YANN LUSSEAU
Title: Pastry Chef/Owner
Restaurant: Parker-Lusseau Pastries

What’s In Your Fridge? Whole milk—no frou-frou stuff.

Favorite Local Foodstuffs: Artichokes,  sardines and strawberries.

Favorite Place To Shop: Whole Foods and Monterey’s farmers market.

Favorite Dessert: Espresso Eclairs. I haven’t found one I like in the States yet.

Favorite Childhood Dish: My mom made  wonderful rice puddings and tapioca.

Last Book Read: I’m not much of a reader.

Chef You Would Most Like To Spend A Night With (In The Kitchen): My wife. We used to work the same shift together and we make a really good team.

Last Vacation: We got back from Tahoe a few days ago. I took a class and learned how to snowboard in two hours. We stopped in Napa en route home and I had the best steak and French fries I’ve had in the States at Bouchon—it was just like being at home.

Favorite Way To Unwind:  I have a four year old.

Three Biggest Influences: My parents, my wife, and Chef Didier at Casanova.

PAULO KAUTZ SYLVIA MEDINA
Title: Chefs/Owners
Restaurant: Café Rustica

Marital Status: Married
Zodiac Sign: She: Virgo; He: Taurus
Prior Stints: Owned Taste in Salinas.

What’s In Your Fridge? Cheeses, juices, vitamins, organic eggs, organic lettuce, veggies, fruit and sliced meat.

Favorite Local Foodstuffs: Artichokes, salad greens and wine.

Favorite Local Restaurant to take  out-of-towners: Roy’s

Favorite Local Restaurant (Budget): Shogun.

Favorite Wineries: Chateau Christine and Talbott

Perfect Meal: She: A medium/rare filet sautéed with wild mushrooms and a balsamic reduction with Café Rustica’s butter lettuce salad and vinaigrette; He: A piece of fresh fish, seafood or sushi.

Favorite Childhood Dish: She: Mexican Food;  He: Goulash.

Can’t-Live-Without Kitchen Gadget:  She: A good knife; He: Cookie and pastry molds.

Last Movie Seen: Last night—Coach Carter.

Favorite Green Vegetable: She: Zucchini and green beans; He: Asparagus.

Chef You Would Most Like To Spend A Night With (In The Kitchen): She: Paolo; He: Sylvia.

Community Involvement: National Charity League (NCL), Kidney Foundation, Juvenile Diabetes, SPCA, Hospice, and Meals on Wheels.

Last Vacation: Germany to visit Paolo’s family.

Three Biggest Influences: She: Paolo, Michael Chiarello of Tra Vigne and Jacques Pepin. He: Paul Bacouse, Jacques Pepin, and Madeline Kammen.

BERNABE DE LUNA
Title: Sommelier
Restaurant: Highlands Inn

Marital Status: Married
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Prior Stints: Worked in the fields  of Gilroy picking strawberries.

What’s In Your Fridge? Salsa, Mexican cheese, tortillas and meat.

Favorite Local Foodstuffs: Strawberries, seafood and artichokes.

Favorite Place To Shop: Whole Foods and the farmers market in Monterey, when I have the day off.

Favorite Wine: For value: Albert Boxler Pinot Blanc (Alsace) or Termes-Numanthia (Toro, Spain). Anything from Domaine Ramonet for a big-ticket bottle.

Favorite Childhood Dish: Cactus with pork strips and tomatillo salsa.

Perfect Meal: Sushi. Raw fish—not rolls.

Favorite Restaurant For Big Night On The Town: For a relaxing evening, I enjoy Monterey Fish House. For great cooking—Bouchée.

Favorite Local Restaurant (Budget): La Villa Taqueria.

Last Movie Seen: Coach Carter, but I wish I had the time to see Sideways.

Community Involvement: We sponsor several charity events at the hotel throughout the year.

Last Vacation: Burgundy, France last November.

Favorite Way To Unwind: Watch movies, stay home and eat.

Three Biggest Influences: Mark Jensen, the wine director at Bernardus Lodge, my father and Kent Torrey of the Cheese Shop.