Tristan Aitchison
Providence | Los Angeles
June 2017
SoCal native Tristan Aitchison got an early, lucky start in the culinary industry. His godfather worked as a server at Water Grill and suggested Aitchison work a day in the kitchen. After just a few hours, he was hooked. Impressed by his dedication, Chef Michael Cimarusti encouraged him to stage on the weekends and off ered Aitchison (who was still in high school) training in one of the most lauded kitchens in the country.
After graduation, Aitchison joined the team at Water Grill full time, sharpening his skills and mastering intricate plating techniques before eventually heading the garde manger station. In 2005, when Cimarusti left to open Providence, Aitchison followed his mentor, but not before taking time to stage at Th e French Laundry in Yountville and Th e Fat Duck in Bray, England.
Aitchison has been at Providence since day one. He was a member of the USA Bocuse d’Or team in 2012 and named one of Zagat’s “30 Under 30” in 2014. Today, as Providence’s chef de cuisine, Aitchison leads the kitchen and conceives the restaurant’s tasting menu with reverence for sustainable seafood, pristine local ingredients, and simplicity.
