Several times while conversing with Chef James Siao about his life and career, the phrase “I wasn’t supposed to go down this road” comes up. He’s in charge of the kitchen of Finch & Fork, the Canary Hotel’s popular restaurant, but he was only supposed to be a transitional chef for this Kimpton property when he took over five years ago.
In fact, the Queens, New York–born, northeast Ohio–raised chef never thought he’d wind up anywhere in California. “It’s not easy leaving friends and family,” he admits. “Living on the West Coast wasn’t the most desirable thing.”
But the allure of Santa Barbara cast a spell on him, so he decided to take the position permanently. “Most towns are completely disengaged,” he explains. “Here you’re getting a lot of growth and sophistication from the travelers coming in. There’s a dynamic of people traveling far and close that creates a very unique culture.”