Monique Moufarrej - chef/partner

Growing up in a Lebanese household constantly surrounded by food and family, Monique was born and raised with a sense of hospitality and the importance of nourishment through cooking. After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone at the age of nineteen, she headed to Manhattan to join the team at the Michelin starred Del Posto under acclaimed Chef Mark Ladner. After working through the kitchen there from extern to one of the youngest Sous Chefs the New York Times four star restaurant ever employed, she decided to move back to San Francisco to be closer to her family and to play a part in the budding restaurant landscape therein. She connected with the team at Rich Table and played a pivotal role in their being awarded their first Michelin Star. In 2018 Monique was asked to join the opening team at Angler San Francisco, the second outlet by Chef Joshua Skenes and Saison Hospitality. The restaurant opened to phenomenal acclaim, winning Esquire’s Best New Restaurant in America as well as receiving a Michelin star in its inaugural year. Chef Mo’s focus on positive leadership while maintaining a professional and lively personality led her to be promoted to Executive Sous Chef less than a year after the restaurant opened. Driven to create something of her own, Monique shifted her focus to beverage and operations. That path ultimately led her back to her hometown to open Albi’s - a fresh take on a beer garden that aims to honor her Middle Eastern roots.