Serena Chow Fisher and David Fisher
Marlena | San Francisco
november 2022
David Fisher has worked in kitchens since he was seven years old, washing dishes at his family’s diner. Working at Fisher’s Family Restaurant strengthened his love for cooking, and he ultimately went on to attend culinary school at Johnson & Wales University. In 2011, Fisher moved to New York City and joined the team at Jean Georges. Nine months later, he moved to Pearl and Ash where he would work alongside his future wife, Serena.
A Bay Area native, Serena Chow Fisher attended New York University, but during a study abroad trip to Florence she stumbled across a bakery with mind-blowing pastries that inspired her to instead pursue a culinary career. Eager to learn, Chow Fisher enrolled at the French Culinary Institute in 2012, and after graduation joined the team at Eleven Madison Park. A year later, she moved on to Pearl and Ash as executive pastry chef, joining forces with her future husband.
Chow Fisher and Fisher have been working side-by-side since. They moved to Northern California in 2017, joining Bird Dog as chef de cuisine and director of culinary operations, respectively. In 2020, the duo decided to open their own restaurant, Marlena. Having to pivot their original plans due to the pandemic, the couple sold pre-packaged meals in picnic baskets at a nearby park. Once able to open their dining room in 2021, they shifted to an affordable $65 tasting menu which, in that same year, won them a Michelin star. Chow Fisher and Fisher plan to expand their tasting menu, while still remaining approachable, and dedicating themselves to staff education and development.
2022 StarChefs San Francisco-Oakland Rising Stars Award Winner
