Food

Chef Andrew Sutton sizzles at Disneyland’s 21 Royal

By JENN TANAKA

PUBLISHED: February 2, 2018 | Coast Magazine | Orange County Register

Chef Andrew Sutton loves his job. For seventeen years, he helped revolutionize the dining scene in Anaheim. “We have to vote with our dollars,” says this farm-to-table chef. “We must buy from sustainable fisheries and eat locally grown produce whenever possible. Fortunately, I have Disney behind me to buy whatever we need.”

Sutton pulls out his phone. He scrolls through an album of a recent “field trip.” One bright early morning, he took his executive chef team to San Diego, where they worked with experienced line fishermen to see how their seafood is really caught. Photo after photo shows Sutton or one of his chefs posing with a large fish plucked from the sea. Later that day, they brought their catch straight to Disneyland Resort, where Sutton shared the bounty with the diners feasting at Napa Rose that evening.

On another occasion, Sutton was cooking for a private party at 21 Royal, the park’s luxe new group dining experience in New Orleans Square, upstairs from the Pirates of the Caribbean. This space was once off-limits to the public, but now a customized dinner for 12 guests with a prime view of Fantasmic is available, the ultimate Disney culinary dream come true. For one of these dinners, the guests requested sea urchin. Sutton wanted the best, so he called a diver he knows in San Diego. That night, he served the spiny urchins in the form of a creamy uni fettuccine. The pasta was swirled inside the urchin shells with thick slabs of bright orange uni lounging on top.

“Our diners travel all over the world. They want to know where their food comes from, and they expect something magical. It’s about empowering the diner with environmentally friendly choices, but above all they should just enjoy the meal.” Sutton and his wife raised two daughters in Orange County. This leads the chef to often think about how our environmental impact will affect the next generation. “I just want them to know we did our part.”

Q&A with Chef Andrew Sutton:

Favorite Local Stores: Village Nurseries, Upland Nursery and Bristol Farms.

Favorite Local Restaurant: Gabbi’s Mexican Kitchen in Orange, Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach.

My Sanctuary: I have a few sanctuaries. One is in the water. I love swimming and even swim with the Nova Masters Swimming team. Another is in the peaceful gardens around my house in Floral Park, Santa Ana. I also consider Reef Point at Crystal Cove State Park a sanctuary.

Angels or Dodgers: Angels. Although I have never seen a better World Series than the one last year. Even though they lost, the Dodgers played great!

Red or White: Both. For reds, I prefer pinot noir and super Tuscan. For whites, I love Rhône and sauvignon blanc.

On my nightstand: There is usually a hardcover book along with a paperback; I still like to turn pages versus reading off a tablet. There are a few pairs of reading glasses, as well as a fossilized sand dollar that was a gift from my wife. There’s also a picture of my family, along with a glass of water on a Hawaiian coaster and a notepad. No phones allowed, though!

Pet Peeve: It’s more of a guiding principle than a pet peeve. It’s all about respect. It’s important to respect our craft, as a whole. We respect the harvest, including how it’s raised, caught or farmed. It’s having respect as a chef, valuing the privilege that we have to give the gift of hospitality to our guests. It’s respecting each other as a team. Having respect in everything we do is extremely important to me.

What surprises people about me: I love being present and capturing special moments. For example, 4 o’clock in the afternoon is my favorite time of day, particularly during warm summer evenings. I don’t often see this time of day since, as a chef, I mostly work in the evenings. When I have the opportunity, I love to relax, enjoy a great glass of wine and some nibbles off the grill with friends and family in our backyard. Enjoying moments like these is priceless to me.

I’m passionate about: I am very passionate about the men and women who have helped shape my life and have worked with me to build the various high-quality signature restaurants at the Disneyland Resort. From our front-of-the-house partners to my fellow culinarians to our guests and the supportive leadership I’ve had the pleasure to work with – all have added to our success. I am forever grateful. ■

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