Andy Doubrava

fter coming to Rustic Canyon in July 2015, Andy was promoted to Sous Chef in November, where he was involved in weekly creative meetings, developed new dishes and learned about the management and operations side of running a restaurant. He stepped away in August 2017 to travel across the country and work on biodynamic farms with his culinary school friend (and now fiancée) Tiffani Ortiz. Andy returned in March 2018 as the Chef De Cuisine and assumed the Executive Chef role in May 2019, joining a roster of celebrated culinary talent like Jeremy, Evan Funke and more to have led Rustic Canyon’s kitchen. He now carries on Jeremy’s vision of simplicity and slow food, drawing upon strong farmer relationships and a well-stocked larder, earning Rustic Canyon a Michelin Star in 2019. Andy is also the driving force behind the restaurant’s popular Farmer & Vegetable Dinner Series, which celebrates a different local farmer or ingredient each month—from the humble carrot to Aaron Choi’s Girl & Dug Farms to Peads & Barnett’s Berkshire pigs. He’s most proud of their charcuterie program, as it forces him to be patient, thinking about the next season and what farmers’ market produce he’d like to highlight with it, such as ‘nduja with celtuce, kumquat and avocado. As an acclaimed neighborhood restaurant, Andy’s goal is that every guest always feels at home. They can enjoy their meal without looking for artistry or innovation, but then walk away still thinking about a certain dish preparation or an ingredient they may never have tried before. “I want them to feel like they’re eating the food of Southern California, because when it comes down to it, we’re just the extension of the farmers’ hard work,” says Andy.