Meet the Chef of Estéban Restaurant

Estéban Restaurant welcomes Gustavo Trejo as Executive Chef. A veteran chef of Monterey County with over 20 years of culinary experience, Trejo is responsible for both the restaurant and the hotel's thriving banquet business. A California native of Portuguese-Latin descent, Trejo's culinary influences began during annual visits to his uncles' ranch in northeast Portugal. Every summer as a child, Trejo's mother would take him to visit her family, where he learned to fish, hunt, harvest vegetables, pick the ripest fruits and of course, cook.

Trejo's passion for cooking began at a young age, when at 15 he got a job as a dishwasher. His curiosity was piqued while watching the line chefs and his ambitious work ethic soon landed him a job on the line. "My first job taught me that it's good to start at the bottom and work your way up, so you understand the entire operation," explains Trejo.

For the next two decades, that's exactly what he did. His early career achievements include a successful tenure at Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego, CA and Nick's Fish Market in Maui, HI. Chef Trejo most recently comes from Carmel Valley Ranch in Carmel Valley, CA where he was Executive Sous Chef for eight years.

Trejo's culinary passion is to create a menu that is seasonal, thoughtful and well- balanced using the freshest and finest local produce. "It is both inspiring and humbling to be a chef," says Trejo, "I have such respect for guests and know I can serve a meal that will bring them joy, evoke a memory, create a moment or an inspiration that will stay with them."

Trejo lives on a 2.5-acre ranch with his wife, Jackie and their two dogs, Bruno and Clyde. In their spare time, they like to visit Hawaii and work on vintage cars.