Adam Pechal, then executive chef and co-owner of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant Thir13en, is photographed in 2013. Pechal, 50, was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony domestic violence, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecutors on Friday declined to file criminal charges citing insufficient evidence.
Autumn Payne
Sacramento Bee file
Sacramento County prosecutors found insufficient evidence and declined to file criminal charges against local chef and restaurateur Adam Pechal, who was arrested earlier this week on a felony domestic violence charge.
Pechal, 50, was released from the Sacramento County Main Jail on Friday afternoon. He had been held in custody for more than a day with his bail amount set at $50,000.
Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies arrested Pechal on suspicion of committing corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant.
Prosecutors reviewed the investigation, determined there was insufficient evidence to prove Pechal’s guilt in court beyond a reasonable doubt and declined to file any criminal charges against the chef, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office said Friday afternoon in an email to The Sacramento Bee.
About 11 p.m. Wednesday, deputies responded to a call from a woman at an Arden Arcade home who said she was physically assaulted by Pechal, said Sgt. Edward Igoe, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
Igoe said the woman was medically cleared by personnel at the home, and deputies arrested Pechal.
Pechal, who formerly owned Sacramento restaurants Tuli Bistro, Thir13en and Tuli Catering, first became known for his appearance on Season 1 of “The Taste,” the short-lived ABC culinary reality series hosted by Anthony Bourdain.
Pechal in 2025 designed the menu for Sacramento International Airport eatery Local Flights, and now operates as a private chef, largely for private events and Sacramento Kings athletes, along with work as a consultant and educator, according to his social media accounts.
The Bee’s Darrell Smith and Sean Timberlake contributed to this story.
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Rosalio Ahumada writes breaking news stories related to crime and public safety for The Sacramento Bee. He speaks Spanish fluently and has worked as a news reporter in the Central Valley since 2004.