Embark on a culinary odyssey at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach with an exclusive dinner series honoring James Beard Outstanding Chef Award winners of both past and present. Your epicurean adventure begins with an intimate welcome reception, followed by an exquisite multi-course dinner meticulously crafted by the featured chef, hosted for one night only against the backdrop of the renowned Wine Cave.

Rob Rubba is the chef and partner of the Michelin-starred Oyster Oyster in Washington, DC. Rubba is the recipient of the 2023 Outstanding Chef Award by the James Beard Foundation as well as the 2022 Best New Chef Award from Food and Wine magazine. His career spans over 20 years, cooking in some of the best restaurants across the country and honing his skills under chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Guy Savoy, and Laurent Gras. Rubba has branched out on his own, focusing his life’s work on sustainability. Chef Rubba, being a vegetarian himself, prepares a seasonal, local, plant-forward tasting menu that expresses the beautiful bounty of the Mid-Atlantic, all while staying true to the ethos of zero waste, a low carbon footprint, and supporting regenerative farming practices.

Michael Rafidi is the chef and owner of Michelin-starred Albi, located in Washington, D.C’s Navy Yard neighborhood. The menus reflect a creative update to traditional Arabic cuisine, with modern techniques utilizing the best the Mid-Atlantic has to offer. Inspired by his family’s roots in Ramallah, Palestine and grandparents’ home cooking, Rafidi spent many years in some of the country’s best kitchens before he opened Albi in early 2020.

Rafidi was recognized as Eater DC’s Chef of the Year in 2017. He was a 2018 finalist for Rising Star Chef and a 2022 finalist for Chef of the Year in the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY Awards. In February 2022, Rafidi was named a James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, and a finalist in the same category in 2023. In May 2022, Albi was first awarded a coveted Michelin Star. In June 2024, Chef Rafidi was named Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation.

Before making his mark on D.C.’s restaurant industry, Rafidi spent six years working alongside Michael Mina as Executive Chef of the lauded French restaurant RN74 in San Francisco, and as the Mina Group’s Corporate Chef. In this role, he supported the culinary management of the group’s multinational properties and was pivotal in opening eight of those concepts. Having grown up in Maryland, Rafidi spent time at other respected East Coast restaurants, including Blue Duck Tavern in D.C. and Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia. He also staged at Chef René Redzepi’s internationally acclaimed Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, an experience that fostered his appreciation for foraging and other culinary techniques from around the world.

Raised in Maryland, Rafidi spent time at other respected East Coast restaurants, including Blue Duck Tavern in D.C. and Talula’s Garden in Philadelphia. He also staged at Chef René Redzepi’s internationally acclaimed Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, an experience that fostered his appreciation for foraging and other culinary techniques from around the world. But before making his mark on D.C.’s restaurant industry, Rafidi spent six years working alongside Michael Mina as Executive Chef of the lauded French restaurant RN74 in San Francisco, and as the Mina Group’s Corporate Chef. In this role, he supported the culinary management of the group’s multinational properties and was pivotal in opening eight of those concepts.

Chef Rob and Chef Michael’s dishes will be perfectly paired with wines from Memento Mori, a celebrated limited-production wine brand from Napa Valley. The project was founded in 2010 by three childhood friends, Hayes Drumwright, Adriel Lares and Adam Craun, who have committed themselves to crafting sophisticated wines of tremendous balance, honesty and profundity.

Presale: $525 per person, includes tax and gratuity

Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach
1 Monarch Beach Resort N., Dana Point