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Fandango Executive Chef Pedro De La Cruz If a reality-TV cooking show stepped into the kitchen at Fandango in Pacific Grove, the crew would not find the ingredients for a drama-laced production. Executive Chef Pedro De la Cruz has too much experience for that. A chef on the Monterey Peninsula for over 40 years, 23 of which have been at Fandango, Executive Chef De la Cruz knows that a calm approach works best on his turf. “I don’t scream,” he says, in his thick island accent. “I make jokes when I’m cooking.”
Executive Chef De la Cruz didn’t map out his career path. “It happened by accident,” he says. His life as a chef began in the 1960s at Club XIX at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. “They asked me to take over as chef until they found someone to take the position,” he recalls. “I never left the job. They liked my cooking. I didn’t expect to be a chef.” Until then, De la Cruz had fulfilled other kitchen jobs at Club XIX and used personal time before work to cultivate his cooking skills. It was this simple passion for learning that led De la Cruz to a career that has spanned nearly half a century.
Through the years, Executive Chef De la Cruz has seen a lot of changes behind the scenes. “When I started, there were fewer people in the kitchen. We were always in a hurry then,” he says. “We’re relaxed now because people are doing their own jobs.” Sauces and soups are De la Cruz’s jurisdiction. “Sauces are so important on the dish. I make them all from scratch. That’s what I learned—the hard way,” he says. The result is the consistently scrumptious menu of European and Mediterranean delicacies for which Fandango is known. It's hard to believe that De la Cruz, the artist behind such dishes as Osso Buco braised with veal stock, Madeira, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and the composer of the hearty lamb and vegetable stew with North African spices and harissa, seldom cooks at home.“Maybe I cook rice,” he laughs, proving his penchant for a good joke.
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