Community Table with Chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo

CHEF BRIAN BORNEMANN OF CRUDO E NUDO AND ISLA

A native Angeleno, Bornemann’s love of cooking began at a young age venturing to local farmers markets with family, though it was while studying in Italy during his UCLA years that he embarked on his professional culinary career. At Osteria del Gatto in Siena, Bornemann learned the foundations of Tuscan cooking, where all menu items are constructed from whole, raw ingredients over which Chef Marco supervised every aspect. From hunting wild boar to pressing olive oil, cooking was an integrated, full spectrum endeavor. Upon graduating, Bornemann returned to Italy, this time to Castellanza, focusing mainly on the technique of pasta fatta a mano and Lombardian cooking, while also attending sommelier courses.

Once back in the United States, Bornemann assumed a post at Potager in Denver, CO under Chef/Owner Teri Ripeto, who further instilled him with a devotion to regenerative farming practices. Teri’s stake in the Farm-to-Table movement, coupled with her network of purveyors, provided Bornemann the opportunity to work directly with some of the best farmers in the country. It was during this time that he developed his passion for seafood, tasked with creating daily fish specials and menus inspired by classic Californian cuisine.

Bornemann eventually returned to Los Angeles where he would then work with acclaimed Chef Casey Lane for a collective five years. At The Tasting Kitchen in LA’s Venice neighborhood, he honed his pasta and butchery skills, driving the restaurant to the highest sales in its history. Thereafter, Bornemann was sent to NYC to revive sister restaurant, Casa Apicii in Greenwich Village, before heading back to LA to debut the critically acclaimed Viale dei Romani in the La Peer Hotel –– a fine-dining, seafood-driven Italian restaurant. Viale earned a Forbes Four Star rating and was deemed “One of The Biggest Restaurant Openings of 2018” by Food & Wine Magazine. Following his tenure within the Casey Lane portfolio, Bornemann went on to work with Employees Only at their West Hollywood location before landing the role of Executive Chef at the storied culinary institution of Michael’s Santa Monica, where he cooked at The James Beard House in New York, NY and guest judged for Top Chef Los Angeles, Season 17. 

It wasn’t until the onset of the global pandemic in mid-2020 that Bornemann sought to realize his own proprietary concept to uplift local fishermen and farmers, which gave birth to Crudo e Nudo –– an Italian-inflected raw bar pop-up, which activated across Los Angeles from Venice to Echo Park. Before the second wave of lockdowns, Bornemann and his partner, interdisciplinary artist Leena Culhane, were able to transition Crudo e Nudo into its first brick-and-mortar in Santa Monica along the lively Main Street, which was met with critical acclaim from the likes of Eater, The Infatuation, Los Angeles Magazine and The Los Angeles Times, among others. 

Most recently, the duo launched their sophomore concept Isla in March of 2023, showcasing sustainable fish, pastured birds and seasonal produce with a wood-fired cure. Isla is in his dream location at 2424 Main st, four blocks from Crudo e Nudo with both locations steps from the ocean that feels like home.