Toque Blanche - The Store
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Toque Blanche Contact Information: Store Hours: |
The Concept
Toque Blanche sells quality cookware including black clay La Chamba cookware from Colombia. The store was created in 2006 to serve the needs of the home chef who is serious about preparing food using quality cooking tools. The store location at La Piazza on Main Street in Half Moon Bay is convenient for locals and visitors, and a perfect complement to adjacent businesses like Moonside Bakery.
Our mission is to stock a wide variety of the best cookware, bakeware, cutlery, cooks' tools and accessories. In addition, we have carefully selected gourmet food items, many of them sourced locally and regionally. Our staff members are accomplished home chefs who can make helpful suggestions about recipes, gifts, and more. Locally grown cut flowers and fresh herbs create an inviting and beautiful entryway to the store.
The Name
A toque blanche is the tall white pleated hat worn by chefs around the world (you can see a drawing of it in our logo, above). In theory a chef’s toque has 100 pleats—representing the accomplished chef’s knowledge of 100 ways to cook eggs. We named the store Toque Blanche to underscore our commitment to providing quality cooking tools; tools that any chef would be proud to own and use.
Gift certificates are available for purchase online or in our store.
Upcoming Demonstrations:
| February 25th |
| Tea Time! |
| 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.More Information |
| March 3rd |
| Krups Panini Grill |
| 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.More Information |
| March 10th |
| New Harvest of Olive Oils Tasting |
| 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.More Information |
| March 17th |
| California Honey Tasting |
| 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.More Information |
View full demonstration calendar
Knife Sharpening
We are pleased to offer our customers weekly quality knife sharpening provided by the experts at Perfect Edge of San Mateo
The Players
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Charles Nelson |
Charles enjoys cooking at home and has fond memories of cooking in restaurants as a high school and college student. He has many years of business experience and this is his second retail store in Half Moon Bay.
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Stuart Cristol-Deman |
Stuart Cristol-Deman has been an avid cook for over 30 years. One of the things he loves most about cooking is that there is always more to learn. Stuart has worked in some of the Bay Area's top culinary markets, including Draeger's, Andronico's, Domus, and most recently A.G. Ferrari Foods. Stuart is thrilled to be working "back home" on the coast, and loves seeing familiar faces from his Cooking Sensation days, as well as meeting new customers to share his passion for cooking with.
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Pauline Picchi |
Pauline Lo Giudice Picchi and her brother Joe owned and operated a restaurant for 20 years in the Bay Area. She acquired her passion for food and cooking at a young age from her immigrant parents who came from Sicily. Her mother was a cooking instructor for 23 years, and her father owned several restaurants throughout the Penninsula. Cooking and preparing good food with quality cookware is a priority. She enjoys sharing her cooking skills and kitchen techniques with her Toque Blanche customers!
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Leslie Geller |
Leslie Geller has lived on the coast with her family for the past 3 years and loves it. Her passion for food (and people) began early in life, as she grew up in a family-run Bed and Breakfast, in an east coast resort town.
After college, she began cooking professionally in New York City, where she was the Executive Chef for American Express.
Since being on the coast, she has started a baking business, selling delicious cakes, pies, tarts, cupcakes and more.
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Adriana Nelson |
Adriana Nelson is a High School Student in Half Moon Bay who enjoys eating, learning more about cooking, and her job at Toque Blanche.