Soerke Peters, Chef/Restaurant Owner
Chairman of the Board
Soerke Peters is an award-winning international Chef whose far-reaching experience includes everything from a mastery of cuisine to corporate managerial experience.
Chef Soerke Peters born and raised in Germany always had an interest in cooking. He decided to become a chef at the age of five. He remembers cooking with his grandmother as a young boy and followed this path his entire life to become a chef.
After his three-year apprenticeship in Wilhelmshaven/ Germany he moved to Munich and worked at world-class hotels and restaurants including a one and three Michelin Star rated restaurant. He went to Bavaria Hotel Training School where he became a certified Hotel Receptionist, Apprenticeship Instructor, and Bartender.
In 1990 he was hired as Executive Chef for the first World Fair in Russia/Siberia.
In 1991 Chef Peters moved to New York City and immediately started working for Mr. Pino Loungo’s Toscorp, Inc., an emerging company that included Coco Pazzo and Le Madre just to name a few.
Chef Peters’ timing could not have been better, and he fell in love with Italian cuisine. He learned the simplicity of Italian food and worked his way up to Corporate Chef overseeing 16 restaurants nationwide.
In October of 2001 Chef Peters decided to move to Los Angeles, the new “Hot Spot” for great and creative restaurant concepts. While mastering Northern-Italian cuisine at Ca’del Sole in Los Angeles Chef Peters opened Froma on Melrose in West Hollywood. He was also the Executive Chef at the Sunset Restaurant in Malibu before taking the opportunity to move to Carmel by the Sea taking over Basil Seasonal Dining. Chef Peters sold his shares of Basil in 2017 and moved on the Village Corner in Carmel a 70-year landmark for locals. Village Corner became the second Certified Green Restaurant in Carmel in 2018. Peters pulled out of Village Corner at the end of 2018 to focus on his new project changing Lafayette Kitchen & Café to Etats-Unis (United States) French American Bistro which was the third Certified Green Restaurant in Carmel. Unfortunately, Etats-Unis closed its doors in March of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Chef Peters opened Mezzaluna Pasteria & Mozzarella Bar in Pacific Grove with his partner Amy Stouffer in March of 2019 and it became the first Certified Green Restaurant in Pacific Grove. Chef Peters is currently spending most of his time at Mezzaluna Pasteria.
Chef Peters’ passion for Farm to Table and being sustainably responsible made Basil the first Certified Green Restaurant in the Monterey County. He also served two terms as President of the American Culinary Federation Monterey Bay Chapter 2017-2020 and is currently serving as Chairman of the Board and Chair of the Green & Sustainable Committee. He served as Chair of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce in 2019 and is still a board member.