Richard Rea

Coming Up

Technique and service both run through Richard Rea’s early path. Training at The Art Institute of California-San Diego (2010) and California State University-Dominguez Hills (2013) gave him a formal base before the realities of professional kitchens and hospitality floors started setting the pace. As Lead Line Cook at The Old Spaghetti Factory (2009–2011), consistency under pressure was part of the job, and that kind of repetition tends to sharpen a cook’s timing and control. Moving to bartender and server at Eureka Burger (2011–2013), he picked up the guest side of the room as well, adding front-of-house awareness to the back-of-house discipline already in place. The operational side of restaurant work also shows up early in Richard Rea’s CV. As Manager of Operations at DogTownDogs (2012–2013), he took on the coordination work that keeps service moving, where logistics and timing have to hold together without attention drifting. In the same period, he worked as Personal Chef at Berstein Family (2012–2014), a role that asks for adaptability and close attention to detail in a more private setting. Those skills carried into Sous Chef work at Superba (2013–2016), then Head Chef at 31Ten Lounge (2014–2015), where the responsibilities widened from execution to leadership. By 2016–2019, the title of Executive Chef at The Butcher's Daughter reflected the scale of that accumulation. Since 2019, Richard Rea has served as Corporate Executive Chef of The Butcher's Daughter, drawing on experience across line work, service, operations, private kitchens, and chef leadership.

Where They Are Now

Seasonality is part of the working vocabulary for Richard Rea. He reads produce as a signal for what should be on a menu now, not later, and has singled out figs as a crop to watch: "With really good figs about to be in season, that’s the next trend we could see in our restaurant." The point is direct—start with what is at its best, then build from there.

Signature

Richard's signature dishes include avocado toast and fresh figs over house-made cashew ricotta. The build points to a plate style based on clean composition, direct flavor, and textures that do the work without excess.

In Their Words “With really good figs about to be in season, that’s the next trend we could see in our restaurant.”