He builds furniture, owns his own business, and plants gardens. And after our meeting, Chris would meet with The Corner's bartender to practice all the cocktails on their drink menu. Staying in one place is not his specialty, but we wouldn't want him any other way.
Read our interview with Chris Grodach of The Corner, Part One.
And now, on to Part Two. . .
When you're not in the kitchen cooking, what are you doing?
The truth is I work so much now that I get very little time off, and most of my hobbies have gone to the wayside. I spend any free time with my girlfriend and family, but am looking forward to getting back in the water (down the street) to surf. One thing my girlfriend and I are doing right now is planting a rooftop garden. It's been a great stress reliever.
Last song playing on your radio/samrt phone/iPod:
The Killers' Spaceman.
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Where did you grow up? If you're not from Orange County, what brought you here?
I grew up in Newport. I've left many times, yet job opportunities have brought me back.
Hardest lesson you've learned:
Anyone can break your trust at any time.
What's your favorite childhood memory?
Stickball in an old abandoned parking lot. We played all summer long until the sun went down. It was our own version of the movie sandlot, without the giant dog.
Favorite Halloween costume:
My friend was a celery stick; can you think of something better than that? It's stupid as it is; that's what was fantastic about it. It was a very Fruit-of-the-Loom kind of deal. One year I was a Ghostbuster, with a vacuum strapped to my back.
Are you superstitious; if so, about what?
I used to not step on cracks cause I didn't want to break my mom's back.
What were you up to five years ago?
I was opening executive chef at Kimera in Newport.
Favorite holiday:
Christmas. There's a real spirit that people get into. It's a whole month build up, which might be the best part.
Last book you read or last movie watched; how was it?
An Education (the movie). It's slightly disturbing, but intriguing at the same time [Editor's Note: Agreed!]. You can't understand why this older man is courting a high school girl, but you know it probably happened all the time and was considered acceptable.
When you use the internet, what's on your homepage?
Charles Schwab. I used to invest a lot. Now I'm all in on The Corner.
Last thing you looked up/searched online:
Shoot the root cocktail. Did you know it was invented in Belmont Shore in Long Beach?
What would you be doing if you weren't in this business?
I was thinking the other day I would like being a surgeon, but I would never get through the school because I hate studying. I'm an entrepreneur at heart, so I'd have some sort of business.
Do you have any skills outside of the kitchen?
I made some of the tables here. I'm also building all sorts of stuff for our deck at home, so carpentry would be my skill.
Visit The Corner at 8961 Adams Ave, Huntington Beach, (714) 968-6800; www.thecornerhb.com.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.