Executive Chef Ryan Gilbert is now at Vista Valley Country Club

VISTA – Vista Valley Country Club has announced the appointment of its new executive chef, Ryan Gilbert. Gilbert was born and raised in San Diego. He graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 2005. Gilbert spent the next several years honing his craft at the award-winning Rancho Valencia Resort and Spa as sous chef under celebrity chef C. Barclay Dodge of El Bulli in Spain and Restaurants Bosq and Mogador in Aspen, Colorado. Gilbert continued his ascension through the culinary world at various San Diego establishments including the prestigious Maderas Golf Club in Poway, which has been recognized as one of Golf Digest's "Top 100 Golf Courses in America" and Zagat Guide's "Top Rated San Diego Golf Course." He left Maderas Golf Club in 2014 and took over as the executive chef at San Diego's Historic Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club and Bungalows while also serving as the corporate task force chef for RAR Hospitality Inc. As a Kaaboo 2018 alumnae, Gilbert was invited back to be the San Diego opening night featured chef on The Palate Main Stage at Kaaboo Del Mar. This year, he returned for an encore performance and showcased his innovative and spicy twist on the original San Diego-Tijuana street tacos. Local ingredients and handmade tortillas were featured for easy and fast recipes to delight the festival participants. Gilbert attributes his passion for the culinary arts to his Sicilian and Dutch heritage and more specifically to his grandfather, Simone "Sam" Billuni, who was a renowned chef and restaurant owner in San Diego during the 1970s and 1980s. Gilbert currently lives in San Diego's North County with his wife Chantel, his 3-year-old son Ryland and their dog Sage. He spends his free time enjoying San Diego's music scene, playing golf, seeking out new and exciting cuisine and taking advantage of the beautiful outdoor lifestyle that only San Diego can provide. Vista Valley Country Club is a premiere private club nestled away on 250 acres in North San Diego County just off Gopher Canyon Road, featuring the challenging as well as a championship golf course designed Ted Robinson Sr. For more information, contact Libby Tate at [email protected], call (760) 842-6567 or visit www.vistavalley.com. Submitted by Vista Valley Country Club.