Leonard Chan, design-obsessed “CEO-ish” of the Alchemists restaurant group, has created more than a dozen storied concepts in Southern California. Among them are The Blind Rabbit in Anaheim, Stowaway tiki bar in Tustin and Japanese speakeasy Momoku No Usagi in San Clemente, and he’s consulted on many of the county’s premier food halls. Chan, raised in Irvine and a graduate of UC Irvine, was once named one of “O.C.’s 100 Most Influential” by The Orange County Register. His latest creation: Cozy Pine, a way-off-the-wall, camping-themed nook tucked away inside Quail Hill’s Bacchus Bar & Bistro.
How did you come up with the Cozy Pine concept?
We wanted escapism, to create a place where people could feel like they’re completely away from home – like a little campground.
Who designed it?
I gave Ben Bassham, aka Bamboo Ben, renowned for his tiki bars, a sketch and said, “I want two A-frames. I want two patios. I want windows. I want wood.” All in a 12-by-14-foot space. There are owls and birds and butterflies, and a singing Big Mouth Billy Bass on the wall. And a cuckoo clock.
Is the menu escapist, too?
Yes! Munchies and drinkies. Nick Weber, chef at the highly regarded Populaire, created the menu. He’s my partner in this, and he’s also redone the Bacchus menu. Two former members of my Blind Rabbit team created the cocktails.
“We wanted escapism, to create a place where people could feel like they’re completely away from home – like a little campground. ”
Leonard Chan
How do you bring the outdoors in?
Everything is campfire-themed, whether it’s the garnish or with actual fire, and everything – food and cocktails – is finished tableside. The drinks might use toasted rosemary, for instance, like Ruby’s First Expedition, or roasted marshmallows. Nick’s tomato bisque is sipped from a mug.
Menu favorites?
Nick was so playful and fun about it. We wanted to have this glamping take on campground food, and to raise the bar on bar bites. We do blue-crab corn chips, cheddar bratwurst instead of a hot dog … fancy camp food, like childhood camping but with an adult take. Glamp food!
