Tami Wong

One of my earliest memories is helping Grandma Wong water her bean sprouts in the basement of our restaurant, the Rainbow Café in my hometown of Brookings South Dakota. I rose through the ranks to strawberry huller, and eventually to potato peeler and ice bucket runner in my Dad's restaurant, the Windsong in Colorado Springs. I finally was on the payroll at Peak's Palate Inn as a busser, then I was promoted to cook after a year.We moved to California when I was a freshman and I started working counters, first at Honey Baked Ham in Rancho Mirage, then McDonalds in Palm Desert. I served ice cream at Bud's and deli at Jerry's in Indian Wells.The second I could leave the desert, I came to San Diego to attend SDSU and worked at Kool Korner at 5th and University. I diverted into sales for a few years, selling roses door to door but found my way back to the comfort zone when I scored a job at the brand new Club Fumar Cigar Lounge at the Trophy's in UTC. I loved the whole business of cigars, wine, port and nice beer. I worked at the Mission Valley and Newport Beach locations as well. After Club Fumar closed, I opened PJs Coffee and Tea at 5th and J where I gained my barista experience. Then I grabbed the opportunity to work at Hemingways in Old Town where I got to sell cigars again while experimenting more with port, Madeira and beer. When Hemingway's closed, I went to Nunu's for my cocktail waitress experience. When I decided I wanted to develop as a server, 3rd Corner was just opening and I was the first server hired in Ocean Beach. There I encountered the crate of White Burgs and a whole lot of other wine. I became Certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2007 and eventually took the buyer job at the Encinitas location of 3rd Corner. In January 2013, I was honored to become a thread in the tapestry that is the La Valencia Hotel and serve as the Wine Director.  After a year, the opportunity that has become Juniper and Ivy was too good to pass up and the rest, they say, is history.