Heather grew up on a homestead in Northern California. Growing food and raising livestock was always a big part of her family’s life. She loved food from her first bite when she was just a few months old, and started cooking herself at about age four. She would start pulling pots and pans out of the cupboard, reassuring her harried mother, “You won’t have to do anything.” She’d put together a simple recipe, often a dessert, which her brothers and sister enthusiastically ate.
The family had a huge garden and raised chickens and goats for eggs, milk and meat. Everything was always fresh and made from scratch. The children took turns baking big batches of bread every week for school lunches.
Heather loved the baby chicks when they came in the Spring and learned to gather eggs. She also learned to milk the goats and helped her mother make a simple ricotta-style soft cheese.
By the time she finished elementary school, cooking was her passion.
In high school, she toured Europe with her parents and did a report on cuisine in different countries for her independent study.
By this time Heather was making all the family birthday cakes and cakes for other people, too. She loved setting a beautiful table and always had a eye for the aesthetics of her food presentation. She also appreciated fresh and organic, like the food she grew up eating.
Heather started dreaming of opening her own restaurant when she was a young girl, having no idea how much work it would take. But she has kept steadily on the path toward realizing her dream of sharing the best of the farm with everyone who comes to her table.
Heather moved to Tahoe to work at the Hyatt Regency hotel before returning to the Bay Area to get more experience in Restaurants. She work in several restaurants and catering (Paula LeDuc being one of them where she met Hector) Then opened Brezo in 2017 with Hector by her side.
Hector grew up in a large family in Mexico City, the 10th of 12 children. He always loved to eat and luckily his mom was a great cook. Her favorites were chili rellenos and chicharon with avocado salsa. Hector started helping his mom in the kitchen when he was 4 years old. The food culture in Mexico City is diverse, so he learned to appreciate many different cuisines.
Hector’s other love was soccer. When he was about 11 he sold tacos at the soccer field. At first he would just watch the game, but eventually he got good enough to play semi pro and started to make some money at it until a major injury forced him to give it up. He still loves the game and is passing his skills on to his son Wesley.
Hector worked at a butcher’s shop when he was a teenager. That was where he learned all about the different cuts of meat and how to cook them. Today, he is known for his great execution of cooking meats of all types.
When Hector was 18 he emigrated to the United States and joined family members in the Bay Area. He didn’t speak any English so he attended the UC Berkeley adult school at night for three years. During the day he washed dishes at Correra’s Cafe in Berkeley. Before long they promoted him to line cook. He worked there for six years before moving to Paula LeDuc Fine Catering in Emeryville. He then worked there for over ten years becoming a kitchen manager. He also worked at Mill Valley Tennis Club as the executive chef for over ten years.
