Seeing as I'd dissed Zimzala's management before even setting foot in the place, I thought it fair to actually check it out (anonymously, of course). I'm glad I did.The setting--within HB's groovy new Shorebreak Hotel--is unlike many other hotel restaurants. This is a destination restaurant, with a highly regarded chef, not an afterthought.The Executive Chef is Vincent Muraco, formerly of Vix in Miami Beach. He has created the Mediterranean menu in collaboration with award-winning chef Joyce Gol
When he enrolled at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco at the tender age of 17, Vincent Muraco was its youngest student ever. Since then, his culinary career has taken him to the Park Hyatts in that city and in LA, as well as Vix in Miami. Muraco is now Executive Chef at Zimzala, the restaurant within Huntington Beach's groovy new Shorebreak Hotel. In devising the Med menu, Muraco worked with James Beard award-winning chef Joyce Goldstein, and the results are impressive. Put it
First, this Sunday (from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.) is the inaugural 2nd Sunday bash at the hotel, featuring "fine wine, tasty nibbles, live music and stimulating art." Specifically, the booze is from Coppola Diamond Collection, the grub is from the hotel's own Zimzala restaurant, and the paintings are from the imaginatively named The Gallery. Artists include Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean fame, who paints exclusively for the gallery, and former Warner Bros animator Tina Schmidt. The entry fee of $10
