INDULGENCES eating out
Let me start by saying that the food and vibe at the Memphis Café in the Santora Building in the Arts District, Santa Ana is terrific. They serve up a distinctive modern gourmet interpretation of Southern home- style cooking in a casual, yet efficient setting—all made possible by the blending of the talented trio of Dan Bradley, Diego Velasco and Andy Christenson. The three originally worked together at Laguna Beach’s Re- naissance Café in the ‘90s and decided to open their own establishment. Their dream soon became a reality, thanks to help from family and friends; assistance that allowed them to lease the building and cover restoration costs, transforming the once-notorious and decrepit Kings Inn, located next to the LAB (the only urban youth “anti-mall”) in the SoBeCa District of Costa Mesa, into what it is today.
The first Memphis Café earned
overnight critical acclaim and a loyal fol- lowing; “Our success was not only fueled by immediate favorable press for being a unique, independently-owned eatery,” says Bradley. “We wanted to provide a progressive, yet inviting place to fill this missing segment. We figured the creative class would stay in Orange County if they had better options.” The clever concept paid off and
ignited The Memphis Group, which has since spawned multiple locations while remaining true to the mission of revital- izing re-emerging areas. Impressed with their success and community impact, the City of Santa Ana approached them in 2000 to open another location as part of a redevelopment project in the Santa Ana Downtown Artists Village District, specifically the Santora Building. Two years later, Memphis transformed the 1929 historic landmark by meshing their brand with the building’s ornate Spanish Colonial revival style known as Chur- rigueresque. As we walked into the stylish gated
lobby entrance, we were taken by the ter- razzo floors and grand double staircase. We were greeted and quickly seated by our server, Kat (a musician on the side who plays piano, guitar and ukulele). She has been with the group for four years and was very knowledgeable about the inner workings of the menu. She sat us at a booth with a great view and I couldn’t help but feel the structure’s history and enjoy how the guys succeeded in pre- serving the integrity of its architecture. Come to find out, back in its heyday the building was the height of luxury and home to a well-known tenant, the Daniger’s Tea Room, an under-the-radar hot spot for Hollywood movie stars in the ‘20s and ‘30s—it was also home to a base- ment level speakeasy/jazz club.
I am a fan of exploring drink specials
and the creative list offered everything from Southern classics, Memphis Mint Julep to contemporary old fashioned cocktails. I decided on a Raspberry Margarita with Azunia Platinum Te- quila, fresh crushed Raspberries and house-made Margarita mix; it was made perfectly. Chef Diego and Dan came over to say hello and got us excited about his brand new autumn menu. Chef Diego suggested a wine for John, who wanted one with a buttery finish. His suggestion was the Expression 38 Chardonnay di- rect from Sonoma Coast. His thoughtful wine list reflected his personal search of vibrant varietals from around the world and it did not disappoint. Executive chef since the beginning,
Chef Diego has played an instrumental role in the success by overseeing the culinary direction for the group’s three restaurants and catering division. His artful presentations and insightful choice of ingredients result in innovative and soulful dishes. He is very loyal to the Saturday’s Farmers Market in the city of Orange and is committed to using homegrown goods. In 1994, he earned a culinary arts
degree from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, with an em- phasis on African heritage cuisine, Italian and Irish immigrant cooking and Native American Foods. In addition to his early training as a chef for Taste Catering in San Francisco, Chef Diego honed his skills as an apprentice for highly regarded master Chefs John Sedlar (St. Estpehe, Abiquiu, Bikini), Thom Fox (Corona Bar & Grill) and Hans Rockenwagner. In 1995, he re- turned to Southern California to oversee the menu development and launch of Memphis Café. There is something soothing about knowing a chef’s journey before tast-
MEMPHIS DINING IN SANTA ANA
SPLENDOR by tony reverditto
70
RAGE monthly | NOVEMBER 2011
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