Rooted in Flame at Temecula Creek Inn is a stunning dining experience where dinner becomes part cooking demonstration, part wine country experience, and part evening around the fire.
Held in the Chef’s Garden at Corkfire Kitchen, this intimate dinner puts you right in front of the action. The table seats up to 20, with live fire cooking just steps away. With the golf course and hotel grounds as the backdrop, it is a beautiful setting for a visually stunning dinner.
The event brings the Temecula Valley into the experience in some unexpected ways. One example is a repurposed wine barrel from the local wine country used for smoking food, with a wood-chip blend that includes wood from trees on the Temecula Creek Inn property.
And the connection to the property goes even further. Some of those same tree trunks are repurposed into plateware used to serve the food.
The Food Is Center Stage
For Rooted in Flame, Executive Chef Jonathan Alcala cooks each course over a live fire and talks about the dish before serving it. Alcala was recently named Executive Chef at Temecula Creek Inn, overseeing the culinary program at Corkfire and special culinary events. His background includes wine country dining and California ingredients, and he was previously at Vineyard Rose Restaurant.
The five-course menu centers on the garden and the fire. While the menu changes with each seating and with the seasons, here is what we enjoyed.
Chef's Garden Salad
The meal started with a Chef’s Garden Salad featuring grilled greens, Calabrian tapenade, herb pangrattato, cold-smoked Parmigiano and charred garden dressing. So pleased they gave us extra dressing, as it was so flavorful.
Wood Grilled Branzino
The Wood Grilled Branzino was flavored with adobo, smoked lemon yogurt, garden vegetables, and charred tomato. It literally went from the fire to our plates.
Smoked Duck
Then came smoked duck with five spice, ember-roasted root vegetables, and beetroot char siu demi. The duck was cooked perfectly, and it was an exceptional fine-dining dish.
Ribeye Tomahawk Asada
The main course was a Ribeye Tomahawk Asada with a valley ash crust, fire-roasted peppers, wagyu tallow macha, garden chimichurri, smoked black beans, and a masa-battered squash blossom.
Skillet Carrot-Toffee Pudding
Dessert was a skillet carrot-toffee pudding and flamed bananas Foster.
Hand Crafted Cocktails
Eric Ruiter created craft cocktails and wine pairings, including the smoky Cherrywood with bourbon, maraschino liqueur, turbinado sugar, and chocolate bitters. Ruiter has more than a decade of bartending experience and has been part of Corkfire since 2020.
Rooted in Flame Is About the Experience
What makes Rooted in Flame so memorable is how close you are to the food. You can watch the flames, see Chef Jon work, and hear why each ingredient and cooking technique was chosen before taking that first bite.
I would also recommend making this an overnight stay. Temecula Creek Inn recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation of its guest rooms, with new furnishings, bathrooms, finishes, and private patios or balconies. The 300-acre property also makes staying overnight an easy choice.
Also at the hotel, the next Live Fire Food & Wine Festival is planned for March 3rd.
FAQ's
What is Rooted in Flame at Temecula Creek Inn?
Rooted in Flame is an intimate live-fire dinner held in the Chef’s Garden at Corkfire Kitchen at Temecula Creek Inn. The interactive experience features a seasonal, five-course family-style menu prepared over live fire by Executive Chef Jonathan Alcala.
Where is Rooted in Flame held?
Rooted in Flame is held in the Chef’s Garden at Corkfire Kitchen at Temecula Creek Inn in Temecula. Guests dine outdoors in a private garden setting overlooking the resort and golf course while watching the cooking take place nearby.
What food is served at Rooted in Flame?
The Rooted in Flame menu changes with the season and focuses on fresh ingredients, including produce from the Chef’s Garden. The five-course dinner can include dishes such as wood-grilled branzino, smoked duck, ribeye tomahawk asada and a seasonal dessert.
Are drinks included with the Rooted in Flame dinner?
Rooted in Flame features optional craft cocktails and wine pairings designed to complement the food. Mixologist Eric creates specialty cocktails for the dinner, while wine selections are paired with the courses.
When is the next Rooted in Flame dinner at Temecula Creek Inn?
Because this is an intimate event with limited seating, checking with Corkfire Kitchen or Temecula Creek Inn for the next event date and reservations is recommended.
