France, Switzerland, and San Francisco—he learned to cook himself from his father at West Portal Joe’s. He taught me to do things the right way, which often ended up being the slow and difficult way. Food made from scratch, from start to finish, simply tastes better than when ingredients are combined from a box or a can. Patience, intuition, and a methodical approach are my friends. I do my best to highlight the ingredients that are available to us in this remarkable pocket of California, planting my quarter-acre garden and orchard according to the menus I imagine coming to fruition months from now. I make food that is delicious, but also healthy and that reflects the little paradise we inhabit.