Chef Ronnie

Los Angeles, CA

Chef Ronnie is a Los Angeles–born and raised chef with 12+ years in professional kitchens, starting as a bread baker and pizza cook at Stella Barra before moving into fine dining, spending three years with Tom Colicchio at Craft (Century City), then helping open and lead acclaimed L.A. concepts such as Paley and other boutique, chef-driven restaurants. Half of his career has been in management, including running his own restaurant group for five years and serving as a chef-partner, where he earned a reputation for top-tier operations and financial acumen in addition to creative leadership. Methodical, calm, and people-first, Ronnie is a natural fit for undercover work: he can switch off his “chef presence,” blend in as a line cook or even dishwasher, and read culture quickly without tipping his hand. He’s keen at observing standards, cleanliness, and workflow to diagnose problems from the inside out. Often underestimated because of his age, he’s highly perceptive, adaptable, and exceptionally effective at this job.