Brett Young grew up in Lodi, home to many of California’s oldest Zinfandel vineyards. With a clear passion for the kitchen, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York City. From there he worked in diverse kitchens such as The Ritz-Carlton Millennia in Singapore, Mix Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, and Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa Valley, all of which shaped his thinking about all things food, wine and exceptional hospitality.
At The Prisoner Wine Company, Chef explores a range of preparations, such as open-fire cooking, serving primal cuts, roasting whole vegetables in ash, creating flavorful pastas, and smoking heads of cabbage over binchotan charcoal from Japan. He experiments with bold flavors such as berbere spice from Ethiopia, fermentations of an array of unusual ingredients, and techniques including Japanese yakitori grilling, all adding complexity and interest to the local Bay Area market bounty. In every case, Young’s dishes pair harmoniously with the personality of The Prisoner Wine Company wines.