"Big and Bold" not only describes Bay Area native Chef Matt Garcia's personality, but his cooking style as well. When you meet this California Culinary Academy trained chef you're not likely to forget his big warm smile or effusive passion for food. But it is in eating at Pier 23 Café that you will truly appreciate his cooking's youthful spirit and soulful quality. His Grilled Head-on Gulf Prawns with Garlic-Piquillo Pepper Sauce's flavors are distinctly unique at the same time an expression of classic Italian and Spanish cooking. Matt's well honed skills as a chef are apparent when it comes to making classic seafood dishes like Fish and Chips or Fried Calamari seem refreshingly modern. His meticulous cooking techniques render them light and crispy and never oily and his sauces compliment and embellish yet never overwhelm.

Chef Garcia has made Pier 23 Café a San Francisco style seafood restaurant that is a paean to fish mongers and seafood lovers. "I love Pier 23" he says "You can come down here in jeans or whatever, sit right on the Bay, listen to great music and eat stellar cooking". "This is an authentic San Francisco fish house. The only thing that asks for your attention is the beautiful Bay and my food!" When asked about his approach to cooking Matt simply says "I just want put a smile on everyone's face as soon as they take their first bite. And when it comes to cooking seafood, it doesn't take years of experience to know that the secret to success is freshness. First and last." Matt should know. Growing up in the Bay Area he spent many a weekend fishing off the central coast's Pfeiffer Beach experiencing truly fresh fish.

Matt cut his teeth working at the always-busy Marina district's Balboa Cafe. From there he worked under San Francisco Chronicle's 2007 "Rising Star Chef" James Shyabout at Balboa Cafe's sister restaurant Plump Jack Cafe. Under James, Matt was trained in the building of complex flavors while working with exotic ingredients like geoduck clam and wild game, and was introduced to the techniques of molecular gastronomy. A year later Matt was promoted to Sous Chef under 2008's "Rising Star Chef " Jonnatan Leiva at the Plump Jack group's SoMa eatery Jack Falstaff. It was under Chef Leiva that Matt really came in to his own. "Jonnatan was a great mentor. He trained me well and then encouraged me as a chef de cuisine to take chances and explore my own creativity. Everyday was exciting to come to work". Chef Garcia is now putting all of his experiences to work at Pier 23 Cafe where he says, "I know that working in a well organized kitchen, with great ingredients and for a chef with integrity is what made me pumped to cook. I want to inspire my cooks in the same way".