Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins is a name you’re going to want to remember.

If you haven’t watched her in competition on TV’s “Top Chef”’ or “The Migrant Kitchen” or eaten in her Point Loma restaurant, El Jardín, or seen her on several lists as the best chef in San Diego yet, it’s time you heard about her.

Most recently, she was named semifinalist for best chef in the west by the James Beard Foundation. James Beard Awards are basically the Oscars of food and Zepeda-Wilkins is one of just a few San Diegans to ever receive the nomination.


RELATED: El Jardín chef scores prestigious James Beard nomination

“I think San Diego has serious talent,” Zepeda-Wilkins said in an interview with The Conversation podcast. “For me it’s not about me, it’s about the whole city and let’s bring attention to San Diego and that we are doing some really serious stuff and it should be noticed.”

She’s also reported to be the first San Diego woman to ever be nominated, and this year she’s the only chef representing our city. She’s just 34 years old and grew up right here in Imperial Beach and Tijuana.

She carries both her upbringing here and the many family members and women who have touched her life along the way into her cooking and her menus.


Fearless. Gutsy. These are just two of the many bold words that have been used to describe her.

We invited her on The Conversation with Abby & Luis podcast to hear about her restaurant, El Jardín, how it uses flavors and ingredients from all across Mexico, about her journey as a chef and how San Diego’s culinary scene stacks up against the competition.

Here’s our full interview with Claudette Zepeda-Wilkins.

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The Conversation with Abby & Luis is a podcast that slows down the news cycle to make sense of issues and stories that matter to listeners in San Diego and beyond. We talk to newsmakers, experts and others to offer interesting, in-depth conversations that will keep you up to date and informed.


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Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin


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