Stephanie Pearl Kimmel

Stephanie Pearl Kimmel
Marché, Eugene, OR

Marché

A native of Texas, Stephanie grew up living and traveling around the world. Her father was a career Air Force pilot who was stationed in Japan, Europe and North Africa, as well as in many regions of the United States. Her parents, both enthusiastic cooks and cultural explorers, engendered in her a love and appreciation for diverse traditions, especially those involving food. Stephanie’s formal education was in English literature and French cultural history, with degrees from the University of Oregon and the Sorbonne. As a graduate student in comparative literature, she took her first restaurant job to help pay for educational expenses, and it was there that she discovered her true passion. Her lifelong interest in cooking evolved into her métier.

Stephanie is active in the community, having served on a variety of boards and commissions over the course of her career. She was a representative on the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, and a board member for the International Pinot Noir Celebration, Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, the Oregon Truffle Festival and the Oregon Restaurant Association–in addition to being an active member of the Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food. Most recently, she has turned her attention to school food advocacy, working to bring Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program to Eugene’s schools, and improve school lunches throughout the district.

Throughout her career, Stephanie has been recognized as a pioneer in the movement to support and celebrate regional, seasonal cuisine. She was a finalist for a James Beard Award in 2006, and honored for lifetime achievement by Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, the Cascadia Culinary Conference and many more.