A creative group of professionals, who have come together to give you a unique culinary experience.
FOUNDERS
DAVIN WAITE : Co-founder, Exec Chef
Davin Waite began his career as a sushi chef at Ichiban in Santa Barbara under the instruction of Chef Hiro, a local legend and master of sushi as well as French and Italian Cuisine. Back in North San Diego County Davin continued on to Cafe Japengo, and in 2003 he returned to his hometown of Oceanside to co-found The Fish Joint. With his next project Davin created a restaurant in his own image; scrappy, irreverent and constantly pushing boundaries. Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub began as a pop-up but quickly became a destination for those who appreciated Waite’s creative and delicious approach to minimizing waste and celebrating local and sustainably sourced products. Three years later The Whet Noodle was born, a sister concept to Wrench that serves up a counter service, hot-food version with the same high standards. Next up for Waite? A chain of plant-based restaurants called The Plot, which will take total utilization to the next level with a zero waste ethos.
Waite aims to stay in a state of consistent innovation and creation in order to teach and inspire. Davin has taught sustainable cooking techniques to elementary students, culinary students and city officials. He has spoken on panels on topics including using underutilized species and sourcing from local farmers. In 2017 Davin was a keynote speaker at the California Resource and Recovery Conference, where he broke down a whole fish on stage to demonstrate how each part can be used to make delicious menu items, down to the ribs, skin and marrow. Waite’s menus reflect his values as he continues to evolve as a chef and as an advocate.
JESSICA WAITE : Co-Founder, CFO
Jessica Waite has been passionate about nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices since childhood. She became a vegetarian at age seven and was exploring veganism by her mid-teens. Jessica studied psychology and biology at California State University San Marcos and focused on responsible lifestyle as a preventative measure, with an emphasis on healthy eating. In 2012 Jessica paired up with Davin Waite, a local chef and business owner. Their first project was the rebranding of his sushi-centric catering company, Fish Joint Catering. Renamed Pickled Ginger Catering & Events, the company now offers locally sourced sushi, entrees, and appetizers, including a full vegan menu. In 2013 the couple opened Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub, an unorthodox sushi and seafood restaurant in South Oceanside that has a similar focus on sourcing locally from organic farms and responsible companies, and on minimizing waste by using the whole plant or animal. In 2016 the pair, now married, opened their third concept, the Whet Noodle, a ramen shop with similar values that offers plant-based options. Jessica is currently working with local farmers, small vendors, and schools to strengthen and promote the growing local food system in the Oceanside community.
Jessica recently earned her MBA at Pepperdine University. She is currently the President of the Berry Good Food Foundation and works within her community to promote local and responsible food sourcing.
