Our Story, Our Passion
Our love of food and wine along with a passion for living brought us together. Two beautiful children, two restaurants and a catering company later, along with living in some of the most beautiful parts of the United States, exploring different cultures and cuisines, our passions for good food and wine remains, along for our love of one another, family and friends.
CHEF PETER O'BRIEN
Chef Peter O'Brien is the Co-Owner and Executive Chef of High Mountain Cuisine, bringing more than 35 years of culinary and hospitality leadership to every event. Throughout his distinguished career, Peter has built a reputation for creating refined, ingredient-driven cuisine while leading award-winning culinary teams at luxury resorts, private clubs, fine dining restaurants, and premier catering operations across Texas, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.
Peter's culinary journey began in Dallas, where he worked his way from prep cook to Chef de Cuisine in several acclaimed restaurants, including Routh Street Café, Baby Routh, The Mansion on Turtle Creek, and The Riviera. He later moved to Austin to serve as Executive Chef of The Granite Café and Bitter End before co-founding the acclaimed fine dining restaurant Si Bon with his wife, Cara, in 1996.
Over the next two decades, Peter held executive leadership positions at some of the Southwest's most prestigious hospitality properties, including Lajitas Resort, Cornerstone Club in Telluride, Promontory Club in Utah, The Club at Las Campanas, Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi, Bishop's Lodge, and The Compound Restaurant in Santa Fe.
Throughout his career, Peter has prepared memorable dining experiences for an impressive list of guests including President George W. Bush, Lady Bird Johnson, Michael Dell, Walter Cronkite, James Baker, Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Redford, Susan Graham, and many other distinguished clients.
Today, Peter leads all culinary operations for High Mountain Cuisine, where he specializes in creating highly personalized menus inspired by the flavors of the Southwest while incorporating global culinary influences. His commitment to exceptional ingredients, flawless execution, and genuine hospitality has made High Mountain Cuisine one of Northern New Mexico's premier boutique catering companies.
CARA O’BRIEN
Cara O'Brien is the Founder, Co-Owner, and Director of Operations for High Mountain Cuisine. With nearly three decades of hospitality leadership and event management experience, she has built a reputation for creating exceptional guest experiences while expertly managing the complex logistics behind luxury weddings, corporate events, nonprofit galas, and private celebrations.
Cara and Peter opened their first fine dining restaurant, Si Bon, in Austin, Texas, in 1996. Her hospitality career continued through leadership positions with luxury resorts, destination properties, and private clubs throughout Texas, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, where she developed expertise in event planning, food and beverage operations, guest services, marketing, and business development.
In 2022, Cara made the decision to devote herself full-time to High Mountain Cuisine after nearly thirteen years with the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, where she directed many of the Foundation's premier donor events, exhibition openings, travel experiences, and exclusive patron programs. Her experience cultivating relationships throughout Santa Fe's arts, cultural, nonprofit, and business communities continues to be an invaluable asset to High Mountain Cuisine.
Under Cara's leadership, High Mountain Cuisine has experienced remarkable growth over the past five years, expanding into a significantly larger commercial kitchen and becoming one of Northern New Mexico's most sought-after boutique catering companies. Today, the company produces everything from intimate private chef dinners and cooking classes to multi-day retreats, luxury weddings, nonprofit galas, and large-scale corporate events throughout the Southwest.
Cara is passionate about building lasting relationships with clients, mentoring her team, and creating memorable celebrations defined by impeccable service, thoughtful hospitality, and extraordinary food. Together, Cara and Peter have built High Mountain Cuisine on a simple philosophy: every event should feel personal, every guest should feel cared for, and every meal should be unforgettable.
“As one of the owners of Stoner Ranch, near Telluride, Colorado, I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Peter O’Brien for several years. Pete is a skilled hospitality professional. It is a pleasure to give responsibility for ranch hospitality to Pete because he handles every detail, from small to large, with precision and care.
He is a consummate professional who knows how to keep the rhythm of an event running so that everyone has a terrific time without seeing how much work is being put into the effort. Peter's gracious style and fun-loving personality make him a pleasure to be with, and his presence makes every visit to the ranch more enjoyable.
Pete is an unbelievable chef, who is inventive, creative and flexible, based on his guests’ needs. I am familiar with Peter's experience in the restaurant industry but have not had the pleasure to see Pete run a restaurant kitchen. I am sure that he brings the same disciplined, yet flexible approach to all of his professional environments.”
Peter O’Brien is extraordinarily talented, and any restaurant or hospitality business would be lucky to have his skills and personality in their organization.”