He is dedicated to quality across the board. As he interacts with a staff of 60, he encourages them to respect the food, repeating his mantra, “happy cooks make better food.”Ĭhef Ortiz has mixed things up with his Spanish heritage featuring small tapas plate specials, giving both more value and variety on weekends. Ortiz likes to cater to those who want quality and quantity. He also likes to quote iconic chef, Alice Waters who says, “Simple is not easy.” His philosophy was a perfect match for Pechanga. Immediately he fell in love with the abundance of fresh food and local farmers in a growing wine region. He had never heard of Temecula before being referred for the job.
There he managed buffets at both the Wynn and Bellagio. With more than 30 years of experience at renowned hotels around the world, Chef Ortiz has spent the last four years in the buffet capital of the world, Las Vegas. Brought in to run the popular buffet, chef Frank Ortiz has supervised the creation of new menu items with fresh local ingredients, expertly run food stations and innovative small tapas plates. That’s what I encountered on a recent visit to the newly remodeled Pechanga Buffet at Temecula’s Pechanga Resort & Casino. I’m using the words “gourmet” and “buffet” in the same sentence. Featured Posts Wine & Food 0 Comments 0 3 min read
