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By Malena Gordon | NB Indy Side Dish Columnist
On Sunday, March 2, fellow food writer and NB Indy Editor Christopher Trela and I were among over 350 guests at the Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel to experience Table for Ten, an annual charity event that raises money via the Pascal Culinary Arts Scholarship at Saddleback College for aspiring chefs, renaissanceand offers a hands-on culinary event featuring some of the county’s top restaurants and chefs.
A silent auction, restaurant booths, and multiple photo opportunities were set up outside the venue to entertain guests before the main event began.
The silent auction and mixed drink samples took up most of our attention early on.
As the time neared 6 p.m., guests gathered at their assigned table, each paired with a restaurant and its top chef, with culinary students from the Saddleback College culinary program assisting.
We had the honor of dining with Pacific Pearl Café from San Juan Capistrano, indulging in creations by Chef Travis Ryder and owner Michael Campbell.
Campbell shared that his background includes “fine dining in New York, San Francisco, France, and Barcelona. I’ve always wanted to be the next Alain Ducasse.”
We started with a trio of tostadas accompanied by a petite jar of local yellowtail ceviche and a little bit of lemon pepper on top. The ceviche itself was served in a rouge Antigua-style preparation that consisted of creamy coconut milk, tart wine juice, and sweet honey.
The tostada trio showcased seafood delights, beginning with a crab tostada featuring lima bean hummus and a curry-infused goat cheese shrimp salad, served with gem lettuce, fried capers, and a piece of pickled ginger.
Whenever “ahi, tuna, and taco” are in the same dish description, I know I will love it. Pacific Pearl Cafe’s version was exceptional. The third tostada in the trio, an ahi tuna taco, was mixed with guajillo chili, onions, cilantro, and lime juice, creating a spirited spunk on this classic dish.
After the seafood trio, Chef Ryder presented a beef trio featuring tri tip, short rib, and birria-stuffed piquillo peppers. While my usual preference leans toward seafood, I would order this dish at the Pacific Pearl Café bar without hesitation. Each component was perfectly cooked, offering moist, protein-packed bites with fruit compliments that I thoroughly enjoyed.
To end our dining experience, Chef Ryder executed Campbell’s vision with a creative take on his very own “bribery (banana) bread.”
The dessert, banana-misu, combined chocolate, caramel, brown butter banana bread, match and mascarpone mousse. We agreed that although banana-flavored dishes aren’t usually our favorites, this was, once again, exceptional.
Campbell remarked, “I’ve never been a fan of tiramisu but I wanted to incorporate a little chocolate and coffee into banana bread, and this is how I chose to do it.”
Even with a full and happy stomach, I couldn’t resist bite after bite of this dessert.
Our time with Chef Ryder and owner Michael Campbell was one of many unique dining experiences enjoyed by the Table for Ten guests.
By the way, I learned that a goal of Pacific Pearl Café is to open locations in Irvine and Fullerton, allowing locals to savor their trios, matcha, and “bribery bread.”
For more information on Table for Ten, visit https://tableforten.org/
