Our Team
Sarah Schafer
CULINARY DIRECTOR
Sarah Schafer’s career has taken her through some of the most celebrated kitchens in the country. Encouraged by her mentor Ken Oringer to “go all in,” she moved from Boston to New York City and became the youngest and first female sous chef at Gramercy Tavern, refining her craft under Chef Tom Colicchio. A highlight came when she cooked for her idol, Julia Child—an experience she describes as both the most challenging and rewarding night of her life. She went on to deepen her passion for seasonal ingredients when she helped open Eleven Madison Park as Executive Sous Chef, where weekly trips to Union Square’s Greenmarket shaped her cooking philosophy.
In San Francisco, Sarah served as Chef de Cuisine at Frisson with Daniel Patterson, exploring molecular gastronomy and new techniques, and later partnered with the Rosenthal brothers at Anchor & Hope, where she expanded her leadership and culinary style.
She then relocated to Portland, leading Irving Street Kitchen for a decade, developing close ties with Oregon farmers and solidifying her commitment to sustainable, seasonal cooking. During this time, she traveled to Italy to refine traditional pasta-making techniques and later co-founded Cooperativa, a market and food hall celebrating Italian food traditions and local producers.
In 2023, Sarah joined Grounded Table, helping to establish the restaurant’s focus on regenerative agriculture. For Sarah, the unique challenge of operating as a farm with a restaurant, rather than the other way around, is both inspiring and rewarding. Her career reflects innovation, mentorship, and a dedication to honoring both ingredients and the communities that nurture them.
Brett Uniss
DEVELOPMENT CHEF
Brett Uniss is the development chef at The Ground, where he combines his love of the Pacific Northwest with expertise garnered in some of America’s finest restaurants
Growing up in a family where food was a focus, Uniss developed a passion for cooking early in life. He decided to turn his passion into a profession and attended Johnson & Wales University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts in 2005. He ventured west to Yountville, California. to further his hands-on experience at the highly acclaimed Étoile at Domaine Chandon, and later Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry. By 2008, Uniss landed in New York City to continue working with the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group as chef de partie at per se, eventually being promoted to sous chef at Bouchon Bakery. He then moved to Las Vegas, where he honed his skills at é by Jose Andrés and drew inspiration from other Sin City standouts, working at both Italian standout B&B Ristorante at The Venetian Resort and Blau + Associates’ Honey Salt and Andiron Steak & Sea.
When he’s not in the kitchen, Uniss enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters, foraging in the Oregon wilderness, and lending a hand in the Market Garden at Tabula Rasa Farms.