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 Chef
Marc Cohen is a thoughtful and imaginative chef, who makes
sure every dish leaving the kitchen is exquisitely plated,
making the food as pleasing to look at as it is to eat. With
each plate serving as a blank canvas, Cohen’s culinary
presentations were lauded as edible works of art. As noted
by the LA Times “…every dish bears chef and co-owner
Marc Cohen’s distinctive stamp, one informed by a particular
love of Mexican and Pacific flavors and an artist’s
flair.” Originally from Baltimore, Cohen shows his allegiance
to his hometown by bringing fresh fish and seafood to the
forefront of his menus.
Cohen received his culinary training at
Johnson & Wales University. The accolades started while
he was still in school, when Cohen was honored with an invitation
to be a part of the Chaine des Rotisseurs Culinary Olympic
Team that went to Frankfurt, Germany. While competing on the
world stage, the team earned gold medals for their outstanding
culinary skills. Upon graduation, he stayed on the east coast
moving to Washington, D.C. where he was recognized as one
of Washington’s Top 100 Chefs for his work at Sutton
Place’s Blue Point Grill. In 1994, he was lured
to the west coast by his current partners to be the opening
chef and partner of 230 Forest Avenue. With
the opening of 230, Cohen created the perfect
stage for his distinctive cuisine. Showcasing ingredients
indigenous to the Pacific coast, Cohen developed a modern
American cuisine where seafood rules. Since day one, 230
and Cohen were a success. In 1999, Cohen and his partners
launched Opah Restaurant & Bar, where
he has been delighting diners with his creative California
cuisine, taking advantage of locally grown and harvested ingredients.
With its sleek modern design and well-appointed martini bar,
Opah, named for the moonfish viewed by fisherman
as a symbol of good luck, has also become a popular dining
destination. His restaurants have consistently received praise
from reviewers, including Zagat’s, the LA Times and
the Orange County Register, among many others, for their “artistry”
and “refreshing new appeal to what are termed starters,
green plates, ocean and land plates and the famed pasta bowls.”
In 2005, Cohen received the prestigious
national Silver Plate Award from the International Foodservice
Manufacturers Association and is continually named among the
Best Chefs in Orange County.
Cohen is the executive chef/co-owner of
230 Forest Avenue (Laguna Beach) and Opah
Restaurant & Bar (Aliso Viejo and Irvine). This
spring, he will open his newest venture, Watermarc,
a bistro featuring grazing plates and offering more then 30
wines by the glass, also in Laguna Beach.
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