EAT Feature
Chef Patrick Prager at Silverado Resort
Rooted in Seasonality, Driven by Joy
WRITTEN BY Fran Miller
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Published On: August 01, 2025
PHOTOS COURTESy OF Silverado Resort
Silverado Resort Executive Chef Patrick Prager wears many hats—and wears them well. Overseeing The Grill, Mansion Bar and Terrace, Market and Bakery, and Banquets, Prager brings a deeply intentional approach to the resort’s diverse culinary offerings. From elegant wine dinners to garden-fresh cooking classes, every plate reflects a lifetime of experience, a passion for teaching, and a reverence for seasonal ingredients.
Born and raised in Alameda, California, Prager’s first taste of hospitality came at Loard’s Ice Cream, where he learned that serving a scoop could mean more than just handing over dessert—it could mean delivering a moment of happiness. That commitment to service has followed him through kitchens in Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Atlanta, and San Francisco, where he trained under some of the country’s best, including Michael Mina at Aqua and XIV.
In 2022, Prager joined Silverado Resort, drawn by the opportunity to create in one of the world’s most celebrated culinary regions. His cuisine—rooted in California sensibilities with classical French technique—feels right at home in Napa Valley.
“Though my feet are planted in local soil, my hands often work with classical French techniques—because discipline and tradition are the foundation upon which innovation stands,” said Prager, a frequent guest on LIVE! in the Bay. “From a perfectly emulsified sauce to a properly trussed chicken, these techniques are not constraints but tools for expression.”
Technique alone doesn’t define his cooking. “I believe that food tastes better when it’s made with joy,” he said. “A happy cook isn’t just stirring a pot—they’re stirring a memory, a mood, a moment. Call it energy, call it love—but it’s real, and it matters.”
That energy is palpable in Prager’s Garden-to-Table Cooking Class, a signature summer series held in Silverado Resort’s open-air garden. Guests harvest ingredients, cook a seasonal dish together, and dine al fresco alongside curated wines from local producers like AXR, Etude, and Trefethen. The result is less a class and more a celebration of connection, place, and flavor.
“At the core of every plate I serve is a deep respect for seasonality and locality,” Prager explained. “Ingredients are like stories: the closer they are to home and their natural rhythms, the more honest and compelling they are. I believe deeply in reinterpretation. The classics inspire me, but I see them as invitations, not commandments. The past guides the present—but doesn’t dictate it.”
His influence also extends beyond the plate. A certified sommelier, avid cyclist, emerging painter, and devoted family man, Prager is active in philanthropy, supporting causes like No Kid Hungry via their annual Chefs Cycle. He was recently named People’s Choice Winner at Hall’s 2025 Cabernet Cookoff, earning $10,000 for charity.
“So this is how I cook: joyfully, intentionally, seasonally. I honor where I am, where I’ve come from, and the shoulders I stand on. But I never stop moving forward. Because food, like life, is better when it’s evolving—with purpose, with passion, and with play.”