LIVING HERE
Something to Tapa ‘ Bout
ARGENTINIAN CHEF LEO BONGARRA DISCUSSES WHY HE LOVES HIS COMMUNITY , HIS FAVORITE MEALS WHEN HE ISN ’ T IN THE KITCHEN AND HIS NEW HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RESTAURANT , TANGO .
BY JESSIE DAX-SETKUS
When it comes to living the American Dream , chef Leo Bongarra is making it happen in many different ways . Immigrating from Argentina , Bongarra did not originally have plans to become a chef until he played semi-pro soccer and would cook for his teammates . After culinary school in Rome , he ’ s helmed some of SoCal ’ s best kitchens as everything from executive chef at the famed Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood to chef de cuisine at the trendy and popular , Saline , inside the Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach , to catering the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes . Bongarra wasted no time becoming a well-known chef in LA , before eventually moving to Laguna Beach where he resides today .
Bongarra recently revamped the menu at Seahorse and has taken over managing the iconic space while taking a dive into the deep end head first with his highly anticipated restaurant , Tango , which opens in a few months . Bongarra plans to bring a little piece of his roots to the local community while offering a menu that encourages indulging on many different plates family style rather than eating one expensive meal .
The community of Laguna Beach is … beautiful . What don ’ t I love about it ? I can literally see the ocean from my bathroom and I can walk to work . We have a laid-back surfer community , and it is open to outsiders like me . Everybody has always been super sweet . It ’ s so amazing here .
My favorite cooking technique is … charring . It ’ s a flavor that is very common in Argentina — open fire . It ’ s the connection between the fire and the product without anything in between . That ’ s charring . For example , if you marinate some asparagus with some olive oil , garlic and Serrano peppers then put them on top of an open flame you get this beautiful , distinguished charred flavor . That is one of the things I am known for .
What makes an amazing Argentinean dish is … the time it takes to eat a meal . If you go eat in Argentina it ’ s a 12-hour ordeal . It ’ s almost like a ceremony , it ’ s like , where am I going to get the wood to barbeque , the wine , the meat , etc . We all like to grill a lot of meat with a group of friends . It ’ s very welcoming — lots of drinking too ( laughs ). Argentina is known for the grill and a lot of meat . I ’ m trying to bring a little of that to Laguna .
My go-to dish when I ’ m not cooking is … sandwiches ! I ’ m a total sandwich guy . It blows my mind when I have an amazing sandwich or an outstanding burger . This morning , I got up early , went to Moulin and got a ham and cheese sandwich on a buttered baguette . That , to me , is so delightful . When I get to eat , I go very simple . I also love a good pasta with butter , cheese and crushed pepper — like a “ cacio e pepe .” Super simple . I think about food at least eight hours a day , and when I eat something really good I ’ m like , ‘ Yes !’
The vibe at Tango is … a total tapas bar . The beauty of that is that in one sitting you can try like 12 different things . I want the customers to dine like a king because they got to taste a bunch of different items rather than just one plate of food . Tango is Argentinian ; it ’ s a style of Argentinian music . I thought the name was great for what I am doing because food and Tango ( the dance style ) are very closely related . The restaurant is Spanish style with Argentinean flair . Another thing is I wanted the customer to be able to taste a bunch of different flavors without spending upwards of $ 80 . Our tapas start from $ 3 and go up to the most expensive , which is $ 10 .
The best part of owning a restaurant in Orange County is … the community . There ’ s nothing like living in a small community like this — you get to
Chef Leo Bongarra
know people very closely . It ’ s been a blessing to get to know the amazing customers I have . A few of my customers are some of my best friends .
The best tip to new restaurateurs is … focus on the food and not the money . The money comes when you give your customers a product that makes them go home and say , ‘ I can ’ t wait to go back .’ Food is always the number one attraction . If you focus on amazing food , the money will come .
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