Santa Ana Splendor - Dining In Memphis

Let me start by saying that the food and vibe at the Memphis Caf� in the Santora Building in the Arts District, Santa Ana is terrific. They serve up a distinctive modern gourmet interpretation of Southern homestyle cooking in a casual, yet efficient setting-all made possible by the blending of the talented trio of Dan Bradley, Diego Velasco and Andy Christenson.

The three originally worked together at Laguna Beach's Renaissance Caf� in the '90s and decided to open their own establishment. Their dream soon became a reality, thanks to help from family and friends; assistance that allowed them to lease the building and cover restoration costs, transforming the once-notorious and decrepit Kings Inn, located next to the LAB (the only urban youth"anti-mall") in the SoBeCa District of Costa Mesa, into what it is today.

The first Memphis Caf� earned overnight critical acclaim and a loyal following; "Our success was not only fueled by immediate favorable press for being a unique, independently-owned eatery," says Bradley. "We wanted to provide a progressive, yet inviting place to fill this missing segment. We figured the creative class would stay in Orange County if they had better options."

The clever concept paid off and ignited The Memphis Group, which has since spawned multiple locations while remaining true to the mission of revitalizing re-emerging areas. Impressed with their success and community impact, the City of Santa Ana approached them in 2000 to open another location as part of a redevelopment project in the Santa Ana Downtown Artists Village District, specifically the Santora Building.

Two years later, Memphis transformed the 1929 historic landmark by meshing their brand with the building's ornate Spanish Colonial revival style known as Churrigueresque.

As we walked into the stylish gated lobby entrance, we were taken by the terrazzo floors and grand double staircase. We were greeted and quickly seated by our server, Kat (a musician on the side who plays piano, guitar and ukulele). She has been with the group for four years and was very knowledgeable about the inner workings of the menu.

She sat us at a booth with a great view and I couldn't help but feel the structure's history and enjoy how the guys succeeded in preserving the integrity of its architecture. Come to find out, back in its heyday the building was the height of luxury and home to a well-known tenant, the Daniger's Tea Room, an under-the-radar hot spot for Hollywood movie stars in the '20s and'30s-it was also home to a base- ment level speakeasy/jazz club.

I am a fan of exploring drink specials and the creative list offered everything from Southern classics, Memphis Mint Julep to contemporary old fashioned cocktails. I decided on a Raspberry Margarita with Azunia Platinum Tequila, fresh crushed Raspberries and house-made Margarita mix; it was made perfectly. Chef Diego and Dan came over to say hello and got us excited about his brand new autumn menu. Chef Diego suggested a wine for John, who wanted one with a buttery finish. His suggestion was the Expression 38 Chardonnay direct from Sonoma Coast. His thoughtful wine list reflected his personal search of vibrant varietals from around the world and it did not disappoint.

Executive chef since the beginning, Chef Diego has played an instrumental role in the success by overseeing the culinary direction for the group's three restaurants and catering division. His artful presentations and insightful choice of ingredients result in innovative and soulful dishes. He is very loyal to the Saturday's Farmers Market in the city of Orange and is committed to using homegrown goods.

In 1994, he earned a culinary arts degree from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, with an emphasis on African heritage cuisine, Italian and Irish immigrant cooking and Native American Foods. In addition to his early training as a chef for Taste Catering in San Francisco, Chef Diego honed his skills as an apprentice for highly regarded master Chefs John Sedlar (St. Estpehe, Abiquiu, Bikini), Thom Fox (Corona Bar & Grill) and Hans Rockenwagner. In 1995, he returned to Southern California to oversee the menu development and launch of Memphis Caf�.

There is something soothing about knowing a chef 's journey before tasting his/her food. In this case we knew that it would be prepared by someone with technique and soul-which brings me to our delicious meal. For appetizers; we ordered Southern Crab Cakes presented on a bed of herb salad and smoked tomato beurre blanc which was tasty, although I questioned the cohesiveness of the cake itself. The Duck Quesadilla was fantastic, I am normally skeptical about duck (a texture issue), but this was cooked to perfection and I was impressed with the Avocado- Jalape�o sauce, to say nothing of the fresh black-eyed pea salsa-salad accompaniment.

Next, we ordered a cup of the Down Home Gumbo, smoked chicken, shrimp, okra and chicken Andouille sausage over a mound of steamed rice. This was so freakin' calming that I regretted not ordering a bowl of it-the perfect rainy day comfort food! I quickly shifted focus to the visually appealing Mixed Green Salad, candied pecans, gorgonzola, sliced red pear and golden raisins drizzled with sherry vinaigrette. John went for the Heirloom Tomatoes, served with whole grain bruschetta, oregano and fresh mozzarella with the brilliant finish of smoked olive oil. It was time for another cocktail, I got adventurous and went for the Dark and Stormy, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and ginger beer on the rocks; yummy and thirst quenching.

For the main course, I was feeling a bit carnivorous and chose the Block-cut Harris Ranch New York Steak, served atop a bed of hash browns, parmesan broccolini lightly slathered in red wine butter sauce; that was some fine meat. John ordered Saffron Risotto Jambalaya consisting of gulf prawns, manila clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, smoked chicken and Andouille sausage, which he enjoyed and appreciated for its ingenious deconstructed take on the classic dish. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Southern Meatloaf and Catfish deserve an honorable mention for future consumption. The side dish selections sounded quite appealing: mustard greens, matchstick fries, fried baby spinach, green chile grits, Cajun creamed corn, mac 'n' cheese, hush puppies, fried okra, sweet potato fries and mashed potato pancakes- all worth a return visit.

I ordered the Black and Blue Lemonade with dessert, which ended up being my favorite because of the muddled fresh blackberries permeating the delicious concoction. For dessert, we had a double whammy, the flawless Cr�me Br�l�e and the striking garden-fresh Carrot Cake; a beautiful ending to an appetizing and memorable culinary experience.

The cafe is open for lunch, brunch and dinner and accommodates up to 45 guests in an intimately lit dining area. The bar offers seating for 30 in the enclosed patio; both available for private parties. DJs provide the musical ambiance late at night. It so happened that on the evening that we were there a few bands were scheduled to perform.

MEMPHIS CAF� SANTORA, 201 North Broadway Artists Village, Santa Ana. Reservations at 714.564.1064 or memphiscafe.com (there is access to their other locations on this website also)