2011 TOP 5 RISING CHEFS IN THE U.S.
Ryan Studebaker

Born in Michigan, Ryan Studebaker grew up hunting game and cooking it with his dad, an experience that engendered in him an early appreciation of cooking with season and harvest. He started out at 13 as a dishwasher in the prominent Midland restaurant 101 Main Street where his father was a chef, and he was working the hot line by the time he was 16. Several years later, he moved to California and landed at the swank Bertrand at Mister A’s in San Diego for three years. After stints at Tower23 and Crescent Heights Kitchen and Lounge, Studebaker was hired to cook at Whisknladle where his classic French technique, married to fresh California ingredients, was allowed to fully blossom. As the company expanded, it opened the successful Prepkitchen in La Jolla and a second in Del Mar in 2010 where he became the Chef de Cuisine. At age 25, Studebaker has just become corporate Sous Chef for Whisknladle as it continues to grow in Southern California, giving him the opportunity to offer a wider audience a taste of his nuanced and sophisticated seasonal comfort food.