Pam Schwartz leads the casual, welcoming service that makes guests feel at home at Ranch 45, her farm-to-table restaurant in Solana Beach, Calif. A robust training program also ensures smooth operations and continual team development. Schwartz was raised in the Deep South — she lived in North Florida on the Georgia border. With true southern hospitality, any life event in the family called for a cake, cookies, or special dinner, which inspired Schwartz, at age 13, to become a chef. After earning degrees in culinary arts and culinary arts management from The Culinary Institute of America — where she met her husband — Schwartz headed straight to the kitchen. After moving to San Diego, she transitioned out of the kitchen and into the dining room, where she found her passion for wine and shared her love of hospitality. With over 20 years in the industry, Schwartz has worked in several top restaurants around the country, most notably at Nobu Las Vegas, Aubergine in Hillsdale, New York; Pamplemousse Grille, Solana Beach, Calif.; and Arterra in Del Mar, Calif.