Francisco Baca
As a 15- year veteran in the culinary industry, Francisco Baca has made his mark on the San Francisco food scene through his marriage of fine dining and new american cuisine. Inspired by his both his grandma and mom’s cooking growing up in El Paso, Texas, he ventured to New York to pursue a degree in hospitality management at St. John’s University. He continued his studies in the culinary arts program at The Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan. After completing his externship in San Francisco under Chef Elizabeth Falkner, he quickly crafted his talent through line cook positions at Orson and Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak and Sous Chef roles at Spruce and Smokestack.
As the winner of the 2012 Mole to Die For Award in San Francisco, Baca set out to complement his skills as Executive Sous Chef under Chef Dennis Lee. While working at Smokestack, Magnolia Brewery and Namu Gaji, he was integral in the ideation & menu development, team management and training. In 2017, he lead the opening of The Saratoga as the Executive Sous and Chef de Cuisine under Chef Mark Sullivan, who has remarked that Chef Baca is ”INVENTIVE!!!” “(a) highly capable chef possessing a unique and inspiring perspective on cuisine”. Having also won the recent Heritage Fire competition making him Austin’s very first “Heritage” hero.
Now, as a Chef in Austin, Texas, Baca has proven to be a leader in the industry. He continues to delight the culinary world with his unique style of bringing cultures together through fresh ingredients, innovative dishes and just a touch of his grandma and mom’s home cooking.