November 15, 2016 – The popular downtown Santa Cruz restaurant Assembly is doubling down on its local food philosophy, hiring a Santa Cruz woman as its new executive chef.
Jessica Yarr, 32, has lived and worked in the area her entire life, with stints at Gabriella Cafe, Theo’s, River Café and Mint in Scotts Valley. “I’m a full local Santa Cruz chef,” says Yarr, ”and I want to tell the story of Santa Cruz and the Central Coast through my food by sourcing as close to home as possible.”
Yarr describes her style as “elevated, contemporary, farm-to-table comfort food.”
The new exec chef —who studied at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Portland, Oregon—was recommended for the job by chef Brad Briske, a friend since the days they worked together at Gabriella Cafe. Briske just opened his own restaurant called Home in Soquel.
“Jessica is going to be a really nice fit in terms of providing direction for the kitchen and a compatible overall vision,” says Zach Davis, who with business partner Kendra Baker owns Assembly, as well as the Penny Ice Creamery and the Picnic Basket.
“With Jessica’s help we are trying to stand on the shoulders of giants,” adds Davis. “Theo’s, Gabriella Cafe, Jessica has worked integrally at the well-loved restaurants that are foundational to the best of Santa Cruz dining.”
Yarr—who has three children ages 2-12—says she feels an affinity for Davis and Baker, who both have young children, and says they are in agreement on food and sourcing.
She was actually hired as pastry chef for all three restaurants about six months ago and has already collaborated on a number of special events, including the Meander San Lorenzo River Dinner, Farmers’ Market Pop Up Breakfast, and Big Sur Food & Wine.
Yarr is slated to start as exec chef at Assembly on Wednesday. “I want to wrap my arms around what’s going on here and gradually make some changes,” she says.
She hopes to “focus on techniques” including more precision sous vide cooking and more handcrafted fermented, sprouted and house-cured items on the menu.
Menus will change quarterly, with seasonal specials available every week. And expect to see new items on the weekend brunch menu. “Ultimately, we are here to nourish ourselves and our community,” she says.
Yarr inherits an accomplished team including sous chef Trent Lindgren, who has been directing the kitchen at Assembly since previous executive chef Carlo Espinas returned to San Francisco earlier this year.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
