Celebrity chef Andrew Gruel, an outspoken conservative and owner of a local restaurant, was appointed Tuesday night, March 18, to the Huntington Beach City Council.

Gruel is a frequent Fox News guest and his criticism of state leadership, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, will have him aligned with his new council colleagues who have launched several fights with the state.

“Everything that we do here is obviously emblematic of a movement to be able to focus on local politics, but also represent true American values,” Gruel said Tuesday.

Gruel replaces newly elected state Sen. Tony Strickland, who resigned this month from the City Council after winning his race to return to the legislature. Gruel was appointed in a 5-0 vote and will serve the rest of Strickland’s term through 2026.

City Manager Travis Hopkins met with council members to get suggestions on replacements for Strickland, according to a city staff report. Three residents were suggested, Gruel, Valentina Bankhead and Ken Babineau. The latter two withdrew themselves from consideration on Tuesday during public comment.

Gruel is joining the city as it faces tough decisions to fix an upcoming budget deficit that’s expected to grow by millions each year.

Gruel said he’s opened more than 40 restaurants in his career and said he sees himself as the conduit to distill the needs and wants of the community into policy.

“A lot of people probably look at my position and say, ‘What the heck does a chef know about all that stuff?’” Gruel said. “Chefs are inherent at cutting waste. That’s what we do.”

Gruel is not the first Huntington Beach councilmember known outside of politics in recent years. Tito Ortiz, a former MMA fighter, was on the City Council for about six months in 2021 before resigning.

Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark said Gruel and his wife showed leadership during the Los Angeles County wildfires in January when he offered up the parking lot of his Sunset Beach restaurant Calico Fish House to any fire victims needing a place to stay. The restaurant also became a hub for gathering donations to during the wildfires after the chef put out a call for people to help.

Right before Gruel was appointed and sworn in, hecklers at the meeting moved Mayor Pat Burns to clear the chambers and recess the meeting.

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