Award-winning chef Demetrio Zavala’s Solstice opens in Irvine
If it seems like there is a lot of butternut squash on the menu at Solstice, a new seasonally driven restaurant concept at the Boardwalk in Irvine, you aren’t imagining things. Butternut squash, along with pears and other winter produce, are featured prominently on the menu.
“We want a seasonal, changing menu,” said Solstice’s culinary director and chef, Demetrio Zavala.
Zavala has competed in Food Network TV competitions, like “Chopped: Grudge Match” and “Chopped: Beat Bobby Flay” and runs the restaurant’s second location in Newtown, Penn.
By bringing the concept to California, Zavala said he is hoping to take advantage of the abundance of produce on the West Coast.
“I know pretty much every vegetable comes from California,” said Zavala. “We are basically trying to hone in on an ingredient and be ingredient driven.”
That means when butternut squash is in season, you’ll find butternut squash soup, butternut squash hummus and even a rum cocktail made with butternut squash masala mix on the menu. Pears are present in the poached pear caprese salad, thinly sliced and candied with citrus ginger butter atop impossibly fluffy Parker House rolls and in a cocktail; an updated French 75 that uses ginger pear syrup along with Prosecco and gin.
“We want to bring that natural, fresh, favor and offer something for everyone, be it vegan or vegetarian.”
Zavala accomplishes this by using some of those seasonal ingredients in unexpected ways. The “raw” section of the menu, for example, has ahi tuna tartare and salmon crudo, but you’ll also find a celery root tartare with lemon chive chermoula that treats the vegetable as the star, rather than the side.
Solstice has been long-awaited and much-anticipated. The opening was initially slated for Fall 2021, then late January 2022. The restaurant officially opened its doors on Feb. 28.
“It was easier to staff this location than most. We had people ready to work,” said Zavala. “It was just trying to get everything going, the construction, the shortage of products — it is really hard.”
One of those people ready to work is Orange County-native chef Brittany Valles, who Zavala has tapped as executive chef. Valles has worked under renowned chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Michael Voltaggio and most recently served as executive chef of the Fashion Island Hotel. She has made her name with her mole, a recipe derived from her grandmother’s, on which she has put her own spin.
“The mole from Chihuahua, Mexico, where my family is from, is more smoky, a little spicier and heat forward with just a little chocolate to balance it out,” said Valles.
Mole famously has numerous ingredients and Valles uses guajillo, ancho, chiles de arbol and California chiles in her mole along with raisins for sweetness and black sesame for nuttiness.
“And to thicken it, I use charred tortillas,” said Valles.
Valles’ complex mole can be found on Solstice’s pan-seared shrimp mole dish, served with roasted red beets and lime crema.
Besides squash and mole, the menu features a selection of salads, steaks, seafood, handmade pastas and desserts.
The craft cocktail program also utilizes fresh seasonal ingredients, with all syrups and mixes made in house. The beverage menu even features a zero-proof section.
“We have something for everyone at this location,” said Zavala.
Zavala said accommodating a wide audience is a way he can reach more people, which is always his motivation.
“It is always people, we do this for the people,” Zavala said. “I knew when I became a chef I wanted to touch people through food.”
Valles agrees: “I cook because of my family and because it is the best way to show your love.”
Solstice is open for lunch and dinner and offers brunch service on Sundays.
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