Russ Bendel Jr. and his partners in RJB Restaurant Group have opened a series of successful restaurants, the most recent being Bloom Restaurant + Bar in San Juan Capistrano.
They were looking for their next dining concept when they got an unexpected call earlier this year to lease what once was the Brick Pizzeria in San Clemente.
The result came in July when they opened their first pizza and pasta concept, Parlor Woodfire Kitchen & Cocktails. The 5,000-square-foot pizza spot has a new menu and beers from San Clemente-based breweries in a redesign that features booths and can accommodate up to 120.
Chef Jared Cook obsessed over the dough, which he says has to be perfect.
“Everything changes every day with pizza, the dough especially,” Cook told the Business Journal during a visit to the new pizzeria.
“My vision of the perfect pizza is sourdough crust, big puff bubbles from cold fermentation, crispy, chewy outside with soft tender interior. No flop when you pick it up.”
The new restaurant is across the street from Bendel’s Vine Restaurant & Bar, his fine dining eatery that he bought in 2013. RJB is aiming to make Parlor complementary to Vine’s food and wine experience rather than competitive.
“It felt right to create synergy in this part of town near Vine,” said Bendel.
Both have won major awards from the Business Journal: Cook as Chef of the Year for 2024 and Bendel Jr. as Restauranteur of the Year in 2018. Bendel Jr. is also the son of Russ Bendel, who retired last year after a 16-year stint as the chief executive of The Habit Grill.
Other partners in RJB include Beverage Director Gabe Whorley and Operations Vice President Kyle Simpson.
“Everyone loves pizza,” Cook told the Business Journal earlier this year. “We’re going to do a new American pizza parlor take on it. It will be very much our style, but unlike anything else. I think we are going to turn out something new and exciting.”
Vine Patrons in New Digs
Overseeing the kitchen day-to-day is Chef Nate Overstreet, who brought over a porchetta dish from his former Wheat & Sons butcher shop at the Anaheim Packing House. The restaurant’s managing partner is Joe Guillena, who previously worked with Chef Mark Cohen in Laguna Beach.
Parlor is the group’s seventh restaurant in Orange County joining Ironwood in Laguna Hills, Olea in Newport Beach, Sapphire and The Pantry in Laguna Beach.
Bendel said he can depend on his partners and the growing team at each restaurant to be consistent and successful.
“You need good food, good service and a great location,” he said.
“San Clemente loves these guys,” said Guillena, who sees regular guests from Vine sitting at the bar in Parlor. “It’s their guest connections.
“They’re really going in the right direction when a lot of people are just trying to hold onto the reigns.”
