With a loooong bar and arsenal of menu selections, this week marks David Wilhelm's venture back into Orange County cuisine as Jimmy's Famous American Tavern launches today across from Dana Point Harbor. Serving homemade American regional classics, they are on the sustainable bandwagon, partnering with programs like Seafood for the Future to utilize organic and locally farmed ingredients.
JFAT's name comes from Jimmy Duval, a backyard cook who partnered up with Wilhelm and the design team of Jeff and Todd Hatch to create a cozy gathering place where cocktails not only shine, but the cuisine as well. Earlier in the month, JFAT fundraised over $9,000 for the Dana Point 5th Marine Regiment Support Group, dedicated to providing support and outreach to those marines, sailors and their families.
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Serving weekday lunch, nightly dinner and weekend brunch, chef Tommy Ferguson offers a number of dishes unique to their location (their sister restaurant is based in San Diego) including Yellowtail crudo and their Meat, Meat & More Meat flatbread, featuring pepperoni, black forest ham, and sausage. There's also their brand of chipotle ketchup to dunk some buttermilk 'n beer battered onion rings into.
If cozying up to the bar isn't your thing, then covet one of their leather booths in the back for a view of the water. We'll be drinking something crafty at the bar with our Baja style shrimp cocktail, because counter space like that shouldn't go to waste.
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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.