Andrew Kirschner is a native Angeleno who gained an appreciation for fine food at an early age. Inspired by the ambitious cooking of his father, a talented home chef, Andrew started cooking his own macaroni and cheese at age 8. By the time he was 14, he'd begun working in a position where often many aspiring chefs get their start—washing dishes at a local pizzeria.

Kirschner continued working in neighborhood eateries through high school. It was immediately apparent that the young Kirschner was anxious to master techniques beyond the basic pasta and pizza dishes and was encouraged to test his hand at virtually every station on the line. After graduating from the University of Colorado in 1994 with a degree in psychology, the avid snowboarder moved to Aspen and cooked at two well-known establishments, Ajax Tavern and Krabloonik, located in nearby Snowmass Village. After experiencing the excitement and intensity of working in the fine dining world, it opened his eyes to the realization that he wanted to get serious about his craft. As a result, Kirschner moved to San Francisco to attend the prestigious California Culinary Academy, from which he graduated in 1996. While at the Academy, Kirschner worked at Arnold Wong's acclaimed Asian fusion restaurant, Eos. A mentor to the young chef, Wong instilled in Kirschner a thorough understanding of cooking with Asian ingredients and ultimately promoted him to the position of sous chef.

When Kirschner moved back to Southern California in 1997, he worked as a sous chef at revered Los Angeles restaurants, including under Chef Joe Miller at Joe's Restaurant in Venice for several years before initiating dinner service at nearby Axe. In 2000, he went to work as sous chef for then-emerging chefs Ben Ford and Govind Armstrong in opening Chadwick in Beverly Hills. Following a stint at Lucques in 2002 working under acclaimed chef Suzanne Goin, Kirschner partnered with Armstrong in opening Melrose Avenue hot spot Table 8 in 2003, where he served as chef de cuisine. In 2007, Kirschner arrived at Wilshire Restaurant as chef de cuisine and was quickly promoted to executive chef. His talents were immediately noticed, and he earned a three-star rating from Los Angeles Times critic S. Irene Virbila, who wrote, "Kirschner's assured, effortless-seeming cooking is a breath of fresh air. He's blessed with not only a good palate, but also a good eye. And he can execute, which makes him a triple threat."

Kirschner's talent for letting the flavors of each ingredient shine through in his dishes results in a fresh California cuisine with global influences—boldly flavored but highly approachable. "It's all about showcasing the quality of the ingredients, letting them speak for themselves without over-manipulating them," he says. When not in the kitchen, the 36-year-old chef surfs and snowboards, and spends time with his two dogs.