Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Mellgren.
Blake, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We opened our doors in March of 2016, and are located on/overlooking Pacific Coast highway. The Craft House concept is centralized around one thing; sharing our love for all things “craft” with you. We are driven by this dedication to provide our guests with the best in both food and drink in an unpretentious and casual setting. Being on the forefront of a culinary transformation here in Dana Point is as exciting as it is challenging. We are proud of the work we have done thus far, and are looking forward to the road ahead.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No restaurant opening is ever as smooth as one would like. Nonetheless, therein lies the fun! We have been extremely fortunate in how Craft House has been received by the community. It is with their love and support that we have thrived so strongly in the year and half since opening. Truly listening to and adapting to our guests needs has proven monumental towards our success. However, there is a very fine line in doing so that provides a fair share of challenges. It is a delicate balancing act really listening to those concerns, requests and feedback while operating the restaurant from a business standpoint as well. But we love a good challenge!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We focus all of our efforts toward our craft of hospitality. With a rotating seasonal menu, we aim to bring the very best to our guests in every facet of their dining experience. Focused on sourcing locally, we pride ourselves on bringing the best quality products day in and day out. Working closely with Harbor Fish Co. we get daily deliveries of rod and reel caught fish right to our back door. The Dana Point farmers market provides us with a lot of fresh produce we utilize in the majority of our dishes. With eight rotating taps, we source our beers from LA, OC, and SD. An expansive wine program affords us the opportunity to work with mostly California wineries not found in surrounding restaurants. I think what we are most proud of as a company, is once again, the people. Our guests have showed us an enormous level of support with Craft House. A large part of this in due to our fantastic staff. We are a family, and the love we have for what we do really shows.
What were you like growing up?
As cliché as it is coming from a chef, I grew up with an affinity for food. Reading anything I could get my hands on regarding cooking and food, I was drawn in to the kitchen at a very young age. Trying a lot of what I learned out with friends and family, I had a great audience as this passion continued to grow. I have always been a bit reserved, but surround myself with great people who bring out the best in me. Outside the kitchen I love eating at new and exciting places. Music is another big interest of mine. I love going to live shows and throwing down on some cheap and tasty bites beforehand.
Contact Info:
- Address: 34094 Pacific Coast Highway. Dana Point, Ca. 92629
- Website: www.eatatcrafthouse.com
- Phone: 949-4817734
- Email: [email protected]
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