The Secret Kitchen is out!

The Secret Kitchen is truly a Gem, a kitchen in Petaluma, that sources its food directly from the heart of this farm country. There are few restaurants that are truly farm to table, and source directly from the local farmers. There are even fewer restaurants that can say that they moved closer to their source, their local farmers and growers in order to provide an even richer farm to table experience. Once a chef for HQ at Google, Chef Brenda has relocated her talents, resources, and a fantastic kitchen staff to the quiet town of Petaluma. If you are lucky enough to live in the area, you can experience her menu on a regularly basis, but for those of you visiting, make sure you don’t miss this still somewhat of a little secret of a place. Although for the locals, the secret is out, as The Secret Kitchen, run by Chef Brenda, has become a well-loved Petaluma establishment in the year since its opening. There is literally a gourmet kitchen and gourmet kitchen staff behind the split door window where you order. It’s a very unassuming breezy and relaxing environment, and the food will send you back over and over again. Colorful outdoor picnic benches and umbrellas are situated right outside her kitchen door, and all with a friendly staff who possess multiple culinary talents as well. If you read the yelp reports, many of the locals eat here once a week or more! If you are visiting, you will certainly get a locals experience in fine cuisine. Chef Brenda’s dishes will satisfy all ages, she serves everything from BBQ Korean tacos, to a slow braised beef and carmelized onion burrito. It doesn’t stop there, curry noodles, a slow roasted pork Vietnamese sandwich, and an American hot dog made with brats are among many of the other choices. Chef Brenda, was a chef educator at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena before she began creating recipes at Google, and now, we are lucky to have her back in her local region, serving food to those lucky enough to make a stop at the discrete kitchen window. I had the opportunity to meet Chef Brenda and tour their gourmet kitchen. It was non stop energy and a purists attention to detail in cooking. Everything is made from scratch, and even the kimchee is Chef Linda’s own recipe. This kimchee will transform you into a kimchee enthusiast if you’ve never had it before. “I use less salt” Chef Linda tells me, as she has a passion for keeping things simple and healthy. Part of the criteria for being a Chef at Google, was to keep the dishes healthy and sustainable and Chef Linda has continued to adapt this philosophy to everything she makes in her kitchen. For those of you looking for a dining experience that will not only transform your palate but also contribute to your good health, look no further, you’re in on The Secret!