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Chef Brent Omeste
Brent Omeste was born and raised in Orange, California. From a young age, Brent had a passion for the kitchen; where some of his fondest memories include cooking alongside his late grandmothers.
After high school, Brent enrolled in the culinary program at Orange Coast College. It was here he befriended classmate Chad Urata and the two would go on to compete alongside one another on the school’s Student Hot Foods Team; their team received both gold and silver medals and placed second in the National competition.
While attending culinary school Brent began his career at Pomodoro Restaurant in Newport Coast, followed by The Clubhouse in Costa Mesa, and Kimera Restaurant in Irvine. Succeeding Brent’s departure from Kimera, he took on the position of Tournant for the opening of Charlie Palmer Restaurant at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, working under renowned celebrity chef, Charlie Palmer. Here, he quickly rose to Junior Sous rank under Chef Amar Santana and assisted the kitchen in being named “Restaurant of the Year” for 2009.
In addition, Brent has held positions as Executive Sous Chef at Alessa Laguna Beach, Executive Sous Chef at Charlie Palmer under Chef Seakyeong Kim, and both Executive Sous Chef and Chef De Cuisine for the Orange County locations of the Cucina Enoteca. Most days you’ll find Brent cooking behind the taco line at CENTRO, but if he’s not, he’s either spending time with his family, cooking at home, or riding his mountain bike through the various trails of South Orange County.