Evan Rich

Chef

Evan Rich got his start in restaurants the same way many of the greatest chefs did, as a dishwasher. Evan began his professional culinary career at the age of 15, working at Homeward Bounty, a gourmet market in Westfield, NJ where he grew up. He worked his way up to become a prep cook and eventually a line cook. Evan continued working as a cook at local restaurants before moving to Hyde Park, NY to attend The Culinary Institute of America. After two years, Evan graduated with honors, receiving his associate’s degree. He immediately moved to New York City to immerse himself in further education and work in some of the best kitchens in the country. 

Evan was willing to do whatever it took to work with acclaimed chef David Bouley, even if that meant taking the only kitchen job available, as a pastry cook at Bouleyʼs Austrian restaurant Danube. Before long, Evanʼs abilities earned him a line cook position at Bouley. As a reflection of his talent and management skills, he quickly was promoted to Executive Sous Chef, and worked closely with Chef Bouley in this position for the next three years. 

After leaving Bouley, Evan joined chef Josh DeChellis in opening Jovia, an upscale modern Italian restaurant in Manhattanʼs Upper East Side. Evan worked as Executive Sous Chef until he and DeChellis left to focus more energy on chef DeChellisʼs other restaurant Sumile, a successful modern Japanese restaurant in the West Village. During this time Evan traveled with DeChellis to Japan to open Sumile Tokyo. When chef DeChellis later left Sumile, Evan took over as Chef de Cuisine. Evan was responsible for writing and executing the menu, managing all staff, including front of house and kitchen employees, ordering, inventory, and controlling food costs and staffing budgets. Evan managed Sumile as Chef de Cuisine for the next year and a half before moving to San Francisco. 

Evanʼs first job in San Francisco was as Chef de Cuisine at the then one-Michelin-starred Quince. Evan worked closely with chef Michael Tusk, furthering his knowledge of pasta preparation and Italian cuisine. After leaving Quince, Evan took a position as Chef de Cuisine at the two-Michelin-starred Coi, where he worked closely with chef Daniel Patterson. At both Quince and Coi, Evan continued to develop his management skills, running both restaurant kitchens, designing menus, managing staff, setting and maintaining budgets and food cost expectations. Evan not only learned about products offered by local farmers, he also discovered what was available to him through his own foraging, and he developed and implemented foraging programs at both restaurants.  Evan left Coi after three years in order to open his first restaurant, Rich Table, with wife Sarah Rich. Evan and Sarah live in San Francisco with their two sons.