Over the course of nearly thirty years, Acquerello has grown from being one of San Francisco's favorite romantic dining spots to a renowned two-Michelin-starred destination. With such an impressive resume for the restaurant and with the level of elegance that greets you at the door, you might expect to see the stereotypical stuffy, arrogant chef in the kitchen, yelling at the staff while throwing around plates and expletives. Instead, you'll find the woman who created this restaurant — the incredibly warm, passionate, and approachable executive chef/owner, Suzette Gresham.

Gresham and her business partner, Giancarlo Paterlini, opened Acquerello after working together at an Italian restaurant in the 80s. As Gresham shares in the episode, the loyal clientele that followed them to their new venture expected the same excellent food, but Gresham and Paterlini pushed themselves to wow their patrons with an even better experience, from every aspect. The result is the thriving, decorated restaurant the culinary world knows today.

Listen to the episode to hear Gresham share how the love of food and cooking runs deep in her family, how she learned to use her strengths to make her an effective leader in the kitchen, and discover what motivates her every day as a chef. Be sure to subscribe to Menu Stories to get more episodes like this one delivered to your inbox.