Sonya Sanford (37)

Portland, OR

Executive Chef & Entrepreneur 

·      Sonya is opening Beet Root Market & Deli as a, "modern deli" the entire concept of the Deli is to elevate Jewish cuisine and bring it into the modern era with a global sensibility.

·      She will still have traditional menu items like Matzah Ball soup but also adding dishes from across the Jewish diaspora - including using ingredients from North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

·      She grew up with food being the center of her family traditions. As the child of Russian immigrants, her family rarely went out to eat, so she is well-versed in cooking, foraging, gardening and pickling food as not to waste anything. 

·      Became a personal chef while living in Los Angeles and had a celebrity clientele. Also did food styling, culinary producing and food writing for Jewish publications.

·      Has a passion for modern, Jewish cooking from around the world. Her dream job as a kids was a "cooking show host".

·      She is a "nerd for produce" and will geek-out over the perfect head of lettuce. When traveling, she prefers hitting up local farmers markets over museums!

·      She is know for her "bougie" Latkes which are made from potato, sweet potato or zucchini and topped with lox/fish roe and crème fraîche. Her sufganiyot are a big hit as she uses local preserves for the filling. 

·      She is a self-admitted perfectionist, she is demanding on herself and knows what good plating and delicious flavor means, and she isn’t satisfied until she’s met her own high standards