Chef Info
When Eddie Meza arrived in the United States from his native Mazatlan, Mexico in 1988, he and his wife, Guadeloupe, along with their two children in tow, were ambitious but had no job prospects. A guardian angel came in the form of restaurateur Bruno Serato, founder of the Anaheim White House. He took Meza under his wing and, during the course of nearly two decades, the duo have earned the restaurant international acclaim.
Starting off in a meager entry-level position, it wasn’t long before he began propelling himself up the ranks. He worked his way up to line supervisor then earned the position of Sous Chef. In that coveted position, he was the understudy of Executive Chefs Phil Clark (a Culinary Institute of America graduate) and David Libby, (a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and former Chef of La Rive Gauche in Rancho Palos Verdes who earned the “Chef of the Year” distinction from the Southern California Restaurant Writers Assoc.). In 1999, Bruno “popped the question” and asked Meza to be the executive chef of the Anaheim White House. He immediately accepted the tremendous opportunity and began working with some of the biggest names in the culinary field including such culinary luminaries as Jean Pierre Lamanissier, who worked with Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France and served as Chef de Cuisine at La Tour d'Argent in Tokyo, Japan and Chef de Cuisine at Ma Maison in Los Angeles. Meza also had the privilege of being tutored privately by Chef Peter Striffolino, who worked with Three-Star Michelin Chefs Alain Chapel, Jacques Maxim and Paul Bocuse. In addition, Meza has been tutored by Diane Weber, who formerly served as the Pastry Chef of La Notre Restaurant in France and currently serves as the pastry chef instructor at The Culinary Institute of America.