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geoff gunn
Chef De Cuisine
Geoff Gunn began his culinary career in Hawaii where he fell in love with Pan-Asian cuisine. As a former Island resident, Geoff worked at one of the most highly-acclaimed restaurants in Waikiki for 6 years. Geoff defines the Japanese term “umami,” as being “a fullness of flavor in the mouth, where all of your senses are excited.”
Returning to the mainland, he further advanced his resume at some of the hottest restaurant spots in Malibu, Los Angeles, and Westwood, California. Serving as an assistant to a master sushi chef at the Industry Bar and Grill, he honed his skills in Asian cuisine.
Finally returning to the Northwest where he was born, Geoff graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Western Culinary Institute of Portland, where he was classically trained as a Le Cordon Bleu Chef. Passionate about building community, his dedication to his craft and volunteer work with up-and-coming chefs has earned him the Partner in Education Award, Outstanding Community Service Recognition, as well as nominations for Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award and the Oregon State Mentor of the Year Award. Also for the last 8 years, he has been heavily involved with local nonprofit organizations and has helped create and has been the emcee for Iron Chef competitions as well as a competitor, that has helped raise money for our coastal community.
Continuing his pursuit of excellence in the culinary arts, Geoff has worked at some of the most renowned restaurants in Portland and Cannon Beach. Chef Gunn has now proudly joined the Bridgewater Bistro team as Chef De Cuisine where he was announced as one of the top three chefs in the tri-county area for 2014. Working with an array of local farmers, he utilizes as many local, organic products as possible. Poultry, beef, and pork come from nearby farms, and local produce is delivered daily. Seafood is brought in from boats docking a mere 100 yards away and local foragers are bringing the bounty of the Northwest directly to the back door of the restaurant which in turn he brings to your table nightly. “Oregon is a culinary playground,” he says. In 2017 Geoff left us to take over at Pacific Way Bakery and Café in Gearhart. When the Allens chose to close the restaurant last month Geoff gave us a call and we decided to join forces once again. A very happy decision for us all!
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ann kischner
Owner/ Pastry Chef / Special Events
Pastry chef, special events co-ordinator and co-owner of the Shoalwater Restaurant in Seaview , Wa. for 27 years with her husband Tony, Ann took over those same responsibilities at The Bridgewater when she and Tony opened it in 2007. She delights in brainstorming about recipes and the availablitly of new products with the chefs and pastry chefs and still spends as much time as possible in the kitchen, though the arrival of triplet grandbabies in May of 2015 has pulled her away from her time in the bakery.
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tony kischner
Owner/Manager
Tony Kischner began his restaurant career in 1967 with a college summer job as a dishwasher and busboy at Ivar’s Acres of Clams, a popular tourist attraction on the Seattle waterfront. After four summer seasons, he was promoted to dining room manager. Drawn to a finer dining environment, he secured a position as a waiter at Jonah and the Whale, a renowned elegant restaurant in Bellevue, where he was “required” to taste each bottle of wine before he served it (and which allowed him to quickly expand his knowledge and experience). Three years later, he was promoted to dining room manager. In 1976, he was offered the prestigious position of dining room manager, wine steward and cellarmaster at Seattle’s nationally-famous Rosellini’s Other Place, where he was in full charge of purchasing and maintaining an extensive and award-winning international collection of 1,200 wines.
In 1981, bitten by the entrepreneurial bug, Tony and his wife Ann purchased the small restaurant at the historic Shelburne Inn in Seaview, WA and moved to the Long Beach Peninsula with their two young daughters. In 1986, they expanded the dining room, added an English-style pub and renamed it The Shoalwater, which became a renowned bastion of Northwest cuisine and wine for 27 years.
In September 2007, Tony and Ann opened The Bridgewater Bistro on the Astoria riverfront just below the bridge to Washington. They continue to focus on taking great care of their guests and promoting and serving local and regional foods and wines.
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jordan benning, michael bruton, taylor falconcer
Co-Chefs