Following an injury that ended a 15-year professional ballet career, Chef Zach Castillo found a reignited and deeper sense of passion in the kitchen which he once had for dancing. Zach’s culinary pursuit began with a two-year butchery program in Tuscon before moving back to the Midwest. Here, he discovered his love of fine dining by commuting from Chicago to Milwaukee regularly to cook with Chef Ryan Pfeiffer of Blackbird in his free time. This introduction to the city’s culinary scene led to Zach’s Milwaukee homecoming, accepting the role of Sous Chef at Wolf Peach. Working his way up, Zach went to work for JVR Group for six years where he helped open Fauntleroy and spent two years at a highly acclaimed fine dining restaurant and chef’s table concept, EsterEv, as Chef de Cuisine. After crossing paths with Chef-Owner Kyle Knall of Birch, Zach was compelled by Birch’s commitment to exclusive sourcing of ingredients from the region, so much so that he decided to join the team. As chef de cuisine, Zach values the passionate team at Birch and enjoys bringing people together for a meal that celebrates produce that often goes under the radar.  

Outside the restaurant, Zach can be found brushing up on old and new cookbooks, cheering on the Bucks, or mastering the art of the Neapolitan pizza with a backyard oven built by his dad.