Innovation Wins Big
at Casa Pacifica’s 2021 Chef Competition
Alex Montoya’s Jasmine Plum Rum Ice Cream won first place in the sweet division of the Yummie Culinary Competition at the 2021 Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival. Alex, 27, is chef at Honey Cup Coffeehouse and Creamery in Oxnard and has won second place for four years prior to this sweet victory. He is relishing his spot at the top for the first time.
The mint in the ice cream seemed to have captured the judges’ attention. He says he came up with this concoction through lack of sleep and trying new and creative things. “Sometimes I make something and I want to extend it to the bar as a simple syrup and I’ll say ‘Turn this into a Margarita,” Alex explains. He believes Casa Pacifica is the perfect place to step out with new cocktail-inspired flavors. “Though I don’t drink personally, I try to always turn a cocktail into a dessert knowing that it’s a nice, fun adult event,” Alex says. “So I try to come up with these fun cocktails that I know will translate well into a dessert. The work is already kind of done for me. All I’ve got to do is give it to you in a new form.”
Alex enjoys the Casa Pacifica event because it’s where he gets to see people enjoy his creations. At Honey Cup, he gets to hand out new flavors to people and he enjoys seeing firsthand how they react. He feels that it’s like a live trial- and-error opportunity because he thinks the public are the best critics. Most of the time, however, he tests flavors on the staff.
“At the coffee shop, we make Jasmine Plum ice cream. We make Green Tea ice cream. Most of my ice cream is tea-inspired. I go to a local tea shop and I smell the teas and I’m, like, ‘That smells awesome’ and it actually translates perfectly into the flavor. It actually tastes how it smells.” At the shop, all of his ice-cream is nonalcoholic and he wants the whole family to come and enjoy his menu. “We are looking forward to sharing our ‘after hours,’ which will feature the alcoholic flavors such as Jasmine Plum Rum.”
In the typical chef mind-set, Alex is not going to sit too long tasting this victory. He says, “I just want to be able to get better and to learn it all. We’ve all got to keep getting better.” Alex has his eye on winning the savory prize next year. When it comes to savory, he says he feels like he’s always the bride’s maid and never the bride. “I am coming for first in everything. I can’t wait until next year. It’s been a long time coming. I have Mamba mentality; I’m hungry.”
Alex is also executive chef at Water’s Edge Restaurant and Bar in Ventura and the newly reopened Waterside Restaurant at Channel Islands Harbor.
Abdu Romero, former executive chef at Slate Bistro & Craft Bar, placed first in the savory division of the Yummie Culinary Competition at the 2021 Casa Pacifica Angels Wine, Food & Brew Festival. Abdu has worked in some of the finest kitchens in Ventura County including The Tower Club, Bistro 13, Spanish Hills Country Club and as a private chef for various celebrities.
Abdu’s dish—Pan-Seared Scallop, Celeriac, Finger Lime, Tobiko Caviar, Shrimp Chicharron—rose to the top in the minds of the prestigious judging panel, which included celebrities and chefs. This victory came on the heels of his first-place win in 2019. “I am not a fan of competition,” he says. “I competed for fun and I don’t stress about what I’m going to make. I just enjoy the fun and love behind it.”
With his saucy attitude and grateful demeanor, it’s hard not to be impressed with Abdu. He has a passion for food and for sharing his gift with family, friends and the public. He never stressed about whether his dish would impress the judges again this year, saying “It’s just a sexy dish with a simple flavor profile. The sweetness of the scallop and the freshness of the caviar—I start with a list of ingredients and I let the dish present itself.”
Abdu seems to exude confidence and believes that it’s the secret sauce in creating delicious food that his customers, friends and family will enjoy. When asked if he is a food snob, he says not at all. “I’m a food lover and I like to support local businesses by using local ingredients.” Most days, he eats at the restaurant but enjoys barbecuing for friends on his days off. He says he isn’t against enjoying beer and pizza either.
Passionate about his craft, Romero recently embarked on a new adventure as executive chef at Birnam Wood Country Club in Montecito. “Slate was really good to me. I am just always open to change.”
