Robin formerly owned and operated Crave, a popular Seattle bistro serving up comfort food on Capitol Hill. Before becoming a chef, Robin was an artist. While pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Michigan, she took a job in the catering department. This was only intended to be a summer job, but it quickly became clear she had a passion for food. Robin’s Pacific Northwest roots are the foundation of her cooking, accented by the flavors of her world travels.
In 2009 she had a life changing experience to be a cheftestant on season 6 of Top Chef where she finished in 5th. Since then, she has found an ideal balance in life spending time in the studio making art, teaching and cooking. She keeps her knives sharp in kitchens for causes like Bristol Bay, winemaker dinners, catering and restaurant consulting.
With a commitment to community, she sits on the Slow Food Seattle Advisory board raising awareness of the value of food and knowing where it comes from. Additionally, she finds time to make the Premier Chefs Board a priority where she uses her culinary connections to raise money for Lymphoma research with the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. This mission began in 2004 with Copper Cure after being diagnosed with 2 kinds of Lymphoma. Now a licensed auctioneer, Robin is able to further her passion for philanthropy by raising money for mission driven benefit auctions. She also shares her passion for food as a Culinary Arts Instructor at Wine Country Culinary Institute in Walla Walla.