Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/53193
CHEF TALK Coastal Chefs A story and photos by Richard Carleton Hacker s with spirits and wine, cuisine is regional. While we associate master blenders with distilleries and vintners with vineyards, chefs and menus are just as much a part of their environment. Nowhere is this more dramatic—visually and climatically—than along the Southern California coast, where shorebound waves trace whitecap outlines against scenic cliffs and sandy beaches. This Mediterranean climate, tempered by the sun and cooled by the sea, has produced an agricultural heritage that has attracted farmers and, in turn, spawned multi-starred restaurants with world-class chefs who, in other parts of the country, are subjugated by the whims of the seasons. Craig Polignano, Executive Chef at Michael Mina's award-winning Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach, is well aware of the benefits of cooking in Southern California. Chef Craig, known for his intricate preparations of each course, came to Stonehill Tavern from historic The Bernards Inn in New Jersey, where he was chef de cuisine. Relocating from East Coast to West was not as much a culture shock as it was a dramatic awakening to what he could provide for his menus. St. Regis Monarch Beach Executive Chef Frédéric Castan oversees all the resort's restaurants, plus their extensive and ever-changing Sunday brunch. "Coming here was similar as far as clientele, because these were individuals with high expectations" says Polignano. "But as for ingredients, this was an amazing change because everything is very available. We're in proximity to the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, which allows access to the best seafood, from Santa Barbara prawns to bass caught right off the coast. And the produce is beyond anything I've seen anywhere." St. Regis Monarch Beach Executive Chef Frédéric Castan is also keenly attuned to the variety of meat, fish, and farmed ingredients close to this Forbes Five Star resort. Born and trained in France and having served as executive chef at some of Southern California's finest resorts, including the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Pasadena and Laguna Niguel, Chef Frédéric is responsible for every YEAR-ROUND AGRICULTURAL RICHES ALONG THE PACIFIC MAKE FOR GREAT DINING IN SOCAL The California coast from Montage Laguna Beach. january/february 2012 / the tasting panel / 117