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Tim Goodell | President and Executive Chef

Liza Goodell | Vice President

Restaurateurs Tim and Liza Goodell have parlayed their talent, resolute work ethic, and unrelenting dedication to quality into Domaine Restaurants, a restaurant group that has been turning out successful dining concepts since 1994.

Tim and Liza’s partnership began in 1991 while both were working at the celebrated Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. Tim, an honors graduate of the California Culinary Academy, was an apprentice pastry chef with the famed Gary Danko; Liza was also working under Danko for her degree from the New England Culinary Institute. Danko’s kitchen was perhaps the most important ingredient in the recipe of their burgeoning relationship. The pair would soon begin developing the concept behind their first venture, a California-French restaurant in Newport Beach called Aubergine. The restaurant opened in 1994, the same year as the couple’s wedding.

Their next success would come in the form of Troquet, a French-Californian bistro that thrilled visitors to South Coast Plaza. Launched in 1997, the restaurant’s success confirmed for the Goodells the merit of their culinary ventures. The restaurant closed in 2006, but not before inspiring another of the Goodells’ ventures, Village Bakery. Opened in 1998, the bakery was inspired by the popularity of the breads served at Aubergine and Troquet and continues to provide bread for local consumers and all Domaine restaurants. The Lodge in Costa Mesa came next, followed by Whist at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica and Citron at the Viceroy in Palm Springs. The duo then turned their attention to Red Pearl Kitchen—a Southeast Asian eatery in Huntington Beach. In 2005, the Goodells sold Aubergine and the Lodge and left their post at the Viceroy to focus on new projects.

In the next two years, the Goodells opened Meson G and returned to hotels, opening two restaurants at the newly remodeled Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel—Dakota, a modern steakhouse, and 25 Degrees, a burger and wine joint. They also opened another outpost of Red Pearl Kitchen in the historic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego.

In February 2011, the duo unveiled Domaine Restaurants’ newest concept, Public Kitchen & Bar, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Goodells conceived of Public Kitchen & Bar as a welcoming, communal space, with friendly mix of atmosphere and service, featuring food they might cook in their own kitchen for friends and family. “Our philosophy is ‘Food and Drink for the People,’ and that is the motivating force behind the restaurant,” Tim notes.

As a team, the Goodells have mastered everything from bakeries to steakhouses, Asian and French cuisine, as well as hamburgers. They have been awarded numerous accolades, including a Food & Wine naming Tim one of its ‚Best New Chefs‛ in 2000 and consistent praise from publications like the Los Angeles Times. As the Goodells continue to expand their culinary reach, they remain committed to a marriage of expertise, entrepreneurship, and elegance.
Tim and Liza currently reside in Orange County with their daughter, Madeleine, and son, Oscar.

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