Great Taste Magazine

 -Chef Frank Miller is now the Executive Chef of the award winning Smokehouse Restaurant at Ponte Winery in Temecula. 2/02/10- Jimmy Martinez previously of Silvera’s & Dolce is now Exec. Chef at The Factory Gastropub in Long Beach. 12/01/09- Chef Joe Youkhan is now manning the kitchen at Chimayo at the Beach! 11/25/09- Executive Chef Larry Banares has taken over the helm of the Queen Mary kitchens. 11/20/09- Chef Don Schoenburg has departed Leatherby’s to open his own restaurant Lido Deck in Newport Beach. 11/14/09- Read more »

By Robert Johnson
January/February 2010

Sometimes professionals can get too caught up in image and title. In doing so, they may lose focus on their craft and the end product may suffer as a result. One professional who can not only teach lessons on focus and passion, but can also take you to school on what it takes to become a great cook is James Chavez.

James is the Executive Chef at Agio Ristorante at the DoubleTree Hotel in Anaheim, and he is dedicated to being dedicated. Chef Chavez grew up in La Puente, CA with very little. Read more »

By Robert Johnson
November/December 2009

As with any artistic form, good food should evoke emotion. A carefully crafted, simple stew can elicit fond memories and transport a diner back to a comfortable, happy time. The setting in which a meal is enjoyed can also help conjure warm recollections. A Restaurant in Newport Beach offers the best in both atmosphere and food preparation. Seemingly enveloped in wood, the restaurant is dimly lit with dark red leather booths. While dining, one might expect Ol’ Blue Eyes himself to saunter in, Rat Pack in tow, order a round of whiskies and martinis, and sip them slowly while Chef Vartan Abgaryan sautés them plates full of nostalgia. Chef Abgaryan recognizes that food portrays emotion and, upon entering A Restaurant for his shift, will leave anything that is bothering him at the door. He believes that his food will suffer if his head and heart are burdened. Read more »

By Chef Adam Navidi
November/December 2009
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the back of the house

Pots and Pans were Clanging, “Where’s my f’ing turkey!” squeaked a mouse;

With no one left to prep, clean or give a care, he smoked like a chimney

In hopes that his night cleaners, elfs/cooks would soon be there;

The waitstaff were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of money dancing in their heads; Read more »

By Robert Johnson
November/December 2009
Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach too many people to fish and there is an issue with sustainability.

Sustainable means the ability to harvest or use a resource without causing depletion or permanent damage; especially important when harvesting food resources. Now, thanks to better technology and global awareness, more is being done to promote a safe, healthy and sustainable environment. Seafood is one resource which is currently under the microscope due to concerns which address both the environment and personal health. Industries are now seeking to make better choices for health-minded consumers’ increasing environmental conscience. Read more »

By: Robert Johnson

From 1998 to 2002 Scott Robbe served his country enlisted in the Marine Corps. For the last few years he has been serving up delicious food at the Salt Creek Grill as the Executive Chef at the Dana Point location, but when the opportunity to once again serve his country arose, Chef Scott was eager to accept the challenge.

Read more »

By Robert Johnson
September/October 2009

Ask Chef Don Schoenburg a question and you will get an answer. Just make sure to be prepared to hear the plain, unadulterated truth because he makes no efforts to avoid what needs to be said. To do so would be a waste of his time. Chef Schoenburg immerses himself completely in what he is doing at the moment and this go-getter attitude nearly steered him down a different career path at a younger age. He has really come into his own as a chef, and luckily for restaurant patrons, his food reflects his passion for what he does. Ver la versión española del artículo. Read more »

By Robin Jones, Spa Director, The Spa at the Grand Del Mar
September/October 2009

When William Bradley, 34, began experiencing severe foot pain two years ago, he tried everything to alleviate the agony – from stretching to icing to orthotic inserts – but to no avail. “It was the worst when I got out of bed in the morning, and felt like I was standing on glass,” says Bradley, the executive chef of Addison at The Grand Del Mar. “Then, the painful, dull ache continued throughout the day.” Finally, he went to a podiatrist and got an official diagnosis: Plantar fasciitis, caused when the ligament (the plantar fascia) that runs from the heel to the toes on the bottom of the foot becomes irritated and swollen. Not surprisingly, the cause was “too much time on my feet,” says Bradley, a plight most members of the hospitality industry can relate to. Read more »