CHEF, PARTNER, VACA GROUP
WHY: Orange County’s best-known chef. Laguna Beach’s Broadway, Costa Mesa’s Vaca among top dining spots in county. Third location, The Hall: Global Eatery, a food hall in South Coast Plaza, launched at end of 2019. Mixes high-end dining and casual fare for shoppers and workers on the go. Top Chef runner-up.
RECENT: With partner Ahmed Labbate, Business Journal’s Restaurateurs of the Year for 2020. New sous-chef in training: son, Cyrus Santana, born Dec. 20, 2019.
NOTABLE: Started career at Charlie Palmer’s Aureole restaurant in Manhattan, Palmer later chose him to head the kitchen at his debut SoCal offering Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s—in South Coast Plaza.
