In 1980, Gerald Hirigoyen heeded Houle's 19th century advice and left his native Basque country in order to pursue a culinary career in San Francisco. An ambition that started from the age of eight in a family where both parents were passionate about cooking, Hirigoyen's early desire to become a chef was furthered through work with local pastry chefs and a classical apprenticeship in Paris with Master Patissiers Jean Millet and Dennis Ruffel. Following his arrival were stints at Le Castel, Lafayette, and Le St. Tropez. Hirigoyen's gifted skills as a restaurateur came to the forefront, however, when he and a partner opened Fringale, a modern French bistro, to national acclaim in 1991. As Michael Bauer stated recently in his San Francisco Chronicle review, "Fringale set the bar for casual, well-priced bistro fare for more than a decade and made an instant star of Hirigoyen."
While living in San Francisco for nearly 25 years qualifies Chef Hirigoyen as a Bay Area native, strong ties to his homeland keep the flavor of his food and his personality deeply rooted in both regions, making his Basque spirit as much a part of his food as the ingredients themselves. No truer example exists of Hirigoyen's ability to integrate the two cuisines than Piperade, the restaurant that he opened with his wife Cameron in 2002. The menu at Piperade, which christened Hirigoyen's "West-Coast Basque Cuisine," thoroughly reflects his culinary heritage and talent for remaining true to the main components of each dish.
Having clearly demonstrated his knack for bridging cultures and cuisines, Hirigoyen seized the opportunity in the summer of 2004 to create a stylish Spanish tapas bar. Bocadillos, which means "sandwiches," represents what the Hirigoyens like to call "San Sebastian meets Barcelona in San Francisco." Opening to accolades for its tantalizing, authentic menu and sleek ambiance, Bocadillos has established itself as yet another trademark in Hirigoyen's growing list of congenial dining establishments.
Ever on the move, Chef Hirigoyen has recently expanded his culinary expertise beyond the Bay Area. As Consulting Chef of the Miró Restaurant at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Hirigoyen lends his time and talent to this upscale vacation spot on the Central Coast of California.
Outside of the kitchen, Hirigoyen's accomplishments cover a large and notable spectrum. Not only have renowned national food journals such as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and the New York Times included features and favorable reviews, but he was named one of "Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs in America" in 1994, San Francisco "Chef of the Year" in 1995 by San Francisco Magazine, and "Best Chef of the Bay Area" again in 2003. He has appeared on numerous television programs including PBS productions such as "Cooking with Burt Wolf," and "Cooking with Amy Coleman" as well as local ABC, CBS and NBC channel broadcasts.
Hirigoyen has authored two cookbooks, "Bistro" (Sunset Books ©1995) and the more recent "The Basque Kitchen" (Harper-Collins ©1999) together with Cameron, which won the Versailles Award for Best Regional Cookbook.
Click here to find some of our favorite recipes from Gerald.
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