About

CHEF ANDREW GIDDENS OFFICIALLY BEGAN HIS COOKING CAREER in San Francisco in 2003, fully realizing his dream to be a professional cook. Growing up in the Midwest outside of Chicago, where the summers are hot and the winters very chilly, Andrew spent a lot of his time cooking in the kitchen with his mother, making everything from Christmas cookies to pesto (a revelation in 1985!). He was always giving a helping hand in the garden growing fresh tomatoes, pumpkins, corn, zucchini, and anything else possible in the small plot of land on the side of the house. The gardening and cooking became a base for Andrew’s desire to understand and realize how food should be handled and then transformed into something delicious.

After graduating from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in 1998 with a degree in Natural Science and Biology, Andrew moved to Southern California where he didn’t stay settled for too long. His desire to cook was too great so he finally made his way to San Francisco, the culinary mecca of the west coast. Andrew immediately attended school at the California Culinary Academy where he graduated with honors.

Since culinary school, Andrew has built an impressive resume. Starting at RNM restaurant in the Lower Haight district of San Francisco, where they specialize in small plates, Andrew began learning how to infuse other regional cuisines into the California style while utilizing local ingredients. Following RNM restaurant, Andrew was fortunate to gain a position cooking at the nationally renowned, Delfina, in the Mission-Dolores neighborhood of San Francisco under direction of Craig and Annie Stoll. It was here where Andrew refined his cooking skills, as well as learned how to create local, seasonal menus. Moving on from Delfina, Andrew became the Chef of the beloved Oakville Grocery in San Francisco, elevating simple deli food into gourmet creations. From Oakville Grocery, he moved onto the neighborhood restaurant, Nopa, which has garnered acclaim since the doors first opened. Under the influence of Chef Laurence Jossel, Andrew gained a true appreciation for cooking with local, sustainable fruits, vegetables, diary, and meats.