Suzanne Goin is the American chef, restaurateur and cookbook author widely recognised as one of the defining figures in modern California cuisine across the past three decades. Born 11 May 1966 in Los Angeles, California, USA, Goin grew up in Los Angeles and trained at Brown University before pursuing professional cookery. She trained at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters in Berkeley, at Alain Passard’s Arpege in Paris, and at L’Olivier in the south of France, before returning to Los Angeles in 1995 and joining Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel as chef de cuisine. She co-founded Lucques in West Hollywood in 1998 with business partner Caroline Styne.
Goin’s 2025-2026 work centres on her continuing AOC restaurant on Third Street in Los Angeles, alongside her cookbook output and food-policy advocacy. The original Lucques closed in 2019, but the AOC restaurant continues operating through 2025-2026 alongside Tavern Brentwood. The 20th anniversary of her landmark 2005 Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook was marked in December 2025 with the Fine Dining Lovers feature, and she hosted A.O.C. Thanksgiving To-Go in October 2025 alongside her sustained childhood-cancer-research charity work. She continues to be one of the most-recognised California-cuisine figures of her generation.
TL;DR
- American chef born 11 May 1966 in Los Angeles, California
- Brown University; trained at Chez Panisse, Alain Passard Arpege Paris, LOlivier France
- Chef de cuisine at Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel from 1995
- Co-founded Lucques 1998 (closed 2019) and AOC 2002 in Los Angeles
- Multiple James Beard Foundation awards including Outstanding Chef 2016
- 2025-2026: AOC and Tavern Brentwood continue; 20-year Sunday Suppers anniversary
Suzanne Goin key facts
| Born | 11 May 1966, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Brown University |
| Training | Chez Panisse under Alice Waters; Alain Passard Arpege Paris; LOlivier south of France; Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel |
| Defining restaurants | Lucques co-founder 1998 (closed 2019); AOC co-founder 2002; Tavern Brentwood |
| Business partner | Caroline Styne |
| Major awards | James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific 2006; Outstanding Chef 2016 |
Early life and training of Suzanne Goin
Goin was born on 11 May 1966 in Los Angeles, California, USA, and grew up in the city. She attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating with a degree in art history. After Brown she pursued professional cookery, an unusual path for her undergraduate background, and trained at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters‘s direct contemporary in Berkeley in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Through the early 1990s Goin trained at Alain Passard’s Arpege in Paris, one of the defining French three-Michelin-star restaurants of the period, and at L’Olivier in the south of France. The French training gave her direct exposure to classical French and Provencal technique at the very highest level, and informed her subsequent California-Mediterranean approach. She returned to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s.
In 1995 Goin joined Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel as chef de cuisine. The Campanile period through 1995-1998 gave her direct collaboration with Silverton and Peel, two of the defining Los Angeles fine-dining figures of the 1990s, and prepared her for her own restaurant openings. In 1998 she co-founded Lucques in West Hollywood with business partner Caroline Styne, the restaurant that defined her approach for the next two decades.
Suzanne Goin career timeline
- 11 May 1966: Born in Los Angeles, California
- Late 1980s: Attends Brown University Providence Rhode Island
- Late 1980s-early 1990s: Trains at Chez Panisse Berkeley under Alice Waters
- Early 1990s: Trains at Alain Passard Arpege Paris and LOlivier south of France
- 1995: Returns to Los Angeles; joins Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel
- 1998: Co-founds Lucques in West Hollywood with Caroline Styne
- 2002: Co-founds AOC on Third Street, Los Angeles
- 2005: Publishes Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook (NYT bestseller)
- 2006: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific
- 2009: Opens Tavern in Brentwood Los Angeles
- 2011: Publishes The AOC Cookbook
- 2013: Opens Larders at the Hollywood Bowl with Caroline Styne
- 2016: James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef
- 2019: Closes Lucques after 21 years
- 2019: Opens new AOC Brentwood location
- 2020-2022: Continued operations through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2024: Continues AOC and Tavern operations in Los Angeles
- 27 October 2025: AOC Thanksgiving To-Go programme
- 22 December 2025: Fine Dining Lovers 20-year Sunday Suppers anniversary feature
- 2026: AOC and Tavern Brentwood continue; childhood-cancer-research charity work continues
Suzanne Goin signature style: California-Mediterranean cuisine and seasonal menus
Goin’s central argument, developed across more than two decades from Lucques 1998 onwards, is that California-Mediterranean cuisine combining classical French and Provencal technique with California seasonal produce can anchor sustained Los Angeles fine dining. The Lucques weekly Sunday Supper menu (1998-2019) became one of the defining American restaurant programmes of the period, and the 2005 Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook documented the format in detail.
The second defining element is the AOC wine-bar-and-restaurant format from 2002 onwards. AOC pioneered the small-plate-and-wine-list approach in Los Angeles, anchored in Mediterranean technique and a focus on California and European wines. The original AOC closed and reopened at a new Brentwood location, and AOC continues operating through 2025-2026 as her current flagship.
The third pillar is the cookbook output and the partnership with Caroline Styne. Sunday Suppers at Lucques (2005), The AOC Cookbook (2011), and the sustained Goin-Styne business partnership across more than two decades have anchored her approach. Within the current American chef cohort Goin sits alongside peers including Nancy Silverton, Michael Chiarello and Chris Cosentino as one of the defining California chef figures of the past three decades.
Notable Suzanne Goin work
Several Goin projects have become reference points in modern California cuisine. Lucques in West Hollywood (co-founded 1998, closed 2019) was her defining 21-year operation. AOC on Third Street and subsequently Brentwood (co-founded 2002) continues operating through 2025-2026. Tavern in Brentwood (opened 2009) is the more casual neighbourhood spot. The Larders at Hollywood Bowl (2013) extended the operation into seasonal venue catering. Cookbooks include Sunday Suppers at Lucques (2005, NYT bestseller) and The AOC Cookbook (2011).
Suzanne Goin awards and recognition
- 1995: Joins Campanile under Nancy Silverton and Mark Peel
- 1998: Co-founds Lucques in West Hollywood with Caroline Styne
- 2002: Co-founds AOC on Third Street Los Angeles
- 2005: Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook (NYT bestseller)
- 2006: James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific
- 2009: Opens Tavern in Brentwood Los Angeles
- 2011: The AOC Cookbook published
- 2013: Opens Larders at Hollywood Bowl
- 2016: James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef
- 2019: Lucques closes after 21 years; AOC Brentwood opens
- October 2025: AOC Thanksgiving To-Go programme
- December 2025: Fine Dining Lovers 20-year Sunday Suppers anniversary
- 2026: AOC and Tavern Brentwood continue in Los Angeles
Suzanne Goin impact on California cuisine
Goin’s most concrete contribution is the 21-year Lucques run from 1998 to 2019 in West Hollywood. The restaurant was one of the defining Los Angeles fine-dining restaurants of the late 1990s and 2010s, and the weekly Sunday Supper format became one of the defining American restaurant programmes of the period.
The second contribution is the AOC restaurant from 2002 onwards. AOC pioneered the small-plate-and-wine-list format in Los Angeles, and continues operating at the Brentwood location through 2025-2026 alongside Tavern Brentwood. The two James Beard Foundation awards (Best Chef Pacific 2006, Outstanding Chef 2016) cement her status as one of the defining California chef figures.
The third contribution is the cookbook output and the Goin-Styne business partnership. Within the current American chef cohort Goin sits alongside peers including Nancy Silverton, Michael Chiarello and Chris Cosentino as one of the defining California chef figures of the past three decades.
Suzanne Goin FAQ
Is Lucques still open?
No. Lucques in West Hollywood, which Goin co-founded in 1998 with Caroline Styne, closed in 2019 after 21 years. AOC continues operating at the Brentwood location, alongside Tavern Brentwood and other Goin-Styne ventures through 2025-2026.
What is AOC?
AOC is the wine-bar-and-restaurant Goin co-founded with Caroline Styne in 2002, originally on Third Street in Los Angeles and subsequently relocated to a Brentwood location. AOC pioneered the small-plate-and-wine-list format in Los Angeles, anchored in Mediterranean technique. It continues operating through 2025-2026 as Goin’s current flagship.
Did Goin train at Chez Panisse?
Yes. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Goin trained at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters in Berkeley. She subsequently trained at Alain Passard’s Arpege in Paris and at L’Olivier in the south of France, gaining classical French and Provencal technique that informed her subsequent California-Mediterranean approach.
What is Sunday Suppers at Lucques?
Sunday Suppers at Lucques was the weekly Sunday menu format Goin developed at Lucques from 1998 to 2019. The format became one of the defining American restaurant programmes of the period, and the 2005 cookbook of the same name became a NYT bestseller. The 20th anniversary of the cookbook was marked in December 2025 with a Fine Dining Lovers feature.
Did Goin win a James Beard Award?
Yes. Goin won the James Beard Foundation Best Chef Pacific award in 2006 and the Outstanding Chef award in 2016. The two awards together represent two of the most-prestigious American chef honours and cement her status as one of the defining California chef figures of the past three decades.
What is next for Suzanne Goin
AOC Brentwood and Tavern Brentwood continue in Los Angeles through 2026. Cookbook and television appearances continue alongside her childhood-cancer-research charity work. Her public Instagram (@suzannegoin) is the best source for current updates.
