Daisy Ryan
Culinary Mentor
A native of the Santa Ynez Valley in California, Ryan graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and spent several years working in some of New York City’s preeminent restaurants, including Gramercy Tavern, Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare and Per Se. Over the next few years she and her husband Greg worked in Los Angeles and Austin, primarily for McGuire Moorman Hospitality where she was the assistant beverage director. In 2018, the couple permanently relocated to California’s Central Coast, opening Bell’s in Los Alamos. Since opening Bell’s, Ryan was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef, a James Beard Best Chef: California semi-finalist and the restaurant was named to Esquire’s Best New Restaurants list as well as earning a coveted Michelin star. Their hospitality group, Companion Hospitality now includes Bell’s, Bar Le Côte, Priedite Barbecue, The Other Room, and their non-profit, Feed The Valley.