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20qs



Chef Rolando Rubalcava

05.29.18

1. When did you first know you wanted to be a chef?  
At 13 I stepped in to help my father cook at his taqueria. That’s the day things clicked, and I knew this was something I really enjoyed.

2. What are you most excited about at Playa Mesa?  
Running my own kitchen.  And the ability to develop my own menu and style of food.

3. How will Playa Mesa differ from other Mexican restaurants in the area?
We’re just going to do our own thing. Everyone has their own interpretation of good Mexican food and we have ours. Traditional Mexican dishes with a mix of modern influences.

4. What types of dishes can we look forward to at Playa Mesa?  
Soulful dishes that hopefully bring back a good memory. Items like our Taquitos de Pollo (shredded chicken, escabeche, cotija, salsa verde, lettuce and crema), Enchiladas de Pascado (smoked halibut, roasted tomato, olives, capes, and queso cotija) and Al Pastor (chile pork loin, pineapple, and charred onion).

5. What are your favorite dishes to make?
I love to make salsas. Brings back early childhood memories making salsa with my family. Always one of our staples at the dinner table. And everything came fresh from the family garden. Chilis, tomatoes, cilantro. Still, enjoy making salsas to this day.

6. What are you most proud of?
Starting a family. Gives you a different perspective on life. Nothing I enjoy more.

7. What would you be doing if you weren’t a chef?
Anything working with my hands. I love building and creating things. Not the office type.

8. Where is home?
Orange County, born and raised.

9. What chefs do you look up to in the area?
I look up to all chefs who appreciate and look after their staff. And who genuinely care about their craft.

10. Who had the biggest influence in your life?
That’s easy. My parents had the biggest influence. I get my work ethic from them. No question.

11. Do you cook at home?
Not as much as I should or would like to.

12. What is your pet peeve in the kitchen?
When co-workers don’t stack dishes or walk past trash. Pick it up!

13. What is the hardest part about being a chef?
Being apart from my family for most of the day.

14. How do you view the Orange County food scene?
Up and coming. Lots of good food now.

15. What advice would you give to a budding chef?
Invest in a good pair of kitchen shoes. Long days, long weeks.

16. Do you eat fast food and where?
I do eat fast food, mainly In N Out and whatever is open late. Who doesn’t eat In N Out?

17. What do you love to do in your free time?
All my free time goes to my son and wife.

18. Do you have a favorite dish?
I love chilaquiles.

19. Do you have a most memorable meal?
Thanksgiving at my parents’ home.

20. Secret most people don’t know about you?
I would love to own a dog kennel.

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Blog



An Alaska Trip to Always Remember

05.29.18

Not long ago, thinking about my sons and how grown up they're becoming, I decided that perhaps boxes with bows for birthdays were no longer as important. These events should be more about memories. Just before my son Matthew's 21's birthday, I asked him where he would like to go for a birthday he'll always remember, and he said--"Alaska." 

This wasn’t going to be easy, but it was going to happen. There were constraints on the time we could allot because of my work, his work, and my youngest son’s school schedule. Also, at Matthew’s request, my 81-year-old mom was to join us so now we had a three generational safari to arrange.

One thing I learned quickly, that in Alaska if you love the outdoors, there are options galore. While everyone has their resources for these things, I chose Alaska.org and Reddit. We centered on Anchorage as our initial starting point and for convenience sake, picked the
Lakefront Anchorage, motor hotel about 4 minutes from the airport. Not plush, but perfect for our needs. Good breakfasts and a quick getaway for our daily adventures.

Anchorage doesn’t get high marks for beauty, but what is exceptional is the genuine friendliness of the people. Whether natives or transplants from the lower 48, they all shared an infectious enthusiasm for the state they call home.

Strange what you look back on and say that one incident was the highlight of the trip. For us, it was the bicycle ride we coaxed my mom into. A reluctant participant at first, she nevertheless hung on for the first ride she’d taken in over 20 years...lasting 16 miles in 40-degree weather.

While grateful for her survival, one thing we all appreciated was the bicycle shop itself for the expertise of the owner, Pete and the store’s proximity to the great scenic Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Hop on and you’re off! Downtown Bicycle Rental at 333 W 4th Ave. in Anchorage. 907.279.5293.

Top of our list of day trips was to go to Girdwood, a resort town about an hour drive south of Anchorage. It’s one of the most beautiful drives in the country; the Seward Highway is right on the shorelines of four-mile-wide mudflats of Turnagain Arm, a waterway into the northwestern part of the Gulf of Alaska. It’s known for its tides of up to 40 feet--the largest tides in the United States.

There are so many things to do at Girdwood including flightseeing over glaciers, kayaking skiing, snowboarding, summiting Mt. Alyeska for great views or take a rainforest hike. Since it was so early in the season, we could only hike in the rainforest just behind the Hotel Alyeska, a luxury resort at the base of the Mount Alyeska.

We also wanted to see wildlife up close, so we went to the 140-acre Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center near Girdwood. The center provides refuge for orphaned, injured, and ill animals—those that can't survive in the wild. Moose, wood bison, reindeer, wolves, deer, muskox and foxes reside here, as well as black and brown bears that can be hibernating.

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On our last day, we drove two hours northeast of Anchorage to see the famous Matanuska Glacier, chosen by Alaska Magazine as #2 of “49 Places To Go in The 49th State.”  It’s the largest glacier that’s accessible by car in the U.S. It’s massive at 27 miles long by four miles wide.

Walking on a glacier is not for the faint of heart! While looking, from a distance, rather tame; the reality can be treacherous, and you only need to hear once that no one wants you to be part of a rescue or retrieval effort. We were grateful for the advice given, early on, by a volunteer guide.

 

Climbing a mountain was big on the boys to do list and climb a mountain we did. We went to Flattop Mountain at Glen Alps, reportedly the mountain most favored by locals, it became too slippery for us (requiring crampons) to make the summit, so that, obviously, will wait for our return trip.

After all of the talk of running into a bear (we stopped at REI to buy bear mace), or a moose, or wolf, we didn’t see any wildlife---save for bald eagles on our bike ride. Our last morning in Anchorage, on a run, I saw a moose happily grazing on a tree in someone’s backyard. He took no notice of me, but seeing him, as well as seeing Alaska with my boys and mom for Matthew's 21st birthday is a special memory I'll never forget.

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