Chef / Owner David Myers
David Myers’ impassioned quest for spontaneity, perfection and perpetual fluidity has been well served by his innate ability in the culinary arts. In tandem, these qualities have produced unforgettable dishes and dining experiences that today converge in his culinary ventures.
While a college student of International Business, Myers realized that he spent more time experimenting in the kitchen than studying for his classes. He knew that he was destined for another career and quickly secured a position at Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago where Chef Trotter’s culinary philosophy made a formative impression. Attentive to Myers’ natural talent and promise, Chef Trotter sent his young protégé off to Reims, France to work for Chef Gerard Boyer in his three Michelin-starred restaurant Les Crayères.
Upon returning to the United States, Myers worked under the master tutelage of Chef Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel in New York where he further honed his skills in a demanding French kitchen. Myers’ next move brought him to Los Angeles. Working for chef/restaurateur Joachim Splichal as Executive Sous Chef at Patina, he participated in the 2000 renovation and re-opening of the famed restaurant. Soon after, he joined the executive board of Raffles L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, claiming the position of Executive Chef and opening the restaurant JAAN in the hotel. He later supervised the opening of JAAN in the Westin Stamford Equinox in Singapore.
In 2002, Myers opened his own restaurant, Sona, where he delivers modern cuisine with global influences in a quietly stunning space on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. Sona has established itself as one of the top restaurants in Los Angeles, receiving such accolades as a Michelin star, the Wine Spectator Grand Award for 2006-2008, inclusion in the list of places to dine before you die from O: The Oprah Magazine and a five star rating—the only restaurant to hold this honor—from Angeleno in April 2007.
In October of 2007, Myers opened his second restaurant, Comme Ça, a stylish French brasserie in West Hollywood. The restaurant features classic brasserie dishes, innovative cocktails and an extensive cheese selection. The dining room is modern with white banquettes and artist-drawn chalk sketches on its black walls. Comme Ça and many of its dishes have been named on numerous Top 10 lists since its opening including multiple mentions in LA Weekly, Los Angeles magazine, Angeleno magazine.
In January of 2009, Myers opened Pizzeria Ortica in the heart of the Costa Mesa shopping and arts district in California. This is his first Italian concept where guests enjoy hand made Napoli-style pizzas and fresh pastas as well as traditional antipasti in a casual setting. Its architecture soars with arched ceilings and Tuscan red tiled floors. Later this year, it will be joined by Ortica, a refined Italian restaurant to open in Los Angeles and a second Comme Ça in the same Costa Mesa neighborhood. Myers will also open Comme Ça Bakery, a retail and wholesale bread business. He will offer his highly requested artisanal breads and pastries to the public while supplying his growing restaurants and an increasing number of wholesale clients.
Myers’ culinary capabilities have been widely recognized by both the media and culinary industry. He was one of Food & Wine Best New Chefs in 2003 and Angeleno magazine voted him Chef of the Year in 2004 and Man of Style in 2006. He has been featured in local and national publications such as The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, USA Today and Time magazine. Additionally, Myers was nominated for Rising Star Chef of the Year from the James Beard Foundation in 2004 and again in 2008 as Best Chef in America-Pacific. Myers has appeared on The Today Show, The Early Show, MSNBC’s Your Business, Iron Chef America and starred in Shopping with Chefs on the Fine Living TV Network.
Chef de Cuisine Justin Miller
Born and raised in Orange County, Justin Miller’s Southern California roots have instilled in him a sense of community and a relaxed approach to cooking. From classic French to an American steakhouse to large-scale catering, Miller’s experience and cuisine style have run the gamut. However, with an upbringing and philosophy that leans towards home-style, rustic food for the family, Miller has finally found his stride in simple Italian cookery.
A graduate of The Art Institute of California - Orange County in 2006 with an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts, Miller’s career path harkens back to joyful memories of his mother, an accomplished home cook who never failed to produce a nightly meal from scratch. Little did Miller know that these memories, along with the early epiphany that he would one day have to cook for himself, would lead him to a robust career in the culinary world.
Miller’s youth in Orange County and Hawaii, immersed in the beach culture of both places, instilled in him a relaxed and happy attitude toward food and cooking. He began his career as a Banquet Cook at the famed Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach, followed by a rather interesting stint as the Chef of the Quicksilver Crossing, a surf-exploration cruise ship that transported professional surfers from San Diego to Panama on a three-month hunt for America’s best waves. After returning ashore, Miller served as a Line Cook at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Santa Ana, then as the Sous Chef of Dolce restaurant in Newport Beach, where he was quickly promoted in November 2007 to Executive Chef. Prior to joining the David Myers Group, Miller served as Chef De Partie at Crème De La Crème Catering in Orange County, where he effortlessly executed everything from intimate dinners to large-scale events.
Miller’s transition back to restaurants, with an opening position as Line Cook at Pizzeria Ortica under acclaimed Chef David Myers, has led him full-circle back to the heart of rustic Italian cuisine and the no-fuss thrills of cooking in all wood. Within a year of Pizzeria Ortica’s opening in 2009, Miller was promoted to Chef de Cuisine. Miller’s immediate success under Chef Myers stems from true dedication and an innate understanding of the spirit of the cuisine: instill a sense of authenticity, of comfort and of the neighborhood to create a truly great meal.
An avid outdoorsman, Miller enjoys surfing,wind surfing, skateboarding, camping and fly fishing in his off hours. Miller lives in Newport Beach.
Born and raised in Orange County, Justin Miller’s Southern California roots have instilled in him a sense of community and a relaxed approach to cooking. From classic French to an American steakhouse to large-scale catering, Miller’s experience and cuisine style have run the gamut. However, with an upbringing and philosophy that leans towards home-style, rustic food for the family, Miller has finally found his stride in simple Italian cookery.
A graduate of The Art Institute of California - Orange County in 2006 with an Associate of Science degree in Culinary Arts, Miller’s career path harkens back to joyful memories of his mother, an accomplished home cook who never failed to produce a nightly meal from scratch. Little did Miller know that these memories, along with the early epiphany that he would one day have to cook for himself, would lead him to a robust career in the culinary world.
Miller’s youth in Orange County and Hawaii, immersed in the beach culture of both places, instilled in him a relaxed and happy attitude toward food and cooking. He began his career as a Banquet Cook at the famed Balboa Bay Club and Resort in Newport Beach, followed by a rather interesting stint as the Chef of the Quicksilver Crossing, a surf-exploration cruise ship that transported professional surfers from San Diego to Panama on a three-month hunt for America’s best waves. After returning ashore, Miller served as a Line Cook at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Santa Ana, then as the Sous Chef of Dolce restaurant in Newport Beach, where he was quickly promoted in November 2007 to Executive Chef. Prior to joining the David Myers Group, Miller served as Chef De Partie at Crème De La Crème Catering in Orange County, where he effortlessly executed everything from intimate dinners to large-scale events.
Miller’s transition back to restaurants, with an opening position as Line Cook at Pizzeria Ortica under acclaimed Chef David Myers, has led him full-circle back to the heart of rustic Italian cuisine and the no-fuss thrills of cooking in all wood. Within a year of Pizzeria Ortica’s opening in 2009, Miller was promoted to Chef de Cuisine. Miller’s immediate success under Chef Myers stems from true dedication and an innate understanding of the spirit of the cuisine: instill a sense of authenticity, of comfort and of the neighborhood to create a truly great meal.
An avid outdoorsman, Miller enjoys surfing,wind surfing, skateboarding, camping and fly fishing in his off hours. Miller lives in Newport Beach.