His passion for fine dining led him to Patina, where he garnered critical acclaim working alongside Joachin Splichal for nearly a decade. His time at Patina afforded him the opportunity to travel and work alongside chefs Ferran Adrià and his mentor Alain Ducasse, among others. Manzke landed in Carmel in 2002, opening Bouchée, Cantinetta Luca and l’Auberge Carmel in a matter of 5 years. In 2009, Walter took over the kitchen at Church & State, earning rave reviews for his interpretation of French cuisine in a groundbreaking Arts District space. While searching Los Angeles for the perfect location to open a restaurant of his own, Manzke, along with his wife, Margarita and sister-in-law, Ana, opened up Wildflour Bakery and Café in Manila, Philippines (as of 2019, they operate 16 locations and counting). The following year Petty Cash Taqueria opened, with République following suit in 2014. Next, the Manzke family opened Sari Sari Store in 2017 in Downtown LA’s historic Grand Central Market. December 2019 marked République’s 5 year anniversary, and the Manzkes are excited to see their restaurant family continue to grow in the years to come.
