From “Chili and Sea Bass” to James Beard Awards: My Journey into Food Television
I’ll be the first to admit: I didn’t come into the food world with refined tastes or culinary knowledge. In fact, I was very much an eat-to-live kind of person. Early in my career, I was working a wedding as a videographer, and I confidently ordered what I thought was a logical entrée pairing — “chili and sea bass.” Turns out, I had misheard the waiter saying Chilean Sea Bass. That should tell you just about everything you need to know about where I was starting from.
And yet, not long after that moment, I found myself working as the technical coordinator for a television production company in New York City that specialized in food and lifestyle content. What began as just another job in video production quickly turned into a crash course in culinary culture - and eventually, a passion I never saw coming.
Over the next decade, I became immersed in the world of food television production. I’ve traveled the world filming in Michelin-star kitchens, shooting in tiny taco stands, rolling vineyards, and home kitchens where family recipes have been passed down for generations.
My work has taken me through Europe and deep into Mexico, shooting on location for series like Pati’s Mexican Table and Extra Virgin. These programs haven’t just been successful — they’ve earned multiple James Beard Awards, a true testament to the power of food storytelling done right.
It slowly started to click: I wasn’t just filming food — I was documenting stories that mattered. Stories about culture, identity, family, migration, tradition, and joy — all told through the lens of what we eat.
People say that once you’ve done something for 10,000 hours, you become an expert. Well, I jokingly tell people I’ve filmed 10,000 onions being chopped — and I’m only half kidding. After years in kitchens, fields, markets, and roadside stands around the world, I’ve developed a deep understanding of how to make food feel alive on screen. I know how to light a dish so it looks as good as it tastes, how to stay out of the chef’s way while still getting the shot, and how to adapt on the fly — whether we’re lighting a rustic home kitchen with available daylight or tracking handheld in a crowded taqueria.
Today, as the founder of Clearview Media, I bring that same storytelling-first mindset to every production — from branded food content and restaurant videos to culinary documentaries and travel shows. My journey from mishearing a wedding menu to filming award-winning food television has been anything but expected, but it’s made me the filmmaker I am today.