Adam Pechal, a California celebrity chef whose rise included a breakout opportunity connected to Anthony Bourdain, has been jailed following a felony domestic violence allegation.
Pechal, 50, was taken into custody after a woman contacted Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies at about 11 p.m. Wednesday from a home in Arden-Arcade, reporting that he had physically assaulted her, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said.
Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Edward Igoe told The Sacramento Bee that deputies arrested Pechal on suspicion of felony domestic violence after the woman was medically assessed at the residence and cleared.
Jail records show Pechal was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail early Thursday and remained in custody with bail set at $50,000.
He is expected to make his first court appearance Friday for arraignment in Sacramento Superior Court.
The arrest represents a dramatic turn for a chef once known beyond Sacramento after appearing on the first season of ABC’s The Taste, the short-lived culinary competition co-hosted and executive produced by the late Anthony Bourdain.
Pechal went on to become a familiar figure in the Sacramento dining world, running Tuli Bistro, Thir13en and Tuli Catering before shifting his focus to private events and consulting work.
In 2025, he also created the menu for Local Flights at Sacramento International Airport.
According to his social media accounts, Pechal most recently worked as a private chef, culinary consultant and educator, regularly cooking for Sacramento Kings players.
The felony arrest now casts a dark cloud over the career of the once-rising TV chef, whose association with Bourdain helped launch him into the national spotlight.
