Our Story
Born from a Love of the Coast and the Table
Coastside Chefs was founded by Kristen Ridout and Stephen Wilson — two passionate restaurateurs who believe that the finest dining experiences happen in the places you love most.
Meet Kristen & Stephen
Kristen Ridout and Stephen Wilson have spent their careers building beloved dining destinations along the Monterey Peninsula. Together they own Toro in Carmel-by-the-Sea, celebrated for its inventive Japanese-inspired cuisine, and Hatch Southwestern Kitchen, a Carmel Barnyard favorite known for bold, soulful flavors rooted in the American Southwest.
Coastside Chefs grew naturally from that same spirit — a desire to bring restaurant-quality craft directly into the homes, estates, and retreats of guests who want something truly personal. Here, the dining room is yours, the menu is written for you, and every detail reflects the season and the setting.
Culinary Artistry Without Borders
Chef Kristen Ridout
Chef Kristen is a trained sushi chef with a deep reverence for Japanese ingredients and technique — the precision, the restraint, the respect for each ingredient. But her culinary voice extends far beyond the sushi counter.
She draws equally from California's extraordinary larder: the wild-caught seafood of Monterey Bay, the organic produce of the Salinas Valley, the wines of Carmel Valley. Her menus weave Japanese sensibility with Californian abundance, and she brings the same fluency to Southwestern and contemporary American cooking.
Every private dining experience with Coastside Chefs is shaped by Kristen's belief that great food is an act of generosity — a gift prepared with full attention, served with warmth, and remembered long after the last course.
"Great food is an act of generosity — prepared with full attention, served with warmth, remembered long after the last course."
Our Restaurants
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Toro
An intimate Japanese-inspired restaurant in the heart of Carmel village, Toro is where Chef Kristen's mastery of sushi first found its home on the Peninsula.
The Barnyard, Carmel
Hatch Southwestern Kitchen
Rooted in the bold, earthy flavors of the American Southwest, Hatch brings fire-kissed cooking and regional ingredients to one of Carmel's most beloved gathering spots.
Ready to Experience It for Yourself?
Whether you're planning an intimate dinner for two or a celebration for twenty, we'd love to create something extraordinary for you.