Opening soon, Rainbird is a new upscale restaurant located in the historic El Capitan Hotel in Merced.
Helmed by Executive Chef Quentin Garcia, Rainbird will embody California’s Central Valley with a vegetable-forward, five-course tasting menu celebrating the very best of seasonal harvest, rooted in Chef Quentin’s deep relationships with the community and surrounding agricultural region.
The experimental concept, which will bring a first-of-its kind fine dining destination to California’s Central Valley, will epitomize the “farm-to-table” culinary movement while encapsulating Chef Quentin’s impressive international culinary training – from staging in Denmark’s Michelin-starred Dragsholm Slot under world-famous culinary innovator Claus Henrikson to working at The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena and serving as Executive Chef at Blue Note in Napa.
Mirroring a menu largely made up of local purveyors, the design will also feature countless odes to Merced, like locally sourced porcelain plates, a Chef’s table made from 200-year-old wood, and carefully curated flower arrangements from the region’s surrounding farms.
In describing the intended contribution to the community and for travelers, Chef Quentin says: “My goal is to marry Merced’s hyperseasonal flavors with global influence to give our guests with a truly unmatched experience. …
“I want people to not only eat our food, but to playfully explore the dish and its ingredients, and understand why it is being served.”
Passionate about prioritizing mental health and ongoing education in the kitchen, Chef Quentin’s training style is one that fosters an environment of open communication, trust, and family values.
Says Quentin: “Our goal is to nurture guests through food, and the only way to put forth that nourishment is to work together as a team and infuse positive energy into the best final product and a beautiful plate.”