Born and raised in Northern California, Alexandra spent a significant part of her childhood in Europe with her Swiss-German grandparents. Food was always an important part of their lives, thus she was exposed to a wide range of culinary culture while there, learning to source local, seasonal ingredients to prepare homemade meals with her grandmother as well as dining at Michelin-star restaurants throughout Europe with her grandfather; experiences that would later influence her decision to become a chef and inform her approach to cooking and hospitality.

After completing her undergraduate degree in fine art at San Diego State, Alexandra relocated to New York City to pursue graduate studies at the School of Visual Arts after which she emerged an artist with the desire to put her creative energies into cooking and ultimately owning her own restaurant. Over the next decade, Alexandra remained in New York City during which time she honed her craft while working with some of that city’s most esteemed female chef’s and restauranteurs. Upon leaving New York, Alexandra relocated to Austin Texas, where for the next seven years she held the position of Executive Chef/Food & Beverage director for Bunk House Group’s Hotel Saint Cecilia prior to moving to Marfa and opening Cochineal in 2017.

At Cochineal, Alexandra’s approach is rooted in her belief that the essence of fine cuisine is exemplified by the creative use of the finest ingredients prepared and presented with thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Alexandra crafts dishes using traditional European inspired cooking techniques but re-imagined by featuring local and regional sourced ingredients as a means of creating a unique dining experience for her guests. Cochineal’s daily evolving seasonal menus spotlight Alexandra’s commitment to sustainability and she makes every effort to source her ingredients from the restaurant’s own on-site garden as well as from farmers, ranchers and others throughout Texas and New Mexico that share in that commitment.

Alexandra also makes a conscious effort to prioritize inclusion in the culinary space—an industry where only 16% of executive chefs and 14% of restaurant owners are female. From focusing on female winemakers in Cochineal’s wine and beverage program to speaking publicly on the topic, Alexandra serves as a role model to women aspiring to successfully own and operate their own restaurants. She was honored to be one of six influential women in the food industry to be featured in William Sonoma’s Open Kitchen Conversation Series on that subject and has been named a James Beard Award Semifinalist for “Best Chef Texas” three times, in 2020, 2024 and 2025.

Alexandra and her Restaurant, Cochineal, have been featured in multiple publications, including the following:
LONELY PLANET TRAVEL
Two Ways to Texas on YouTube
BINGING WITH BABISH
Cochineal is featured on an episode of the You Tube Channel Babish Culinary Universe. The Binging with Babish episode titled “I Tried The Most Remote Fine Dining in the America” first aired in July 2025 and has almost 520 thousand views to date.
GOOD TASTE WITH TANJI
Executive Chef Alexandra Gates and Cochineal are featured in Season 9 Episode 4 of Good Taste with Tanji. The episode focuses on Chef’s Alex’s journey to Marfa, the food and dining experience she creates at Cochineal and her approach to life.
CONDE NAST TRAVELER
Executive Chef Alexandra Gates and Cochineal are featured in a episode of the documentary series On Our Table produced by Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler and Origin Water.
BON APPETIT