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“Yes, Chef!” Winner Emily Brubaker Talks Cooking for Martha Stewart

Omni La Costa’s executive chef dishes on her big win, national TV pressure, and what’s next for the resort

By Jackie Bryant July 31, 2025

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This week on Happy Half Hour, co-hosts Troy and Jackie sit down with Emily Brubaker, executive chef of Omni La Costa Resort & Spa, to talk about her recent win on the premiere season of Yes, Chef!, a national cooking competition judged by Martha Stewart and Spanish-American chef and restaurateur José Andrés.

Brubaker shares what it was like to step away from her kitchen and her family for six weeks to compete, and how she approached the challenge of cooking food that’s technically sharp but still grounded. In this episode, she discusses the moment Martha remembered her from a past Chopped season, working alongside her husband in the finale, and how she’s bringing pieces of the show’s mentorship and menu ideas into her work at the resort.

About Jackie Bryant

Jackie is a long-time freelance journalist covering cannabis, food/restaurants, travel, labor, wine, spirits, arts & culture, design, and other topics. Her work has been selected twice for Best American Travel Writing, and she has won a variety of national and local awards for her writing and reporting.

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