Manager Spotlight: Executive Chef Ben Peterson
From line cook to executive chef and food & beverage manager, Ben Peterson has elevated dining at San Vicente Resort by blending creativity, leadership, and a relentless pursuit of culinary excellence.
If you’ve dined or attended a special event at the San Vicente Resort, chances are you’ve enjoyed the creativity and leadership of Executive Chef Ben Peterson. His passion for fresh ingredients, inventive menus, and creating connections through food has helped redefine the dining experience at The Oaks Grille and Par Lounge.
Since he took the reins, sales have increased by 200 percent. "I completely changed the entire menu," says Peterson. "And the restaurant wasn't that busy." The once-outdated restaurant—with mismatched plastic bowls, microwaved food, and pickle containers on the tables—has transformed into a fresh, made-from-scratch dining destination. Today, 85 percent of the food at The Oaks Grille is made in-house, with the exception of French fries.
Peterson's background has shaped him into the culinary artist he is today. After graduating high school, he attended ITT Technical Institute for Electronics Engineering and quickly learned that he did not enjoy the industry. Later, he installed stereos and worked for Sony. After that, he applied at Denny's in Ramona to be a dishwasher, but they needed cooks. They put him through a one-week training program in 1996, and shortly after, he became the lead cook. "I understood calling the order," he says. This task is especially important for coordinating the timing of preparing dishes to get them out to customers' tables quickly. He rapidly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Denny's youngest manager. He joined the SDCE team in March 2010 as a line cook and, within five months, was promoted to Executive Chef. He now supervises a team of 22 employees.
Growing up, Peterson's paternal grandfather was a cook on a fishing boat. "When I started cooking, he was the happiest man," says Peterson. When he was a kid, they had sit-down family meals. Then, his mother became a vegetarian when Peterson was in sixth grade, so he and his dad were in charge of cooking for themselves. His dad bought a book called "100 Ways to Cook Chicken," so they had that and a lot of English muffin pizzas.
His passion for cooking grew alongside his love for music, two creative outlets he believes are closely connected. After leaving Denny's in 1998, he played guitar in a band and supported himself until 2002. A cookbook by Emeril Lagasse—a gift from his mom—inspired him to cook Thanksgiving dinner for his family, further fueling his culinary ambitions.
Peterson traveled to Louisiana and worked at three different restaurants over five months, learning a great deal about cooking. Then, he returned to California and enrolled at The Art Institute of California. Instead of pursuing formal education, he chose to learn by working alongside chefs, including his mentor, French-Canadian chef Nicolas Bour, in Rancho Bernardo. Bour taught him about non-center-of-the-plate cooking, flavor, and presentation. "He was the only real chef I had as a mentor," says Peterson.
His culinary philosophy starts with what he likes to eat—but also considers the diverse tastes of Ramona's residents, including retirees, middle-aged adults, and children. He balances flavor and presentation by working diligently to ensure the food tastes as he envisions. He will work until he gets it just right. It's a process, and he strives to maintain consistency and meet his own expectations. He wants his dishes to look and taste the same each and every time. He trains his team with a collaborative approach and maintains high standards for flavor and consistency.
Sous Chef Chris Ostermann has been mentored by Peterson, and they have a great relationship. "Of all the chefs I have worked with, Ben pushes me the hardest to improve," says Ostermann. "He holds me accountable, and he is the sole reason I fell in love with cooking." They have worked together for close to 10 years. "Without his influence, I wouldn't be the chef I am today," he says.
Peterson is proud of all the employees he has worked with over the years at the San Vicente Resort, and he still has relationships with most of them. Peterson often says, "Always be one percent better than yesterday."
When he's not in the kitchen, he's often brainstorming new dishes and keeping up with current culinary trends. He also plays in a band called Brick by Brick. He has three children. Jakob, 23, Carter, 17, and Elsie, 13. Jakob used to work in the Estates, and now Carter works at the restaurant one night a week. His wife of seven years, Katie, prepares the meals at home. However, Peterson does cook at home on occasions like Thanksgiving. He says he never judges others' cooking, and his favorite dish is stuffed shells with ricotta and mozzarella.
Peterson ensures the highest quality standards of food served to patrons through effective management of activities, including meal planning, menu design, preparation, and catering planning and servicing. He maintains and trains a productive kitchen crew, purchases food, and maintains costs to budgeted goals. He says the most rewarding part of his job is watching his team grow and learn. He has fun with them and loves to hear from customers that the dishes he prepares are the best they've ever had.
So, the next time you enjoy a perfectly plated meal at The Oaks Grille or Par Lounge, know that behind the scenes is a chef whose passion and dedication make every bite count.
Photo by Shelly Mullin.
