Former Chief Operating Officer At Manhattan's Café Des Artistes Starts His Own American
in Northern New Jersey

Northern New Jersey, April 26, 2010- Meritage Bistro ) was created and founded by Orlando Santana.
In the past few years, Mr. Santana was the Chief Operating Officer of both Café Des Artistes in
Manhattan and Antipasti Ristorante in Westchester and helped to catapult these restaurants to the forefront of culinary national recognition.

As the owner of Meritage Bistro, Orlando has created a dining experience centered on gracious
hospitality, comfortable surroundings, and outstanding value. The former space of the
Mexican restaurant, Blue Moon, in the Old Tappan Mall has been transformed into a quaint
and comfortable bistro. the architecture is hip, contemporary and casual. In this suburban
Bergen County, northern NJ setting diners will enjoy sophisticated cosmopolitan cuisine and
at value oriented prices.

"People in New Jersey have a myriad of choices when dinning out." remarked Mr. Santana,
when asked about his new venture. "We pride ourselves on style, service and attention to
detail and truly want our guests to feel welcome and appreciated." "It's all about the food
and the customer" Orlando's love of the hospitaly industry is the basis for the restaurant's
motto -"You're not a customer, you're our guest," "we want our outstanding cuisine and
our valued guests to take center stage".

Orlando believes diner's experience should be memorable, so he hired Kelvin Fernandez
to be the executive chef at Meritage Bistro. Chef Kelvin merges the subtle flavors of Italy,
Spain and France with an American flair. Kelvin, a he Culinary Institute of America graduate
and has worked under the Michelin Star chef Georges Masraff of the celebrated Tavern on the
Green, Marcus Samulesson of Aquivit, Alfred Portale of the Gotham Bar and Grill and
most recently the executive chef of Antipasti under the famed chef of Rick Laakkonen
(Budda Bar-Tao). When Laakkonen left Kelvin assumed his post as the executive chef.

Orlando born in Hoboken, NJ, has a business degree from University of Colorado in Bolder.
Originally Orlando followed a career path toward accounting like his father chose
but his passion for great food and love of people steered him to the hospitality industry.

At an early age Orlando could be found in some of Manhattan's most prestigious restaurant
kitchens and then progressed to front of the house management. At age twenty-four he was
general manager of Ciao Baby; followed by careers at of the four star restaurant of
Weehawken, New Jersey's Arthur's Landing. In 2001, Orlando was the corporate food
chief of operations for Operation Sail. Orlando has opened and managers such great
restaurants as Savannah Steak and Café Des Artes in Manhattan. In 2008, Orlando became
the Chief Operating Officer of Antipasti in White Plains, NY. When Antipasti closed he
saw an opportunity to bring the embodiment of his knowledge he had gained in thirty
years of working in the industry to open his own place, back in his home state of
New Jersey. Culling all his know-how and expertise and his desire to put his own
special mark on a warm and friendly place with great food he has opened Meritage Bistro.

Orlando selected the name Meritage because it is Meritage is a blend of the words "merit"
and "heritage" which is how Orlando views the cuisine the restaurant prepares. Only the highest
qualities meritorious of ingredients are fused with the heritage of "American cuisines.
To be classified a true "Meritage" the wine must be 1. a blend of two or more Bordeaux
grape varieties 2. . It must be the winery's best wine of its type, 3. It must be produced
and bottled by a U.S. winery from grapes that carry a U.S. APPELLATION; and 4. Its production is limited to a maximum 25,000 cases per VINTAGE. So…Meritage Bistro
has the same hi standards for its food quality and presentation, wine selection and
service to its guests!

For more information, please visit their website at the following link:
http://www.meritagebistro.com