About
Born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Chef Erik Aronow has spent the past 15 years honing his skills at a handful of Los Angeles’ most revered, innovative, and finest dining institutions.
After attending Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, where he studied both savory and pastry techniques, Aronow had an early, impactful stint at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills. He later found himself in the kitchens at Red Medicine, Republique, Ink and, most recently, the boundary pushing Destroyer. He spent time under Top Chef Michael Voltaggio while at Ink before finding a pivotal mentor in Jordan Kahn, the singular chef at Destroyer who went on to open Vespertine.
It was while working with Kahn that Aronow decided to pursue pastry as his specialty. Kahn taught Aronow that pastry is more than creating a dish with sweet flavors – it’s a balance between extremes. While under Kahn as Executive Sous Chef at Destroyer, a plant focused fine dining restaurant, Aronow pushed limits, questioned the norm, and found inspiration in art, color palettes and life experiences.
Aronow moved to San Diego in the fall of 2018 to lead Puesto’s pastry program as its Executive Pastry Chef, signaling a significant gain to the city’s culinary talent. Erik’s leadership and skill propelled him to Culinary Director and in 2022, Erik was promoted to Vice President of Culinary. Erik continues to be pivotal in the creation and execution of Puesto’s growing brand and exceptional menu offerings.
