Stuart Brioza & Nicole Krasinski

Stuart Brioza began his culinary career at 15, working in kitchens around the Bay Area. Starting at the Blackhawk Grille in 1991, he realized quickly that cooking was to be his lifelong passion. He spent the next several years learning "California Cuisine," intermingling French technique, Asian flair and Mediterranean simplicity. An interest in photography and art led Stuart to attend classes at DeAnza College, where he met Nicole Krasinski, also studying photography.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Stuart worked at Chicago's Park Avenue Café with John Hogan, who invited him to help open Savarin restaurant in 1998. He was soon elevated to Sous Chef and maintained the restaurant's 3 star rating. Meanwhile, Nicole was hand-crafting breads and pastries at Chicago's Red Hen Bakery.

In 2000, Stuart accepted an Executive Chef position at the legendary Tapawingo in Ellsworth, MI. There he developed his own unique style, blending simplicity with seasonal and local ingredients. Tapawingo was also where Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski began working together as a culinary team. In 2003, Stuart was named one of Food and Wine Magazine's 10 Best New Chefs. R.W. Apple Jr. of the New York Times wrote, "[Stuart] has an uncanny ability to synthesize elements of Asian and Mediterranean cuisines in a style that remains thoroughly American, and a particular gift for balancing strong flavors...His restless spontaneity is matched by that of his colleague Nicole Krasinski."

Lured by warm weather, sunshine and a desire to return to their home state, Stuart and Nicole left Michigan in the autumn of 2003, and are excited to be working with Drew Nieporent's Myriad Restaurant Group at Rubicon restaurant. Since their arrival, Michael Bauer of the San Francisco Chronicle has given Rubicon a three-star review, recently, the same paper named Stuart and Nicole two of the city's rising star chefs.