oc rewind: Broadway by Amar Santana

Monday, February 6, 2012

When general manager Ahmed Labbate and chef Amar Santana left the wildly popular Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdales South Coast Plaza to open up their own venture, foodies from Orange County waited on baited breath to see what the duo would come up with. They successfully renovated longtime Laguna Beach fixture Five Feet into a buzzy establishment for both people watching and chef watching! The most coveted seats in the house has to be the Chef's table, or to be honest, the counter seating right in front of their small, open kitchen. Diners can watch Santana weave and flow between his sous chefs as he creates visual and edible masterpieces. He's never been one to be shy with an ingredient, offering pork belly, lamb belly, bone marrow, sweetbreads (and no, sweetbreads are neither sweet nor a bread. lol.) Broadway is not a place to be shy with your food or your vocal skills. The constant bustle of the extemely busy restaurant makes it a place to speak loudly to your dinner companions or even the couple at the table next door, as you look at what they've ordered and try to talk them into sharing a bite. Happy eatings!