How to move forward when even your clothes are gone: an Altadena chef recounts his comeback after the fires

In early December, husband and wife team Tyler and Ashley Wells opened their new restaurant, Bernee, on Mariposa Street in Altadena.

It was their dream restaurant, envisioned after a successful run with their Los Feliz restaurant, All Time. A back-to-basics menu that changed daily, with most of the food prepared on an open wood-burning hearth.

For the first few weeks, the restaurant was a success, packed every night. Their personal lives did not go as smoothly — during this time, Ashley and Tyler decided to part ways as a couple.

Tyler moved into a small backhouse on the east side of Altadena, overlooking Eaton Canyon. But he would only spend a total of four nights there, because on Jan. 7, while he was at the restaurant, the Eaton Fire began sweeping through. His was one of the first houses to burn down.

The restaurant survived. But with smoke damage, and a hardware store next door filled with hazardous materials, it wasn’t safe to reopen.

“It was a heavy moment, and I felt helpless,” Wells said. “My first instinct was to accept that I was done in L.A., the restaurant wouldn't reopen, and I had no house. It felt like the universe was trying to tell me something,” he said.

Heavy smoke engulfed the block where their restaurant, Bernee, was located. Despite the devastation, the building remained standing.

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Courtesy Tyler Wells

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Before the fires, he’d been working 17-hour days at the restaurant, an intensity he had brought to his previous time at Handsome Coffee Roasters in downtown L.A. and All Time. While he loved what he had built, the loss of his marriage and now the community made him realize he needed to slow down, reassess his life, and make a change.

The Ecology Center

The change Wells sought appeared about 70 miles south, at a place called the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. The 28-acre, regenerative, and organic-certified farm was founded by Evan Marks in 2008. Wells and Marks already had an established relationship, with Wells regularly purchasing produce from the farm and hosting occasional dinners.

“ The first time I set foot on this place, it changed me,” Wells said.

Wells had always been impressed by the scope of the operation, with fresh produce sold daily to the public, and served at a cafe and a restaurant space. Apprentices also learn the fundamentals of growing and harvesting organic produce, as well as running a farm stand.

When Marks learned that Wells was struggling, he called him regularly to check in. Realizing he had nowhere to go, Marks offered him a residency at the center, where he could live on the grounds.

Diners enjoy meals at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, where Chef Tyler Wells has been hosting his summer dinner series.

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Danielle Evonne Photography

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Courtesy The Ecology Center

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An open fire is utilized to cook sustainably-caught local fish, two aspects of Chef Tyler Wells' culinary practice at The Ecology Center.

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Danielle Evonne Photography

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Courtesy The Ecology Center

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It would take some convincing on Mark's part to get Wells to admit that he needed help, despite the humbling experience he had just gone through. Still, Wells understood that if he was going to make a change, he had to take a chance.

“ The moment when the universe just sat me down and said, 'No, you can't. You're physically unable to do anything. You don't even own pants.' The love that I was forced to receive and ultimately submit to changed my life, and that was from this farm,” Wells said.

He made a home for himself in a tent between two orange trees. Slowly, the residency evolved into him hosting an ongoing dinner series three days a week throughout the summer.

He said it was some of the most challenging work he’d ever faced as a chef, with the food cooked over an open fire in the fields, and an abundance of produce each week forcing him to constantly modify the menu.

But, he added, it ultimately helped him grow his skills and develop a closer connection to the land.

" I think there's a maturity and a confidence in my cooking that has never been there before,” he said.

The Farm Lettuce Caesar salad from Chef Tyler Wells's summer diner series at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Locally caught swordfish served with blistered cherry tomatoes and summer squash.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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When I visited the Ecology Center recently, I had the chance to try some of his dishes. A massive Caesar salad made with little gem lettuce that had been picked that morning, accompanied by a beautifully creamy dressing. A locally caught swordfish topped with blistered cherry tomatoes and a summer squash salad finished with salsa verde.

It was a perfect summer meal in a place that felt like a blend of a chaparral oasis and a modern commune, with the sun setting over the hills and the Grateful Dead playing on the outdoor sound system.

“It's almost, man, this is spiritual. This farm is turning me into a hippie, and I grew up straight edge punk rock on a skateboard,” Wells reflected. “Sometimes I'll just feel some ingredients that need to go together…. my intuition, I think my mind is so clear, it's so uncluttered with other things."

Bernee becomes Betsy

Wells is now wrapping up his time at the Ecology Center and has shifted his focus back to his original dream. He’s now the sole owner of Bernee and he has been busy reimagining it.

It has a new name — Betsy, his mother’s name — but it's at the exact location on Mariposa Street, just across the street from the recently reopened Miya Thai. 

Betsy is set to open on Saturday, Aug. 30, marking a homecoming for both Wells and his staff. He’s brought back 12 members of his original team, including the entire front-of-house and kitchen staff.

Chef Tyler Wells and Joey Messina, a member of the original Bernee staff, who's returned to help lead the kitchen at Betsy.

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Skandia Shafer

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Courtesy Tyler Wells

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The menu is similar to Bernee, but with a stronger emphasis on sustainable seafood, another unexpected result of his time at the farm.

“I never had these deep relationships with fishermen, and now we do,” he said. “It’s just so exciting to me to know when it came out of the ocean, who caught it. Just the freshness and the quality are unbelievable."

Although he initially planned to wait until late fall to open, after talking with his staff and other community members, reopening now just felt right.

“The town feels good, and this crew is ready, and I couldn’t risk tearing that apart,” said Wells.