Chef Drew Deckman is the owner of Deckman’s North in San Diego and Michelin-starred Conchas de Piedra in Baja California.

Drew grew up in Georgia before spending more than a decade in Europe honing his craft and training under some of the most respected chefs in the industry, including Paul Bocuse, Jacques Maximin, and Madeleine Kamman. During his time in Germany, he worked at Restaurant Vitus in Reinstorf, where he was part of the team that earned a Michelin star in 2000. He would later go on to build award-winning restaurants of his own across Baja California and San Diego.

His restaurant Conchas de Piedra earned a Michelin star in May of 2024 along with a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, while Deckman’s en el Mogor also received a Green Star. In August of 2024, he opened a new project in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood, Deckman’s North, bringing with it the expectations and attention that come with operating at the Michelin level.

In addition to his restaurants, Drew also operates a restaurant inside Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, called Deckman’s at The Draft by Ballast Point.

In this episode, Chef Drew sits down for a vulnerable conversation about the real challenges chefs face in today’s kitchens. Chef Drew Deckman had the courage to talk openly about something that rarely gets discussed in this industry: the mental health of chefs and the people who dedicate their lives to hospitality. Acceptance, self-love, and positive self-talk take courage, and those decisions have helped reshape the way he approaches both leadership and life in hospitality.

We also discuss sobriety, and Drew offers advice to the next generation of cooks coming up in the industry.

If you’re in San Diego, go visit @deckmansnorth and follow Drew at @bajafishingchef.

Full episodes of Wellness On The Rocks are available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.

Hosted and produced by bartender @taylorredmondmcquade.

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