He went on in 1981 to revive the dying Balboa Cafe in San Francisco, at the time, the restaurant was owned by Cathe and Doyle Moon. In 1982, he became head chef at Santa Fe Bar and Grill, located in Berkeley, California and also owned by the Moons. Santa Fe Bar and Grill was a restaurant that was later a springboard for fellow Chez Panisse-alum, Mark Miller, to open the Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico and a string of Southwestern-themed restaurants throughout the United States.