About me
Liza Shaw travels to Italy every spring to re-explore Italian food. Recently, after a stint in a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast, she has been particularly drawn to coastal cuisine. The fruits of these travels inspire new dishes at A16 based especially on local seafood, pastas and seasonal produce.
Shaw majored in Environmental Studies and Art History at Middlebury College in Vermont, expecting that she would work in a museum or gallery after making the move to San Francisco. However, she had always loved cooking, especially southern Italian food, and had fond memories from childhood of delicious dinners a cooked by a Sicilian friend of the family. Cooking won out and she enrolled in the California Culinary Academy, graduating in 2002. Her externship was at San Francisco’s Acquerello where Shaw says she credits Suzette Gresham’s influence in developing her Italian culinary skills. She stayed on at Acquerello until Victoria Libin recruited her to join the opening team under Christophe Hille at A16 in February 2004.
Shaw started working in the pantry at A16, then worked as sous chef before being named Chef de Cuisine under Executive Chef Nate Appleman in 2006. One of her signature dishes is the Ricotta Gnocchi. The gnocchi debuted on A16’s annual Festa Della Donna menu a few years ago, and have stayed on the pasta menu ever since, though Shaw adapts them to the seasons.
When not cooking in the A16 kitchen, Shaw likes to explore San Francisco’s ethnic eateries. She loves Japanese food, especially the seasonal aspect of Japanese cuisine, and has traveled to Japan. For local, seasonal produce -- which drives the A16 menu -- Shaw likes to visit the Thursday farmers’ market at Marin’s Civic Center to see what the area’s farmers are selling. She works closely with Mariquita Farms, which grows specific Italian crops for A16.
Cooking Influences
Suzette Gresham
Nate Appleman
United States Chef
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September 26, 2008what about my famed peanut butter and yogurt combo from 2001? I believe that was also a big influence.
September 5, 2008Welcome to the site, Liza. Good to have you. Can't wait to see some of your recipes from A16. All the best - Mihir
