Cindy Pawlcyn

Cindy Pawlcyn has pioneered fresh, seasonal, sustainable wine-country cuisine since opening Napa Valley’s legendary Mustards Grill in 1983. She is the founder/owner of two of Napa Valley’s most beloved restaurants - Mustards Grill, and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Cindy is the culinary partner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the restaurant, Cindy’s Waterfront. Born in Minneapolis to an accomplished culinary family, “one of my earliest memories is of sitting in the garden with a salt shaker while my dad picked ripe tomatoes,” she says.True to her roots, the organically farmed garden at Mustards yields impeccable produce for her restaurants. With a degree in hospitality management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, training at Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne in Paris, Cindy moved to San Francisco in 1979 and was soon tapped as the inaugural chef for Napa Valley’s Meadowood Resort. Since then, she has partnered in the creation of over a dozen iconic Bay area restaurants including Fog City Diner, Roti and Tra Vigne, as well as her own establishments. Cindy has earned rave reviews from the most exacting critics, countless national awards, and a devoted following. She is the author of five cookbooks – the James Beard Award-winning Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, Fog City Diner Cookbook, Big Small Plates, Cindy Pawlcyn’s Appetizers, andCindy’s Supper Club.