Kim Alter discovered her love for cooking in junior high school when she realized every school project she worked on became culinary driven. She recollects a science assignment where she made a model of an atom using spherical cake molds and created small, individual cakes for her classmates. By high school she was working in restaurants where she began to see how cooking brought people together.

Eventually after leaving the more traditional educational path in favor of her love for the kitchen, Kim, a Southern California native, moved to San Francisco in 1998 to attend the California Culinary Academy. After graduation, Alter went on to work in highly acclaimed restaurants all over the Bay Area along with a brief stint in Chicago, Illinois. Her time at Acquerello (San Francisco), Gary Danko (San Francisco), Manresa (Los Gatos), Ubuntu (Napa) and Aqua (San Francisco), where she was Executive Sous Chef, helped her evolve as a chef and sparked the desire to open Plate Shop.

Kim cites mentors David Kinch of Manresa, Suzette Gresham of Aquarello and Ron Boyd as being particular role models guiding her development as a chef, although she is quick to say that every chef and cook she has ever worked for and with has influenced her in more ways than one.

An advocate of farmers' markets, Kim has a passion for the use of whole animals and head to tail butchery. Plate Shop will focus on handcrafted cuisine and rely on as many ingredients as possible from the restaurant's backyard garden. Kim's fascination with gardening has not only allowed her to grow as a person, but as a chef. "The time and care that goes into a garden creates an appreciation for how much work and dedication it takes to create the food we rely on."

Acting as Executive Chef of Plate Shop, Kim believes she is there to guide the rest of the culinary team in the right direction and that cooking is a team sport. She says, "For me, cooking is all about the community. In a crunch, us chef's get by with a little help from our friends. That is what being a chef is all about."

Whether at work or at leisure, Kim can often be found at a communal table surrounded by friends and fellow cooks sipping wine, enjoying food and sharing in the joy both bring. Dining out, reading cookbooks, and traveling are regular sources of inspiration and adventure. She can also be found in the restaurant's backyard garden digging up dirt, planting vegetables and learning about the art of patience as she watches her garden grow.