This year, I have the distinct pleasure and honor of interviewing all the top Orange County chefs participating in the annual March 2019 OC Chef’s Table. For years, I had heard about this “must attend” gala, which raises funds for the Illumination Foundation‘s efforts in breaking the cycle of homelessness. But when I began interviewing and getting to know these amazing chefs, I came to understand why the busiest chefs in Orange County so willingly participate in this phenomenal event.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing and adding to a fast-moving, quick read series as I interview these chefs, “Five for Five” series – 5 Questions in 5 Minutes. Learn more about your favorite (and highly vaunted) O.C. Chefs who will be creating masterpiece dinners this coming March at OC Chef’s Table 2019 … with a bit of L.A. mixed in, too! … in my latest interviews:
Celebrity Chef Jet Tila – returning for his second year to OC Chef’s Table, this Food Network phenom explains why iOC Chef’s Table is on his priority list, his latest news on the Food Network stage, and the new book he’s pulling his menu from for the 2019 event. (Photo credit on this blog entry, Reprinted with permission from 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die by Jet Tila, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. Photo credit: Ken Goodman.)
Chef Jason Neroni – Rose Cafe, Santa Monica – he talks about turning a passion for art into cooking, his apprentice years in Europe, and why this L.A. chef asked to be a part of this O.C. Chef-centric event.
Chef Rich Mead – Farmhouse, Newport Beach – an originator and homesteader to 150-person tables, he talks about why OC Chef’s Table is still one of the most unique events in his calendar, the quick expansion of his new restaurant to accommodate the crowds, and what he thinks of the other chefs at OC Chef’s Table.
Chef Linda Johnsen – Filomena’s, Costa Mesa – she talks about her first Easy-Bake Oven, opening her acclaimed restaurant during the worst economic recession, and her own brush with homelessness that has her committed to helping the homeless anyway she can.