For Ananda Bareño, the new executive chef for the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, food is all about memories.
Having grown up with Italian and Mexican families, many of her earliest memories centered on making meals.
“I got into cooking because my family lives around food,” said Bareño, who in her new role also is chef of The Marine Room restaurant and the La Jolla Shores Hotel, which operate under the Beach & Tennis Club. “On both sides of the family, that’s where all the memories were made. For me as a kid, it was always a chance … to pull up a stepstool so I could reach the counter and chop vegetables. It was something that was always in me.”
ing that to her own child, Bareño said she has fond memories of visiting cities like San Francisco and “eating our way through the different [culinary] communities.”
She explored different types of jobs in adulthood but kept wanting to go back to working in kitchens.
“That’s where I was happiest,” said Bareño, who added that she appreciates the sense of community and camaraderie the kitchen fosters.
“One of my favorite memories was taking my staff out to a restaurant and ordering one of everything,” she said. “It was unforgettable.”
During her culinary career, Bareño has worked in kitchens around the world, including Europe, South America and the Middle East.
“In the beginning, I learned French techniques. … I learned the ethic and sense of perfection,” she said. “But as time went on and I had the chance to pick things up from all the places I worked, my style adapted more into being about textures, how things look on the plate and things that have more flavor to them.”
Most recently she was executive chef at Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas, where she led all food and beverage operations across three dining outlets, plus banquets, catering and in-room dining.
But given its longevity in the community, Bareño was drawn to The Marine Room, which opened in 1941. She recently debuted her first spring menu there.
“I was born and raised in San Diego, and this place has been around forever. It is such a part of San Diego,” she said. “You get kids that come here before prom and people that have been coming for 60 years. You have to find the middle ground where dishes are still interesting but are still ones different types of people can relate to. I’m amazed at the notoriety this place has been able to keep. I look forward to bringing in the next wave of what it can be.”
That includes Middle Eastern influences and more sustainable practices, while keeping the seafood focus. Some longtime favorite dishes will remain, Bareño said, but others will be changed.
“There will still be the standards, but we are going to bring in more modern influences,” she said. “I like to use old cooking methods, but in modern kitchens. I love using dashi broths instead of stocks. They build a beautiful complexity, but without being too rich. It keeps the complexity of a dish but lightens it up. I also want to add more artistic touches to the plate.”
In of sustainability, “we want to work with family fishermen, we want to get our farmers involved,” Bareño said. “I’m changing out vendors so it’s not the big-box vendors.”
Bareño took over in January from former executive chef Mike Minor, who left “to pursue other opportunities,” according to The Marine Room. Minor was with the Beach & Tennis Club less than four years.
“When I think about eating a meal, which we do every day, and when I think about going out and experiencing something like The Marine Room, that is something you ,” Bareño said. “You taking your time and really having an experience. It’s not stuffy, but it is elevated. That is special and something everyone should experience. To have that experience is something people want more of. It’s a memory rather than just a meal.” ♦
