DYNAMIC DUO

Chef Alberto Morales and chef Onil Chibas

CHEFS ONIL CHIBAS AND ALBERTO MORALES ARE BEHIND DELUXE 1717

BY FRIER MCCOLLISTER

Local restaurants fell victim to pandemic pivots, but fine dining establishments took it particularly hard.

Menus often didn’t translate well to takeout or delivery, so some of these restaurants folded immediately. Others closed indefinitely as they rejiggered operations and tried to maintain the interest of furloughed staff.

A bright spot for local gourmands is the 1700 block of Washington Boulevard in Pasadena. It’s transforming from a row of sleepy storefronts into a lively and engaging strip for local foodies.

There’s chef Ali Haider’s Sapori di 786 Degrees with his kaleidoscopically creative takes on Napolitano pizza. There’s the local butcher shop Garni Meats. Just east is the artisanal ice cream mastery of Bloomfield Creamery.

The latest twist is Casual Fridays at Deluxe 1717. It’s the brainchild of chef Onil Chibas and his long-time collaborator, chef Alberto Morales. They’ve devised a formula for success in the pandemic by changing their gourmet menu weekly for dining on the newly built-out patio.

It’s a fascinating partnership between chefs from totally different backgrounds.

Twenty years ago, Morales was living in Cochamba, Bolivia.

“I was an accountant working at Suzuki,” Morales says. In fact, he was among the top executives at his branch of the firm. “But the economic situation was never good in my country. I was making $200 a month.”

So, he moved in with an aunt in Montebello. “My plan was to be here for two years and make some money.

Morales recalls his introduction to cooking.

“I was eating pizza, tacos and burgers every day. I wanted to cook but did not know where to start. I called my mom and asked her how to make rice. She yelled at me.”

His aunt’s friend left a promotional brochure for the Le Cordon Bleu culinary program. “I saw the uniforms (of the students) and said, ‘This is interesting.’”

Morales started training at Le Cordon Bleu in 2005. There he met Chibas, who had recently settled in Pasadena with his husband, John Orders. Chibas nurtured culinary interests and ambitions as he languished in the entertainment business, working in animation and marketing at Disney.

After the 15-month program concluded, Morales joined Joachim Splichal’s Patina Group, first at the Hollywood Bowl and then moving with chef Steven Rojas to Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Chibas partnered with Carole Grogan and founded Elements Kitchen in a small storefront on Fair Oaks and Dayton in Pasadena. The space was meant to be a casual carryout stop, but the first customer wanted to dine onsite and a few tables were activated.

A year and a half later, Morales moved to Altadena and, on a day off from Patina, he came across Elements Kitchen, renewed his friendship with Chibas and soon joined the team.

“There were probably three tables, one outside for decoration and two inside,” Morales says.

The food’s popularity demanded expansion on the sidewalk, and the city occasionally challenged the operation.

“It all happened so quickly,” Chibas notes.

Chibas opened Elements as a fine dining concept on the plaza of Playhouse Square, and Morales moved to supervise that kitchen there. An apprentice, Alfredo Chavez, took over the café and its popular brunch service.

The Deluxe Burger is topped with tomato-bacon jam, crispy fried shallots, arugula and gruyere cheese.

Tuna katsu with asparagus puree and shaved asparagus

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Ahead of its time, with its creatively themed and seasonal menu, Elements closed at the Playhouse after a two-year run. Chibas reflected, regrouped and soon began catering with Morales. He discovered the storefront on Washington Boulevard, and Deluxe 1717 was born.

Deluxe 1717 was intended to serve as Chibas’ catering and test kitchen. Soon enough, the small dining room was also hosting Chibas and Morales’ quarterly prix fixe multicourse dinners.

The dinners were served family style at the long communal table that still dominates the room. The festive, informal ambiance and inventive seasonal menus established the spot as a novel, regular destination for fans of Chibas and Morales. The dinners also reflected the elevated standards the pair set at Elements.

When the pandemic lockdown arrived, the pair pivoted from catering and prix fixe dinners to a popular delivery-only concept, Wonderful Wednesdays. With a four-course menu of three entrée options — meat, seafood or vegetarian — and an average price of $45 per person, the concept quickly became sustainable with a cadre of loyal weekly regulars.

Casey Cullinane manages the front-of-house operation at Deluxe 1717. She quickly affirms, “If they (the regulars) don’t order or don’t call, we call them and say, ‘Is everything OK? I was worried about you.’”

As outdoor dining became viable, Chibas worked with Claudio Hernandez to build the lovely enclosed and covered outdoor patio area, lined with planters. In February, Deluxe 1717 launched Casual Fridays serving dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. on the patio and now at half capacity in the open dining room.

The accessible a la carte bistro menu changes weekly, although there are a few reliable fixtures.

Asian fish and chips ($17) features delicately fried snapper marinated in miso and served with taro chips, ponzu and a sambal tartar sauce.

The eponymous Deluxe Burger ($16) is composed of a custom grind from Garni Meats next door and topped with gruyere cheese, crispy fried shallots, arugula and the house special tomato-bacon jam.

The Friday Urban Homestead Ensalada ($16) is comprised of fresh seasonal greens and vegetables straight from Pasadena’s Urban Homestead farm, just a mile away.

One of the latest additions — introduced by Morales — is the ducky croque madame ($14) with porchetta and copa melded with gruyere and manchego cheeses sandwiched and fried between fresh slices of brioche from local Seed Bakery and topped with a large fried duck egg, also sourced from the Urban Homestead. It doesn’t get much fresher and more local.

Describing the creative interchange between him and Morales, Chibas offers, “We always use the same analogy of a tennis game. Someone throws a volley and then the game begins. It’s usually a question like, ‘How would you deconstruct a Caesar salad to be an entrée?’ And then he says, ‘You’re crazy!’ We’ve always worked that way. There’s a lot of respect.”

“There’s never a bad idea,” Morales says. “We throw out a question and we start adding, removing, fixing, but there’s never a bad question. That’s the main thing and why it works so well.”

Between the Wonderful Wednesday delivery meals and the Casual Friday bistro dinner service, Deluxe 1717 landed on a unique pandemic model that seems sustainable for the team, even as restrictions continue to lift. The creative tennis match between Chibas and Morales remains quite lively, and they’ve built a loyal and supportive community.

Most recently Chibas and Morales concocted a dinner for a themed Spring Fling fundraiser, benefiting St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. The successful April 24 event supported the organization’s mission to provide regular meals for local homebound senior citizens.

As Chibas reflects, “What I like right now with the Wednesdays and now the Fridays is that we have a really lovely relationship with a lot of people and you’re communicating with them through food. I love that.”

As a parting shot over the net, the pair offers Arroyo readers the custom recipe for tomato bacon jam, which accompanies the Friday burger. Match point!

Deluxe 1717 facebook.com/OnilChibasCatering

DELUXE 1717 TOMATO BACON JAM INGREDIENTS

1 QUART CANNED, DICED TOMATOES 8 TO 10 OUNCES BACON, SMALL DICE

1 CUP ONION, SMALL DICE 1 CUP WHITE BALSAMIC VINEGAR 3/4 CUP WATER 3/4 CUP SUGAR

METHOD

RENDER BACON UNTIL CRISP, RESERVE. SAUTEE ONIONS IN BACON FAT UNTIL TENDER. DEGLAZE THE PAN WITH VINEGAR. ADD SUGAR, TOMATOES AND WATER. SIMMER UNTIL THICKENED. PULSE WITH IMMERSION BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR. FOLD IN BACON. SEASON TO TASTE WITH SALT AND PEPPER.

DECADENT CHOCOLATE AND AROMATIC ORANGE

THESE OPPOSITE TASTES COMBINE FOR VELVETY TART

BY EMILY CHAVEZ

Rich, decadent chocolate and bright, aromatic orange marry to create a classic combination on this velvety tart.

These opposing flavor profiles will impress guests with a homemade tart pastry, blind-baked to create a tender, buttery shell. A simple exterior betrays the complex combination of flavors within while allowing for decorations that fit anyone’s style.

Dress up the tart with candied orange slices, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or leave as is for a glossy top that draws the eye. The subtle playful notes of orange aroma and taste pair wonderfully with the dark and luxurious chocolate filling for a decadent dessert that dances across the lines of silky, buttery, refreshing and rich.

ORANGE ZEST AND CHOCOLATE TART YIELD: ABOUT 7 SERVINGS ACTIVE TIME: 3 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 55 MINUTES

TART SHELL INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, AND MORE FOR DUSTING 3 TABLESPOONS SUGAR 1/4 TEASPOON SALT 3/4 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER, CHILLED AND DICED 1 EGG, LARGE AND SEPARATED 2 TABLESPOONS ICE WATER, MORE IF NEEDED ZEST OF 1 ORANGE

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1 CUP HEAVY CREAM 1/2 CUP MILK 10 OUNCES SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED

2 TABLESPOONS SUGAR 1/4 TEASPOON SALT 2 EGGS, LARGE AND ROOM TEMPERATURE

1. MAKE THE TART SHELL BY PULSING TOGETHER THE FLOUR, SUGAR AND SALT IN A FOOD PROCESSOR. 2. ADD THE BUTTER AND ORANGE ZEST, AND PULSE AGAIN UNTIL THE MIXTURE IS CRUMBLY. 3. WHISK TOGETHER THE EGG YOLK WITH THE ICE WATER IN A SMALL BOWL, THEN ADD TO THE MIX IN THE FOOD PROCESSOR AND PULSE UNTIL THE DOUGH HOLDS TOGETHER. IF THE DOUGH IS TOO DRY AND CRUMBLY, ADD ICE WATER IN TEASPOON INCREMENTS. 4. FORM THE DOUGH INTO A DISK, WRAP IN PLASTIC OR A CLEAN TOWEL, AND REFRIGERATE FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. 5. ROLL OUT THE PASTRY ON A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE TO ABOUT 1/4-INCH THICK. CAREFULLY LAY THE DOUGH INSIDE A 9-INCH ROUND OR A 14-BY-4.5-INCH RECTANGLE TART PAN WITH A REMOVABLE BOTTOM. PRESS THE DOUGH INTO THE PAN SO IT FITS TIGHTLY AND EVENLY INTO EVERY SPACE. TRIM OFF ANY EXCESS DOUGH AND THEN REFRIGERATE FOR 15 MINUTES. 6. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. 7. PLACE THE TART PAN ON A BAKING SHEET SO IT WILL BE EASY TO MOVE IN AND OUT OF THE OVEN. LINE THE TART ITSELF WITH FOIL AND ADD PIE WEIGHTS OR DRIED BEANS TO KEEP THE SIDES OF THE TART FROM BUCKLING. 8. BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES, THEN REMOVE THE FOIL AND WEIGHTS. 9. USING A PASTRY BRUSH, LIGHTLY COAT THE CRUST WITH A BEATEN EGG WHITE. CONTINUE TO BAKE FOR ANOTHER 8 MINUTES, UNTIL THE TART IS LIGHT GOLDEN IN COLOR BUT NOT BROWN. 10. SET ASIDE TO COOL AND LOWER THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 325 DEGREES. 11. MAKE THE FILLING BY HEATING THE HEAVY CREAM AND MILK IN A POT OVER MEDIUM-LOW, UNTIL IT SIMMERS SLIGHTLY AROUND THE EDGES. 12. REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND ADD THE CHOCOLATE, STIRRING UNTIL MELTED AND SMOOTH. 13. WHISK IN THE SUGAR AND SALT UNTIL WELL INCORPORATED. 14. BEAT TOGETHER THE EGGS IN A SMALL BOWL AND ADD TO THE CHOCOLATE MIXTURE, STIRRING UNTIL COMPLETELY BLENDED. 15. POUR THE FILLING INTO THE COOLED TART SHELL AND BAKE AT 325 DEGREES FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES, UNTIL THE FILLING IS SET AND THE SURFACE IS GLOSSY. (REMOVE FROM THE OVEN IF YOU SEE ANY BUBBLES OR CRACKS FORM, AS THAT IS A SIGN OF OVERBAKING.) LET THE TART COOL BEFORE CUTTING.