By Julianne Homokay
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
For a few years now, Bin 189 at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa has been one of the classiest joints on the mountain. Since the advent of the latest general manager, Paul Medawar (profiled in the Alpine Mountaineer dated Nov. 8, 2023), all signs indicate the bar/restaurant will continue to head in that direction.
One of Medawar’s first orders of business was to revamp Bin 189’s approach to Sundays, merging “breakfast and lunch into Sunday brunch with elevated offerings.”
Fancy a made-to-order omelet?
Let’s talk a sec about those elevated offerings. Have you seen the ads that have been running here in the Alpine Mountaineer recently? This reporter is here to tell you that the buttermilk pancakes are indeed fluffy, the berries are indeed fresh and the Benedict served with a creamy Hollandaise sauce is indeed savory. If, like me, you crave entrees that fall beyond traditional breakfast foods, the fish, chicken and carving station options will knock you out. The made-to-order omelet station is a fave of my roommate Tony. Neither one of us can resist the free-flowing mimosas (but that’s a story for another day). And just try to keep your kids away from the splendiferous dessert table in the center of the room.
Delaney keeps those mimosa flowing
The Resort’s Sunday brunch offers a bonus that sets it apart from other classy brunches out there, however, in the saxophone stylings of musician King P, who will be accompanying brunch every Sunday into the foreseeable future. Equally adept at rap, hip hop, pop, jazz, gospel and Dancehall (a genre of Jamaican pop music), King P can take your requests effortlessly as he roves from table to table and works the room.
King P was born Phillip Solomon Stewart and hails from Miami, Fla. His parents are from Jamaica, where he lived briefly as a kid. Even though he’s at home in so many musical genres, he attributes his heritage as to why “Dancehall naturally flows.” He grew up playing a host of instruments, but the saxophone is his main squeeze: ”I’m so in love you couldn’t peel me off this instrument.”
King P serenades his daughter
Even though he’s always had the dream of coming to southern California, he attended college at Florida A&M University and majored in Elementary Education. He wandered into a couple of opportunities that would foreshadow his life to come as a performing and recording artist, though.
His stint as assistant drum major in the FAMU marching band landed him at Prince’s halftime show at Super Bowl XLI in Miami Gardens. By chance, his college roommate was producer Ken Jo, who brought King P on to record “Woozy,” the eighth track on Ludacris’ Release Therapy album.
Finally in 2022, he took the plunge and made his way to Los Angeles. But even before then, he branched out into writing and recording his own music and music videos, one of which won two California Music Video Awards. Now, his interests encompass live performance, acting, songwriting, music and video production, a film production company and even a Jamaican-themed catering venture. Keep your eyes open for his biopic Open The Door, which is now in post-production.
Last fall, his profile on a website that connects talent with party planners and event coordinators, GigSalad.com, landed him here at Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa where he is fast becoming a staple at Sunday brunch. “I’m in love with the mountains,” he says. “The people have been wonderful. The drive alone!” he adds. He hasn’t rolled off the side of Highway 18 yet, but “it’s going to be a beautiful death if I do.”
Happy Birthday!
All in all, King P lives, creates his art and plays his music from a place of gratitude, and his joy is infectious. His talent and charisma turn Bin 189’s lovely Sunday meal into an event.
His next goal in life? “I’m ready to get to the next level.” Five minutes in the room with him, and you have no doubt he will.
Bin 189’s SundaybBrunch is from 11a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Sunday. Visit lakearrowheadresort.com to make a reservation through OpenTable.
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