Crystal Corbin
Executive Chef

The Stephanie Inn Dining Room, located in the world-class Stephanie Inn on the Oregon Coast, is guided by Crystal Corbin, a gifted chef who is brimming with creative ideas for showcasing local Northwest ingredients. Working with the freshest, quality ingredients available, Crystal transforms local ingredients into edible works of art that are not only beautiful to behold, but are packed with creative flavors and textures.

Crystal was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest to a family that made the most of local ingredients. Determined to become a chef, Crystal enrolled in The Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon in 1995. Part of her culinary training included an internship at Greens Restaurant - a highly regarded vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco. While working at Greens Restaurant, Crystal developed a great appreciation and talent for working with the highest quality seasonal products available. She also developed an interest in creating dishes for people on special diets.

Following her internship at Greens Restaurant, Crystal helped start up an internet café in Portland, Oregon, then went on to work for 4 1/2 years at Beaches Restaurant & Bar in Vancouver, Washington, where she worked her way up to the position of sous chef. In July of 2001, Crystal responded to an advertisement for a chef at the Stephanie Inn. She had visited Cannon Beach as a child and loved it - so she took a chance and drove down for a culinary audition.

Crystal is a quiet, steadfast chef, whose goal in cooking is to have every bite her customers taste make them exclaim "Wow!" She achieves the "Wow-factor" every night, overcoming the obstacles of serving up to eighty people from the confines of a tiny bustling kitchen. Crystal's devotion to quality, her creativity and her ability to always get the job done, have earned Crystal the nickname "silent warrior" from her co-workers.

 

Aaron Bedard

Sous Chef

It's not surprising that Stephanie Inn sous chef Aaron Bedard developed a strong interest in food and cooking. He was raised on fried chicken at his father's Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise in La Grande, Oregon.

While living in La Grande, Aaron worked at a number of restaurants, including the Bench Warmer's Pub and Grill, where the restaurant manager recognized his talent for cooking. When she asked him to help plan new menus for the restaurant, Aaron's creative spark ignited. He realized that he wanted to pursue a career in the art of fine dining.

Aaron moved to Portland in 2003, to attend Western Culinary Institute, where he graduated with top honors. Just after graduating, he cooked with the chefs of the Stephanie Inn at a fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. They recognized Aaron's desire to learn, passion and respect for food, and invited Aaron to interview for an internship. Soon, Aaron moved to Cannon Beach, where he interned at the Stephanie Inn and at the company's Lumberyard Rotisserie & Grill.

In October 2006, Aaron was promoted to the position of sous chef under Chef Crystal Corbin. His days often start at 11 a.m. and last until 10 p.m. "It's lots of hard work and lots of fun," he says. Even when he is not working, Aaron thinks about food – drawing inspiration from cookbooks and programs on television's Food Network.

"Our focus at The Stephanie Inn is to stay seasonal and local," he says. "All seafood is wild and our produce comes from local farms. I'm always looking at new ways to present classic dishes," says Aaron. The main goal at The Stephanie Inn Dining Room, he says, "is to provide for our guests and present food that is as good as it can be."