Thursday, October 3 through Sunday the 6th is one of the most action-packed, culinary weekends Orange County has to offer, thanks to Newport Beach Wine & Food. The civic center comes alive with demonstrations, celebrity chef sightings, and (or course) tastings, tastings and more tastings. To whet your palate, we chatted with a few of the participating chefs; most notably Alan Greeley. A force of effing nature, The Golden Truffle was a landmark in OC’s dining scene for many years. Emerging from retirement to grace us with his badass presence, he sets the tone for our On the Line interviews [Editor’s Note: He was also one of my early OTL interviews when I first began writing for OC Weekly.]. Continue reading after for Q & A with Louie’s By the Bay Chef Antonio Orlando and Las Brisas Chef Michael Gaines!
OC Weekly: What have you been up to since you were in OC last year for NBWF?
Alan Greeley: Traveling, reading, drinking and cooking, all without getting out of my pool!
OCW: What do you miss most about OC?
AG: I miss everything about Orange County, but not the traffic and the state board of equalization!
OCW: What are some good, local dining spots in Florida?
AG: Some of my favorites are Audrey’s Jamaican Cuisine in Sarasota, Sea Salt in Naples, and Star Fish Company in Cortez for stone crabs and cold shrimp.
OCW: Any advice to aspiring chefs?
AG: Go into artificial intelligence and cook on the weekends! Once you have more money than Warren Buffet, go into the restaurant biz and play Jimmy Buffet. Double bingo, and you might not become an alcoholic – maybe!
OCW: Have you added any new salts to your collection?
AG: Saltpeter!
And now, a few words with Chef Antonio Orlando of Louie’s By the Bay.
OCW: Any new seasonal menu items at Louie’s?
Antonio Orlando: Coming on our fall menu we look forward to featuring white truffles from Italy, and also to bringing more exotic items to our steaks and chops list . . . .buffalo, pheasant, venison, just to name a few.
OCW: What will you be serving at NBWF?
AO: For Newport Beach Wine & Food, we plan on serving pistachio-crusted lamb chop, with house made cappelacci with sheep ricotta and spinach.
OCW: How did you spend your summer?
AO: Summer has been wonderful. Being one of the newest restaurants in the area has been really fun and exciting, so unfortunately, travel has been put on the back burner.
To wrap things up, we spend time with Chef Michael Gaines of Las Brisas.
OCW: Chef! Any upcoming events at Las Brisas?
Michael Gaines: We are working on a fall tasting menu in conjunction with Daou wine makers. We will be hosting a six-course, prix-fixe dinner. The seasonal menu is inspired by Daou’s varietals.
OCW: What will you be serving at NBWF?
MG: We’ll be serving seared ahi with lime, jalapeño and olive oil.
OCW: How did you spend your summer?
Summer at Las Brisas is very busy. I haven’t had any time off yet, but I have had a few great meals in Los Angeles: Birdie G’s, The NoMad, Majordomo.
Newport Beach Wine & Food is October 3-6; www.newportwineandfood.com.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.