Staff Report

Root 246, the restaurant and banquet arm of the Hotel Corquein Solvang, hasannounced the addition of celebrity chef Crystal “Pink” DeLongpré as chef de cuisine, heading up the restaurant’s kitchens for its dining rooms and lounge as well as the venue’s banquet services.

At the same time, the restaurant, entering its 10^thyear,is re-committing to a locally and ethically sourced set of menus that are “100 percent ingredient-driven,” a spokesman said, including numerousvegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. It is also getting a modest interior facelift and instituting a craft cocktail program to complement the cuisine.

Chef Pink’s food “philosophy” of using local, organic vegetables and organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised animals will result in seasonally changing menus.

“We want locals and visitors to this area to see that Root 246 is more than just a hotel restaurant. We want the community to come back, to rediscover what at one time was one of the finest dining establishments in the Santa Ynez Valley,” Chef Pink said. “We’ve adjusted our pricing to be more attractive to everyday diners and families, and have expanded the menus to be more approachable and welcoming to nearly all dietary needs.

“But at the same time, I’m here to elevate the entire Root 246 experience. Our dining rooms, bar and lounge have been redesigned, keeping with the sleek, higher-end ambience that the restaurant was originally known for … with service to match,” she added.

Chef Pink has worked during 20 years with California chefs and restaurants stretching from Los Angeles to San Francisco, as well as in New York and Paris. Locally, she has been executive chef at Epiphany Restaurant and Square One, and the chef-owner of Bacon & Brine. She has also worked in private homes of Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles-area celebrities.

She has made appearances on Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue,” Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen,” and “Man vs. Child” on FYI. Chef Pink and her wife, Courtney Rae DeLongpré, also appeared in LOGO TV’s 2016 documentary film “Hungry.”

In early 2019, Root 246 will receive a new bar program, completed by Chef Pink’s TV celebrity cohort and “Bar Rescue” colleague, Mia Mastroianni. Within the next month, the restaurant also will launch a Chef’s Table – inside the bustling kitchen – which will be available for private dinners, with a menu and service personally curated by Chef Pink.

Root 246 is at 420 Alisal Road in Solvang. For more information, call 805-686-8681.