Cooking with fire is an ancient art form—one that Tanner’s restaurant at Paséa Hotel & Spa in Huntington Beach is perfecting. Their aim: Capture the essence and soul of Southern California food cooked over a live fire.
Pacific Hospitality Group’s Vice President of Food and Beverage Nate Tanner says the inspiration started with a common site in Surf City: Friends gathered around a beach fire.
“We wanted to bring that beach experience inside and cook amazing food over wood fire and really pay homage to the bonfires of Huntington Beach,” he says.
Then comes the art form: “Working a grill like this takes a lot of time and patience to master,” Tanner says. “You have to get the coals just right, the fire just right, the mix of wood perfect and create the right amount of heat and smoke that will ultimately give the best flavor the food you cook.”
The cuisine is “quintessential Southern California,” Tanner says: “To us that meant taking the cultures that have defined Southern California and doing our best to cook that cuisine.” At Tanner’s you’ll find traditional American food as well as Asian and Mexican cuisine all cooked over fire.
His favorite dishes include the blue cheese and fig flatbread. “I also think that the roasted salmon with forbidden black rice is absolutely delicious,” Tanner says. “The avocado butter adds a unique flavor, and the red curry crust brings a little surprise to the dish.”
The entire concept was Tanner’s baby from start to finish: “I have been on the project since its inception and have been the lead on all aspects of Tanner’s, from the kitchen design, to the artwork and to the concept of the Treehouse Bar on the rooftop. My favorite parts have to be the light fixtures above the main bar made out of motorcycle chains and, of course, our signature Treehouse Bar on the rooftop literally built around this beautiful canopy tree.”
To learn more or make a reservation, visit tannershb.com.
