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Darkroom

restaurant and wine bar

About Us

Our Story

Darkroom is the product of two decades of research by its founding chefs Zach Scherer and Drew Adams.

We are using the unique and world class produce of Southern California.

We are leveraging the techniques from cuisines around the world.

We are changing the menu weekly so that guests will always have something new to enjoy.

Darkroom's sister restaurant, Chrysalis, located in its own space inside of Darkroom, features a multi-course, prix fixe tasting menu that will also be unique in Orange County.

The Team

Zach Scherer

Zach Scherer

CEO and Chef

Born in rural San Diego, Zach has cooked all over Southern California learning what makes this state so special. Zach started his career at San Diego's iconic Georges California Modern. He was later Chef de Cuisine at The Playground.


Zach's goal is to make the Orange County food scene nationally competitive with places like San Francisco, New York and Chicago. He's excited to partner with long-time chef partner Drew Adams. Darkroom is their first venture into the Orange County restaurant scene.

Drew Adams

Drew Adams

Chef / Partner

Born and raised in Orange County, Drew attended the culinary program at The Art Institutes in Santa Ana. He has worked in over 40 restaurants from Long Beach to Laguna Beach in cuisines ranging from Italian to Mexican to New American.


Drew received his first executive chef role at Outpost Kitchen in Costa Mesa in 2015. Outpost was awarded "best new restaurant" by OC Weekly. Since then Drew has worked at restaurants such as 370 Common and Bello in Newport Beach where he was eventually promoted to Chef de Cuisine.


As Chef/Partner of Darkroom and Chrysalis, Drew will be working alongside Chef Zach to create new menus weekly and will be running the pastry program.

Careers

At Darkroom, we are always looking for people who are passionate about food and food service and who want to work with us as we strive to make Darkroom a destination restaurant.

If you are interested, please forward us your resume or LinkedIn profile.

contact@wearedarkroom.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Tuesday – Sunday, 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM.
Yes — corkage is $40 per bottle for the first bottle per guest. Subsequent bottles after the first bottle per guest are not charged.
Our food is designed to be visually appealing as well as delicious. As such, we encourage diners to eat it in the restaurant. If, for some reason, that is not possible, feel free to call us for an order to be picked up. We do not offer delivery at this time.
We plan to offer catering starting in 2025.
Yes — please see our private events page.
We have a large lot with self-service parking.
Yes — we have the full menu at the bar.
Yes, we have gone to great effort to offer delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Yes, there is a wide range of gluten free dishes.
We are closed Mondays and on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
We believe that diners eat not just with their mouths but with their eyes. Our chefs have created dishes that are plated to look beautiful. Unfortunately, we cannot split plates because it would ruin the presentation. We can always give a second plate to guests upon request.
Several items on the regular menu are "kid friendly" — please ask your server for details. While we encourage families to dine with us, we ask that you be mindful of our sophisticated audio equipment and keep an eye on your child.

Press

At Darkroom, our goal is not just to give diners a wonderful experience — it is to change their understanding of Californian food and local farm communities.

We're always happy to talk to the press to give a quick quote or just to give feedback on an idea for an article.

contact@chrysalisdarkroom.com

© Dark Room Partners, LLC