The new Orange County Museum of Art just debuted Verdant, a cafe offering a fresh, innovative, plant-forward menu that rotates weekly and highlights the bounty of local and seasonal produce available in Southern California.
Verdant and a coffee bar on the museum’s first floor is being developed by Executive Chefs Ross Pangilinan and Nick Weber with General Manager Alyssa McDiarmid. Chef Pangilinan will also oversee catering services for events at the museum’s new site, which includes an expansive outdoor terrace.
Verdant will seat 75 guests and is open for lunch service six days a week (closed on Mondays). In addition to its menu of California cuisine replete with locally sourced, organic ingredients, Verdant offers gourmet coffees and teas, including ceremonial-grade matcha, and features a full bar with a carefully curated wine list and craft cocktails.
Verdant will be a homecoming of sorts for Ross Pangilinan. He served as the Executive Chef at Leatherby’s Café Rouge at Segerstrom Center for the Arts from 2009 to 2016, where he was known for his themed menus and singular dining experiences created for the restaurant, special events, and galas at Segerstrom Center.
During his 10 years with Patina, Ross annually oversaw the Emmy’s Governor’s Ball, which served thousands of VIP guests, all while operating multiple businesses. Today, he is the Chef and Owner of four restaurants, including Mix Mix Kitchen Bar, which was named “2017 Restaurant of The Year” by Orange Coast Magazine, and received a prestigious Bib Gourmand Award from the Michelin Guide.
His second location, Terrace by Mix Mix is located at South Coast Plaza and was named one of the best new restaurants in 2019 by Orange Coast Magazine. His third location, Remix Kitchen Bar in Long Beach, opened in 2020 and his latest offering, another collaboration with Nicholas Weber called Populaire, opened in early June 2022 in South Coast Plaza. In addition to his restaurants, Ross continues to cater events small and large, from casual to high-end.
3333 Avenue of the Arts in Costa Mesa.
