At Sur la Mer Kitchen, we nourish your heart, body and soul with delicious recipes inspired by the bounty of the seasons, the healing energy of the California coast, and the innovative culinary scene of Brooklyn, New York.

Vanessa and Alison’s 20 years of friendship began in graduate school at Chicago’s Medill School of Journalism, where we chased our dream of working in media while soaking in the city’s vibrant food and music scene.

After doing the corporate thing for companies like Ogilvy, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Men’s Health, and Billboard Magazine, we each took a leap into uncertain territory and launched businesses of our own. Following her move back from Europe, Vanessa founded Winefriends, a Bay Area wine company, and Alison became a freelance writer and editor, focusing on health and wellness.

During this time, each of us traveled, married, nested, and bonded over shared ups and downs. Then, suddenly and unexpectedly, we both lost the loves of our lives within two years of each other.

It is this universal journey of grief and healing that inspired us to create Sur la Mer Kitchen, a place to celebrate nourishing food, community, and life’s simple joys. The idea came to us during a visit to Vanessa’s beautiful family ranch in Big Sur. With each sunset, we were reminded of nature’s restorative beauty, and with each shared meal, we felt the memories of the past fuse with the possibility of a bright future.

From this Big Sur ranch 1,600 feet above the ocean, we harvest fruits from the garden, cook and bake in the rustic kitchen, and focus on gathering, laughing, and healing. We can’t wait to share our story and culinary creations with you!