Chef Forest Lee Kellogg
As Executive Chef, Forest Lee Kellogg brings his years of culinary expertise to Chalkboard, where his menu of small plates is inspired by Sonoma County’s local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Forest grew up on a sustainable ranch in Cazadero, Sonoma County. At a very young age, he learned to appreciate the joy and hard work of growing food and livestock. He carried that appreciation through his whole childhood and secured his first restaurant job at the age of fifteen. After spending two years as a chef di partie at the Sea Ranch Lodge, he went on to a degree in Culinary Arts at the Santa Rosa Junior College.
Forest then continued his experience at Kendall Jackson winery, where he learned to pair wine with fresh ingredients from their culinary gardens. Inspired by the simplicity of Spanish cuisine, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked at James Beard nominated Cooks and Soldiers. There, he polished his craft serving high end Basque cuisine centered around a wood fired grill. Forest returned to California as Executive Chef at Timber Cove Resort on the Sonoma coast. He channeled his experience with wine pairing and Basque cuisine to create a Seafood centric menu for the boutique hotel. Forest then moved to Los Angeles, where he strengthened his skills as a Private Chef in Hollywood serving creative, privately curated meals to exclusive clientele.
After travelling across the United States six times and travelling through Europe for three months, Forest returned to Sonoma and settled in at Chalkboard. When he is not at work, Forest enjoys bringing friends together through creative cuisine. His favorite way to spend time is by enjoying new experiences and cultures through food. Sharing those experiences with friends and guests is his life’s passion.