Despite the name, the Soldiers Daughter restaurant and bar has nothing to do with the military apart, that is, from the focus, dedication and commitment of its owner and head chef Steve Rinauro.

As it turns out, Rinauro, in addition to being a chef and businessman, is also a poet.

Ive been writing poetry for many years, he explained. Back in 1991, I wrote a poem called Soldiers Daughter. I happened to come across it again right after I signed the lease here, and I decided to appropriate the name for the restaurant. I wanted a name that was unique and individual.

And that uniqueness carries over to the restaurant itself, which offers a cuisine found nowhere else in the county.

Rinauro is the former owner of Mineral in Murphys who decided to return to the restaurant business with Soldiers Daughter after a nine-month hiatus. The new eatery held its grand opening on Dec. 12, and its menu continues in the vein of Mineral with organic vegetarian dishes and a changing menu every few weeks.

Everything is based on seasonal cooking, Rinauro explained. I like to describe it as modern seasonal vegetarian, although many of our customers are not exclusively vegetarians.

While this vegetarian establishment is new to the area, Rinauro originally from San Jose is no stranger to the business. Before arriving in Murphys in 2003, he cooked modern French cuisine in Los Angeles for a decade, and in total, hes been involved in the restaurant business for 26 years.

Soon after leaving Southern California, Rinauro found himself in Murphys, where he opened Mineral in 2006. Like Soldiers Daughter, Mineral was a restaurant that served a pure vegetarian menu.

Mineral was the kind of restaurant where I wanted to outsmart the customer, Rinauro said. To that end, I made over 900 dishes during my time there.

After seven years of operating and cooking for his restaurant, however, Rinauro was ready to make a change.

Originally posted here:
New vegetarian restaurant opens in Arnold