Portrait of Tony Hernandez
i. Biography
Chef Tony Hernandez works at Petit Grain Boulangerie in Santa Monica, United States, where the pace is set by the counter, the room, and the daily repetition of service. His approach is direct: the work is about connection, not display. As he puts it, “I grew up around the family table, where I learned that great food is really about connection.”
Coming Up
Early in his career, Tony Hernandez built experience across Restaurants, hospitality, and luxury cruise lines, a path that reflects range and the ability to move between different kitchen demands without losing discipline. He also worked as chef at Petit Grain Boulangerie in Santa Monica, California (from 2024), a setting that suits a style shaped by closeness and craft. Today, he is Private Chef of Take a Chef / cheftonyhernandez.com, where the format shifts from a fixed service to meals built around the guest, the table, and the occasion.
Where They Are Now
Tony Hernandez is chef at Petit Grain Boulangerie in Santa Monica, United States, and the work there tracks with a broader practice that stays grounded while reaching outward. He describes it plainly: “I create private dining experiences and cooking classes inspired by bold Mexican flavors and the international influences I’ve gathered around the world.” The emphasis is on range, but also on control, one culinary base, tempered by what has been absorbed through work and movement across kitchens. The rest of the method is in the handling of ingredients. Rather than lean on excess, he points to precision and sourcing as the core of the craft: “My cooking secrets lie in passion, precision, and selecting fresh market ingredients that transform simple products into unforgettable moments.” The value here is in restraint and timing, in making ordinary product carry more weight through care. Tony Hernandez’s cooking reads as service-oriented and attentive, shaped by the same family-table logic he names elsewhere: food as a way to bring people together.
In Their Words “I create private dining experiences and cooking classes inspired by bold Mexican flavors and the international influences I’ve gathered around the world.” “My cooking secrets lie in passion, precision, and selecting fresh market ingredients that transform simple products into unforgettable moments.”
Career - Private Chef, Take a Chef / cheftonyhernandez.com, Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Executive Chef, Restaurants, hospitality, and luxury cruise lines - Chef, Petit Grain Boulangerie, Santa Monica, California (from 2024)
FAQ What is Tony Hernandez's current role? Tony Hernandez is Chef. Where did Tony Hernandez work before? Tony Hernandez's earlier career included Restaurants, hospitality, and luxury cruise lines
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