Our Chef
Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal
Mitchell, 34, graduated from Manhattan's School of Visual Arts in 1983 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photo journalism. He began cooking to pay his way through school, but ended up following his heart,saying "I simply fell in love with cooking. Both photo journalism and cooking are forms of art. Both are visual". Mitchell began his training in Louisiana under the direction of Paul Prudomme. He later returned to New York to further his culinary knowledge at both the Four Seasons and famed LeCirque.
In 1989, Mitchell began his life at Postrio, where he worked throughout its opening year. His love of travel beckoned and he decided to educate himself further in other cuisines. He set out to explore the culinary treasures of Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Thailand and India. While traveling he tasted foods in a variety of kitchens and developed a love of pairing exotic spices and an appreciation for a variety of Asian cuisines. When he returned to the U.S., Mitchell spent time at Wolfgang's Granita restaurant in Malibu and Coco Pazzo in New York.
Steven Rosenthal, 32, is a 1988 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York. After graduating he put his culinary training to work at the Pierre Hotel where he worked for a year. He then moved west and joined his brother at Postrio's opening in 1989. Steven stayed with the Postrio team for three years before helping to launch Geordy's, also in San Francisco.
Pastry Chef: Janet Rikala
Janet Rikala is the Executive Pastry Chef at acclaimed Postrio restaurant; Wolfgang Puck's San Francisco gem. Janet and her crew of 14 produce the wonderful array of pastries, ice creams, desserts, breads and confections which are the highlight of Postrio's award winning cuisine.
While attending the University of Minnesota, Janet began her baking career while working on her summer vacations in a country inn in Maine. After graduating in 1983, Janet soon discovered that baking was her passion. She continued to work at the country inn, expanding on her culinary knowledge and endeavoring further into pastry creations.
In 1987, Janet moved to the west coast where she opened a tea and pastry cafe with a close friend. After one year, she was sure that the restaurant business was her calling and she took the position of assistant pastry chef at San Francisco's popular Kuleto's restaurant. During her tenure at Kuleto's, she was able to learn about the intricacies of a high volume operation. In 1989, Janet moved to Southern California where she held the position of Executive Pastry Chef at the Rancho Valencia Resort in San Diego. By 1990, Janet was ready to return to the City by the Bay.
A warm welcome into the Postrio family marked Janet's 1991 return to San Francisco. Working closely on the daily dessert menu with executivbe chefs, Mitchell and Steven Rosenthal, Janet offers 12-14 daily creations featuring the freshest and finest ingredients from the surrounding bay area. The culinary talents at Postrio have recently garnered them the No. 1 for "People's Choice" awards in the world renown 1995 Zagat Guide.
