When Tableau Kitchen + Bar at South Coast Plaza opened last December, owners Ed Lee and chef John Park knew that the restaurant needed a Giving Table. The idea was modeled after the Illumination Foundation Chef’s Table Culinary Gala. Lee and Park had participated in the benefit dinner for years.
Park enjoyed creating a themed dining experience. He would plate dishes tableside and Lee poured the wine, while laughing and talking with the diners. But the experience only lasted for one evening. So, rather than executing the philanthropic idea once a year, Park and Lee, who already donate 10 percent of their restaurants’ proceeds to various charities, decided to offer the experience more frequently at Tableau Kitchen + Bar. The duo also owns Toast Kitchen & Bakery in Costa Mesa. (Toast’s second location will open in Tustin on Tuesday, Nov. 15.)
Tableau Kitchen + Bar owners Ed Lee, left, and John Park, who also own Toast Kitchen + Bar, are shown at an event. (Courtesy of Ed Lee)
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In March, Tableau started quietly executing these charity dinners on the restaurant’s custom-designed wooden table, which was crafted from one large log. The linear table cuts through the open-air dining room and acts as a statement piece that separates the bar from the surrounding tables. It’s not tucked away in a private room or hidden in a corner. Instead the linear table puts the diners — and their cause — on display.
The Giving Table dining experience is created for 10 to 12 guests and includes a four-course chef’s menu with an appetizer, petite salad, dinner entrée and dessert. For the experience, the host is charged $50 per person (or $75 with wine pairings) and each guest donates an additional $50 or $100, which directly benefits charity.
The Giving Table experience is available for reservation only. For more information, contact Tableau Kitchen + Bar, 3333 Bear St., Suite 119, Costa Mesa; 714-872-8054; tableaukitchenandbar.com