Vine Restaurant Launches St. Roy, a Chef's Pub Featuring Chef Inspired American Classics
January 11, 2011 (San Clemente, CA) - Building on the success of Vine, head chef and proprietor Justin Monson has launched St. Roy, a chef's pub serving American-inspired regional fare at Vine restaurant. Monson's inspiration for St. Roy stems from a long passion to provide an approachable neighborhood restaurant serving memorable rustic fare that invokes a sense of community. Chef and Proprietor Monson's cooking has stood at the heart of the success of Vine, which offered a menu of Wine Country cuisine since opening in 2003. Jared Cook has rejoined St. Roy at Vine as the new head chef after two years in that position at Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar. Monson and Cook will collaborate on St. Roy's chef's pub menu incorporating old favorites with a broad range of new offerings based on locally inspired rustic cuisine.
Monson has transformed the interior of the Vine's bar into an energetic and casual neighborhood environment, an ideal compromise between familiarity and innovation. St. Roy offers more seating with high-top wooden tables along the exposed brick wall, and features a communal butcher-block bar table offering a view of the exposed kitchen. The modern chef's pub ambiance is enhanced by Jared and his staff creating their sumptuous fare against a background of white subway tile, stainless steel shelving, and an expansive copper hood above the grill. In keeping with the pub atmosphere, St Roy now offers ten microbrews on tap, including local brews from Stone Brewery and Port Brewery. St Roy's zinc beer and wine-tasting bar faces the unique wine-on-tap system that houses 20 regional wines.
St. Roy chef's pub menu incorporates fresh local and regional ingredients using organic whenever possible. Highlighted on large chalkboards are daily specials featuring the fresh-made artisan crafted gourmet food with a strong Californian influence. The new chef's pub inspired menu proposes a variety of burgers, bar sandwiches, and various small plates. Popular new items have been the Mac n cheese $8, La Quercia ham wrapped peppers $8, and the Steamed Mussels & herbed fries $14. The meat and poultry are raised naturally and cruelty-free by local vendors, and the seafood is brokered from sustainable sources. The menu also features artisan salami, prosciutto, house-made charcuterie and a great selection of cheeses.
About Vine
St. Roy! Inspired by Napa Valley. We named our chef's pub after four towns: St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville and Yountville. Serving seasonal, fresh and local food done in pub style.
Executive chef Justin Monson, Dana Point resident, grew up in Laguna Niguel, California. Justin married his high school sweetheart, Dorine, and is the proud father of two wonderful sons, Hayden and Beau. At the young age of 13, he found his culinary calling in life when his Mom took him to a French cooking class at Bonsoir Charles in San Clemente. By amazing coincidence, Vine is located in the same site today. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Monson refined his culinary skills in the kitchens of notable chefs Christian Rassinoux and Patrick Glennon at the Ritz Carlton, Laguna Niguel. Monson then relocated to Napa Valley and worked as Saucier at Auberge Du Soleil, working under Chef Andrew Sutton, now at Napa Rose. He returned to Southern California to become executive chef at French 75 in Laguna Beach. In 2003, Monson, along with his wife Dorine opened Vine in San Clemente.
Head chef Jared Cook grew up in the food-rich Pacific Northwest countryside of Eugene, Oregon. His mother's cooking and the late culinary icon, Julia Child, nurtured his natural love of cooking. After graduating from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, he ventured to Southern California. Cook sharpened his culinary skills at French 75, Chat Noir, Vine as sous chef and the previous two years as executive chef at Crow Bar. He now returns to St. Roy at Vine as head chef and will merge his talents and passions with Monson's.