Great Taste Magazine

There is an Orange County Restaurant Association in the formation stage and we want to know what you think about that. Please click comment at the bottom of this posting and answer the following questions or, leave any comments you wish. If you want to remain anonymous just let us know. Read more »

I couldn’t have been happier to hear the statistic naming the finale of Bravo’s Top Chef: Chicago - which aired June 11 - the most watched cable program of the day. As a Top Chef: Chicago fan myself, I knew I would be front row, but I had no idea that 3.5 million viewers would tune in to watch Stephanie Izard become Top Chef! (The first female TC, I might add.) Congratulations to the winner, to the show, and to the network for making such a great, far-reaching program about something near and dear to all of our hearts…FOOD!
Stay Tuned,
Lauren Monahan
June 2008

Pop Quiz: When was the last time you drank water from a sealed, plastic bottle? It wouldn’t be surprising if you were doing so right this very second while reading this page. Now, when was the last time you enjoyed a refreshing glass of water from the tap of your kitchen sink?

Isn’t it strange that something so accessible, easy to use and practically free has become virtually outdated? Read more »

by Lachelle Brown Mar/Apr 2008 Issue
Executive Chef Jack Daniel Robertson comes in a package that all can admire. His all-around Orange County laid back personality combined with an innovative and ever-evolving talent makes Jack Daniel naturally garners attention beyond his given name. Great Taste Magazine sat down to talk with Chef Jack - we enjoyed the relaxing afternoon and calm marina view Restaurant Tantalum has to offer. Since there was no evidence, we knew nothing of the Valentine’s Day fury that had occurred in this very restaurant the day and night before. Despite his lack of rest, Chef Jack was upbeat as ever, as if he were exactly where he should be.

Q. So tell us, what’s the story of how you came to be where you are today?

“Growing up, I always thought I was going to become a professional baseball player or surfer. Cooking allowed me to work at night, and gave me time to be active during the day doing the things I loved.” At age 17, Chef Jack worked at restaurant Paolis under Chef Jason Beissonette, who grew to become a mentor and father figure and helped to shape Jack’s future - “He taught me a lot at a young age.”At the time, Chef Jack was attending business school and then his plans changed: “Before I knew it, I fell in love with cooking. When I attended Culinary School, everything was fun to me. I wanted to go, I wanted to read the books the instructors gave out…it was just pure enjoyment for me. I went to Culinary School at Orange Coast College which was great, because they teach you everything, and it’s a lot cheaper than some of the other options [laughing]. I was able to get a great education - without the debt.” Read more »

By Lauren Monahan & Katie Israel Mar/Apr 2008 Issue

Going green. Sustainability. Inconvenient Truth. Eco-friendly. Carbon Footprint. These words, and the ideas behind them, have been working their way into many aspects of American culture since the 1980’s. A consistent flow of new information about how to “get green” has gotten an increasing number of people turned onto the idea - and the restaurant industry is no exception.

Restaurants have been an enormous part of American life and culture for over a decade - we consume 70 million restaurant meals each day, and spend nearly $500 billion on prepared foods each year! These numbers alone are astounding, but the statistics of restaurant waste that accompany them are even more so - and they continue to rise year after year. Recently, however, many restaurateurs have recognized the adverse effects of their businesses on the environment and are beginning to take responsibility for this by making certain changes around their stores.

An immediate, full-scale “green-amorphosis” would be both unrealistic and unreasonable to expect from a restaurant - it would be almost impossible for an establishment to stay in business during the process. However, there are many potential baby steps these businesses can take to become more eco-friendly, and these small steps will lead to big strides. Read on to discover these methods, and start turning waste-prone restaurants into green machines. Read more »

Less is Definitely Not MOR

Orange County’s restaurant scene is being shaken up. The MOR Project, a full-service restaurant group that specializes in high-concept, innovative dining and nightlife destinations, has big plans for OC in 2008. Although based in Orange County, Chief Executive Officer Anton Posniak and his team of seasoned restaurateur executives opened the first MOR restaurants in Los Angeles. Now, after enjoying immense success and endless positive responses to their LA operations, the MOR Project plans to have opened a total of five brand new eateries, and even a nightclub, in OC by year’s end. So far in ‘08, Posniak and his partners have unveiled Irezumi, a unique, high-energy sushi lounge in Costa Mesa, and Blanca, a sophisticated Euro-Mediterranean themed dining destination on Newport Harbor. Still in the works is The Rustic Vine, which will offer seasonal wine country cuisine at the Irvine Spectrum. Fleur de L’Age, also slated to open later this year, will feature a menu with items specific to the Napa Valley region designed by consulting Chef Stephane Beaucamp’s. Last, but certainly not least, is Revolver, a nightclub which will feature its very own restaurant called Black and Blue. Read on to learn more about the MOR Project and their philosophies. Read more »

by Katie Israel Jan/Feb 2008 Issue

Some might consider Chef Darren Denny to be the typical OC surfer dude — he has a laid back attitude, a go-with-the-flow personality and a love for long boarding — but when it comes to working in the kitchen he’s all business. He’s tenacious, a little wild and knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to tell it how it is.

Here’s what he told Great Taste!

As a young boy, Chef Darren traveled from his home in Lynwood to spend his summers in Pennsylvania, working with his grandmother and aunt at their family owned restaurant in the small town of Altoona. He remembers poking around the kitchen and being shooed away by his family who didn’t want the little one getting hurt. “Once they realized they weren’t going to get rid of me, they starting giving me jobs to do,”he says. “I always knew I was going to be a chef and people would just laugh in my face and say, ‘Oh yea,” Darren says in a sarcastic tone. By the age of 19, after working as a dishwasher and cook’s helper,Chef Darren had already proved his skeptics wrong. He landed a job as Executive Chef at the Indian Palms Country Club in Indio where he ran all the kitchen operations with a staff of 24. After that eye-opening experience, he worked in a number of kitchens including a Sous Chef position with Cedar Creek Inn in 1984.More than 20 years later, after spending 13 years with El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel, he found himself back at Cedar Creek in 2005.Now, he serves as Corporate Chef and oversees all four Cedar Creek locations, leading a combined kitchen staff of 140 at locations in Brea, Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Beach. How does he manage all this? Read more »

by Katie Israel Jan/Feb 2008 Issue

I recently had the privilege of attending a gourmet food convention where I overheard a sophisticated gentleman in a suit and tie saying: “I was dying to compare Valrhona Ampamakia vintages, but I discovered my last 2005 was eaten by rats.” His friend chuckled but looked a little puzzled. Did he realize what delicious treat the vermin had discovered? It wasn’t wine or cheese but chocolate! Read more »