Justin Baade unknowingly started his culinary journey as a child in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was often tasked with helping his mother in the family garden and assisting her in the kitchen. His mother instilled in him a deep appreciation for hand crafted recipes and locally sourced foods that would later form the basis of his culinary identity.
As is often the case, as he grew into a teenager, other interests such as music, reading, sports, skateboarding, and snowboarding took front and center. At 15 years old, he took a job at a local pizza parlor near his high school to earn money for his first car. Little did he know at the time that this step would soon spark that same sense of awe and wonder he experienced as a young boy at his mother’s side, making dinner with the same ingredients they had pulled from the garden.
As he worked his way through all the positions in the pizza restaurant from dishwasher to lead pizza cook, he learned the skill sets and work ethic that gave him the tools required for restaurant work, so that when the opportunity to work at the local favorite Scalo Northern Italian Grill came, he was ready. Here, Justin learned an appreciation for fresh handmade pasta, Italian culinary sensibility, but most importantly, his love of cooking over live fire in the wood-fired oven at Scalo.
Enrolled in the University of New Mexico with the intention of earning a degree in chemistry, he found himself waiting all day to go to work at night and return to the kitchen. He decided to follow his passion and leave college along with his best friend and travel to New England Culinary Institute in Mont Pelier, Vermont. At NECI, he was immersed in local farmers markets and the wilderness of the Green Mountains for 2 years as he earned his associate degree in culinary arts and graduated at the top of his class.
After externships at the Rainier Club in Seattle and then Zinc Bistro, he took a line cook position at renowned Portland restaurant Wildwood working for James Beard award-winning Chef Cory Schreiber. The talent filled kitchen at Wildwood centered its food around cooking in a live fire tandoori oven which grabbed and held Justin’s attention for nearly 5 years as the ultra-local menu changed almost daily. It was an environment that allowed him to grow and evolve along with the restaurant.
In 2005 he moved to the Bay Area and took a position under Chef Parke Ulrich at the San Francisco hot spot Farallon where he found a home and mentor under Chef Ulrich, and again found himself drawn to the live fire Josper style grill at Farallon. Justin was promoted to sous chef after just 5 short months and after only 3 years was asked by Chef Ulrich to join him in opening Waterbar. He jumped at the opportunity to work in this hyper sustainable, seafood focused concept alongside Chef Ulrich. Justin would then helm Waterbar as chef de cuisine for the next 15 years, before partnering with Chef Ulrich, MeeSun Boice and Erick Cadena to open Hurrica restaurant at Westpoint Harbor in Redwood City, California.
As Executive Chef & Partner of Hurrica, Justin had the opportunity to design the kitchen from the ground up and knew he wanted to embrace his passion for cooking over open fire, local foods, and connection with the community of artisans, farmers, fishermen and ranchers. He continues to write his culinary story centered around the wood fired hearth at Hurrica where he focuses on creating a space that is both elegant and comfortable, serving food that is soulful, playful and of course delicious.
Justin currently resides in Oakland, California with his partner and their two children whom you can often see visiting him at Hurrica.