Chef
Degen
Wood-Fired eXPERT · Private Chef · Culinary Guide
The wood-fired oven is the oldest technology we have for cooking. I've just never found anything better.
— Chef Degen
Chef Degen is a Sonoma County-based wood-fired cook, private chef, and culinary educator with over 15 years of experience cooking for the wine country's most discerning hosts, venues, and events. His work spans mobile pizza catering, private dinners, corporate team building, hands-on classes, and annual culinary retreats to Tuscany.
The Story
Fifteen years
of cooking
over fire.
Chef Degen started his culinary training in San Francisco at the California Culinary Academy, then went on to cook at Michelin two-starred Acquerello. He relocated to Healdsburg in 2009 and hasn't looked back.
2009
Healdsburg — SCOPA
Relocated to Sonoma County and honed his pizza skills at the beloved SCOPA. Seven years of craft, repetition, and building a foundation in wood-fired cooking.
2016
J Winery — Sous Chef
Recruited as Sous Chef at the famed sparkling producer J Winery. The years there solidified his love of wine pairings and cooking in sync with what's in the glass.
2018
Reeve Wines — Chef in Residence
Found a home at the beautiful Reeve Wines, where the majesty and fun of small family-owned wine production matched the attention to detail he asked of himself in the kitchen.
2021
Mugnaini — Culinary Director
Decided to go to the source — wood-fired ovens, to be exact — and humbly held the position of Culinary Director at Healdsburg's Mugnaini Wood Fired Ovens.
Present
Pizza Degen — Independent
Catering, private clients, teaching classes, tossing dough, and talking wood-fired cooking wherever he goes and to anyone he meets.
The Approach
Seasonal. Local.
Timeless.
The philosophy behind every Chef Degen event — whether it's a 200-person wedding or a class for twelve — is the same. Start with the best seasonal ingredients from the best local sources. Apply the technique that respects those ingredients. Let the fire do its work.
Sonoma County makes this easy to love. The farms and producers here are among the finest in the country. His menus are built around what's growing, what's ready, and what will be at its best when it meets the heat of the oven.
