Throwing parties with his Grandmother and insisting on being the only one to set the table for family holidays should have been a clear sign of the direction Ryan was to take. But it wasn’t until after graduating from Pepperdine University and living in Los Angeles that a chance occurrence led to a position with the maestro Mario Tamayo at ATLAS in the historic art deco Wiltern Theatre building. Twenty + years later, Ryan has never looked back or thought about another career…..except maybe gardening. ‘The thrill of a full room is intoxicating. Watching people be together over an amazing meal and great conversation is what drives me. If our guests can forget about the outside world and enjoy the company they are with, we’ve done our job.’ After owning his own business in San Diego, he decided to make a change and moved to San Francisco. Ryan joined the Stock & Bones group as General Manager of Salt House in San Francisco in 2009. He later jumped at the idea of all of us opening a new place in Portland.
Ryan was voted “Best Restaurant Operator in the World” last year by a foodie blog that his mother writes. She claims he beat out many, many other experienced contenders from New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin and other cities. Being as modest as he is, he tends to keep this point fairly quiet. It is noteworthy that even after such a huge accolade, he still treats people quite well. Not as well as before the prize, but still quite well.