What about table-to-farm?

That’s the concept behind San Juan Capistrano’s Campesino Café, the zero-waste restaurant that The Ecology Center opened last year as part of its 15th anniversary.

The menu features organic ingredients grown on the Ecology Center’s 28-acre regenerative farm and education center. It’s a succinct menu, and can include soup, salads, a breakfast sandwich and a Farmer’s Feast for two people. Beverages range from coffee drinks to teas, kombucha and agua fresca.

“Since our founding in 2008, we’ve made it our mission to nourish and inspire the community with the vision of an ecological food future. Our new restaurant is an expression of this vision,” said Evan Marks, founder and executive director of the Ecology Center.

“A lot of restaurants say that they are farm-to-table, but our regenerative, organic farm takes things one step further and brings the table to the farm. It’s a completely unique experience to offer our guests the opportunity to consume ingredients sourced within walking distance of where they’re sitting. This is another way we’re connecting our community back to the land.”

“From a food quality standpoint, if you get the best quality ingredients as fresh as you can from someone you know, your food is going to be great,” he said.

James Beard Winner

The restaurant’s menu was created by Chef Tim Byres, a James Beard cookbook award winner who spent six months on the Ecology Center’s farm as the resident chef leading the Hearth dinner series in 2021.

Campesino Café’s vegetarian menu changes frequently to take advantage of the seasonal crops harvested at any given time. Ingredients used throughout the menu are also regenerative, utilizing the Ecology Center’s guiding concept of agroecology—farming practices that give more than they take by focusing on soil health, animal welfare and social fairness.

According to the Ecology Center, the name of the restaurant was derived from the word “campesino,” a Latin American term meaning “of the land,” and translates to “farmer,” a description that perfectly fits the restaurant’s culture.

“We are here to model, mentor and nourish,” Marks said. “This is a demonstration of humans thriving together. It’s a buzz of new culture, new lifestyle, mentoring young farmers and chefs, changing the food system of Southern California and growing meaningful ingredients.”

Farm Stands, Pop-Ups

The Ecology Center also offers a popular Farm Stand featuring produce from the farm for guests to purchase along with goods from dozens of small artisan makers and farmers throughout the region.

It also hosts regular Community Table dinners, each featuring a different renowned guest chef who designs and cooks a farm-to-table meal utilizing ingredients from the farm.

The Ecology Center is introducing a series of pop-up dining events called Peace Pizza and Tie-Dye Taqueria starting in April and going to the end of May.

Launching every other Tuesday starting April 30, Tie-Dye Taqueria reinvents Taco Tuesdays with a menu of fish and vegetable tacos, quesadillas and bean salads. Taco options include Cauliflower en Mole, with charred cauliflower, roasted onions and mole, or a fish taco with rockfish, cabbage slaw, chili crema, salsa macha and pickled onions.

The Peace Pizza events started April 25 and takes place every other Thursday. They feature fresh produce pizzas, with ingredients such as buttermilk pesto and wood-fired peas and carrots.

At the pop-ups, guests can engage with farmers, chefs and regenerative agriculture experts through interactive cooking demonstrations and educational workshops.

And for strawberry lovers, the Ecology Center’s Strawberry U-Pick event is back.

The farm welcomes visitors every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through June 3, or while strawberries last. Visitors can handpick strawberries, which are sold by weight, and are free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The Ecology Center: 32701 Alipaz St.,
San Juan Capistrano, (949) 443-4223, theecologycenter.org.

The post The Ecology Center Unveils New Café appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

The annual Orange County Restaurant Week returns Sunday, March 3 through Saturday, March 9.

More than 175 restaurants throughout the county are participating with creative menus and cocktails concocted for Restaurant Week as examples of their restaurant’s cuisine.

The diverse dining options will be highlighted in a variety of prix fixe menus ranging from $15 to $25 for lunch, and $25 to $45 for dinner.

There are also Date Night options and curated Luxe menus from $60 to $120.

The OC Restaurant Week website showcases various options, including “Family Friendly” and “Vegetarian Dining.” There are also Wine Lover menus and special cocktails.

“The restaurants are really putting a lot into it—there seems to be a different level of engagement this year,” said Pamela Waitt, founder of OC Restaurant Week and president of OC Restaurant Association.

“We have more than 180 restaurants, and more wanted on board.”

Waitt said she had to cut off restaurant submissions, so she could get the OC Restaurant Week website completed.

“We learn how diners like to dine, how they like to plan their week. Everyone does it differently. Some do date night, others do luxury wine diners. We wanted to make sure the website can accommodate every type of diner.”

The website offers different ways to search restaurants, from price to style of cuisine.

Global Tour

Waitt is also working on a map that will show food diversity.

“It’s a fun global tour of Orange County,” Waitt said.

Also new this year is a smaller bites section that shows café offerings and dessert shops.
Waitt noted that the Date Night listings keep growing every year.

“Those bundled meals for two people can even be for girl’s night or guy’s night—some of those menus are incredible,” Waitt said.

So why host Restaurant Week in March?

It makes sense for the restaurants, Waitt said.

“It falls during a time when restaurants need an extra push. They look forward to it. In February you have Valentines, which is bread and butter for restaurants. In March the weather is better, and everyone is back in the groove of dining out.

Some cities have a restaurant week in January, which I always thought was odd. Chefs and restaurant teams are exhausted from Christmas, and customers are balancing credit card bills.”

Launch Party

This year’s OC Restaurant Week kicks off with an exclusive Restaurant Week Masters VIP Launch Party at the Marriott Irvine Spectrum on Saturday, March 2 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

A limited number of VIP guests will be the first to sample bites from more than 30 OC Restaurant Week participants, along with premium wines, craft beer, and cocktails and mocktails. Elevating the event, guests will enjoy a food art display and live DJ.

“We have more restaurants at the preview day this year than ever before,” Waitt said. “We have 35 restaurants, a whole roasted pig, and a giant paella. The experience this year is elevated.”

For more information on OC Restaurant Week, including tickets to the Preview Party, visit OCRestaurantWeek.com.

The post OC Restaurant Week: March 3-9 appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

The bungalow has been both a home and a restaurant, most notably French 75 for 15 years until it was sold to an investment group that included Anaheim Ducks hockey legend and NHL Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne and local Orange County businessman Kevin Pratt.

Selanne Steak Tavern opened in November 2013 and was a hit from day one. This upscale contemporary steakhouse has an upstairs dining room, downstairs tavern and bar area, a wine room for more intimate dining and two patios for alfresco dining.

Menus feature fine steaks and seafood served with a variety of accompaniments enhanced by herbs from the restaurant’s herb garden.

The restaurant is known for its excellent California and French wine selections and has been awarded the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator for seven consecutive years.

This year, it received a new accolade: it was one of six new California restaurants added by the Michelin Guide to its list of “new discoveries.”

Selanne Executive Chef Vincent Terusa said the Michelin designation lit a fire under everyone at the restaurant.

“It makes you want to push even harder, push for that Michelin experience. It’s hard to keep consistent, but we have an amazing staff and service and ambiance. Everything needs to fire on all cylinders.”

Terusa was at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort (now Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club) before coming to Selanne as the opening sous chef. He took over as executive chef six years ago.

“We take care with what we are creating for our guests,” Terusa said.

“People are expecting something remarkable, and we give it to them. It’s a testament to the team, we have people that love the craft. We have a professional service staff. This is their career and it really shows. The service is the best I have worked with.”

Anniversary

The restaurant is celebrating its 10th anniversary and continues to evolve.

Selanne recently added The B8kery by Selanne, adjacent to Selanne Steak Tavern. It features an array of pastries and breads created by Rebekah Eastman, who is also the new pastry chef at Selanne Steak Tavern.

Previously, Eastman worked as pastry chef at Bourbon Steak, Chef Michael Mina’s restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point.

The OCBJ Review: By Christopher Trela

The 10-year anniversary marked a perfect time to return to Selanne Steak Tavern and rediscover what made the restaurant as great as its namesake.

My friend and fellow foodie Jim Owen and I dined at Selanne Steak Tavern on a Tuesday evening in November. The restaurant was busy for a Tuesday, a tribute to its continued popularity.

We nabbed a prime table and perused the menu until our server, Rafael, arrived and we asked him for recommendations. He walked us through the menu, explaining in detail many of the dishes.

I asked to start with the black pepper and thyme loaf that came with sundried tomato tapenade and a flight of seasonal butters.

The loaf came ready to pull apart and enjoy, which we did. The bread was warm, and the soft butter melted into the bread. We were in bread heaven. This is a must to start any Selanne experience.

Next came oysters, but not any oysters. These were Moon Rock oysters from Oregon.
“These were harvested no later than two days ago,” Rafael stated. “They arrived today. They have a buttery finish.”

The oysters came with a variety of accompaniments including vinegar sauce, cocktail sauce, horseradish, tobacco and lemon.

I had a bad experience with oysters several years ago and have avoided them since, but took the plunge and was rewarded with—as Rafael said—buttery oysters that tasted like they just swam in from the ocean and plopped onto my plate.

Next came Scarlett beet “ravioli” with artisanal goat cheese, hazelnuts and golden beet vinaigrette. This is a brilliant dish, a lovely combination of flavors and textures with a creative execution.

Our next dish Rafael said was “my favorite thing on the menu. This is a signature dish. This is sushi grade scallops, pan seared, with cauliflower puree, porcini powder, pickled shimeji mushrooms, and fermented black garlic on top.”

Rafael suggested we turn the garlic into a paste and have some with every bite.

“It’s the Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze dance on your palate—it’s just the right amount of dirty,” he said with a smile, referencing the movie “Dirty Dancing.”

He was right. Like the oysters, the scallops ditched the ocean and hitched a ride on a Laguna Trolley to arrive at my table. These were stellar scallops, and the mushrooms were the perfect accouterment.

But there was more to come: Jerusalem artichoke soup with Bosc pear gel and smoked pumpkin seeds with sunchoke chips and micro cilantro with a touch of brown butter.

“I suggest using the spoon, take it for a dance and enjoy everything together,” Rafael said.
Again, his dance metaphor was on point. My spoon provided a pas de deux on my palate.

This was a redefinition of soup—more like a brilliant bisque bath with artichokes taking the spotlight.

Then came a chef’s special: 60-day aged steaks accompanied by grilled onions and mushrooms with truffle butter and garlic chips plus a fennel crust and granny smith apples.

Wow. That says it all.

We ended our gastronomic experience with a lovely strawberry souffle, a nice change from the typical chocolate soufflé.

Chef-Driven Menu

As Jim and I wondered who would carry us to our cars after all that food, Selanne Executive Chef Vincent Terusa came and sat with us to discuss the menu.

I told him we started with the bread, which he said was “a fun way to start. We often change the butter daily. It shows our skill in a subtle way.”

Not so subtle were the scallops, which Terusa said are a fan favorite.

“They have been on the menu since day one. We have tried to move away from that dish but got a lot of pushback from customers, so we give people what they want.”

As to the artichoke soup, “I love artichokes. We use pear gel here. We sauté pears. Most people don’t put those together but it’s one of my favorites.”

Terusa noted that Selanne is a chef-driven steakhouse, so when he was preparing our steak entrée, he decided to add a side of mushrooms because “we can source really good mushrooms.

Most steakhouses give you one type of mushroom, here we have six mushrooms. We give them a hard sauté and then glaze with Madeira wine.”

Based on my experience at Selanne Steak Tavern, everything is humming at high gear and shows no sign of slowing down. This is truly one of the best restaurants in Orange County.

Selanne Steak Tavern: 1464 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 715-9881, selannesteaktavern.com

Authentic Texas BBQ at Holé Smokes

Barbecue restaurants abound in Orange County.

Some are restaurant chains; others are solo endeavors. Now you can add one more to the list: Holé Smokes, a new restaurant boasting authentic Texas-style barbecue with a catchphrase “brisket smoked right” that opened in October in Costa Mesa.

The Holé Smokes concept was created by Ian Bascon, head of operations for regional Mexican fast-casual chain Holé Molé, and Chef Dan Ramon, a San Antonio native and barbecue enthusiast.

The Holé Smokes menu features such barbecue classics as brisket, pulled pork, baby back ribs, smoked chicken, marinated tri-tip and smoked shrimp. All meats are smoked low and slow using a 50/50 blend of pecan (the Texas state tree) and oak logs imported from Texas and Oklahoma.

Holé Smokes’ sides include favorites such as creamy mac and cheese, broccoli slaw, fries and homestyle potato salad, although Ramon has been adding more dishes including Big Daddy’s sweet beans.

Taco Pivot

The full-service concept seats 50 guests in the dining room, 18 at the bar and 30 on the patio.

The interior features Texas barbecue-themed décor like chalkboards, oak and pecan logs stored under family-style tables, and a long oak bar-top serving wine, low-proof cocktails and beer.

According to Bascon, his family’s seven Holé Molé restaurants were doing brisk brisket taco sales and he realized they had a killer product, so he thought about trying a full barbecue restaurant business.

He met Ramon during the pandemic and learned he was a barbecue master. After a series of meetings, Bascon decided to pull the trigger on the concept.

About that time a former sushi restaurant at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Adams Avenue became available, and happened to be in the same strip mall as a Holé Molé location.

It took more than a year to get the concept from idea to execution, but once Holé Smokes opened, there were lines out the door. They were so busy that the first weekend they ran out of food.

What makes them different than other barbecue restaurants?

“It’s the wood and the actual time and process that we put into smoking the meat that you won’t find in most other barbecue restaurants,” Ramon said.

“They use liquid smoke or they boil their meats, which makes it sound like barbecue but it’s not the process we use. Instead of pellet smokers, we use real hardwood. The brisket goes for 16 hours, the ribs and chicken four to six hours. We don’t take shortcuts. You have to put in the time and dedication and commitment to the execution of it.”

That includes the smoked shrimp, which Ramon said gets the least time in the smoker.

“It absorbs everything quickly,” Ramon noted. “It’s not a typical barbecue meat, which is one of the things that differentiates us.”

Ramon, who was born and raised in Texas, grew up driving around the state seeking out authentic barbecue from mom-and-pop spots on the sides of local highways, out of the back of pickup trucks and at hole-in-the-wall gas stations.

Now as a chef specializing in traditional barbecue methods himself, Ramon’s Holé Smokes menu honors the “true-to-Texas, low-and-slow meat smoking method.”

To achieve that cooking style, Ramon brought in large 4,000-pound smokers.

“We broke the floor tiles getting them in—they barely fit through the door,” Ramon recalled.

The result was worth it. The response from customers has been positive, although Ramon said people unfamiliar with smoked meats can be intimidated, especially if they are used to other styles of barbecue.

“We make brisket the way it’s supposed to taste, from the smoke to the flavor of the bark. Lean or fatty, you can enjoy it for what it is.”

The OCBJ Review: By Christopher Trela

On my initial visit to Holé Smokes, I took one step inside the restaurant and exclaimed “it smells good in here.” Translation—it smelled like smoke and love tickling my senses.

As I perused the menu wondering what to get, my server Vivian walked me through the menu and made some recommendations. I settled on the pulled pork sandwich, which for me is a litmus test for barbecue.

The giant sandwich arrived accompanied by french fries. I took a bite and immediately took another. The pulled pork came with a pile of broccoli slaw and barbecue sauce smothered atop the pulled pork. Definitely one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have had anywhere.

The fries were fabulous, cooked perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside, with seasoning that elevated the fries from good to great.

2nd Trip

I went back a second time to interview founders Ian Bascon and Dan Ramon, and tried another menu item.

This time I went big and ordered a two-entrée plate with two sides. I had to try their famous brisket, and also the shrimp, which I have never seen on a barbecue menu. My sides were mac and cheese and Big Daddy’s sweet beans.

When the food arrived, I noticed they forgot to give me a knife. Then I learned why—no knife needed. The fork sliced through the brisket like butter.

This is damn good brisket. The shrimp was smokey goodness, the mac and cheese divine, and the beans were terrific.

I’ll be going back soon to try more Holé Smokes dishes.

Holé Smokes: 500 Adams Ave., Costa Mesa, (714) 677-0531, holesmokes.com

The post Selanne Steak: 10 Years, New Accolades appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

Mexican-themed restaurants abound. One of the most recent is Palenque on Newport Boulevard. It’s the second Palenque location. The flagship restaurant is in downtown Riverside, but Newport Beach-based owner Miguel Baeza has found a location closer to home. Palenque has taken over the space formerly occupied by The Hub.

Serving dinner nightly and weekend brunch, Palenque presents one of the largest selections of tequila and mezcal in the area with craft cocktails and Mexican dishes in an inspired open lounge.

“We wanted to move away from Day of the Dead imagery and incorporate inspiration from the areas in Mexico where mezcal is made, and we wanted to work with local, renowned designer Davis Ink,” said Baeza, who owns several restaurants in Riverside and Long Bech that have nightclubs attached to them.

Palenque is focused on cuisine, Baez said, although the restaurant is open late.

“Palenque has a warm atmosphere that brings the exterior into the interior,” he said.
Translation: the restaurant feels like an open lounge with dining available on the patio or inside the sprawling, open dining area.

Taco Maria Ties

Executive Chef Rolando Rubalcava—formerly chef de cuisine at Michelin-starred Taco Maria and creator of Rojo’s Hot Chicken—puts his spin on carne asada, carnitas, chile verde, ceviche, fish tacos and other dishes, utilizing the best local produce and quality meats to offer a sophisticated take on Mexican cuisine.

“I want to put this place on the map,” Rubalcava said. “It has potential. At Taco Maria, people did not understand why they were paying $5, $6, $7 for a taco, although it was freshly caught black cod, sea bream, Hamachi.”

Taco Maria closed its spot at the South Coast Collection a few months ago, and Chef Carlos Salgado is reportedly looking for a larger location to restart operations.

“People will pay $5 to $7 for a cupcake but not for a taco,” Rubalcava said. “Taco Bell has tacos for a couple of bucks and they are making a profit, but—you get what you pay for.”

His focus is on the Oaxaca region of Mexico, home to some of the best food and mezcal in the country.

The OCBJ Review: By Christopher Trela

I sampled some of Chef Rolando Rubalcava’s cuisine when I visited Palenque a few months ago, after they opened earlier this year.

Rubalcava started my culinary journey with ceviche tacos featuring Hamachi.

“Use your hands,” he insisted. “Food is a celebration so get in there and use your hands.

Food is a necessity, if done right its intimate, you allow us to put something we create into your mouth. My mom told me you cook with your heart and the mood you are in, if you are in better spirits, it translates to the food.”

He followed the Hamachi with taco dorados, which he said was one of his father’s dishes: ground beef dry aged with spices, oregano and cumin, tomato and onion, and sour cream.

“We are changing the simplicity, bringing it up a little.”

Then came my favorite dish: shrimp sautéed with fresh garlic and white wine. “It’s kind of like garlic scampi meets spicy shrimp,” Rubalcava said.

Whatever you call it, my palate clung to that dish like a drowning man to a life preserver.
I sampled several more dishes, including a deeply flavored branzino and a delightful tres leches topped with blueberries, strawberries and lemon zest.

Palenque: 1749 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, (949) 402-9951, palenquekitchen.com

The post Palenque Brings Oaxaca Cuisine to Costa Mesa appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

First, owner Marc Ghoukassian has revamped the bar at the Newport Beach restaurant, which is approaching its 25th year in business. What used to be a nice but one-sided bar is now 360 degrees.

The restaurant removed a steel wall and built a continuation of the bar, while adding high top tables. The result is more seating to view and enjoy the live music every night.

Add to that a new bar menu available daily from 4:30 p.m. to close.

I popped in to Bayside on a recent Thursday evening to check out the new bar and menu, and to listen to the Irvine Barclay Theatre Jazz Band featuring Ron Kobayashi on piano and Jerry Mandel on saxophone.

Ghoukassian, son of the late Bayside founder John Ghoukassian, joined me in the bar to share a tasting of the new menu. He also explained one of the primary reasons for the expanded bar.

“Our bar was always full—people would walk in and then walk out because there was no place to sit,” Ghoukassian said. “So, we doubled the space and now people can sit on both sides. It opens everything up and you can see the band better because we moved them up a few feet.”

Ghoukassian noted that many people prefer to eat at the bar, so he created a new bar menu although the full menu is also available.

“Our old bar menu was basically the regular menu with smaller portions. Now we have a new bar menu of bar bites, finger foods, sharable items, all designed for the bar and only available at the bar and bar tables.”

Octoberfest

Another good reason to go to Bayside in October: Oktoberfest.

The season is in full swing and Bayside has brought back its refined Oktoberfest menu, with two new options that combine tradition and refinement.

The Käsekrainer Bratwurst features smoked Emmenthal cheese-infused pork sausage smothered in sauerkraut and served with roasted potatoes alongside sweet and spicy mustard.

Schweinerüken is herb crusted pork loin served with braised red cabbage, green means and mashed potatoes, served with a grainy mustard sauce.

And a special Oktoberfest item served only in the bar: Bavarian Pretzel with housemade beer cheese dip and homemade mustard.

Music Scene

The third reason to go to Bayside is jazz music. Yes, Bayside has live music every night, but Joe Rothman and John McClure—local jazz presenters whose pedigree includes Newport Beach Jazz Party and The Jazz Cruise—are again hosting their Sunset Jazz series at Bayside Restaurant.

The jazzy duo is presenting four Sunset Jazz concerts in October and November in one of the restaurant’s dining rooms, featuring noted contemporary jazz artists.

Call (949) 759-5003 or visit sunsetjazzatnewport.com for ticket info.

Bayside Restaurant: 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 721-1222, nbaysiderestaurant.com

THE OCBJ REVIEW: BY CHRISTOPHER TRELA

After perusing the new bar menu at Bayside Restaurant and getting some recommendations from owner Marc Ghoukassian, I ordered the hot artichoke dip with toast points, a pair of beef sliders with sharp cheddar and burger sauce, and tuna poke with housemade chips.

It’s easy to overcook sliders but these came out a perfect medium, slightly pink and juicy.

A damn good slider, ideal for when you don’t want a full burger.

The artichoke dip is sharable and addicting. You may want to ask for extra bread.
The tuna poke is also sharable, although I’d hog it to myself.

Other items on the bar menu include Nola fries with Cajun spice, oysters by the shell, a medley of marinated olives, and short rib sliders.

The post A Trio of Reasons to Dine at Bayside appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

Times have changed, especially in Orange County. Now, many local hotels have elevated eateries that often rival more established venues.

Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian is sold out nearly every night. Veteran Chef Lewis Butler has revamped the cuisine at the Waterfront Resort in Huntington Beach, and rocker Sammy Hagar recently opened his Cabo Wabo Beach Club there.

Surf & Sand, the Montage, Ritz Carlton, Lido House, and Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach, among other coastal properties, all have superb cuisine and chefs.

Add The Peel Craftbar & Kitchen at Orange’s recently rebranded Hotel Fera to the list.

Hotel Fera is on a busy stretch of City Drive in Orange, and while the 19-story tower—previously known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Anaheim-Orange County—stands out in the area near UCI Medical Center, not far from Angel Stadium, it’s easy to overlook the restaurant within.

Hotel Fera guests have enjoyed The Peel’s chef-driven coastal California menu, but casual diners are just beginning to discover The Peel, which opened in June.

Hotel Rebrand

The restaurant opening is one of several changes for the 461-room Hotel Fera, which in 2021 was bought by AWH Partners and funds managed by a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management Inc. (NYSE: APO).

Property records indicate the deal was valued around $51.4 million, and also included the assumption of debt, according to reports.

Along with property upgrades and the new Hotel Fera name, the tower also saw Spire Hospitality take over as the property’s manager following the sale.

The new restaurant caps the latest round of renovations and rebranding of OC’s 16th-largest hotel by room count.

Elegant Décor

The Peel has a casual elegance that starts with the eye-catching U-shaped bar and continues with the indoor space and the outdoor patio with fire pits and a waterfall.

The seasonally focused menu was created by Executive Chef Luis Martinez and features dishes that are varied and approachable with bold flavor.

“My passion in the kitchen comes from cooking with my grandmother as a young boy in Mexico, and my experience comes from more than 40 years in hotel restaurants,” said Martinez, whose inspiration from his grandmother’s wood-fire cooking can be found throughout the menu.

“The Peel menu combines my passion and experience to create a new type of hotel dining experience that focuses on cooking as I would for my own family.”

Local History

Chef Martinez said he also wanted to embrace the Orange and Anaheim area and the history of oranges and orchards, and also the culinary trend of blending cultures via the cuisine.

And, admitted Martinez, “in a hotel you have to be creative with your menu to entice people to come and try things.”

“I also want to celebrate local farmers. We want to be sustainable, and local within a 150-mile radius. That’s what the restaurant is based on.

Our lettuces come from Babe Farms in Santa Barbara, our strawberries come from Harry’s Berries in Oxnard, our microgreens come from Coleman Family Farms in Carpinteria, and our olive oil comes from the Temecula Olive Oil Co.”

The OCBJ Review: BY CHRISTOPHER TRELA

Executive Chef Luis Martinez recently had me sample several of his signature dishes at The Peel Craftbar & Kitchen, including shrimp and scallop aguachile, mussels with white wine and coconut curry, and my favorite dish of the day: tempura cauliflower—small chunks of cauliflower in a sweet chili barbecue sauce with sesame seeds.

It reminded me of sweet and sour chicken (minus the chicken).

Other sample menu items include three types of flatbreads, California hummus, a Mediterranean charcuterie board, Power Bowls, Butcher Boy burger, Mary’s fried chicken sandwich with a Cajun aioli and citrus coleslaw; Cuban slow-roasted pork barbecue sandwich, and the Parisian steak sandwich.

The bar program features attention-grabbing craft cocktails, some with fun names that salute local icons: the Ohtani with Japanese whiskey, the Hat Trick with duck fat washed Knob Creek, and the Gene Autry, celebrating the former owner of the Angels.

Martinez changes the menu seasonally, so you’re bound to find something fun and creative that suits your palate.

The Peel at Hotel Fera: 100 The City Drive, Orange, (714) 634-4500, peelcraftbar.com

The post Elevated Hotel Food At Orange Hilton appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

It opened at the tail end of 2017, and has a dual identity as a classic clubby restaurant that transforms into a late-night party spot after 10 p.m.

The Country Club has debuted new seasonal menu items; Executive Chef Eddie Hyman says the new dishes celebrate “the flavors of spring and summer, featuring vibrant, colorful dishes that reflect [his] artisan approach to scratch cooking.”

The new menu reads like a list of “greatest hits” showcasing Hyman’s take on comfort classics elevated with a coastal Californian twist.

Seasonal editions to the menu include raw starters like ahi crudo in coconut-lime ponzu; and the half and half seasonal oysters and wild Mexican shrimp with house cocktail sauce, horseradish and mignonette.

Entrée stars of the menu include a selection of steaks and housemade pastas, and nightly off-menu Wagyu specials. Pasta dishes include truffled lamb Bolognese tagliatelle with parmesan and fresh chives, and a spinach and mushroom stroganoff with lemon zest and whipped créme fraîche.

There are also seafood selections including Chilean seabass with succotash, and King Ora salmon with parmesan gnocchi.

Moving Menus

“I try to keep the menu moving along, especially for people that come here often—they want to see something new,” said Hyman, who has been in the kitchen since the restaurant first opened.

In addition to new dishes, Hyman runs specials to take advantage of opportunities as they come.

“Last week I obtained some prime filets, so I did a carpaccio, but then thought of doing a barbecued steak tartare,” Hyman said.

The Country Club is open nightly for dinner beginning at 4 p.m., and weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tomahawk Twosday features a $137 40-ounce Tomahawk ribeye with a salad and side. Wine Wednesday offers half-off bottles and free corkage with the purchase of an entrée.

A jazz band plays on the first and third Thursday of each month. DJs crank up the volume until 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Country Club is open nightly for dinner beginning at 4 p.m., and weekend brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The OCBJ Review: BY CHRISTOPHER TRELA

The barbequed steak tartare is one of the special dishes Hyman had me try when I dined at The Country Club last month.

The smokiness of the dish—which arrived under a dome of smoke—was wonderful. Add chipotle aioli and Worcestershire sauce, and you have an elevated tartare that ranks among the best I’ve had.

The beet salad with roasted beets and blue cheese dressing was also excellent.

“I pickle the beets to tone down the earthiness, and blue cheese and beets go well together,” said Executive Chef Eddie Hyman.

“I add hazelnuts for crunch. I used to over-complicate things, but more ingredients are not always better. I start with four flavors and then enhance that.”

The beet salad is well composed, and the blue cheese does not overwhelm the other flavors.

The ahi crudo was next with coconut lime ponzu and basil aioli.

“It’s sushi-grade ahi, sliced thin, with salt and pepper, and a coconut ponzu,” Hyman said.

“I like Thai flavors. I use white soy and coconut water instead of milk, brown sugar, lime, and on top are candied pecans with simple syrup. Shallots are shaved tin, add salt and sugar and let it set, and I add pickled deseeded jalapeño.”

This is another outstanding dish, well balanced and fun to eat, with flavors that linger on the palate.

I ended my dinner with spinach and mushroom stroganoff with seasonal mushrooms, Dijon, lemon zest, whipped crème fraiche, and gremolata.

As a mushroom lover, I love this dish. It’s pasta perfection on a plate. Every bite is a mouthful of flavor.

The Country Club: 330 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 281-2582, countryclubcm.com

The post OC Food Review: Catching Up With The Country Club appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

French 75, Chat Noir, Kachina, Sorrento Grill, Chimayo, Barbacoa, Diva, Savannah Chop House and Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern (JFAT) are just some of his notable restaurants.

After selling his shares in JFAT, Wilhelm took a short break and then opened Tavern House Kitchen & Bar in 2019 in the former 3-Thirty-3 Waterfront restaurant location overlooking the Newport Beach marina.

The menu pairs new American cuisine with comfort food classics, as well as dishes that pay homage to his storied history as a chef and restaurateur.

Riding the success of that concept, Wilhelm and his business partner Gregg Solomon have acquired Cedar Creek Inn in San Juan Capistrano’s historic Mission Promenade, across the street from Mission San Juan Capistrano. He’s already revamped the dinner, lunch and brunch menus and is rebranding the restaurant as Tavern at the Mission.

“I met with all the staff and said I know this has been a family-owned restaurant for 25 years, and it’s going to continue to be a family-owned restaurant, it’s just a different family,” said Wilhelm, who moved to San Juan Capistrano five years ago.

“We want this to continue to be a local neighborhood place, but we are going to elevate the experience.”

That includes updating the menus to reflect the Tavern House cuisine, changing the wine list, and making modifications to the décor, including the patio as well as the lounge and bar areas.

“We were going to continue to operate it under the Cedar Creek brand until the end of the year, but it’s become too confusing,” said Wilhelm, noting that regulars come to Cedar Creek Inn but don’t see their favorite dishes on the menu anymore.

“I decided not to delay, so the first week of July we will launch as Tavern at the Mission. I had to rip the Cedar Creek Inn bandage off.”

Broad Appeal

Wilhelm warned the staff that the changes to the menu and bar programs will result in negative comments on social media and displeasure from longtime diners. That won’t last long as new patrons discover the Tavern at the Mission cuisine, and older ones find new dishes to try.

“This will be a place that appeals to all age groups,” Wilhelm stated. “We want this to be the go-to place.”

Cosmetic changes will occur next year. Wilhelm plans to shut down the restaurant in January and February (traditionally slow months in the restaurant industry) so he can rehab the bar, redo the patio, and overall refresh the entire restaurant.

“I want it to be contemporary Santa Barbara clean, with stucco walls, and the bar paying homage to the cowboy culture. We’ll have fun with it.”

Wilhelm said some diners remember his Kachina restaurant and asked if he’ll put his famous side-by-side bean and corn soup or his shrimp tamales on the menu, which he said may happen in the future.

Two signature dishes from the old Cedar Creek Inn menu will still be available: the Monte Cristo sandwich and the famous coconut cake.

“Even my doctor, when he found out I had bought the restaurant, told me I cannot take those off the menu,” Wilhelm laughed.

The OCBJ Review: ­By Christopher Trela

I had to try the Monte Cristo during a lunchtime visit to Tavern at the Mission.

It’s seldom seen on a menu anymore, and for good reason: it’s a decadent savory dessert masquerading as a sandwich.

Take turkey, ham and gruyere, layer them between multiple slices of bread, dip the bread in egg batter, and grill as you would French toast. A ramekin of blackberry preserves provides a suitably sweet dipping sauce.

It’s a fun dish, but not one I’d likely repeat.

I also had the terrine of duck liver and cognac mousse with blackberry gelee and grilled bread. It’s made to share, but I hogged it to myself.

And finally, the tequila shrimp pasta with green chili pesto cream, garlic, parmesan, toasted pumpkinseeds and corn. I am in love with this dish!

The thick pappardelle noodles act as a magnet for the sauce, and the shrimp are butterflied and oh so savory.

This might be my new go-to dish, except David Wilhelm has many more of his terrific Tavern House dishes on the menu, including his buttermilk fried chicken, which ranks among the best in OC.

Wilhelm upgraded the wine and spirits list and has added signature cocktails to the menu, helping cement the Tavern transition.

According to Wilhelm, his new Tavern at the Mission will merge online with his current Tavern House website starting in July.

Tavern at the Mission: 26860 Old Mission Road, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 240-2229, tavernhousekb.com

Tavern House Kitchen + Bar: 333 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 673-8464, tavernhousekb.com

The post Wilhelm Brings Tavern Flair to SJC appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

Salisbury is not done celebrating milestones: his El Cholo restaurants—currently six in total, including spots in Corona del Mar, La Habra and Anaheim Hills—turn 100 this year, while his latest restaurant project, Louie’s by the Bay in Newport Beach, turns 5.

His other waterfront Newport Beach restaurant, The Cannery Seafood of the Pacific, reached the 20-year mark last year.

Another milestone: he’s set to open a restaurant this year in Utah, his first location out of the state.

“It is exciting to be 90 years old and doing something like this,” Salisbury said. “That’s what keeps you going at 90.”

Salisbury isn’t too old for new accolades. He’s the Business Journal’s 2023 Restaurateur of the Year.

In the Family

Salisbury was destined to be in the restaurant business. His maternal grandparents, Alejandro and Rosa Borquez, opened the first El Cholo in 1923 in downtown Los Angeles; it was originally named Sonora Café in honor of their hometown of Sonora, Mexico.

In 1926, Aurelia Borquez, the daughter of Alejandro and Rosa, met her future husband, George Salisbury, at El Cholo. They began to court, and a year later decided to open their own El Cholo on Western Avenue.

George Salisbury’s mother, Lydia, a widow, mortgaged her home for $600 so George could open his new Mexican restaurant, which had three booths and eight stools.

In 1929, George and Aurelia married. That same year they hired Joe Reina as a dishwasher. He later became head chef of El Cholo, a position he held for 54 years.

In 1933, George and Aurelia have a son: Ron Salisbury.

“My first memories at age 3 or 4 were of being in a restaurant,” Ron Salisbury recalled.

“I always knew the El Cholo restaurant was huge in our family’s life. Coming through the Depression, I know how hard they worked and how proud they were of the restaurant. Dad called it a gold mine. It was a big part of my life. I started working in the kitchen after school when I was 13 or 14.”

Hollywood Hit

El Cholo drew fans from miles around, including Hollywood.

Among the celebrities who flocked to El Cholo to enjoy the authentic Mexican dishes were Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Harold Lloyd, Loretta Young, Irving Berlin, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, and many others.

Jack Nicholson was a regular diner at El Cholo when he was a struggling actor in 1963. His favorite meal there was two tacos, a side of beans and hot coffee. That combo set him back 85 cents. Nicholson continued to frequent the restaurant long after he successfully broke into the film business.

In 1962, Ron Salisbury opened a new El Cholo location in La Habra, and took over the family business in 1967, making him a third-generation owner. That same year, Ron launched The Restaurant Business Inc. to manage his restaurants, current and future.

Timing Expansions

Over the years, Ron opened more El Cholo locations, not because he was looking to expand but because the timing was right.

One El Cholo location is near the Crypto.com arena because another restaurant that was at that location did not pan out. Salisbury was encouraged to see the spot but at that time said, “I don’t need it, my life was fine,” but after he reluctantly looked at the space, he realized an El Cholo would be perfect there.

He now has six El Cholo restaurants, three in Orange County, plus three in Los Angeles. A seventh is scheduled to open this year in Salt Lake City.

“I have a place in Sundance, and it checks all the boxes,” said Salisbury of the Utah expansion. “The city assigns someone to make sure the plans go through. The atmosphere, the community—it should be really good.”

Balanced Life, Interrupted

Speaking of a prior expansion, there’s the story of The Cannery restaurant, which Salisbury acquired in 2002.

“My life was orderly, no major issues, I could travel. I had a balanced life,” said Salisbury of his life at the time.

Then he heard that The Cannery building along Newport Harbor was going to be torn down and replaced with condos. A fellow entrepreneur bought the restaurant for more than it was worth just to save it.

“They asked me if I was interested. I said my life was orderly, I don’t need it. They said to take a look at the building. It was an unusual building. I said let’s talk. We made a handshake deal. The Cannery opened up new dimensions in my life.”

The Cannery has a collection of signed baseballs and bats on display, and now plays host to the football-themed Irrelevant Week.

Six years ago, Salisbury had lunch with the man who designed The Cannery.

“He suggested I look at the Ritz Restaurant space (on Coast Highway). I said my life is orderly, I don’t need it. He said take a look at it. I will design the best restaurant I have ever designed if you take it. So, I talked to the landlord and I couldn’t walk away.”
Louie’s by the Bay was born.

Still Working

Salisbury still spends much of his time in his restaurants, though he’s not much of an office guy.

“When you get older you need more of an adrenaline rush,” he said.

“I get a rush every day. It’s a legal narcotic. The days I am not in a restaurant I am slow and bored. That’s why I spend a lot of time in the restaurants.

“I have not been in my office for months.”

Juggling Lessons

As busy as Ron Salisbury is, he found time in 2020 to write a book called, “What They Don’t Teach You at the C.I.A.” (Culinary Institute of America), available on Amazon.

It’s packed with short anecdotes and lessons from a lifetime spent in the restaurant business.

“It’s more than just restaurants, it’s common sense for life,” Salisbury notes. “The book has taken off.”

A sample excerpt called Can You Juggle:

“A skill you absolutely must master is becoming a great juggler—and I don’t mean of objects. At any given time you must be aware of everything happening everywhere in the restaurant.

This means food in the kitchen, diners’ experiences, is the valet smiling and delivering cars promptly, are the restrooms immaculate, is the music level appropriate, are dishes coming out of the dishwasher clean, are the hosts quoting proper wait times, and on and on and on. … If you can’t, find other work because most likely you’ll fail.”

And this one titled Passion, Practice, Perfection, People:

“After 80 years I’ve finally figured it out (I think). It comes down to this. To be great in this business you need four basic things: Passion (actually obsession), Practice (at all times doing and learning things that continually make you better), Perfection (nothing can beat it), and People—our guests, the ones we work with, the people we associate with—are to be maximized. Those four basics will produce profit.”

—Christopher Trela

The post Ron Salisbury: 2023 a Year of Milestones appeared first on Orange County Business Journal.

In doing so, the restaurateur has helped plant a culinary flag in two of OC’s most historic downtown areas, Old Towne Orange and Old Town Tustin.

Patrick’s acclaimed restaurants—Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen in Orange and Chaak Kitchen in Tustin—offer far more than just generic south of the border cuisine. The restaurants, which opened in 2006 and 2018, respectively, specialize in integrating modern gastronomy with indigenous and regional recipes of Mexico.

Chaak, in particular, is unique in that it explores the distinct cuisine of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Each has garnered their fair share of foodie plaudits.

Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen and Chaak Kitchen have earned Bib Gourmand distinctions in the Michelin Guide, an impressive feat worthy of Patrick’s extraordinary and authentic culinary creations.

The designation is given by Michelin for the country’s best value for money restaurants.

“We were so ecstatic to get those Bib Gourmand distinctions—we know how hard it is to be consistent, and to be in the Michelin Guide for three years in a row” says a lot, Patrick stated during an interview at her Orange restaurant.

“We strive for consistency. It’s hard to hold that standard with two restaurants, and give an experience. We care about how everyone feels when they come here, and we deliver the food to make it even better.”

Add one more accolade to Patrick’s resume: she’s the Business Journal’s 2023 Chef of the Year.

UCLA Training

Patrick grew up in a restaurant environment.

Her parents were from the Yucatán Peninsula and after relocating to the U.S. ran several Mexican restaurants.

Patrick was working front of house in a restaurant when she was 18 and loved it, but knew little about the back of house and wanted to get involved in the techniques and the cuisine of the restaurant. She enrolled in the UCLA Culinary Institute, where she met her future husband, Ed Patrick.

The couple became motivated to travel to Mexico and explore the cuisine.

“It was eye-opening,” she said. “They were using ingredients and herbs in a way that I did not see here 20 years ago. I was inspired by their ingredients. Even my parents, who had restaurants for years, did not use those ingredients, so it was definitely an enlightening trip.”

After further research into the dishes she and Ed sampled, Patrick wrote a menu, they found a space along Glassell Street, just south of the circle in Old Towne Orange, and opened Gabbi’s.

She did the cooking while Ed ran the front of house.

Life Near the Circle

When Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen opened in 2006, Orange was not a culinary destination.

Most of the downtown area consisted of antique shops and small boutiques. When Ed told Gabbi he had found a good spot for a restaurant, she was dubious when she saw the empty antique store space.

But once Patrick saw beyond the linoleum and carpet, she found a charming historic building that Patrick now says is magical.

After transforming the space into a restaurant, Patrick began plying her culinary craft.

“Everything I have done I have made it my own,” she said. “I have a certain style of cuisine. I wanted to bring more of the heart of Mexico here, more masa because masa is important in our culture. We have masa items you do not see in your typical restaurant.”

Patrick has a handful of seasonal dishes on her menu—dishes that cannot be added permanently due to her small kitchen and the volume of business she does.

“It’s not a big kitchen, that’s why Gabbi’s would be hard to duplicate,” she said. “I would never put this somewhere else. The quirkiness of the building, the historic ceiling, and knowing I built a kitchen in a former antique store—it’s beautiful to see. Of course, it does have its challenges being built in 1904, but we love it.”

Unique Dishes

Her dishes at Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen are traditional but her spin on them is unique.
Most of them you won’t find on other restaurant menus.

Her puebla tacos, for example, are one of the most popular items on her menu.

“It’s a meat lovers taco,” Patrick said. “It has linguica sausage, applewood smoked bacon and carne asada, but what’s important is the vessel. The flour tortilla, and the smokey salsa, makes a great taco.”

The enchiladas de camarones is another favorite, as are the gorditas al pastor with crispy masa cake, Kurobuta pork belly and serrano-cilantro salsa.

Yucatán Inspiration

Although Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen was a success with diners and had received numerous accolades, an idea for another restaurant was forming, something different than Gabbi’s.

“I said ‘what if we did food from the Yucatán?’ Ed said ‘sure, let’s do it,’” Patrick recalled. “It’s the food I grew up with, and no one here was doing that so why not challenge myself. And it was a challenge.”

Patrick began writing her Chaak menu to see if she could actually make a restaurant out of it.

“I felt like I could do Yucatán cuisine with my own twist, of course,” Patrick said. “Yucatán food is a little heavy, so I lightened the dishes. I’m happy with how it turned out.”

To make sure the recipes worked, she rented a test kitchen and spent nine months perfecting the recipes before Chaak opened along El Camino Real, just north of Main Street in Tustin.

“I wanted to make sure they would turn out the way I wanted,” Patrick said. “Everything on the menu has my approval. It’s such a great vision to taste the Yucatán.”

Patrick was able to build her ideal state-of-the-art kitchen including a smoker, because “Yucatán food is all about smoke. The kitchen is beautiful, it’s a dream come true.”

Popular Dishes

The Chaak menu is very different than the Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen menu. The word “smoked” is featured prominently, and the dishes are indeed an homage to the Yucatán.

One of the most popular dishes is the almejas al vapor picantes: littleneck clams, green chorizo, herb broth and avocado. And of course, the empanadas with Oaxaca cheese and epazote.

One of Patrick’s favorites is the Pavo en Recado Negro: smoked turkey, blackened chilmole, radish salpicon and tortillas.

“The turkey with black mole sounds off-putting but you will never have it anywhere else,” Patrick stated. “It’s not something you would normally have. It’s slow cooked, tender, with black charred chili sauce. It represents what this restaurant is about. And the duck confit smoked in cherry wood, tossed with lime and radishes and pickled onion. I always have that. I am so proud of those dishes every time I am at Chaak.”

Next Steps

Despite her success, Patrick is still evolving her cuisine, always striving to be better.

“Can you make this dish at home? If you can, you would not go out. That’s why we have the Bib Gourmand recognition. It’s challenging to have a chef-driven restaurant. I am always thinking about what we can do to give an experience to our guests and make them feel like they are transported to the Yucatán.”

The other thing that keeps Patrick going is motivating the next generation.

“I see a lot of talent out there. We hire a lot of culinary students, especially at Chaak, and some of those kids are very talented. When I was their age being a chef was not a career, now it is a career. I was self-taught, I did not work with a great chef, if something did not work out, I had to figure it out.”

“It’s not always easy, or glamorous. You have to be self-motivated. You have to motivate yourself every day.”

Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen: 141 S. Glassell
St., Orange, (714) 633-3038, gabbismexicankitchen.com
Chaak Kitchen: 215 El Camino Real, Tustin, (657) 699-3019, chaakkitchen.com

National Accolades

Of Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen, the Michelin Guide notes that “the cooks here understand the essence of regional Mexican cuisine, so trust in their skills.

Many of these dishes offer a spin on traditional items, as in the citrus-tinged achiote pork that tops creamy black beans and puffed corn tortillas in panuchos de Yucatán. Tacos are a signature for good reason; and the Puebla with spicy sausage, carne asada, smoked applewood bacon, and morita salsa delivers just the right level of piquancy.”

The Michelin Guide said that the Chaak Kitchen team “brings the vibrant smoke- and spice-focused cuisine of the Yucatán Peninsula to life. Of course, that same region’s rich and complex history simply means diners can expect nothing less than seriously intriguing cooking … spoon up every last drop of the charred habanero salsa that accompanies crisp corn empanadas filled with Oaxacan cheese and epazote. Sikil p’ak—a pumpkin seed dip—is a regional favorite; then turkey smothered in pungent recado rojo makes a heady delight.”

—Christopher Trela

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