Our Story
Your Neighborhood Farmer's Market Restaurant
located in Walnut, CA
Fresh Flavors, Local Love
Native Fields is a sister-owned, farm-to-table restaurant in Walnut, California, founded by Chef Cat Castaneda and Christine Cornwell in honor of their late father, Marcel Castaneda. After his passing from cancer in 2016, the sisters opened Native Fields in 2018 as a celebration of family, community, and the food culture that shaped them growing up in West Covina.
Chef Cat Castaneda is a Culinary Institute of America graduate, private chef, caterer, restaurateur, and culinary entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience in the food industry. After returning to Los Angeles from New York, she trained under James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin at acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants Lucques and a.o.c.
Cat later spent five years as Chef of Forage Restaurant in Silver Lake, known for its market-driven, seasonal approach to California cuisine, before launching her own food business, Pot & Ladle.
While earning a degree in Agricultural Science from Cal Poly Pomona, Cat along with her sister Christine, opened Native Fields in Walnut. The restaurant reflects Cat’s love of California’s diverse food culture, local farms, organic ingredients, seasonal cooking, and farmers market-driven cuisine.
Today, Chef Cat continues to lead Native Fields while working as a private chef and caterer throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, creating elevated in-home dining experiences, custom catering menus, private events, and seasonal farm-to-table cuisine.
Native Fields proudly serves Walnut, West Covina, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, Covina, San Dimas, the greater San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Claremont, Brentwood, Burbank, Santa Monica and every city in between.
Our Mission
At Native Fields, our mission is to bring thoughtful, farm-to-table dining to Walnut and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley through fresh, seasonal food made with purpose.
We are committed to serving healthier, pesticide-conscious, non-GMO options whenever possible, using whole ingredients sourced from local farmers markets, California farms, and trusted regional vendors. From brunch and dinner to chef-prepared meal prep, private events, and catering, our menus are rooted in seasonal California cooking, quality ingredients, and food that feels both nourishing and memorable.
As a locally owned restaurant in Walnut, California, we proudly serve our surrounding communities including West Covina, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, Covina, and San Dimas with farm-to-table brunch, dinner, catering, private chef services, and prepared meals.
Our values extend beyond the plate. We invest in our team through leadership development and education, support California-based producers, reduce waste through thoughtful repurposing, and continue to build more sustainable restaurant practices.
Native Fields exists to bring people together through good food, genuine hospitality, community, and a deeper connection to the farms and ingredients that feed us.
How We Do It
With 100% locally sourced ingredients, we shop at the South Pasadena and Claremont farmers markets. We support local farmers, like Sunrise Organic Farm, Weiser Family Farm, Underwood Family Farms, and Mother Hubbard, . Native Fields is a farm-to-table, non-GMO, pesticide-free restaurant and cafe. Grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and pasture-raised eggs are served here with vegetarian and vegan options available.
Committed to Sustainable
As a locally-owned family restaurant, we are committed to sustainability in every aspect of our business. We prioritize sourcing ingredients from farmers who practice efficient, regenerative farming techniques, ensuring that our food not only nourishes our guests but also contributes to the health of the planet. Additionally, we are dedicated to reducing waste and environmental impact by using recycled paper goods and plant-based, biodegradable packaging.
