Adventures in Eating
By Lisa Ramirez
Our premise was this: Orange County’s restaurant scene is vibrant and exciting and our local chefs are among the best you’ll find anywhere. Sure, New York City gets all the attention, but in-the-know foodies have figured out that an amazing meal no longer requires a drive.Look past the chain restaurants and fast-food joints and you’ll discover that the Orange landscape is rich with opportunities to indulge the adventurous palate.
We set out to prove our point. With Chef Shawn Hubbell as our gastronomic guide, we trained our spotlight on three eateries that even the most restaurant-savvy among us may have overlooked. Hubbell, who lives in Goshen with his wife, a dietitian, and their two children, is a Culinary Institute of America grad. He’s as well-traveled as he is well-trained, having grown up in Central America and Florida and having worked in some of the best kitchens in Spain, New York City and Europe. His passion is great food, and by great food he means everything from a pushcart hot dog to five-star fine dining. His company, Amuzae (www.amuzae.com), provides personal chef services, cooking classes and demonstrations.
So we followed the buzz to three restaurants that we heard were serving up innovative and exciting food. We found cuisines that not long ago were nearly impossible to find locally, and their success is a sure sign that the Orange County restaurant scene just keeps getting better and better. The only thing our picks have in common? Wonderful food lovingly prepared and served by people who are exceedingly proud of their restaurants and who cannot wait to cook for you.
Check out photographs taken as we embarked upon this culinary journey
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Read the whole story in the print edition of the magazine. Come back in August to read the full text online.