Chris Sanchez Promoted to Executive Chef at Michael Mina’s Award-winning Bourbon Steak Orange County
In March of 2020, Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak Orange County celebrated its second anniversary. Named the #1 Restaurant in Orange County in 2018, and #2 in 2019 by Orange County Register critic Brad A. Johnson, the acclaimed steakhouse, complete with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, is considered a crown jewel in Dana Point. After the statewide mandate for restaurant closures, Bourbon Steak has reopened with expanded outdoor dining overlooking Monarch Beach Resort’s Grand Lawn. Now, the critically acclaimed restaurant enters into its third year with the promotion of their new Executive Chef, Chris Sanchez.
Chef Chris, who most recently served as the restaurant’s Executive Sous Chef, opened Bourbon Steak Orange County in 2018 and helped lead the restaurant to incredible success during its first two years. His journey with the Monarch Beach Resort began back in 2010, formally known as The St. Regis Monarch Beach, working as a sous chef for the premier property’s various outlets. Before joining the resort’s culinary operations team, Chef Chris worked at some of Orange Counties most prestigious culinary locations, such as Patina Group, Marche Moderne, and the Disneyland Resort.
“It’s an honor to build upon the success we’ve earned at Bourbon Steak Orange County in my new role as Executive Chef,” comments Chef Chris. “As a premier MINA Group restaurant, we operate with a sense of kaizen – which translates to ‘improvement.’ Now, more than ever, we look to make the necessary adjustments during this COVID-19 pandemic in order to preserve the sanctuary we have built, without sacrificing the experience we deliver. The safety and well-being of our team and our guests is of the upmost importance and we look forward to embarking on this new journey together.”
From personalized guest experiences to experiential dining offerings, Chef Chris has grand visions for Bourbon Steak Orange County, including tasting menus and revolving butchers cuts. Together with General Manager Amber Ault and Sommelier Michelle Morin, Chef Chris builds upon the success of the restaurant by introducing even more luxury offerings. Chef Chris has introduced ultra-premium steaks like Japanese Hokkaido Snow Beef, the rarest A5 wagyu cut in the world, while Morin adds exquisite whiskeys like WhistlePig’s The Boss Hog to her acclaimed beverage program.
Michelin-starred Chef Michael Mina calls Bourbon Steak Orange County his love letter to the American steakhouse experience. With Chef Chris at the helm, the celebrated restaurant bridges classic Americana with an arsenal of world flavors through ultra-premium cuts and dramatic tableside presentations.
Monarch Beach Resort has launched the StaySafe Program encompassing cleanliness, sanitization and physical distancing standards for the wellbeing of guests. Monarch Beach Resort’s safety protocol has been informed by the public health & epidemiology experts at University of California Irvine. Per State of California guidelines, Bourbon Steak Orange County and all restaurants at Monarch Beach Resort are offering outdoor dining and to-go service, with indoor service temporarily suspended. For details on StaySafe, visit our website.
Bourbon Steak Orange County is located within the AAA Five Diamond-awarded Monarch Beach Resort (1 Monarch Beach Drive) in Dana Point, CA. The new American steakhouse is open nightly for dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.monarchbeachresort.com or connect with @bourbonsteakoc on Instagram.
