Today is the Beer Chef, Bruce Paton’s 58th birthday. Bruce has been doing fantastic dinners pairing great beer and gourmet food for over ten years in the Bay Area, since 2001 at the Cathedral Hill Hotel, where, until recently, he was the Executive Chef. He’s about to start working at Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Oakland’s Jack London Square, so hopefully we soon starting seeing more of his beer dinners. I’ve been to many, many of Bruce’s food events and they’re all spectacularly top notch. He did around eight each year. Raise a toast and stuff your face in wishing Bruce a very happy birthday.

My hands down favorite photo of Bruce, which I took for the Chef’s Association of the Pacific Coast newsletter. I don’t think this is the one they used, but, by far, as I think it captures Bruce’s spirit and his great love and passion for what he does with his cooking and beer.

Giving a cooking demonstration with Garret Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery and author of The Brewmaster’s Table at the 2005 GABF.

Bruce with Russian River co-owner Natalle Cilurzo.

Me and Bruce New Year’s Day a few years ago at Barclay’s.