About

Aphotic, from the Greek (ἀ- + φῶς), meaning “without light,” makes reference to the layer of the ocean that receives less than 1% of sunlight (1000 meters in depth), comprising the majority of the world’s open ocean.

Aphotic Restaurant was born out of necessity. Chef Peter Hemsley set out to establish a best-practice seafood restaurant with transparency and traceability as core objectives, all while delivering unparalleled quality and creative intrigue for the benefit of our guests.

T E A M

PETER HEMSLEY

-CHEF/PROPRIETOR-

Having started his career out of high school working in a French bistro, Peter has a deep affinity for French cooking, fortified by several years spent cooking in France. In 2014, Peter adopted the Bay Area as his home, and was part of the leadership team that brought Quince its third Michelin star.

Peter's inspiration for Aphotic is the Ocean – the last frontier for truly wild foods. Hemsley maintains that respect for this resource is paramount to our common longevity, and this mentality has been the driver for his thinking in respect to traceable fish and preference for local resources.

ALFONSO GONZALES

-CHEF DE CUISINE-

Alfonso Gonzales, a Bay Area native, found his passion early in life. Starting his career in Sacramento, he soon moved to Napa valley to hone his skills in Japanese techniques working for Chef Morimoto, opening up his passion for seafood. He then moved to the mountainous region of Salt Lake City where he learned to capitalize on local foraged and seasonal ingredients. From there he spent the next 6 years at Oakland’s Commis, staring as a CDP and leaving as the chef de cuisine.

DEIRDRE BALAO

RIEUTORT-LOUIS

-EXECUTIVE PASTRY CHEF-

French from Brittany but born and raised in the Netherlands, food and desserts have always been a central part of her upbringing. A graduate of l'École Lenôtre, the CIA and Cornell University, she has developed a true passion for fine dining through diverse experiences such as at Jean-Georges, Le Sirenuse Miami, the Palais de L’Élysée for the French President in Paris, Spruce and Gary Danko. At Aphotic, she blurs the boundary between pastry and seafood.

MICHAEL MCDONALD

-GENERAL MANAGER-

A Certified Sommelier hospitality veteran with over a decade of experience. He cut his teeth in fine dining at Commis Restaurant in Oakland as well as Angler in San Francisco.

TREVIN HUTCHINS

-BAR DIRECTOR &

HEAD DISTILLER-

Winner of Starchef’s 2015 Cocktail of the Year, Trevin leads one of the country's most cutting edge cocktail programs which focuses on house distilled botanical spirits, foraged ingredients from the Western Seaboard, and coastally-made spirits from near and far.

He began his career as the Bar Manager at Natalie’s, the renowned fine dining restaurant in the Relais & Chateaux Camden Harbour Inn. As the opening Bar Director of ONE65 in San Francisco he created four distinct cocktail programs, including for the one Michelin-starred O’.