Dining Articles

Rediscovery: Pinot Provence

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Good news for Francophiles—Pinot Provence is finally settling down with the arrival of new, but well-seasoned, executive chef Alfonso Ramirez. Recently a stage for tumult and hubris, the Patina Group kitchen now offers the deeply flavored, almost rustic dishes reminiscent of Florent Marneau’s reign, preceding the opening of his inimitable Marché Moderne.

Starters don’t get more basic than house-made charcuterie, but all the precisely assembled elements are top-notch. It’s a far better call than the bland, chewy escargot that Pernod butter and crispy brioche can’t rescue. Tender frog legs (cuisses de grenouille) get more respect, from a flattering honey-parsley emulsion and black garlic puree.

Supple flageolet beans bring out the best in an intense cassoulet of duck confit, rillettes, and fried pork belly. The sweet-smoky scent of vadouvan (France’s take on Indian spice blends) greets the table before a plate of gorgeous pink lamb rib-eye and fall-apart braised lamb shank (agneau violet) is set before us. Roasted sunchokes, date slivers, and flower tarragon complete the seduction—it’s one of the finer entrees of my dining season and handily absolves the unremarkable side of Brussels sprouts.

Desserts are short on passion, likely because a corporate pastry chef handles them by remote. The expedient service could be more gracious and the unchanging room, with its country chateau trappings, feels played out even though the round fireplace table and twin awning-draped patios have timeless charm.

Fans of French cuisine aren’t feeling the love these days, with choices dwindling fast. What a relief to see that everything old is new again at Pinot Provence.

Best Dishes
House-made charcuterie, lamb (agneau violet)

Cheers!
No charge for corkage here.

About the chef
Ramirez, son of a chef, is a veteran of L.A. shops Patina, Spago, Drago, and The Foundry on Melrose.

686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa 714-444-5900, pinotprovence.com

Two Stars

Photo by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue.

Rediscovery: Bluewater Grill

Gretchen Kurz — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:00:00 GMT

The dining room at Bluewater Grill teems with a rich cross section of Newport Beach: well-heeled retirees, gaggles of polished gal pals, date-nighters, and salty, sun-bronzed locals arriving on foot. All flow into this waterside fish house with the nonchalance of regulars, happy to await their tables over drinks, or snag a stool at the bustling oyster bar.

Open since 1996, the seafood sprawler is clever about serving venerated favorites, such as rich chowder, grilled trout, and fried clams, alongside younger, more modern creations, many with a California accent: zesty cioppino, blackened swordfish tacos, and mahi-mahi sliders slick with jalapeño aioli. Executive chef Brian Hirsty’s confident crew shifts from icy platters of precisely shucked oysters so voluptuous they barely need saucing, to sizzling ginger-lime prawns over celery root slaw. Printed daily, the upgraded menu spotlights seasonal specials bursting with contemporary twists.

One night’s fresh halibut, cut to the size of a Rubik’s cube, is hot, juicy and not a bit overcooked in its crunchy, gold jacket of tempura batter studded with yam sticks. Sweet-spicy chili oil gives the snow-white meat some sass, but it also complements the tangle of cold glass noodles served alongside. It’s generations apart from the menu’s sauteed Wisconsin walleye or fried Ipswich clam bellies, American classics with old-timey allure. So bring your visiting Aunt Charlotte for fried smelt or your fussy co-worker for a luscious lobster roll, assured that you can delight yourself with the marvelous paella Valenciana. This seafooder is more than standing the test of time; it’s staying one step ahead of the game.

Best New Dish
Paella or Ginger-Lime Prawns

Corkage
Free for two bottles. More than half of the wine list is less than $40 per bottle; fair prices include Cakebread at $60.

Coming Soon
A waterfront sibling to open this summer in Avalon.

630 Lido Park Drive, Newport Beach, 949-675-3474

2409 Park Ave., Tustin, 714-258-3474; bluewatergrill.com

Three Stars

Photo by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the January 2013 issue.

Rediscovery: Five Crowns

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Aging gracefully is all well and good, but growing younger imperceptibly is nearly impossible. Yet the venerable Five Crowns comes very close.

Steeped in local tradition, the Lawry’s-owned landmark strives mightily to remain relevant. Its recent renovation, and the smashing success of its pocket shop SideDoor, arguably the finest gastropub around, prove the Coast Highway landmark plays to win. So when Ryan O’Melveny Wilson was bumped to top toque for Lawry’s Restaurants Inc., L.A. native Greg Harrison won the talent search for the executive chef post.

The refreshed menu sparkles with current techniques, a gelee here, some sous vide there. Enthusiastic farm-to-table sourcing is additional evidence of forward momentum. Charred octopus with uni (sea urchin) foam hints at Harrison’s stints under Morimoto and Roy Yamaguchi. Silky beef carpaccio with organic horseradish and capers is a flavor-packed proxy for classic prime rib. Vidalia onion foam jazzes up the ever-sumptuous lobster bisque, and brick-flattened chicken is hot and juicy with plenty of crisp skin.

Grilled lamb sirloin is butter-soft with a pink center, and a drizzle of pomegranate demi-glace brings out its natural sweetness. Divine risotto and rich duck confit are craveable complements to the seared duck breast. Loyalists take note: Prime rib in a choice of four cuts holds a hallowed spot on the menu.

If your holidays aren’t complete without a Five Crowns feast, this year might well be better than last; the grande dame is younger than ever.

Gen Next
A new management team, including executive chef Greg Harrison, brings updates to the menu, new events, and more.

Dossier
Harrison and sous chef Steven Kling have worked at kitchens under Thomas Keller, Michael Mina, Roy Yamaguchi, and Mark Peel.

New
Multicourse Chef’s Supper on Friday.

3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar, 949-760-0331, lawrysonline.com

Three Stars

Photo by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the December 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: Leatherby’s Café Rouge

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Leatherby’s Café Rouge is a crystalline jewel box of delights, hiding in plain sight in the world-class Segerstrom Concert Hall. Rarified and lovely, it’s the sleeper choice for fine dining that awakens only when the stages nearby come alive.

It took the foresight of executive chef Ross Pangilinan, at the helm since 2009, to embrace the artistic kinship between food and performance, which he does with creative elan. In addition to his modern American fare, he composes prix fixe three-course, pre-theater meals themed to productions. This month, during the run of “Memphis,” look for “Memphis Lives in Me,” a roasted barbecue-glazed pork chop stuffed with honey-roasted apples paired with white-Cheddar-and-bacon grits, and creamed spinach. For “War Horse” come January, dessert will be “Devon at Peace,” an English trifle of Devon clotted cream and seasonal fruit.

Dazzling a la carte choices include a plush carrot-butternut squash soup with a flick of Fresno chili, or riotously colorful lobster salad with mango, papaya, avocado, mint, and cubes of crispy pork belly, all drizzled with a red chili emulsion. There’s always a house-made pasta, perhaps duck ravioli in brown butter with Parmesan. Grass-fed Australian rack of lamb is as good as you’ll find in this option-rich neighborhood; the herb-crusted lamb’s sidekick of artichoke, potato, pear, and goat cheese is spot on.

Bustling right up till curtain time, the dramatic room expels elegant theatergoers with astounding speed. In minutes, it’s all yours for a serene, leisurely meal.

Breaking through
Pangilinan has reinvented the creative menus, which now link to the world-class venue’s arts season and national touring productions

Chef dossieer
Pangilinan previously worked at Patina in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Matinee idyll
A lovely a la carte brunch is served before selected matinees.

615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-429-7640, patinagroup.com/caferouge
Three Stars

This article originally appeared in the November 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: EnoSteak

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:00:00 GMT

Introduced in 2007 as the posh wine bar Eno at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, EnoSteak is now the luxe resort’s clubby new steak salon. After speedy rejuvenation and a June reopening, gone are the original tasting bar, high tables, and abundant cheese cave, and new are dining tables, polished waiter service, and a compact menu starring expensive steaks from premium producers.

Executive chef Andres Jimenez squeezes in a fresh fish option and a roasted chicken for a lineup of about half a dozen entrees, starters, and sides.

We start with the small, savory pot of chicken liver paté, the silken spread topped with balsamic-glazed shallots. We want more when it’s gone.

Like traditional steakhouses, entrees ($25 to $65) are a la carte. But each includes a choice of compound butters, billed as a signature touch, from a roster of flavors such as black truffle, heirloom tomato, and tarragon-scented béarnaise.

The day’s fresh halibut and one of two steaks we order medium-rare are overcooked. At EnoSteak, sides ($9) are your friends, though they barely feed two. Next time, we’ll ask for two orders of the velvety Yukon Gold potatoes, spiked with sour cream and nutty petit Basque cheese. Fresh green beans, al dente and dotted with toasted walnuts and crumbled bacon, make a fine showing. Sauteed wild mushrooms are woodsy, earthy, and not shy on salt. If you’re still hungry, the flourless chocolate tart is commendable.

Given time, EnoSteak is sure to master those entrees—and already offers a striking alternative to the resort’s flashier Raya.

What’s New?
Eno, the former wine, cheese, and chocolate bar, ditches its tasting room in favor of a deluxe steak menu.

Best New Menu Items
Chicken liver paté, Yukon Gold potatoes.

FYI
Dinner only, closed Sunday and Monday.

1 Ritz-Carlton Drive, DANA POINT, 949-240-2000, ritzcarlton.com/lagunaenosteak

One-and-a-half Stars

Photograph by Bob Hodson

This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: Wildfish Seafood Grille

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 19:44:00 GMT

My voice said “Oh, really?” but my mind said “Ohhh, noooo!” when I heard Wildfish had been snapped up by Darden Group, Florida’s vast, muscular engine behind popular chains such as Olive Garden and Seasons 52.

I like Wildfish, as do most diners I steer its way. Would Newport Beach’s sparkling seafooder go the way of Red Lobster—another Darden chain? Or, would the 1,900-unit brand behemoth leave a vital, successful operation unscathed.

How nice to report there is no glaring evidence of ownership change. My fears of petty downgrades and graceless meddling were for naught, and recent visits indicate Wildfish is holding tight to its core strengths. But new items also appear on the tightly calibrated menu, as Keith Stich, formerly of Mastro’s in South Coast Metro, follows Arthur Briones as executive chef.

As ever, the handsome dinner-only venue is hopping. The bar fills fast for the tempting happy hour deals, and the dining room booths burble with jovial conversation that competes with the open kitchen’s energetic thrum. Crisp service and signature starters launch feasts on a steep trajectory. Impeccably shucked Blue Point oysters, plump and sweet, slide down with Neptunian finesse. Four portly shrimp, two or three bites each, anchor the old-school shrimp cocktail punctuated by sinus-clearing mustard sauce that’s chilled and fiery. It easily trumps the bacon-wrapped shrimp that tastes mostly of salty bacon fat. And the lauded crab cakes? Right on the beam, replete with fresh lump meat subtly griddled to awaken the flavors and leave a thin surface crust.

I regret ordering the Caesar salad, only because it doesn’t soar like the rich Maine lobster bisque, flavored with long-simmered shells, and rigged with cream and cognac. Consider splitting the indulgent soup to save room for luscious, always-fresh seafood specials, entrées, and irresistible sides. Glacier-white halibut coated with crushed toasted macadamia nuts, a nightly special, spotlights the pristine flesh with a simple complement of beurre blanc, and bright mango for tropical zing. The mild fish is cooked with practiced care. Pacific swordfish is masterfully broiled, then topped with freshly chopped ripe avocado and flakey Atlantic Jonah crab. A ribbon of sassy red chili vinaigrette keeps the rich players in line. Crab fried rice makes a splendid shareable side starch. Just enough fresh ginger adds weightless pizazz to fluffy grains sizzled with mushrooms and onions.

Fried rice proves an unlikely ally to Prime beef as well. A 1-pound cut of New York strip, butchered to picture-perfect neatness, is a sizzling beauty, but not quite medium-rare as requested. Sending it back was no problem until the contrite waiter apologized to excess, triggering a parade of mea culpas from floor staffers. All’s well that tastes well, but repeated apologies can be a bigger annoyance than an undercooked steak. Politesse aside, the aged Midwestern beef is as good as it gets.

When an over-the-top dinner seems too much of a splurge, happy hour is a great call. If the buzzy bar is running over with Newport dandies and coquettes, scoot back to the fireplace patio bar. Obliging attention from the ace staff makes dining and drinking from the discounted offerings a relaxing pleasure. A steaming bowl of delicious broth teeming with house-made wontons plump with pork and shrimp is just one way to leave room for the crazy-good buttery pineapple upside-down cake, baked to order.

Big fish often eat little fish. It’s a brutal law of the restaurant marketplace. But today’s Wildfish suggests catch-and-release is a viable policy for sustainable dining excellence.

Best Dishes
Seasonal raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, lump crab cake, Maine lobster bisque, Wagyu beef ishiyaki, wonton soup, seasonal fresh halibut, Pacific swordfish, Prime New York strip, crab fried rice, pineapple upside-down cake.

Best Tables
Large booths Nos. 92 and 20, and cozy No. 28, near the wine wall.

Happy Hour Heaven
4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; all night Sunday and Monday. Special menu of $5 to $8 appetizers and $6 drinks.

1370 Bison Ave., Newport Beach, 949-720-9925 wildfishseafoodgrille.com

Photograph by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the August 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: The Catch

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 21 May 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Today’s indie operators don’t dare open a place like The Catch anymore. It’s just plain safer to carve a niche, think small, and ditch the white tablecloths. Yet the Anaheim restaurant takes all comers in a massive 300-seat venue with a giant kitchen to manage an American megamenu.

Now three years into its slick new digs, The Catch is grooving with seasoned confidence that comes from growing into

its own skin. Dauntless owner Joe Manzella has a solid crew in place with Nelson Barillas replacing inaugural chef Chris Hutten, and sharp GM Kevin Anderson running the room. The happy results are generating fresh traffic and the vibrant energy of a winning team.

As always, the menu of modern and classic eats is unapologetically immense. The Catch casts a wide net, luring business execs, sports industry types, municipal officials, game-day fans, concertgoers, and special-occasion parties. Classic burgers to aged steaks, profuse salads to fresh seafood, bulging sandwiches to flaming desserts—if nothing tempts you here, you simply can’t be tempted.

Seafood is usually the main event, and shell and fin fish take star turns in many categories. Pretty on the plate, but even lovelier on the palate, ahi tartare of cleanly cubed sashimi-grade tuna tastes lighter than most. A kick from chili sauce cuts through the creamy avocado, and the fresh lettuce cups are cool tender wrappers. A trio of fried calamari, each with a different sauce or dip—fritti with lemon and cocktail sauce, quiles with crispy tortilla strips and salsa verde, and Provençal with spicy tomato butter—also is an excellent share plate.

Stay on the seafood track with a timeless Louie salad heavy with Dungeness lump crab and firm bay shrimp, crunchy iceberg, egg slices, and house-made dressing. Split it or make it a sizeable lunch. If anchovies count, my seafood salad vote goes to the grand, old-school Caesar prepped tableside. It’s easily one of O.C.’s best, and though it’s billed “for two,” it certainly serves four as a starter.

Seafood avoiders will be tickled with hand-rolled, long-simmered meatballs. They’re Mama Manzella’s recipe, and come bubbly hot under a stretchy roof of provolone. Soup is a good measuring stick of any kitchen, and the tomato and lobster bisques are both top-notch.

One night, the kitchen delights a fellow diner who has special dietary requests. Our cordial waiter welcomes explicit directions and the precisely cooked fresh salmon arrives unadorned on a bed of al dente asparagus spears. Opting for opulence also yields delightful results. Chilean sea bass over fried basmati rice and ginger carrot puree, a signature dish, is a beauty. High in natural oil, the moist fillet is buttery, flaky, and with a seared surface set off by a top knot of sesame-tinged fresh tomato relish. Meaty Pacific swordfish crusted with black-and-white sesame seeds makes me wonder why this flavorful fish seems out of fashion these days; its fried baby bananas and Thai butter sauce are dynamic allies.

Two words for beef fans: short ribs. Yes, they are a menu cliché of late, but this version braised in chocolate-kissed porter retains its texture and gets a layer of kick from ancho chilies. Paired with roasted poblano and corn mashed potatoes, it’s a sleeper choice when seafood doesn’t tempt. Or, keep it simple with the well-trimmed top sirloin, a robust steak of impressive intensity. No matter the protein, this kitchen gets the cooked texture right, and that’s quite a feat with such an enterprising menu.

Service shows more polish now, and dedication and diligence are palpable. When the fresh-baked peach crostasta falls short one night, our waitress gladly offers to replace it with another dessert that doesn’t require the 25-minute oven time. It’s the kind of obliging hospitality that practically ensures diners leave The Catch happy.

No review can quite do justice to all The Catch offers. This would require moving in for a couple weeks. But if your appetite and preferences fall in the gung-ho category, this ambitious restaurant is big enough to grant your wishes.

Best Dishes
Ahi tartare, calamari three ways, Caesar salad, Maine lobster bisque, seafood Louie salad, Mama Manzella’s meatballs, Chilean sea bass, top sirloin, braised beef short ribs, peach crostata, chocolate decadence.

Price Range
Starters, $11 to $30; soups and salads, $7 to $24; entreés, $20 to $70.

Best Tables
Raised booth No. 401 for a view of the room and kitchen.

Parking
Valet as you enter from the signal at Stadium Crossing—$4 at lunch, $6 at dinner, and $10 to $20 on game night—or three-hour validated parking in the garage beneath the building.

2100 E. Katella Ave. Anaheim, 714-935-0101, catchanaheim.com
Three Stars

Photograph by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the June 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: Las Brisas

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Three times, in the dead of winter, I dine at a Las Brisas window table overlooking the glittering sea and sweeping Laguna Beach coast. Locals in flip-flops walk their dogs, and visitors in sunhats snap pictures of the quintessential California scenery. “Ain’t it grand?” I gloat to my friends, all SoCal natives. If pride is a sin, I am clearly headed to the Other Place.

Las Brisas—The Breezes—has that effect. Its setting exudes such a vibrant sense of place that merely being there makes guests feel special, chosen. No wonder it’s the pick for many proms, birthdays, anniversaries, and for flaunting our well-endowed turf to out-of-towners.

One might argue that the fare is secondary. For years, I suggested it as a spot for margaritas at sunset, before heading off to dinner elsewhere. It wasn’t until the restaurant and its predecessor, the Victor Hugo Inn, est. 1938, popped up in a memory lane conversation with friends that I considered it anew. It seems everyone could recall an indelible meal at the bluff-top destination: a high school winter formal dinner in the ’70s, a marriage proposal during the Clinton era, a drive from Beverly Hills in a new Cadillac for lunch with Mom. I contributed a date-from-hell tale from 2000. But none of us had dined there recently.

High time for an update. And, yes, the weather now is ideal for showing off the dazzling view. But the first surprise is the snappy service. Not perfection, but our young waiter is eager to please and ultimately patient with our leisurely pace. Another surprise is that the prices are below those of other special-occasion restaurants with a view. But of course, it’s only a good value if the cuisine is well-executed.

And it is.

Mexican seafood is the category, and we’re off to a solid start with black bean soup, and gazpacho, each showing a flourish and care from the kitchen—an orb of tomato sorbet for the juicy fresh gazpacho, and for the pureed bean soup, the waiter adds garnishes from a caddy stocked with cotija cheese, minced serranos, crisp bacon, and pico de gallo.

Sticking with Mexican seafood, we dive in with Playa del Sole, a filet of sole with king crab meat, and Mero Con Tomatillo, Alaska halibut with roasted tomatillo sauce. Portions are generous and plates are brimming with food. Properly cooked and rich in flavor, the delicate sole is almost lost beneath an avalanche of competing elements. But a rescue is as easy as liberating the fish from top layers of spinach, avocado, and caper lemon butter sauce. The fat square of fresh halibut is top-notch, and the roasted garlic potatoes are flavor-dense. Colorful seasonal vegetables deliver a nice break for the palate. In a nod to the expected, several plentiful combination plates make the menu as well. La Marquesa—a beef or chicken tamale, mixed seafood mushroom enchilada, beans and rice—is typical: lots of chow, each item satisfying. Some, such as the enchilada, are especially tasty.

Sunday brunch draws solid crowds, but it’s not a buffet and consequently doesn’t feel like a touristy food hall. Four courses include a pretty, composed fresh fruit salad, a basket of pan dulce, soup or green salad, and a choice of entrées. Omelets and crepes are conventional options, but brunch renegades can order Pescadito Relleno, fresh trout that’s stuffed with crab, bell pepper, and onion; or Lomo de Cordero, roasted lamb loin over potatoes with a rosemary-garlic sauce. Sand Dabs Puerto Nuevo, which is battered filets sautéed and topped with crab, offers tasty, retro charm, and an accompanying veggie quiche seems so right on a brunch plate. Desayuno Ranchero, a fried egg on grilled Angus New York steak, is cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and oniony diced potatoes are fine starchy backup.

Chef’s dessert of the day is the final act. Cheesecake and chocolate mousse are noteworthy players, but the roster does rotate. Coffee also is included, as is tea or milk, and bottomless bubbly, too. After all, it’s brunch.

The fare may not be stunning, but it’s darned agreeable. Nothing I say here can really hurt or help Las Brisas. The place occupies a Teflon zone of its own. But it’s a worthy rediscovery for diners craving an experience that’s equal parts view, history, and food.

Best Dishes
Gazpacho; Sopa de Frijol Negro; Playa del Sole; Mero Con Tomatillo; La Marquesa; Sand Dabs Puerto Nuevo; Desayuno Ranchero; chocolate mousse.

Price Range
Breakfast buffet, $16; lunch, $15 to $22; dinner, $17 to $36; Sunday brunch, $36.

Best Seats
Window tables.

If You Go
Make reservations.

WOW!
Floor captain Milton Valens has worked at Las Brisas for 30 years.

361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach, 949-497-5434, lasbrisaslagunabeach.com
Two-and-a-Half Stars

Photograph by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the May 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s

Gretchen Kurz — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:00:00 GMT

The dapper lounge in Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s South Coast Plaza typically fills to capacity during two nightly happy hours. I understand why. Good deals abound on splendid cocktails, solid wines, and interesting appetizers, making this a pet destination for post-work decompression. A chipper, polished staff keeps the mixed crowd feeling happy and welcome.

But I gladly skip the buzzing canteen during a series of visits to the serene, casually chic dining room, because I’m drawn even more to the work of executive chef Seakyeong Kim. Promoted in the wake of inaugural chef Amar Santana’s exit to launch his own shop, Kim has been at the helm for about a year. To label the transition a smooth one is an understatement. Sure, the modern American menu retains Charlie Palmer’s trademark refinement, but Kim adds a progressive spin all his own.

His lusty blackened pork loin landed on our list of “50 Dishes to Try Before You Die” in December, but his remarkable salad of ripe melon, ricotta walnut butter, silky prosciutto, and pickled onion crescents is just as satisfying. I want both dishes again pronto, as in tomorrow. But oft-changing menus are another Charlie Palmer custom, so the next day’s lineup is certain to lose and gain choices as Kim and the season see fit.

Escargot dumplings are an imaginative starter. They’re delivered in a bamboo steamer, the soft pastry packets enclosing juicy snails in pools of herb butter that flood the palate at first bite. What a fine departure from the usual garlic-and-puff-pastry treatment. Scottish salmon Cobb salad also riffs on a classic, this time switching out chicken and bacon for blackened salmon and smoked ham. Avocado and hearts of palm stay in the mix, and buttermilk dressing ties it together with a lighter hand than the traditional Roquefort vinaigrette. Like most Cobbs, this could be a light meal on its own. Ahi tartare is a menu regular, and Kim’s take is lusciously minimalist with tart Granny Smith apples and apple-wasabi-tobiko.

Yes, I’m a pushover for dynamic menus that continually shuffle in new items, especially from a kitchen of this caliber. Maybe the crispy veal sweetbreads with bacon and braised kimchi falls out of rotation, but that loss is quickly assuaged by the arrival of pork belly with squash puree, salsify, and ginger-huckleberry pork jus. Plus, the carte’s range is wide enough to indulge diners who have no patience for exotica—gotta have that aged New York strip with your own pan of truffled mac ’n’ cheese on the side? Both are triumphs of get-down, feel-good feasting.

Entrées tend toward the hearty, even when seafood is the star. Pan-sizzled scallops double up with a swell shellfish risotto. A thick, white filet of red drum bass gets an earthy basting with thyme, and teams well with lively ratatouille, garbanzos—some fried to a crunch—and whiffs of saffron. Charlie Palmer’s passion for pork is well-known, so of course there’s always a tempting troupe of pig dishes. A colossal apple-infused pork shank, tender and toothy by turns, gets polished support from quince compote, musky chanterelles, and braised kale.

Veggie lovers need not fret or feel forgotten; Kim answers your call with imaginative grace. Beet salad with blood orange, fennel, and pumpernickel croutons, or chopped grilled seasonal vegetables with Israeli couscous are delicious. But his astounding cauliflower and truffle panna cotta—oh my. Dressed with American caviar, tangerine foam, and a pinch of microgreens, it’s a dish worth calling ahead for since it’s not a menu mainstay.

On my way out, I pass the animated lounge scenesters. They look perfectly happy juggling their small plates and pricey handbags as they squeeze together to make room for a just-arrived friend. I can’t help but hope this crowd contains some astute diners ready to graduate to the dining room, where the booze is full price, but the fare is fully, fabulously realized.

Best Dishes
Melon, ricotta walnut butter, and prosciutto salad; Scottish salmon Cobb salad; escargot dumplings; Granny Smith apple ahi tartare; pan-seared scallops; thyme-basted sea bass; crispy veal sweetbreads with braised kimchi; pork belly with squash puree; apple-infused pork shank; aged New York strip steak; truffled mac ’n’ cheese; cauliflower-truffle panna cotta.

Best Seats
Booth No. 54 backed by soaring glass panels, or any spot on the south wall’s banquette.

Prices
Lunch, $10 to $38. Dinner: starters, $10 to $18; entrees, $29 to $40; desserts, $10. Late night, $8 to $18. Sunday brunch, $35.

Double Down
Happy hour is twice nightly: 4 to 7, and 9 to midnight.

3333 S. Bristol St. Costa Mesa 714-352-2525 charliepalmer.com
Three-and-a-Half Stars

Photograph by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue.

Rediscovery: French 75 Bistro & Champagne Bar

Gretchen Kurz — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:00:00 GMT

After years of struggle and sporadic kitchen coups, French 75 has a new chef, a new menu, and finally is settled enough to warrant solid scrutiny. Given its romantic, prewar Paris setting, the timing couldn’t be better for lovebirds seeking an appealing Valentine’s Day destination.

I avoid dinner out on any holiday, so I’m staying home with a bottle of red. But in the spirit of suggesting options for couples that avidly celebrate Feb. 14, I nominate French 75 in Laguna Beach.

Lavishly retooled in the late 1990s as a vintage hide-away, the picturesque 1920s white cottage with tidy boxwood hedges hasn’t lost its appeal. Inside, it’s still teeming with touches that idealize France: burnished leather seating, ornate iron scrollwork, soft amber lighting, even a fanciful ceiling mural of cherubs and monkeys frolicking with bottles of Champagne above the snug bar.

But alluring digs can’t disguise unsteady cuisine, and for years, chefs came and went so quickly, the cooking and menu were far from formidable, even in good times. Now—as of today, anyway—Pascal Olhats, the pioneer of French cuisine in O.C., holds sway. As consulting chef, he oversees executive chef Greg Moro, his protégé and an alum of Olhat’s flagship, Tradition by Pascal, in Newport Beach. Even GM Pascal Gimenez is a native of France, further boosting the impression of a tenacious French occupation. Olhats has been involved for a year or more, but the new chef and GM are the bigger news. Kicking off with a Champagne cocktail makes good sense here given the place is named for one, and because this remains one of the few O.C. bars that specialize in retro concoctions. Plus, there’s something inherently festive about sipping the golden bubbles of a Parisian Blonde dosed with cognac and Grand Marnier.

Plump escargot arrive sizzling and smoky from bacon and pinot noir-tinged butter. Swapping out the usual parsley for bacon and wine gives the dish an uncommonly brawny edge. Earthy flavors again make magic in an utterly traditional shredded-duck confit salad—warm sherry dressing, candied walnuts, and bitter, fresh mesclun temper the rich duck meat. Gazpacho terrine is a delectable shocker, a quivering dome of gelatinized celery, tomato, onions, and bell peppers with beads of balsamic vinegar like flavor grenades amid the bright vegetables. Is this soup or salad? Does it matter? Vichyssoise leaves no doubt. It’s the beloved chilled potato soup Francophiles expect, this time with fried leeks and yeasty cracker puffs for crunch. Overmarinated ahi is not so French and a not-so-beguiling jumble of loud flavors—soy, ginger, sesame, and vinegar—that ripe avocado can’t tame.

Entrées hold to time-honored plates. Perfectly cooked to a rosy hue, New Zealand rack of lamb crusted with rosemary and Dijon is supersatisfying cuddled up to a gratin of cream-rich potatoes. Wild salmon is a luscious, swarthy cut laid over risotto heavy with wild mushrooms and sauced with a fennel beurre blanc. Tender, saucy coq au vin is country fare at its slow-cooked best. It outshines the humdrum beef stroganoff with clumsy pappardelle noodles that are chewy from too much time under a heat lamp. Hazelnut mahi mahi plays well against a puree of Jerusalem artichoke and a superior kale sauté, but a pool of cabernet reduction is one note too many.

Plan ahead 20 minutes for the harlequin soufflé pour deux, a swirl of dark Guittard chocolate and vanilla bean batters baked to a fluffy cloud and gilded with crème anglaise. Yes, it’s grand and verges on overkill, but it’s probably what the lady wants. Me, I’ll have Moro’s ganache-filled vanilla ice cream rolled in cinnamon-graham crumbs before deep frying. Then a nightcap while soaking up some classic live jazz in the bar.

French 75 is aiming true, and scoring more hits these days. It can’t take on the culinary haute monde, but it ably woos diners who crave chilled bubbly, cozy quarters, comforting Gallic fare, and a sentimental side of romance.

Best Bites
Gazpacho terrine, duck confit salad, escargot, rack of lamb, wild salmon, coq au vin, harlequin soufflé, fried ice cream, Champagne cocktails.

Best Seats
Lounge tables Nos. 23 and 24, for soaking up live music and the cozy bar vibe; No. 40, curtained behind the bar for lovey-dovey privacy; or upstairs in the salon overlooking the deck.

Deals
Nightly from 4:30 to 6:30: half-price Champagne cocktails and wine by the glass; $6 well drinks.

Did You Know?
The French 75 cocktail (circa 1915) is named for the French 75mm field gun—also known to pack a big kick.

Sweetheart Alert
A special menu for Valentine’s Day features pink-hued dishes such as beef-beet sliders, and fresh catch with raspberry beurre blanc.

1464 S. Coast Highway
Laguna Beach
949-494-8444
french75.net
Two-and-a-Half Stars

Photograph by Priscilla Iezzi

This article originally appeared in the February 2012 issue.