Hi, I’m Landon. It’s a pleasure to be of service.

Oak & Acorn is the culmination of my nearly thirty years spent honing my skills in the hospitality industry. Originally from the Midwest, I am a recovering restauranteur, whose three restaurants in Minneapolis, Minnesota received accolades from Food & Wine Magazine, Bon Appetit, Saveur, The New York Times, as well as many other local publications.

After reaching epic burnout in 2016, I left Minneapolis and my restaurants.

I longed for something more. Since I had been tied to the stove over half of my life, I decided to start by traveling the world. I count these years as some of the most important in my life and these wanderings have greatly influenced the food I cook today. In between my travels, I funded this vagabond lifestyle with stints at luxury resorts in Alaska, Nevada, and Asia, as well as staging in Michelin starred kitchens in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In March of 2020, I was hired to run a tiny bistro in Calistoga and relocated to the Napa Valley.

My timing wasn’t great. I arrived on the first day of the great shutdown from the Covid pandemic. Sadly the restaurant never made it, and I was out of job.

My pivot to private chef was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I discovered that the satisfaction I get from delivering an intimate experience for my clients brings me an incredible amount of joy that is unparalleled in a restaurant environment. I also think the food I’m making today is the best of my career.

This also offers me a more balanced lifestyle to enjoy my other hobbies which I think in turn enriches my cooking. These include, running, hiking, woodworking, gardening, foraging, reading, and seeing live music. The very latter I can’t seem to get enough of.