There was a revolution that occurred in California in the 1980s. The goal of the revolution was to overturn the established Continental Cuisine with a new California cuisine. Chef knives were the weapon of choice and young renegade chefs were turning the restaurant world upside down. In California, the abundance of year round fresh produce and innovative imports became the ammunition that fueled the movement.

You will certainly recognize many of the names; Michel Richard, Wolfgang Puck, Jeremiah Towers, Ken Frank, Alice Waters, Mark Peel and Michael McCarty, to name just a few. During this exciting time I was working in Los Angeles in the espresso/coffee specialty industry, and I was privileged to meet many of the soldiers of change from this movement. I count myself very lucky to have dined in so many of the restaurants that were shaking things up. Eating out became an an adventure where the next young new chef could prove to be a star.

One such restaurant I was fortunate enough to visit was Michael’s. It was run by Michael McCarty, and was nestled on a quiet street in Santa Monica, CA, in what looked like an very hip office building. Upon entering the front door one met with a tumble of greenery, hinting at the magic and sophisticated cuisine awaiting guests in the glorious patio or the exceptional art filled indoor dining room.

On that first visit, I ordered what I thought was a simple chicken dish with a salad. What a surprise, that dish was transformative! How could such a simple dish be so unique, so novel and extraordinarily fresh tasting? I tried to recreate the dish at home, but could not break the code, until a few years later when Michael’s cookbook was published. I learned that the secret to this dish and many of his others, is the layering he built into each subset of parts; a group of ingredients, blended into another group of ingredients, combined with the star of the dish; the goat cheese filled grilled chicken. In the 1980’s goat cheese was a novelty item which Americans had not yet embraced. In this dish, the tang of the goat cheese, meets with the freshness of the various herbs, melted together on the grill then layered with tomato concasse and jalapeño lime salsa. This confluence of simple but diverse items married together to make a mind-blowing chicken breast. I have adapted this recipe with different herbs and levels of spiciness over the many years, and it’s always a hit. It requires prep work, but is so worth every minute spent piecing it together.

Today, restauranteurs are in another war, battling a wild pandemic which has threatened our way of life and and world we live in. We know that in the best of times, restaurants need to be at near 80% capacity to break even. This sad reality has led to the closing of many beloved neighborhood spots and chains alike. Nothing is safe from COVID-19. Exploring ways to stay afloat when outside seating is not an option is a great challenge, and as we head into the cold months on the East Coast, I fear we will lose more of our beloved cafes, bars and fine dining establishments. I still believe the creative minds behind the always changing restaurant landscape will win in the end. We may not have the same restaurants serving the same kind of food, in the same way, but I am confident the young renegade chefs of today will come back stronger than ever and their new “voices” in the post pandemic kitchens, will be heard around the world, sparking another big change in this volatile industry.