The Tasting Panel magazine

We are fortunate to be surrounded by farms and focus on being organic and supporting the neighboring farmers. That makes a big differ- ence." —Chef Frédéric Castan Craig Polignano, Executive Chef at Michael Mina's Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach. founded this seacoast city and chose this scenic site for his home. His man- sion has long given way to the recently refurbished Fairmont Miramar, but the giant 125-year-old fig tree on the prop- erty inspired FIG, the resort's popular restaurant helmed by Chef Ray Garcia. "The fig is representative of my style of cooking," Chef Ray says, "simple, elegant, and attractive. It is simple to serve on its own, or can be dressed up. And that's the way we approach our food." Indeed, his rich, smoky Bacon Wrapped Bacon is both simple and complex—pork belly wrapped in prosciutto and cooked so the crust is a layer of bacon. But when it comes to choosing the freshest vegetables, Garcia enthusiastically praises his source, just minutes from his kitchen. "One of the greatest things when I started this restaurant," says Garcia, "was the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, the best farmer's market in the country, as rated by CNN. Although I am classically trained in French cuisine, I have my style and specific ingredi- ents, so it was great to find the best of them right down the street." All of which proves that as diverse as California's coastal chefs are, they have one thing in common—a deep appreciation of their surroundings. Coastal chef ingenuity is evident in this Cigar Humidor Cake created by Assistant Pastry Chef Kristin Davison of the Montage Laguna Beach. Yes, it is 100% edible. An Artisanal Loft At The Loft, the casual all-day fine dining restaurant at Montage Laguna Beach, Chef de Cuisine Casey Overton is redefining this bastion of American cuisine, famous for its six-foot wood-burning rotisserie, panoramic views and indoor-outdoor seating. An artisanal Cheese Gallery now features 150 cheeses, served with a variety of house-made crackers. In addition, The Loft special- izes in 60 different honeys, from as far away as Ringiroa on the South Island of New Zealand, to as near as San Clemente, CA. They also make 25 different compotes and are starting their own charcute- rie. And of course, there is The Loft's famous 28-day aged New York coffee-bourbon steak served with a slice of blue cheese to balance the flavors. "It's all very artisanal," says Chef Casey. "In fact, if we could change The Loft's name it would be Artisanal, because that is our focus: artisanal ingredients, sourced from small producers and presented in a sophisticated and elegant way." january/february 2012 / the tasting panel / 119

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