The Tasting Panel magazine

CHEF TALK aspect of the Monarch Beach resort's restaurants, which include Motif, Club 19, Monarch Bay Club, Crust and the Pool Bar & Grill. However, nowhere is Southern California's culinary cornucopia more evident that at Motif's extensive Sunday brunch, where 60 percent of the American, Asian, and Mexican items change weekly. That variety—made possible by the restau- rant's location—is responsible for the buffet being a ritual with locals as well as resort guests. "We are fortunate to be surrounded by farms and focus on being organic and supporting the neighboring farm- ers," says Castan. "That makes a big difference compared to other parts of the U.S., where they cannot always get that freshness." Just up the coast, on a bluff overlook- ing the ocean, Montage Laguna Beach and the resort's signature restaurant, Studio, combine dramatic views with gourmet cuisine that redefines "freshly prepared." With its Molteni stove (one of the few in the U.S.), Pavailler ovens, and 2,200-bottle wine cellar, Studio provides Executive Chef Craig Strong with the perfect setting for his cel- ebrated California-French cuisine, with ingredients grown literally just outside Studio's dining room. Inspired by boyhood gardening and encouraged by Montage General Manager Todd Orlich, Chef Craig Craig Strong, Executive Chef of Studio at Montage Laguna Niguel, is justifiably proud of his state-of-the-art kitchen and its proximity to the Studio Garden. Two of Chef Ray Garcia's signature dishes at FIG at the Fairmont Santa Monica: (left) a seasonal starter of Cousa squash, Gala apples, sorrel, pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds) and baby kale; and (right) Red Beet Risotto—red beet purée with Carnaroli rice, house-made crème fraîche, car- rots, turnips and petite greens. turned the lawn by the restaurant's entryway into flagstone-lined garden plots 31 inches high (to dissuade raven- ous rabbits). Working with gardening consultant Katheryn Agresso, Chef Craig selects pesticide-free seasonal vegetables, herbs and spices that influ- ence his ever-changing menu. Chef's Table guests accompany Strong to the Studio Garden and personally select ingredients for their meal. It is inspir- ing to see Strong pull a potato from the ground and an hour later, have it transformed into cooked slices topped with bone marrow and bordelaise sauce. Montage mixologists also benefit 118 / the tasting panel / january/february 2012 from the Studio Garden, as many of the herbs and spices, such as mint, basil and lemon verbena, add to the fresh- ness of the resort's cocktails. "So many things lose their pungency quickly," says Strong. "The first thing to go is aroma. For example, when you have fresh tomatoes, it's the aroma that's stimulating your appetite. So it's wonderful having this garden right here, as I can pick and serve the ingredients within minutes." In Santa Monica, where Wilshire Boulevard meets the ocean, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows has come a long way since 1875, when John P. Jones

• Cover