Russ Bendel Jr.—last year’s Business Journal Restaurateur of the Year—is also keeping busy.
At a recent media tasting at Ironwood in Laguna Hills, one of his (for now) three eateries, to unveil winter dishes, he showed off Ironwood’s new 600-square-foot patio, previously an ad-hoc storage space.
“Thursday through Saturday nights, the lobby is full and customers overflow outside,” Bendel said. “We were losing business, so we converted this space into a lounge with heaters and 20 bar stools.”
Guests now have “a place to enjoy an appetizer and cocktail” while staff readies their table.
Smart business move—but that doesn’t narrow it down nearly enough with Bendel, scion of restaurant industry vet and Habit Restaurants Inc. CEO Russ Bendel. Everything he does seems to work in his favor.
There’s Ironwood. Newport Beach’s Olea opened in September 2017 and is as popular as ever. Flagship location Vine in San Clemente has a fanatic flow of loyal clientele.
Captain Cooks
One reason is creative cuisine, courtesy of Chef Jared Cook—yes, the aptly named Chef Cook, who offered a peek at holiday dishes and hosted an al fresco cooking demo of his house-made sugar pumpkin agnolotti with fresh goat cheese, crispy sage and pecan brown butter.
More?
OK.
• Oysters on the half shell with champagne green apple mignonette, followed by
• prosciutto and fromage blanc crostini, and then
• crab, avocado and winter citrus beet salad on endive
We also sampled the slow roasted pork belly with garnet yam puree, thyme-roasted apple and spiced honey cider glaze, plus two steaks: Double R Ranch filet mignon with crispy langoustine bearnaise and Snake River Farm American wagyu porterhouse, available only at Olea.
Ironwood: 25250 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills 92653, (949) 446-8772, ironwoodlagunahills.com
Olea: 2001 Westcliff Drive, Newport Beach 92660, (949) 287-6807, oleanewportbeach.com
Vine: 211 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente 92672, (949) 361-2079, vinesanclemente.com
