Chef of the Week: Ricky Odbert of Six Test Kitchen, California
Few chefs embody the spirit of dedication and innovation quite like Ricky Odbert, the creative force behind Six Test Kitchen in Paso Robles. What began in 2015 as a humble six-seat counter in his father’s garage has evolved into one of California’s most remarkable dining destinations — a Michelin-starred, hyper-seasonal experience that captures the essence of the Central Coast.
At Six Test Kitchen, Odbert’s cooking is a study in precision and place: each dish is built around local ingredients sourced from trusted farmers, foragers, and fishermen, and every menu reflects the rhythm of the surrounding landscape. His unwavering focus on craft, intimacy, and sustainability has redefined what a small restaurant can achieve.
In this exclusive interview with Chef’s Pencil, Chef Odbert shares the story behind his one-of-a-kind kitchen, the creative power of failure, and how staying true to his roots continues to shape his success.
1. You’ve built Six Test Kitchen from a tiny 12-seat restaurant in Paso Robles into a Michelin-starred destination. What inspired you to create such an intimate, immersive dining experience?
Six Test Kitchen began in my childhood home, in a two car garage back in 2015. Moving back from San Francisco, where I spent the earlier part of my career, I was in need of a job and didn’t have any local prospects that would allow me to push myself in my career so my father and I built out the garage into a kitchen with a counter top that sat 6 guests and offered a 12, or so, course tasting menu.
2. You named the space Six Test Kitchen. What criteria must a dish or an ingredient meet to be considered a successful “test,” versus one that is discarded? How does the concept of failure play a vital role in your creative process?
The name Six Test Kitchen refers to the original concept. Cooking for the public in a garage was not legal unless we disguised it as cooking classes. That aside, I would say the concept of failure plays a huge role in the creative process here.
We use failures as a guide — if a concept just doesn’t work, we move on from it, but there’s always a chance we’ve learned something for future ideas. For me, in my process, it’s important to see a concept through to completion, even if I’m unsure of it from the start.
3. You’ve been praised for how tightly each dish connects to its place and season. How do you approach sourcing — and what role do local farmers, foragers, and producers play in your creative process?
We have a very close relationship with our producers. Our seafood comes from Morro Bay, just 20 miles from the restaurant. Our black cod, which is a staple on the menu, comes from our fisherman, Bill, who also raises lamb for our spring menu. We also use Grassy Bar oysters and have a close relationship with Nate, the owner of the oyster farm, also in Morro Bay.
4. What’s a dish on your current menu that you feel best represents who you are right now as a chef?
With such close proximity to the ocean, our black cod is probably the dish that best represents the restaurant. We’re currently serving it poached in beef fat with local chanterelle mushrooms, grilled cabbage, and an emulsion made from fermented cabbage juice and brown butter.
5. With a small team and limited physical space, the menu must be surgically precise. What is the single biggest technical or logistical constraint of the Six Test Kitchen environment, and how has that limitation forced you to become a more creative chef?
Designing this space myself, I knew we would grow into what it has become today. We’re very fortunate to have more than enough room to continue progressing here.
6. Since the menu changes constantly, how do you decide when a truly successful, spectacular dish has reached the end of its run? Is that decision primarily driven by the ingredient’s seasonality or by the creative necessity for change?
The decision to change a dish is based on product availability, for that reason, some dishes simply evolve throughout the seasons with the same concept in mind.
7. What’s a recent ingredient or technique that reignited your excitement in the kitchen?
I love autumn, so when we start getting pumpkins and winter squash in, it really feels like a tangible seasonal shift — especially with the shorter days and cooler nights.
8. You’ve earned one of the highest recognitions in the culinary world — a Michelin star. After achieving industry recognition, did the pressure to innovate or maintain a certain standard intensify?
Of course, with earning a Michelin star comes the added pressure of maintaining or pushing for another. We have a mantra that is “Excellence is the byproduct of diligence, repetition and consistency”, in other words, the award is the result, not the goal.
We have a mantra that is “Excellence is the byproduct of diligence, repetition and consistency”.
9. The temptation to expand to accommodate high demand must be immense. What is the philosophical reason behind maintaining the strict six-seat limit, and do you believe the concept could ever be successfully scaled or replicated elsewhere?
I do not believe the concept of doing 48 reservations per week would work anywhere else. We are very fortunate to have the lease agreement we have, and that is a huge part of it.
Being open four days per week offers our team an actual chance at a life outside of work.
As for expanding, a lot of chefs talk about sustainable restaurant practices, and that, to me, goes so much further than sourcing ingredients. Can your staff actually live a sustainable lifestyle working for you? Can they afford to live a happy life outside of work? Can they have a healthy relationship with friends and loved ones?
Being open four days per week offers our team an actual chance at a life outside of work, so no, we will not be expanding any time soon, nor are there any temptations to do so!
10. For home cooks — one technique (no special gear required) that instantly elevates their cooking.
Let your meat or fish rest after cooking and before serving.
Ricky Odbert | Instagram
Six Test Kitchen
3075 Blue Rock Rd Unit B, Paso Robles, CA 93446
