DEBORAH MULLIN

Director of Culinary

Deborah Mullin has been passionate about food since childhood, when cooking was a beloved family affair. Her Italian-American grandmother crafted soulful southern Italian pastas with a New England twist, while her grandfather — an Army cook turned Hudson Valley diner chef served up classic comfort fare to family and friends. Summers spent tending vegetable gardens in Maryland sparked Deborah’s lifelong commitment to seasonal, local, and sustainable ingredients.

Her early food journey included work as a bakery assistant, barista, line cook, restaurant manager, and natural grocery leader — experiences that eventually led her to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where she graduated in 1999. Since then, Deborah has spent over two decades shaping culinary programs in both the U.S. and Europe — from Michelin-starred kitchens to founding her own vegetable- and pasta-forward, farm-to-table restaurant.

Deborah’s cooking is rooted in the rustic-yet-refined foodways of central and southern Italy, now reimagined through a plant-based lens. She sees plant-based cuisine as a powerful expression of wellness, sustainability, creativity, and compassion — honoring the well-being of animals, people, and the planet. Her work centers on reducing food waste and carbon impact while delivering nourishing, memorable dining experiences. She maintains close relationships with growers, foragers, and producers of heirloom grains, legumes, and fungi, with a deep commitment to organic, biodynamic, and regenerative agriculture.

Most recently, Deborah served as Executive Chef at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa, where she led culinary operations, menu development, and programming across multiple food and beverage outlets — including a live-fire cocktail lounge and a 100-seat casual-fine dining restaurant. She launched seasonal menus that highlighted the CIA’s expansive culinary gardens, developed scratch-made pasta, pizza, and bread programs, and represented the CIA at major events, from James Beard Foundation dinners to televised cooking appearances.

A seasoned and compassionate leader, Deborah is passionate about building inclusive kitchen cultures and mentoring the next generation of culinary professionals. Whether she’s leading a team, shaping a menu, or crafting a culinary vision, she brings integrity, sustainability, and innovation to the table.