When Jason Neroni - former executive chef at new Brooklyn, NY  restaurant Porchetta - first speaks of his hometown, Orange County, it’s with noticeable disdain. The culprits include TV shows like The O.C. and Laguna Beach, and all their real-life inspirations -- the countless Republicans, the unbearable traffic.

But, when Neroni talks about surfing (he is from Surf City, USA after all), art, and internationally-flavored food, the California native starts to come around, revealing his soft spot for the O.C. That is, as long as you know where to go.

Neroni, who has spent the last decade of his life cooking in kitchens worldwide, recently finished consulting on a restaurant near his hometown in Costa Mesa. Before landing his recent gig at Carroll Gardens’ Porchetta (which eater.com is reporting Neroni left today), an Italian restaurant with a heavy focus on greenmarket ingredients and an ever-changing menu, he worked at Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, 71 Clinton Fresh Food and The Tasting Room (among dozens of other laudable eateries).

Though Neroni hasn’t lived in Southern California for years, he returns every few months, keeping him up-to-date on the latest the city has to offer. Considering he has the inside scoop on how to avoid everything utterly terrible in the O.C., leaving you with only the hip and delicious, we sat down with Neroni and asked the following:

Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Huntington Beach, California, aka Surf City USA. It was coined that after the Beach Boys song, (singing) “Everybody goes surfing” you know that annoying song? What place do you hit up every time you go home?
My mother’s house.

Any restaurants you make a point to visit?
There’s a very large Vietnamese population. It’s actually the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam that lives there. There’s amazing Vietnamese food. There’s a whole stretch called Bolsa, which is the Spanish word for bag. There’s a two-mile stretch of probably 45 restaurants. They have the basics from pho, the beef broth with noodles, to Vietnamese sandwiches, lettuce-wrapped beef, tons of seafood. It’s very authentic. Hardly anybody speaks English. 

Do you have a favorite on that strip?
There’s a place called Thanh-My, and they have about 500 selections on the menu.

What’s a good neighborhood/area to check out?
There’s a city next to Huntington Beach called Costa Mesa, and there’s the Costa Mesa Arts District. The MisShapes are actually throwing a party there. That’s where I consulted on a restaurant which is about to open any day now. It was working under the name 725 Baker [Ed note: the name is subject to change.  Neroni also recommends The Lab, an area close by that’s well-known for its hip bars, trendy restaurants like Habana, and great shopping.]

Is there a specific store at The Lab that you’d recommend?
I think there’s a NaNa store. There’s also a really cool shoe store, Blends, in the style of New York and bringing back the classics.

If you’re shopping for gourmet food, where do you go for good cheese, produce, all that?
This area is where Trader Joe’s is from, and there are a couple of them there. There’s also a place called Mother’s Market , which is all organic. It has great products, and there are a number of them in the OC area.

What is your favorite part about your hometown?
I like the surfing. It’s perfect sitting on a surfboard on the north side of the Huntington Beach Pier with the sun going down. Also, the best thing is In-N-Out Burger. It’s the best. It’s still a family-owned operation. They don’t use mass-produced meat like Burger King and McDonald’s. They use real milk. They use sustainable agriculture from the area.

What’s your least favorite part?
The traffic. It’s terrible. You have to leave at least an hour for wherever you’re going. Between 7am and 9:30am, everything’s screwed, and between 3:30pm and 7pm you’re not going anywhere.

Are there a lot of great beaches, or would you only recommend one?
There are a ton of beaches. There’s Huntington, there’s Laguna. There are nude beaches, beaches just for body-boarders, beaches just for surfers, and beaches without any surfers. Huntington is best for surfing. For a beautiful beach, like if you want to go with a significant other, there’s Laguna, which is amazingly beautiful. You wouldn’t think you were in America. It feels like the Riviera. It’s encased in mountains and it’s all rocky, but there are also beautiful sand pockets.

Are there any cultural points of interest?
There’s the Bowers Museum. Actually, Laguna Beach has a huge arts district. It’s actually one of the largest arts districts in Southern California. The second-largest music hall to Lincoln Center just opened up in Costa Mesa as well. It’s called the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Any secret that visitors wouldn’t know about?
I would say the secret is the Vietnamese strip. People don’t really know about that and they are a little more inclined to hang out in other areas. People think first about burgers and tacos.

What about upscale restaurants worth visiting in the area?
Upscale restaurants tend to be more LA. Besides the Vietnamese and Mexican culture, the OC’s a culinary wasteland.

 ~Amanda Kludt