Raphael Lunetta

* Chef and owner of JiRaffe restaurant in Santa Monica.

Into the Ocean: Saturdays I start out early, at 6 or 6:30 a.m., and I head north on Pacific Coast Highway with a couple of surfboards to Zuma Beach. The reason I pick Zuma is that the water is clean, the surf is always a little bit better. It’s a powerful wave, and you’re not looking at a big city behind you. It’s crisp, and for me, that’s the best way to start the day. I’ve been surfing my entire life. I surfed professionally for a while--and fall is the ideal time of year to surf. I surf to be around nature. It brings you back to life and gives you energy.

Back to Work: On my way back, I head to the Santa Monica Organic Farmers Market, at Arizona and 2nd Street, just a few blocks from the restaurant. I have a deal with some fishermen out of Santa Barbara there, and try to get some sweet shrimp. And I’ll see what vegetables are nice. Then I load up the car and drop it all off at the restaurant.

Chefs Eat, Too: I’ll have lunch at the French Market on Abbott Kinney in Venice. There are a lot of surfing chefs there on Saturday morning, and they’re all French. It’s a funny European market with attitude. They don’t really want to accommodate you, but it’s still a charming place. It’s also the only place where you’ll see people smoking in the morning.

Chefs Eat, Too, Part 2: I always cook on Saturday night. I really enjoy being in the restaurant on the busiest night of the week. About 10:30 p.m. I walk off the line and go out for a snack or cocktail. There’s a little place down the street called Voda, a nice nightclub/bar. It’s pretty hip. I might go sit in the lobby of Shutters on the Beach. Or Chaya Brasserie or Hal’s Bar and Grill are good. You see a lot of other restaurant people there.

Slow Sunday: I take Sunday morning real slow. I have a cup of tea in my yard--I live on this great walk street in Venice--and talk to the neighbors. I’ll listen to “Cafe L.A.” on KCRW and look through a Surfer’s Journal magazine. Then I like to go to Campanile for brunch, which is great, and stroll up LaBrea to shop for shoes or jeans or something for the house. When I get home, I take my beautiful black labrador, Oscar--named after the Oscar the Grouch--for a walk or run down the Venice boardwalk.