by tony reverditto
Table for 10 is an incomparable, decadent culinary experience bringing together more than 50 of the region’s finest chefs, culinary artisans and sponsors, taking place on the evening of Sunday, March 2.
Each chef will create and serve an exclusive tableside dinner for 10 guests, perfectly paired with exquisite wines and presented at beautifully adorned tables designed explicitly by the participating restaurants and chefs. The evening will begin with a vibrant cocktail reception and culminate with an extraordinary auction, offering indulgent dining experiences, rare luxury items, exceptional wines and unforgettable trips to wide-ranging destinations.
For the fourth year, the Pascal Culinary Arts Scholarship Program at Saddleback College Culinary Arts School will be the recipient of the fundraiser. This program creates life-changing financial grants for culinary arts students in Orange County. The program focuses on making an impact for culinary students who show financial need and are currently enrolled in classes and meet the GPA criteria. The goal is to provide scholarships to as many deserving students as possible each year, which, in turn, gives back to the culinary community.
VIP CHEFS FOR THIS YEAR’S FUNDRAISER
Venue Host Chef: Paul Bauer, Renaissance Newport Beach
Honorary Chef: Kyung Carroll, The Resort at Pelican Hill
Chef Scholarship Chair: Pascal Olhats
Kristin Martin, founder of the Table for 10 culinary event and CEO of KM Productions, is the driving force behind the scholarship program in conjunction with Saddleback College Foundations’ Pascal Olhats Culinary Arts Scholarship Program.
Explaining why she chose this particular foundation, Kristin said, “This was an easy pick for me as I was a schoolteacher and principal for 14 years. Educating our youth is top priority for me. By assisting these kids with their college tuition, labs, housing, food, etc. We are investing in the future.
“Last year, one of the recipients was living in their car. It makes me feel really good to help these students. They want to succeed and just need a break. The funds are distributed over time each semester. Students are required to carry a full class load and have a 2.5 GPA to continue receiving the funds.”
Pascal Olhats is the scholarship program’s namesake and a culinary legend in the Orange County food scene. He is a well-trained executive chef and restaurateur. Over the past 35 years, he has won numerous awards and owned several restaurants in the OC: Tradition by Pascal, Pascal Épicerie, Café Jardin, Pascal’s Tea Garden Creperie and Pascal’s Café (a café/ bakery/ fine dining establishment).
Pascal Cuisine is a private chef service for exclusive fine-dining events, offering full-service catering throughout Southern California. Events can be booked at pascalcuisine.com. His signature coffee and espresso are available on the site.
Born in Normandy, France, Olhats — like many chefs in Europe — is all about apprenticeships in the kitchen. His first jobs were in the top kitchens of his hometown of Rouen, including Hotel de Dieppe and La Couronne in the heart of the old city.
Olhats’ next stop was Brussels in Belgium, where he attended the CERIA, a hotel and restaurant college, for four years. From there, he worked for the well-known Chef Paul Bocuse, first as a server and then as chef de rang (head waiter). From there, he moved to Lyon, well-known for producing and weaving silk, considered the capital of gastronomy in France, and home to Bocuse’s inside food hall and market, Les Halles de Lyon on Cours Lafayette. It is there that Pascal worked at Leon de Lyon Restaurant as chef de rang. St. Tropez was calling for his next job as service staff manager for three years at the famous Le Club 55.
In 1984, Olhats moved to the United States, where he began working as chef for Piret’s Restaurant and then chef de cuisine for Le Meridien Hotel in Newport Beach. He was also the executive chef at Player’s in Irvine, followed by executive chef at Chanteclair Restaurant in Newport Beach.
He was invited twice to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York. He travels the world with groups to explore countries, culture and cuisine, partnering with Silversea Cruise Line. He currently is the Californian Ambassador of Baja Shellfish Farm and promotes amazing Pacific shellfish.
Chef Olhats’ latest endeavor is as a culinary instructor at Saddleback College, currently teaching French bistro cuisine, classic French cuisine and vegetarian cuisine. As an ambassador, he represented the Macanese government’s tourism efforts to promote and demonstrate Macanese cuisine in the United States at events, including the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival.
Accolades: The Zagat Guide has rated Pascal Restaurant as the No. 1 restaurant in Orange County for 20 years. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show preparing his “Diet a la French” and has also appeared several times on The Real Housewives of Orange County.
CHEF OLHATS SPOKE WITH THE RAGE MONTHLY.
What inspired you to get involved with the culinary program at Saddleback College?
My inspiration to start teaching at Saddleback College was a great opportunity to share my cooking knowledge with aspiring chefs. It is truly the greatest chapter of my career.
Please share the most rewarding aspect of teaching those aspiring chefs.
The most rewarding part has been to see how within just a few classes how fast the students are elevating their food prep and cooking skills.
What does it means to you to have KM Productions and the Saddleback College Culinary program fundraise to award your students with scholarships specifically?
It is a huge honor to have the Saddleback College Foundations’ Pascal Olhats Culinary Arts Scholarship Program as the recipient of the Table for 10 fundraiser. Those funds really transform lives. Many students enroll with no cooking experience at all. Then, by the end of the semester most of the students either can get a great job in the industry or feel confident enough to cook fabulous meals for their family and friends.
The best part for me is that I can share my passion and knowledge for the industry with my students. Working with KM has given me the opportunity to have a platform to unite our culinary community: cooks, chefs, purveyors and patrons!