Sacramento chef Adam Pechal jailed on domestic violence charge

Adam Pechal, then executive chef and co-owner of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant Thir13en, is photographed in 2013. Pechal, 50, was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony domestic violence, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Autumn Payne

Sacramento Bee file

Local chef and restaurateur Adam Pechal was arrested and booked early Thursday into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of felony domestic violence after a woman told deputies he physically assaulted her, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

Pechal, 50, was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Sacramento Superior Court. He remained in custody Thursday in lieu of $50,000 bail, jail records showed.

Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies were called to an Arden Arcade residence about 11 p.m. Wednesday by a woman who said she was physically assaulted by Pechal, said Sgt. Edward Igoe, a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. The woman was medically cleared by personnel at the home and Pechal was arrested on suspicion of felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, Igoe said.

Pechal, who formerly owned Sacramento restaurants Tuli Bistro, Thir13en and Tuli Catering, first became known for his appearance on Season 1 of “The Taste,” the short-lived ABC culinary reality series hosted by Anthony Bourdain.

Pechal in 2025 designed the menu for Sacramento International Airport eatery Local Flights, and now operates as a private chef, largely for private events and Sacramento Kings athletes, along with work as a consultant and educator, according to his social media accounts.

Adam Pechal, then executive chef and co-owner of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant Thir13en, pours sauteed mussels into a serving bowl at Thir13en in Sacramento in 2013. Pechal, 50, was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony domestic violence, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Autumn Payne Sacramento Bee file