A California celebrity chef who got his big break working with Anthony Bourdain is now behind bars on a felony domestic violence allegation.
Adam Pechal, 50, was arrested after a woman called Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies to an Arden-Arcade home around 11 p.m. Wednesday and reported that he had physically assaulted her, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrested Pechal on suspicion of felony domestic violence after the woman was medically evaluated and cleared at the home, sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Edward Igoe told The Sacramento Bee.
Pechal was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail early Thursday, where he remained in custody on $50,000 bail, according to jail records.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Sacramento Superior Court.
The arrest marks a stunning fall for the once high-flying chef, who became nationally known after competing on Season 1 of ABC’s The Taste, the short-lived cooking competition co-hosted and executive produced by the late Bourdain.
Pechal later became a prominent name in Sacramento’s restaurant scene, operating Tuli Bistro, Thir13en and Tuli Catering before pivoting to private events and consulting.
In 2025, he designed 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.
