Our Story

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

While an accomplished documentary photographer; Jeffrey Smith has a wealth of experience as bartender, chef, catering manager and consultant to a number of San Francisco Bay Area establishments.

In tandem with his career in the food and beveage industry, Smith has seriously pursued his career as an artist/photographer achieving much public recognition. His education includes undergraduate studies in Photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an M.F.A. in Photography from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Smith has received awards and scholarships, delivered lectures in numerous venues and has had his works showcased in many exhibitions, permanent collections and publications ...have a vision to work together to change an existing Single Room Occupancy Hotel into a healthy eating and green living residence.

As a native of Chicago, Smith grew up on the south side in Ida B. Wells, where he experienced and saw the need for teaching children and families about healthier green options in food, cleaning, and building. In 1996 he founded From the Garden to the Table, a non-profit program committed to creating positive change and teaching green/sustainable living within low-income communities. His team of talented individuals, including architects, teachers and physical development/martial arts specialists are embarking on building a green community kitchen at a San Francisco middle school and a Green Center for San Francisco low-income students, families, schools, and communities.

In tandem with his career in the food and beverage industry, Smith has seriously pursued his career as an artist/photographer achieving much public recognition. His education includes undergraduate studies in Photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an M.F.A. in Photography from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Smith has received awards and scholarships, delivered lectures in numerous venues and has had his works showcased in many exhibitions, permanent collections and publications.

As a native of Chicago, Smith grew up on the south side in Ida B. Wells, where he experienced and saw the need for teaching children and families about healthier green options in food, cleaning, and building. In 1996 he founded From the Garden to the Table, a non-profit program committed to creating positive change and teaching green/sustainable living within low-income communities. His team of talented individuals, including architects, teachers and physical development/martial arts specialists are available to build green community teaching kitchens for health care programs and schools and change an existing Single Room Occupancy Hotel into a healthy eating and green living residence. 

Executive Chef

Chef Simmons currently oversees six food operation accounts for Guckenheimer Enterprises, including Skywalker Ranch and Letterman Digital Arts Center at the Presidio. His love for food and cooking started with his grandmother and grew through education at the City College of San Francisco and an externship with Executive Chef Jeremiah Tower and Chef Marc Frantz.

He quickly rose as a Bay Area culinary celebrity working at The Stanford Court Hotel; and as Executive Sous Chef at Campton Place under Bradley Ogden; Executive Chef at Casa Madrona Hotel and Restaurant, Sausalito; and Opening Chef and Chef de Cuisine for One Market Restaurant, San Francisco. He partnered with Bradley Ogden to open, nationally recognized, Lark Creek Inn as Opening Chef de Cuisine/Opening Executive Chef. Chef Simmons next ventured on his own; he purchased and revitalized a local Marin property creating Bubba's Diner a popular San Anselmo comfort food restaurant; and later opened Savanna Grill in Corte Madera. After developing and operating his own restaurants, Chef Simmons worked as Executive Chef at The Stratford in San Mateo, and as manager of food operations for Lucasfilm Ltd. In addition to his Bay Area acclaim, Chef Simmons was Executive Chef on the S.S. Monterey, a Hawaiian-based cruise ship. He was nationally recognized as Rising Star Chef by the James Beard Foundation, and continued as a James Beard Foundation participant for 13 years. Chef Simmons was also awarded Celebrated Chef by the National Pork Producer's Council.

Executive Pastry Chef

After years in the financial services industry working for Merrill Lynch, Alan Carter decided to pursue his lifelong passion for baking. A hobby since he was a child, Carter made the leap into a baking career by entering the California Culinary Academy pastry program in 2002 to fill out his knowledge and hone his skills. Upon graduating from CCA, Carter joined Chow Restaurant in San Francisco for the experience necessary to one day fulfill his dream of opening a bakery. He soon became head pastry chef for all three Chow Restaurants rewriting and creating recipes for their pastry and desert program. His affinity for the science of baking is essential to his ability as a baker. "By knowing the chemical properties of your ingredients and listening to them, they will tell you what to do" says Carter. After three years at Chow, Carter left for Paris to immerse himself in the pastry capital of the world. “I wanted to know proper flavor, not from recipes, but by experiencing the work of the master pastry chefs in their own patisseries.' Returning to San Francisco, Carter spent months developing and refining his recipes with the flavors of Paris a taking off point, guiding the quality he was trying to achieve.

After painstaking experimentation, Carter felt ready to finally realize his dream. Mission Beach Café opened in early 2007 featuring Carter's pastries and deserts while also highlighting his talent as a savory chef with fine dining an important focus of the cafe. Within months Carter had won over a devoted following for his handmade, artisan creations featuring his unique canneles, blueberry ginger muffins, chocolate almond croissants, chocolate truffle cookies, signature angel food cake, and classic pies. He has won best cannele, best turnover, and best pie in San Francisco honors from San Francisco and 7 x 7 Magazines. The integration of fine dining and baking is central to Mission Beach and continues to drive Carter to innovate. Adding to the baking lexicon is Carter's motivation and has led to demonstrations at Bloomingdales and the Ritz Carleton.

Program Physician and Health Advisor

Dr. Chancellor was raised in Palo Alto, and attended Green Gables (now Duveneck) Elementary School, Jordan Jr. High School, and Palo Alto Sr. High School. He earned his Bachelor degree from Yale College in 1989, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health in 1998. In 2002, he completed a Family Medicine residency training at UCLA’s community-medicine program at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where he received the Community Medicine award as the senior resident whose work best represented the broad spectrum of Family Medicine. He earned Board Certification in Family Medicine in 2002.

In 2008, as a primary care provider at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, he was awarded Clinical Recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and was named as one of America’s Top Family Doctors by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. His community interests include serving on the Boards of Advisors and Directors of many non-profit organizations in the Bay Area, including Beechwood School in Menlo Park (K-8 education for low-income families), Adolescent Counseling Services (counseling and substance abuse services for middle- and highschool students), From the Garden to the Table (health and nutrition education for low-income families and students), and The Stephanie Ann Chancellor Foundation (supporting for leukemia & lymphoma research at Stanford University Hospitals and Clinics).

Dr. Chancellor manages his own practice, Equilibrium Family Medicine, where his goal is to provide patients with excellent medical care in an unhurried atmosphere of consultation and mutual decision-making, enabling everyone to live healthy, balanced lives, and to be contributing members to families and community.

Architecture, Interior, Sustainable Design

Cathleen Quandt and Patrick Sheahan bring their respective experience and perspective to each project in a fluid collaboration. Cathleen, with a first degree in fine arts and a second in architecture, approaches with an eye to composition, color and materials. Patrick, with 35 years in both construction and architecture, brings an analytical approach and depth of experience in both residential and commercial work. Patrick began his career with solar and earth-sheltered design in the ’70s, and continues with a sustainable bent towards construction systems and materials selection.

Cathleen and Patrick have been designing together since 2000, and previously worked with highly regarded and widelypublished design firms: Cathleen with Cheng Design of Berkeley, and Patrick with Miller/Hull and Olson/Sundberg of Seattle.

Patrick and Cathleen execute all aspects of the design work through the smallest detail, believing that the success of a project hinges on the harmonious integration of function and aesthetic.

sheahan-quandt.com

Economy Restaurant Fixtures was founded in 1965 by Mike Weinstock and his wife Betty. The company later merged with TriMark USA. TriMark Economy Restaurant Fixtures remains family-operated with Jeff Weinstock serving as CEO and Josh Weinstock working as President.

The TriMark organization was formed from the consolidation of seven leading foodservice design, equipment and supplies dealers into a single company. Though the TriMark name has only been in use since December 1, 2000, the people behind the name are among the most experienced in the industry. This experience, combined with our strategic areas of specialization, position TriMark to provide foodservice operators with solutions to their most complex requirements.

trimarkeconomy.com