Stephen Shafer

Wine Director

Stephen Shafer has enjoyed a meandering career through the restaurant industry, during which he has held practically every role it has to offer. Born in Ohio, he started as a dishwasher and line cook at age 15. At 18, he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he began to take cooking more seriously. Realizing that cooking for and feeding others gave him immense satisfaction, he dove head first into the culinary world, devoting his time and energy to reading every cookbook he could find. Through this self-education, he was captivated by many restaurants in the Bay Area and realized that his career could only go so far in the Midwest restaurant scene, so he took his talents to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, California. 

At the CIA, Stephen was particularly inspired by the wine and management courses, and, upon completion of his degree, he joined the Front of House team at The Kitchen Door in Napa, where he quickly rose through the ranks into management, and organized monthly beer pairing dinners at the restaurant. After leaving The Kitchen Door, he traveled to Europe, where he spent time staging in the kitchen at the Michelin starred In De Wulf in Belgium. 

Having done a stint abroad, Stephen returned to California in 2015, relocating to the East Bay, an area that drew him due to its diverse and exciting food scene. He landed in management at Oakland’s fondly remembered Camino, where the daily changing and intensely seasonal menu as well as the deep commitment to responsible sourcing set the tone for the rest of his career. From Camino, Shafer worked at other notable Bay Area restaurants, including The Slanted Door, Nyum Bai, and Pomet. His time at these restaurants saw Shafer fill a variety of front of house roles, but each left a desire to learn more about wine and curate his own program.

Stephen joined the Mägo team in 2023, drawn to the casual and accessible approach to fine dining. He loves the dynamic creativity that he encounters at work everyday, and finding new pairings for the constantly changing menu is an addictive challenge. He hopes to continue to build a unique beverage program that reflects both his own esoteric taste and showcases the diverse offerings of Latin American winemakers.