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Chef Shuffle: Grapes of Wrath Scores Top Talent; Todd Fisher Finds New Home

Grapes of Wrath Catering (649-3445) scored a talent in new Chef Jon Moser (above), who has most recently played chef de cuisine at Melons in South San Francisco and enjoys past credits like Chez Panisse, Manresa and even French Laundry.

GM Tamie Aveves says they were able to lure Moser away was drawn to the area by the chance to run the show at an ambitious shop poised to pioneer some big-time events. GOW's the exclusive caterers for all events at the oceanview kitchen at East of Eden (aka the Elks Club), downtown Monterey's historic Old Whaling Station and the highly touted Holly Farm, and poised to ink two more big contracts.

"He fits our philosophy and where we wanted to go," she says. "We are competing with Napa wineries and San Francisco ballrooms to bring the high-end brides to the area for their event and wedding weekend—we needed a chef that reflected that level."

Moser debuts his nibbles at Pacific Grove Pride's Great Taste of P.G. Sunday, March 27, along with 18 other food purveyors, a dozen wineries (the $50 goes to P.G. schools, 642-4943; tickets are available at the door).

Meanwhile, the man with as many knives as culinary lives, Todd Fisher—he of the Hullabaloo, Herald food columnry, Pebble Beach Food & Wine executive chef and The Kitchen kingpin incarnations—has a new existence going again. Now he's head chef at STICKS Restaurant (647-7470) at Spanish Bay, maybe my favorite under-the-radar hangout in Pebble Beach.

There's other movement afoot in Del Monte Forest. Angela Tamura's now directing the kitchen at the always-impressivePèppoli after stints at Napa’s ZuZu and San Mateo's Central Park Bistro, joined there by new Sous Chef Sean Shelton, who's back after studying charcuterie at the Culinary Institute of America. Federico Rusciano, meanwhile, has come aboard to manage following a stint at GinoLina Bistro in San Rafael.