James Boyce Named Top Chef At The New Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach

Internationally known chef James Boyce has been named executive chef of Studio, the signature dining venue at Laguna Beach's new Montage Resort & Spa.

According to Alan Fuerstman, the founder, president and CEO of Montage Hotels & Resorts, a newly formed luxury hotel company which owns and operates the property, Boyce has been tapped to put his acclaimed talents to work on the resort's oceanfront dining venue. The 262-room Montage Resort & Spa will open in February 2003.

A 2002 contender in the highly competitive James Beard Foundation “Best Chef” awards, Boyce was most recently the general manager/chef de cuisine at Mary Elaine's, The Phoenician resort's culinary showpiece. During his three-year tenure at this award-winning Scottsdale restaurant, he helped engineer its impressive ascent into world-class status. Under Boyce’s direction, Mary Elaine's scored a coveted trio: Five-Star status from Mobil Travel Guide, a prestigious Five Diamond designation by the American Automobile Association and the Grand Award from Wine Spectator Magazine.
With his forward-thinking, inventive approach to the culinary arts, Boyce is well-equipped to design and implement Studio's distinctive, regional menus that will feature his trademark cuisine: a Mediterranean style marked by clean, robust flavors.

"Like the overall Montage Resort & Spa, Studio was inspired by the area's stunning natural habitat and the surrounding community's artistic bent," Fuerstman explains. "In that spirit, food here is viewed as a serious art form, with James Boyce serving as our artist-in-residence."

Equipped to accommodate small intimate dinners or large private parties, Studio will feature the freshest seasonal produce, daily-caught seafood and farm-raised meats and game on its ever-changing lunch and dinner menus. In addition, 450 wine selections will be offered, with an emphasis on French and California boutique wineries.

The restaurant -- perched on a 50-foot bluff -- houses a light and airy interior accented by soft colors taken from nature; plush, comfortable furnishings; and many fine examples of Early California art -- all against a breathtaking backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. The palette for all fabrics and furnishings integrates muted sea and sand tones, with the overall motif reflecting the resort’s rich, craftsman ambiance.

A 20-year industry veteran, Boyce launched his culinary career at New York's famed Le Cirque, where he worked for six years under the tutelage of the legendary French chef Daniel Boulud. While working in New York, Boyce studied at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, graduating with top honors.

In 1990, Boyce made his first trip West to Scottsdale's exclusive resort, The Phoenician, working as a sous chef at Mary Elaine's. From there, he traveled to Las Vegas where he served as chef de cuisine at the Palace Court at Caesar’s Palace.

In 1995, he joined Loews Coronado Bay Resort as executive chef. While heading culinary operations for Loews, he made a name for himself as one of Southern California's leading chefs, earning a variety of awards and critical acclaim. He returned to The Phoenician as Mary Elaine's top chef in 1999, where he was responsible for all restaurant operations.

Throughout his career, Boyce has earned the respect of industry peers and critics alike, accruing numerous awards and accolades. He has been invited to cook at the venerable James Beard House on numerous occasions, and was recently nominated by The James Beard Foundation for 2002 "Best Chef of the Southwest." In addition, he was named one of the top three "Seafood Chefs of the Year" by Simply Seafood Magazine and is one of a few nationally renowned chefs regularly invited to participate in the Annual Masters of Food and Wine event in Carmel, CA.