It has been a few months since we've heard what Ryan Carson, the ex-AnQi chef who turned itinerant with his 'Pri-vē pop-up restaurants, was up to. The last pop-up I remember was supposed to be a grand pig feast, but alas, I don't think it ever happened.
Now Carson has popped up at Playground, not doing a “pop-up” per se, but becoming the point man for the restaurant's new addendum, “2.0 Collaborative.“
Here's how Carson describes the new project:
]
The 2.0 Collaborative is a pop-up restaurant featuring a rotating lineup of A-list and up-and-coming chefs showcasing their extraordinary talents. In an effort to support the local community and Orange County/Los Angeles culinary entrepreneurs, we're open for pop-up dinners Sunday and Tuesday. Located in downtown Santa Ana's East End, the 2.0 Collaborative is a community concept that encourages creativity and provides opportunity to amateurs, professionals and industry leaders to focus on their culinary ambitions.
2.0, located next door to Playground in downtown Santa Ana, can accommodate up to 17 people. It features a state-of-the-art kitchen with access to Playground's exceptional offerings of beer, cocktails and wine. Born as Playground's fine-dining culinary theater, where Playground chefs offer private dining and invitation-only tasting menus, 2.0 also aims to create a home for Orange County and Los Angeles food entrepreneurs and to provide alternative dining experiences for our community. The 2.0 Collaborative's goal is to foster ideas and grow small, chef-driven businesses by offering a first-class kitchen and dining space for pop-up dinners.
Interested in doing a pop-up? We should talk. The 2.0 Collaborative offers a beautiful environment in which to host your pop-up concept. Fares and hours will vary with each chef and concept, but we encourage you to visit our calendar for details on who will be taking over the kitchen and offering their delicious cuisine.
To inquire about rates or for more information, email us to set up a time to visit the space or to receive more info: ry**@pl************.com.
Follow Stick a Fork In It on Twitter @ocweeklyfood or on Facebook! And don't forget to download our free Best Of App here!
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.