Wendy J. Brodie, HAAC, Executive Chef

Celebrated California Artist/Chef Wendy Brodie is known for her creative style with food, presentation and table decor. In fact, she is often described as an artist whose medium is food.

With her husband, Bob Bussinger, CHA, Brodie was co-owner of Lincoln Court Restaurant in Carmel, which had become a very popular local restaurant, which generated outstanding reviews (see press page on www.wendybrodie.com ).

She has her own local weekly television show, “Art of Food,” broadcast daily on Comcast cable and is also viewed weekly on Public Television stations nationwide in the United States and Canada.

A graduate of the first class of the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco, Brodie has held executive chef positions at prestigious world-class resorts, including the Preserve at Rancho San Carlos, where she developed her own innovative style of ranch cuisine, Stonepine Inn and Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch, all in Carmel Valley.

Brodie, who was born in San Francisco and grew up there and in Palo Alto, has written food columns, lectured and demonstrated cooking and tabletop designs at such venues as Filoli Center, Macys, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.

She has been a guest chef, developing menus to represent California cuisine, at numerous four and five-star hotels in Europe and the Jockey Club in Hong Kong. Wendy has sailed with the Crystal Cruise Line as their Celebrity Guest Chef.

She has cooked for and with numerous celebrity chefs including Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Roy Yamaguchi, Paul Prudhomme and Martha Stewart. She has also been a guest chef at the Master’s of Food and Wine in Carmel and the Monterey Wine Festival. She is one of the featured chefs in the Masters of Food and Wine cookbook.

In 1991 Brodie was selected to attend Madeleine Kamman’s graduate program at the School for American Chefs at Berringer Wine Estates and has been inducted as an honorary member of the American Academy of Chefs of the American Culinary Federation. She was awarded the 1982 Chef-of-the-Year of the Monterey Peninsula. Currently she gives classes of her artful style with food, table décor and entertaining in her demonstration kitchen in the Carmel Highlands. She also teaches cooking classes as team-building and spousal programs.

Brodie is affiliated with The Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, Les Toques Blanches, Knights of the Vine, American Institute of Wine & Food, International Wine and Food Society, American Culinary Federation and has been an officer and board member of several of them.

She also operates Art of Food Catering, which handles all styles of groups and events. Wendy appears as guest chef throughout the U. S. and other countries. She consults for home kitchen design, for businesses menu development and is personal kitchen shopper.

Wendy’s father is Howard Brodie, a Who’s Who artist journalist who covered World War II, Korea and Vietnam in the battlefield with pencil and paper. He also covered the most sensational trials of the 20th Century with CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He was recently elected to the Illustrators Hall of Fame, along with Norman Rockwell, Winslow Homer, Gibson Maxfield Parrish, N.C. Wyeth and others. Brodie covered WW II for Yank Magazine, Korean War for Collier’s and Vietnam for CBS. He taught for several decades and was on the board of directors at the California Academy of Art in San Francisco.

Robert E. Bussinger, CHA

Robert has had more than thirty years experience in the Hospitality industry and is a Certified Hotel Administrator.

Robert has had more than thirty five years experience in the Hospitality industry and is a Certified Hotel Administrator. The first restaurant: (1972) Esperanto; a coffeehouse/bistro in Carmel, which was very popular among locals. Clientele comprised of all segments of Peninsula society from actors and musicians to politicians and community leaders.

General Manager: (1976) General Store and Forge in the Forrest; at its infancy acquired the liquor license and operated full lunch and dinner service as well as full bar.

Food Service Director: (1978) Lodge at Pebble Beach; along with the chef and beverage manager oversaw all the food service at the various venues, particularly the Cypress Room and Tap Room. Oversaw initial set-up of the Galley restaurant and participated in the many discussions which eventually led to the development of the Spanish Bay Resort.

Vice President/General Manager: (1979) Ventana Big Sur, achieved 4-star status for the restaurant in 1981 and at the Inn in 1983. Operated under the original owner for about a year after which Transamerica Corp. purchased the property. Received the designation of Vice President/General Manager and operated the inn, restaurant, gift shop, campground, service station, deli, bakery as well as housing for employees. Advanced the property from 24-rooms and a sad reputation of service to world-class recognition and the title of “Most Romantic Inn in the World” (Conde Nast and Harper’s Hideaway Report). Shepherded the process of development procedures through the California Coastal Commission and Monterey County Planning for over 9-years to completely build out to the existing 62-rooms and expanded the dining room as well as added cabins and units for 120 employees. I resigned in 1995 to pursue consulting and personal ventures.

Co-owner/President: (1995) Hospitality Consultants International. With his wife Executive Chef Wendy Brodie, HAAC, established a consulting firm for small hotels, restaurants and spas. Clients encompassed areas of California, the Northwest, Germany, Hong Kong and Switzerland. Assisted in site development, operations and general management. Had experience in the turn-around of a resort in Washington State. Took command of total operation and evaluated personnel and systems. Made changes to systems, created new ones and trained or replaced management staff. In Oregon worked with a landowner to design and develop a new hotel. Developed pro-forma for staffing plan, operating systems and budget as well as design and décor of the rooms and public space, which included food service, spa and sports activities’ center.

Co-owner: (2000) Lincoln Court Restaurant. With his wife, Executive Chef Wendy Brodie, HAAC and son, Chef D. Michael Bussinger established and operated a fine dining restaurant in Carmel. Received numerous editorial praises throughout the community and received referrals from all over the country. Sold the restaurant to pursue Wendy’s T.V. cooking show, Art of Food TV©.

Producer/Manager: (2003) Art of Food® and Lincoln Court Catering. Art of Food® is a half-hour TV cooking and lifestyle show broadcast weekly on PBS throughout the United States and Canada as well as every day on Comcast Cable.

Robert also develops clientele and administers high-end catering and cooking classes done by Wendy Brodie.

Robert also hosted a weekly one-hour radio talk-show for four years (1991-1995) on Public Radio. He interviewed guests in all areas of food and wine; from growers, chefs, winemakers, authors etc. He had guests such as local chefs and farmers as well as Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Charlie Trotter and many more.

Community Involvement:

Robert has been a founding board member of the local chapter of the American Institute of Wine and Food, Monterey County Hospitality Association, Monterey County Restaurant Association and the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce (past president). A Board Member of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and VCB, Pacific Repertory Theater (past president), the International Wine and Food Society (president), Monterey Bay Advertisers Association (past vice-president) and chair of the marketing committee for the Monterey Museum of Art’s capitol campaign for the Dart Wing at La Mirada.

Robert’s long term residence and strong public image on the Monterey Peninsula has allowed him to develop friends and acquaintances throughout the community in every strata of society.
 

Affiliations

International Wine & Food Society
Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs
Les Toques Blanches
Knights of the Vine
American Institute of Wine & Food
American Culinary Federation
International Association of Culinary Professionals

California Restaurant Association
American Hotel & Motel Association

National Association of Television Program Executives