Chef Adrian Mendoza has worked as a pastry chef for San Diego celebrity chef Brian Malarkey for more than 7 years, but the talented expert of sweets is now working for sister concepts Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean's Ice Cream.
Adrian Mendoza has worked for Brian Malarkey Restaurants since July 2013, first at Herringbone in La Jolla then Searsucker until Puffer Malarkey Restaurants opened Herb & Wood in 2016. Prior to joining Malarkey, Mendoza worked for the famed Wolfgang Puck and was the lead pastry cook at the iconic Spago in Beverly Hills.
"I wanted to focus on crafting something great," explained Chef Adrian on his reason for the move. "Ice cream and pie are rustic and relatable, as well as a calling of mine."
Mendoza is now working as a pastry chef for expanding dual eateries Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean's Ice Cream, which both started in San Diego's University Heights and recently expanded with new locations in Costa Mesa, CA. Mendoza will help the concepts further expand, as they recently took over a space for a commissary kitchen in order to increase output. Owners Steven Torres and Chef Gan Suebsarakham have also been looking for a space to open a new location in San Diego.
