SORREL - Key Persons
Colorado native Alex Hong first discovered his love for cooking through his aunt and uncle, a pair of Missouri farmers who shared homegrown organic produce and cooked simple farm to table dishes with the family on their frequent visits. Alex attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Alex worked in kitchens such as Jean-Georges in New York City, Quince in San Francisco, and Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado.
In 2012, Alex began to operate his own emerging concept, Sorrel, as a pop-up in a small boutique Hotel in Union Square. During three years of pop-up service, he began the process of opening his brick-and-mortar Sorrel Restaurant.
After a year and a half of opening Sorrel in 2018, Alex was nominated for James Beard Rising Star Award and received three and a half stars from long time restaurant citric Michael Bauer from the San Francisco Chronical. Around the same time, he and the Sorrel team were able to secure Sorrel's status as a One-Star Michelin restaurant.
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Colby Heiman has fond memories of cooking alongside his mother, preparing ingredients and watching as she combined them to create a composed dish. Colby's love of the outdoors and experience working in the produce section of a local grocery store allowed him to become well-versed in sourcing seasonal fruits and vegetables. He gained an appreciation for the environmental impact of food and sustainability practices - from green roofs to composting.
Colby attended Cornell University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration. At Cornell, Colby honed in on business, management, and operations, branching out to study real estate and tourism in an effort to round out his degree. After graduation, he joined the workforce as a real estate investor and developer at Chicago's Walton Street Capital where he focused on the completion of large-scale renovations and improving hotel operations.
In 2015, Colby moved to San Francisco where he met Chef Alex through a mutual friend at the pop-up. Colby and Alex bonded over the mutual appreciation for music and the outdoors, and their passion for hospitality. When Colby secured a property in San Francisco's Pac Heights neighborhood, the pair took over the space and together transformed Sorrel into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Today, the duo continue to run Sorrel together.
After graduating high school in his hometown of Roseville, California, Eli began a 10-year tenure with Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. He diligently worked his way through numerous front of house positions, including Beverage Manager, and ultimately earned the title of General Manager. Eli nurtured a passion for wine and spirits and completed the Level 1 Court of Master Sommeliers course.
Concurrent with his employment at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Eli worked part-time as a server at Michelin one star, The Kitchen. He also pursued his interest in wine by working in Due Vigne Winery's tasting room where he familiarized himself with Italian varietals.
Eli joined the Sorrel team as General Manager in 2021. At Sorrel, Eli hopes to continue driving the evolution of the restaurant and ensure the guest experience is consistently improving.
A familial interest in food inspired Joel to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. His mother shared her appreciation for gardening, while his father, a keen sportsman, often brought home fish and game after hunting excursions.
In 2006, Joel graduated from Wheaton College with a degree in Psychology and moved to San Francisco where he joined Michelin two star Atelier Crenn as General Manager. In addition to his management role, Joel also led the wine program and concurrently attained his Level 2 Sommelier Certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
In 2015, Joel moved to Michelin three star Benu as their General Manager where he worked for two years before pivoting to the role of Director of Operations for Gabriela Camara's San Francisco outposts.
After graduating from the University of Michigan, Kristin moved to San Francisco in 1998.
While teaching literacy to first graders through the Americorps program, Kristin continued working in restaurants in the evening. She has bartended and served, as well as run several beverage programs. She credits Melissa Garbiras a former manager with helping her develop her managerial style.
At Sorrel Kristin has moved into event planning and brought her Michelin experience with her. It's her heartfelt belief that tailoring a dinner to each guest's personal tastes is vital to the experience. Her years of service and running wine programs allows her to help create a unique experience for every diner.
Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, Thomas was first exposed to wine while working at a bistro and wine bar in 2009. Working with a sommelier for the first time, he discovered the joy of matching the right wine with the right guest. Inspired by that feeling, Thomas became driven to learn as much as possible to better serve his guests. Training with Master Sommeliers and working closely with his peers, he aspired to be the best beverage professional he could be.
In 2016, he was awarded the Advanced Sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Thomas has currently has passed 2 of the 3 sections of the Master Sommelier Examination and hopes to attain the Master Sommelier Diploma in 2022.
Thomas joined Sorrel as Wine and Beverage Manager in April 2022, aiming to put his knowledge and experience to work showing Sorrel's food in its best light with tailored wine selections and pairings.