Michael Hepworth
ANNUAL BENEFIT FOR THE AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
“Dine Out For Life OC”
Sustainability, Recycling, and Eating Clean
By Kay Schroeder
Laguna Beach(Perfect Meal Today)9/9/16/–Leading DOFL(OC) for the second year is Executive Chef and Pastry Chef Debra Sims at Maro Wood Grill, 1915 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, 949-793-4044. Established six years ago, Maro Wood Grill (the first green restaurant in Orange County) is dedicated to sustainability, recycling and eating clean. They use natural organic wood for their grill and compost all food waste. This Argentinian-inspired steak house has been awarded (three times in a row) the Golden Foodie Award.
Graduate and class valedictorian of Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Debra Sims brings a wealth of award winning knowledge to this year’s event. She has graciously offered to share her knowledge and expertise through interviews (both print and broadcast) and on-air fun, delicious, and innovative ways such as Press Samplings for Media interested in conducting an interview; Cooking Demonstrations, Tips and Best Practices; Discussion of her involvement with Dining Out for Life; and Giving a tour of Maro Wood Grill, a Dining Out for Life participating restaurant. Chef Sims also has a few more other culinary gems to share.
Maro Wood Grill and Chef Sims are all about salubrious, savory, sizzling, and super eco-friendly. Very salubrious are the empanadas, savory is the chimichurri sauce, and sizzling is the beef, all freshly made each day using eco-friendly practices, products, and procedures. Their conviction to excellence is evidenced by ensuring that all of their “to go” food is packaged in biodegradable containers with flatware that is also biodegradable. Other biodegradable products used are table napkins, bathroom towels and tissue, and hand soap.
Perhaps every chef’s dream, Chef Sims was given the latitude of personally designing the daily menu thus allowing her to try new foods, seasonings, preparation, and presentation techniques. The menu changes approximately four times a week, allowing for a great variety of choice. This very innovative and talented chef was even allowed to design the grill and kitchen layout to her own specifications.
The mix of Maro’s customers is very diverse consisting of different age groups, and cultures such as American, Spanish, Argentine, European, and Asian. Maro’s does not offer delivery service, however they do get a little help from their friends. Some of their resourceful and creative customers employ the use of public transportation like Uber and local taxis. They have been surprised to learn that some of these customers live a considerable distance from Laguna Beach. Now, that’s impressive customer loyalty.
Don’t let this small, quaint restaurant fool you; it has a lot going with special and always different, menus for Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day, and Easter.
A Monthly Tradition at Maro’s Wood Grill:
The Dia de Noquis – the Day of Gnocchi? Ever heard of this one? No, me neither, however in Argentina on the 29th of each month (when the only food left in the larder is potatoes and flour), everyone gets together to make and eat gnocchi, the wonderfully delicious potato/pasta dumpling. The tradition is to put a peso under each plate to ensure good luck and prosperity. How fun is that!
Chef Sims believes that some of the things (besides their awesome food and ever-changing diverse menu offerings) that have made Maro’s an award-winning restaurant is the comradery developed with staff and the community of Laguna Beach. Chef Sims said that the staff members have learned so much from their customers and regard them as dear friends; they even call some of them “our kids.”
Check out Maro’s awesome menu at:
http://marowoodgrill.com/daily-menu/
For many decades known for its many desirable amenities (quaint cottages, panoramic ocean views, artists, and its fine arts community), Laguna Beach possesses another unusual, if not unique, service of delivery and pick up of yellow trash bags designed for food waste only. Community working together with great respect for the environment and each other.
With all of the great restaurants participating, the opportunity to improve the lives of the men, women, and children touched by AIDS will make your awesome lunch or dinner even more awesome, knowing that you have truly made a difference today.
Dine Out. Do Good!
Join us for an evening of dining out that benefits AIDS Services Foundation Orange County’s programs supporting people living with HIV/AIDS in Orange County. The following restaurants have agreed to donate to ASF a minimum of 25% of their food and beverage sales (including alcohol) from the Dining Out For Life event:
Orange County participating restaurants:
Anaheim Whitehouse (714) 772-1381 Donating 25% Dinner
Durty Nelly’s (714) 957-1951 Donating 25% Lunch
Maro Wood Grill (949) 793-4044 Donating 25%Dinner
Pieology – Westminster (714) 465-9304 Donating 20% Lunch, Dinner
Plum’s Café (949) 722-7586 Donating 50% Breakfast, Lunch
Port Restaurant and Bar (949) 723-9685 Donating 25%Dinner
Samba Brazilian Steakhouse (818) 763-0101Donating 25% Any Meal
Square One Pizza Café (949) 451-1750 Donating 25% Lunch, Dinner
Sundried Tomato Bistro – San Clemente (949) 388-5757 Donating 25% Lunch, Dinner
Sundried Tomato Bistro – San Juan Capistrano
Velvet Lounge (714) 664-0663 Donating 25%Dinner
Zinc Cafe & Market – CDM (949) 719-9462 Donating 25% Breakfast, Lunch
Zinc Cafe & Market – Laguna Beach (949) 494-6302 Donating 25% Breakfast, Lunch
While you are on the Internet, please checkout our fun and informative websites featuring food, restaurants, spirits, entertainment, and much more.
Invite your family and friends to join you in Dining Out For Life on Thursday, September 15. Enjoy a meal at one of the participating restaurants and they will donate 25% or more of your bill to AIDS Services Foundation. You’ll have a great meal and, at the same time, help provide critical services to people in Orange County affected and infected by HIV and AIDS.
ASF’s mission is to prevent the spread of HIV and improve the lives of men, women, and children affected by HIV/AIDS in Orange County. We’re good at what we do—we have been at it for 30 years, after all. We remove barriers to care, allowing individuals to make their health their priority.
Proceeds from sales (25% or more) donated by participating restaurants) from DOFL(OC) will go to the AIDS Services Foundation (ASF). ASF has been helping to prevent the spread of HIV and improve lives for the last thirty years. You are invited to checkout the ASF website: http://www.diningoutforlife.com and http://www.diningoutforlife.com/orangecounty
Michael Hepworth
287 S.Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
http://twitter.com/MrSpiritsman
http://alquimie.com.au/publicatio