Liza Hinman, Head Chef

Originally from the east coast, Liza Hinman spent her summers and evenings while attending Middlebury College in Vermont working for various local restaurants and caterers as a server and line cook. After graduating, she landed what she calls the "job of a lifetime", working as the editorial assistant for the food department of the renowned Gourmet Magazine in New York City. After 2 years, however, Liza realized that she spent all of her time talking about chefs and restaurants, and that rather than talk about them, she wanted to be one of them.

In 2001, she moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy. After completing her education, she trained at some of the best restaurants in the city, first beginning at Woodward's Garden- one of the hidden gems of the city's dining scene. After one year, she then left to work under Chef Loretta Keller at Bizou, and from there, trained under the watchful eye of Chef Craig Stoll at San Francisco's renowned Delfina. It was here that she began to develop a passion for Italian cuisine- matching this passion with her love of the wonderful seasonal elements of cooking in California.

In 2005, she moved to Sonoma County's wine country, and was soon lured by the cooking of Chef's Dino Bugica and Franco Dunn, to come and join the team at Santi. First as a line cook, and then as Sous Chef, she worked to capture the soul of Italian food in her rustic dishes, as well as working to expand the Santi catering department, which strives to bring the Santi experience to people at home.

After Chef Bugica left to open Diavola in the spring of 2008, Liza assumed the lead role as Head Chef of Santi.  Working closely with Chef Dunn, she plans to continue cooking food that will keep Santi at the forefront of Italian cuisine in the Bay area, while also keeping a close eye on value, a needed element in the difficult economic atmosphere.

Chef Liza Hinman recently married Joe Stewart, another local Healdsburg chef, and part of the Downtown Bakery family.  Together, with their dog Oliver, they enjoy traveling all over Sonoma County and beyond, eating, drinking, hiking and exploring.