Meet Cafe del Rey’s New Executive Chef
Cafe del Rey Executive Chef Job Carder
Cafe del Rey’s new Executive Chef Job Carder is no stranger to Lala-land or the restaurant biz. This third-generation Angeleno was born and raised in the historic neighborhood of Highland Park (just north of Dodgers Stadium) and grew up cooking with the men in his family. Fun fact: his grandfather co-founded Norm’s Restaurant, a diner-style chain in Southern California.
His early years included working under Joachim Splichal at Patina and later helming award-winning restaurants in California including Dish Bistro in Pasadena and Manzanita in Healdsburg. Chef Job’s passion for using locally grown produce as well as locally sourced meats and seafood are reflected through the new Cafe del Rey menus.
Read on for our brief Q&A with Chef Job:
Which dish from your menu should people absolutely try? Without a doubt, the poppy-seed crusted California white sea bass. We use a local sea bass, caught anywhere from Catalina to San Diego/Baja border and our local seafood purveyor has it to our restaurant in less than eight hours. We fillet the whole fish and do all the preparation in-house. The is a lighter dish, very vibrant and perfect for summer.
What seasonal ingredient are you using right now that you love? Fresh red currant–those berries are awesome. Also, I’m loving heirloom tomatoes right now (we use Tutti Frutti Farms’ organic heirloom tomatoes) and it’s on our Burrata Caprese Salad served with pistachio pesto, fresh garlic, borage flower and micro-basil.
When you’re not in the kitchen, where can we find you? Spending time with my teenage daughter as well as my 5-month old boxer. Other times, I am hanging out with friends of mine who are also chefs/restaurateurs.
What’s the best cooking tip you can offer to aspiring chefs and cooks? Pay attention to the techniques that you are learning–then master those basic techniques and skills!
Pick one word that best describes Marina del Rey? Beautiful.
Cafe del Rey features California coastal cuisine and serves a variety of delectable dishes for brunch, lunch and dinner. Say hi to Executive Chef Job Carder next time you’re dining in Cafe del Rey. Try new dishes on the menu including the California sea bass dish he recommends above. 4451 Admiralty Way, 310-823-6395.
Come enjoy the beautiful food at Cafe del Rey.