EPISODE 11 Mark Bittman vs. James Boyce, Studio

James Boyce is the chef at Studio, the fine dining restaurant at the ultra-luxurious Montage resort in Laguna Beach, California. To impress Bittman, James pulls out all the stops and makes skate with dates, a tamarind gastrique, and sautéed porcini - a combination of flavors that Bittman initially chides, then falls in love with before responding with a classic skate in brown butter, with an addition of honey to mimic the sweetness in James's gastrique.

After a run through the hot tub and a dip in the Pacific, the two return to the kitchen for showdown number two: surf-and-turf. With countless pans going at once, James cooks two dishes - a seared beef tenderloin with balsamic reduction and a warm lobster salad with corn and citrus - that he plates next to each other: his refined, restrained and contemporary take on surf 'n' turf. Bittman's response - a Thai-style beef and shrimp salad - took only minutes and surprised both of them with its fresh, direct flavors.


MEET THE CHEF James Boyce

James Boyce

James Boyce is the executive chef of Studio, the signature dining restaurant at Montage Resort & Spa. A 2002 contender in the highly competitive James Beard Foundation "Best Chef" awards, Boyce was most recently the general manager/chef de cuisine at The Phoenician's culinary showpiece, Mary Elaine's.

During his three-year tenure at this award-winning Scottsdale restaurant, he helped engineer its impressive ascent into the world-class status. Under his direction, Mary Elaine's scored a coveted trio: Five-Star status from Mobil Travel Guide, a prestigious Five Diamond designation by the American Automobile Association and the Grand Award from Wine Spectator magazine.

Prior to working at The Phoenician, he served as executive chef for Loews Coronado Bay Resort, where he made a name for himself as one of the Southern California's leading chefs. He began his career at New York's renowned Le Cirque - working under the legendary chef Daniel Boulud.

Throughout his career, Boyce has accrued the industry's top awards and accolades. He has been invited to cook at the venerable James Beard House on numerous occasions, and was named one of the top three "Seafood Chefs of the Year" by Simply Seafood Magazine.

He graduated with top honors from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY.