Kriti Mehrotra
As a cooking competition series focusing on trained, pro chefs as they put their reputation on the line at every turn, NBC’s ‘Yes, Chef!’ absolutely breaks all bounds of the genre. That’s because it pushes these hotheaded yet talented individuals to grow at not only a professional level but also a personal one, all for a chance to win the massive cash prize of $250,000. Amongst them was Emily Brubaker, the undeniable powerhouse of season 1, considering the way she went about the entire experience, dedicated to her work instead of drama.
Emily Brubaker’s Strategic Approach Worked Wonders for Her
From the moment Emily Brubaker first appeared on our screens, she made it evident that her sole reason for joining this show was to better herself in every way imaginable. She already knew that while she may be a hard-working and dedicated professional who doesn’t mind change or learning new things, she struggled with impatience as well as stubbornness. Therefore, as the competition began, she decided to take on each challenge with quiet confidence so as to stay on her goal while also avoiding the needless drama going around.
Little did Emily know that this inadvertent strategy of hers would result in her catching the eye of the judges — renowned chefs José Andrés and Martha Stewart — quite early on. Then, with each passing challenge, she continued to impress them with her passion as well as skills to such an extent that they were compelled to name her Most Valuable Chef (MVC) thrice. In the end, the 44-year-old who had simply wanted to try something she had never done before in the hopes of self-improvement and professional growth ended up as a finalist.
Emily Brubaker Has Been a Part of the Food Industry for Over 2 Decades
Although Emily has never openly discussed precisely how she developed an interest in food as something more than just nourishment, we do know she now lives and breathes for it. It was actually back in 2003, after she had graduated from the University of California-Santa Cruz with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, that she decided to evolve into a chef. Therefore, she enrolled at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, California, from where she earned her certification in 2004 before kickstarting her career.
Emily’s first job was as a Second Cook at the Ritz-Carlton Lake in Las Vegas, where she served for 2 years until being hired as a Sous Chef at the Lark Creek Restaurant Group. She worked in this San Francisco Bay Area-based establishment for another year before finding herself returning to Las Vegas to be a Master Cook at Joel Robuchon’s local restaurant. Then, another 2 years later, in 2009, she became the Executive Sous Chef at Sage in MGM Resorts International in the city, which is a position she proudly held for nearly 7 years.
Emily only moved on from Sage in 2016, when she got the opportunity to lead the Culinary Sales and Distribution at Urban Seed Inc., where she worked right until late 2018. She then took on titles such as a Food & Beverage Consultant, Sales Representative at Michael’s Gourmet Pantry, Executive Chef at Al Solito Posto at LEV RG, and Corporate Task Force Chef at LEV Restaurant Group. That is, until she returned to do some freelancing work for a few months in early 2024 before finally finding her calling in April 2024. This is when she was hired as the Resort Executive Chef at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, a role she adores to this day.
Emily Brubaker Efficiently Balances Her Personal and Professional Life
While it’s true that it has been just over a year since Emily joined Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, she has definitely managed to create a name for herself there by doing great work. Not only is she responsible for all the culinary needs of this establishment at any given point, but she also has a team of professionals under her, and she has somehow found an easy footing. In fact, the 44-year-old has admitted that this is the kind of pressure she thrives under because what’s on the line is the happiness of her customers as well as coworkers alike.
We should mention that Emily has a background in several different types of cuisines, including American, French, and Italian, among others, so these undoubtedly give her a leg up too. She further possesses a unique standing in the luxury setting since she prides herself on creating, delivering, and showcasing dishes that represent what farm-to-table truly means. The fact that this Carlsbad, California, resident values high standards and teamwork is also evident in everything she does, which is how she has managed to have such a long, active career.
Coming to Emily’s personal standing, she is happily married to Jake Brubaker, who is a fellow culinary professional as the Las Vegas Raiders’ Executive Chef and the man who nominated her for ‘Yes, Chef!’ This duo has been together for almost the entirety of Emily’s 2-decade career, and they tied the knot in June 2011 before welcoming two adorable children and two dogs into their world. The couple, who recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary at the Michelin Star French restaurant Jeune et Jolie, also had an adorable car named Padawan, but she sadly passed away in July 2023 at the age of 19.
As of writing, the Brubaker family does seem to be splitting their time between California and Nevada for the respective careers of the chefs, but it works for them thanks to the mutual love, respect, and understanding between them. In fact, they recently even managed to go on a family trip to Universal Studios, all the while juggling their intense careers, relationship, and recent public standing. Honestly, with the way Emily is committed to her family while also being zealous about her craft, teaching upcoming culinary minds, and uplifting women in her industry, we can’t wait to see what’s in the cards for her next.
Read More: Where is Yes Chef Filmed? Shooting Location of the NBC Show
