Manuel Martinez

Vice Chair – Membership Services, Funding, & Communications

What else can we do to elevate this dish? How can we make it more exciting?” Spend some time in the kitchen with Chef Manuel while he’s crafting a new dish and there’s a high probability, you’ll hear him ask these questions. After over two decades, Chef Manuel’s methodology – adhering to his belief that, like the Seasons, tastes and styles change – is continually evolving, patently expressed in the creation of new and surprising flavor combinations that surprise the palates and satiate the appetites of the modern-day diner at one of his two current restaurant concepts in Redwood City, California.

La Viga Seafood & Cocina Mexicana is a casual, bistro-style concept with an unassuming aesthetic contrasted by beautifully vibrant ceviches, tacos, and entrees with bold flavors reminiscent of homemade comfort food. LV Mar builds off this casual concept with refined technique and execution of a wide variety of creative tapas and cocktails in a casual & modern space. In May 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Manuel opened his third restaurant in Palo Alto, CA. San Agus Cocina Urbana & Cocktails provides “a neighborhood hangout where friends and strangers meet to share crafted urban street bites, beers, and cocktails.”

To round out his guests experience, detailed care is put into the creation of a unified and supportive culture throughout the La Viga Culinary Group (parent company of La Viga and LV Mar), promoting the growth and happiness of all staff members who work together to identify effective ways to create a delightful and sociable experience in which all guests can take a brief moment to stop and immense themselves in the moment to enjoy delicious food in great company.

Outside the kitchen, Martinez enjoys spending time with his wife, Mayra, and their three kids, dining out, and supporting local charities and associations.