07/17 THE STONEHILL TAVERN, THE ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH RESORT AND HOTEL, CHEF RAJ DIXIT MICHAEL ALLEGRA

LIVE BROADCAST FROM THE STONEHILL TAVERN AT THE ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH RESORT AND HOTEL 

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The St. Regis Monarch Beach offers an unparalleled selection of celebrated restaurants and lounges for foodies and gourmands to choose from. From Chef Michael Mina’s award-winning Stonehill Tavern and its sommelier’s handpicked collection of over 500 wines, to the freshest locally sourced California cuisine at Motif, to a refreshing drink overlooking the fairway at Club 19, savor an unforgettable dining experience morning, noon, and night.

Stonehill Tavern at The St. Regis Monarch Beach is Michael Mina’s acclaimed restaurant concept, offering tavern fare in an elegant and sophisticated setting.

Guests of the Forbes Four-Star Stonehill Tavern enjoy a one-of-a-kind dining experience, including modern American cuisine that features seasonal ingredients and contemporary twists on classic tavern dishes. With Chef Michael Mina’s signature Lobster Pot Pie as a menu mainstay, the culinary team continuously develops new offerings using the region’s finest ingredients.

Executive Chef Raj Dixit - Stonehill Tavern

Raj Dixit, Executive Chef at Stonehill Tavern at The St. Regis Monarch Beach, is a Mission Viejo native who has returned to his hometown after working as a chef in states across the country, including New York, New Jersey and, most recently, Texas. Through all of his travels and experiences, one constant has remained true in Raj’s cooking – less is more.

After graduating from The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Raj worked at The Ryland Inn under the direction of Chef Craig Shelton - known for making the farm-to-table concept a nationwide movement, and that experience continues to shape Raj as a chef. He also served as opening chef for Dennis Foy and Chef de Cuisine for Tribeca restaurateur David Bouley, while opening his eponymous New Bouley Restaurant in New York City. Other memorable influences include his world travels, including visits to France, Japan and sojourns to Spain.

Chef Raj’s menus are a clever collaboration of the senses. He avoids cooking trends, favoring instead a minimalist approach – sourcing the freshest, seasonal ingredients and keeping them in their purest forms to maintain the flavor and integrity of the ingredients. Raj always keeps in mind the flow and presentation of the courses, so every dish tells a story.

In his time off, Chef Raj enjoys reading, listening to an eclectic mix of music and spending time with his fiancée in the Santa Ynez valley.


Lead Sommelier Paul Coker - Stonehill Tavern

Paul Coker is the lead sommelier at Stonehill Tavern, the Forbes Four-Star Michael Mina restaurant at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort. Coker has an Advanced Sommelier certificate, and oversees a wine selection of more than 700 bottles with a focus on boutique producers in the California wine regions.

Prior to becoming a sommelier, Coker spent seven years as a cook and leverages his culinary background to create wine pairings on a molecular level. His fresh, fun approach to wine is easily accessible to aficionados and novices alike. Coker is ingrained in the Orange County community having worked at several local restaurants. In his free time, Coker enjoys playing hockey, mountain biking and reading.

“Sometimes people make too big a deal of it. We want wine to be fun,” said Paul. “My goal is for people to try something new, shift their paradigm a little, but ultimately have a great night enjoying delicious food and wine.”


Director of Food and Beverage Michael Allegra - St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa

For the past 16 years, he had been with Hyatt Hotels, overseeing food and beverage for the Park Hyatt Beijing, the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo and the Park Hyatt Dubai