Tasha De Serio
Tasha De Serio cooked at Chez Panisse Restaurant and Café for 5 years. During that time she also worked as a private chef for wine merchant Kermit Lynch, and began catering with co-worker Brian Espinoza. After leaving Chez Panisse in 2001, Tasha taught seasonal cooking to kids in Berkeley public schools, and worked as a freelance cooking teacher and food writer. Tasha and Brian officially opened Olive Green Catering in 2003, and Tasha has continued to teach at such venues as Sur la Table and Ramekins Culinary Center. Her writing has appeared in Food and Wine and Fine Cooking magazines, and she has contributed to cookbooks such as Chez Panisse Fruit and Chez Panisse Café Cookbook by Alice Waters, The Pleasures of Slow Food by Corby Kummer, Fields of Plenty by Michael Abelman, and Cooking from the Farmer’s Market by Williams-Sonoma.
Brian Espinoza
Brian Espinoza began his cooking career in 1994 by volunteering in the kitchen at Chez Panisse. Soon he was working as a busboy in the café and then as an entry level prep cook. Eventually he was promoted to line cook and lead line cook. At the suggestion of Alice Waters, Brian took several months to travel and work in Europe, learning more about food and fine tuning his culinary skills. By the time he left Chez Panisse in 2001, he had completed his degree in American Studies and Environmental Design from U.C. Berkeley and began catering with Tasha De Serio.
"What a great birthday gift you gave me! I loved every minute of the party and was completely relaxed from the time I walked in the door (especially after the first glass of prosecco was in my hand). Everyone raved about the food and the ambiance. One of my friends said that the amazing setting brought out the best in people!"
