O
pen since March of last year, this coastal dinner house was preloaded for glory as neighbors were eager for an upgrade worth walking to. After a lavish retool right down to its subterranean speakeasy, CdM Restaurant instantly filled its peacock velvet booths with ardent fans of chef Jon Blackford, known from sibling A Restaurant, where he and chef de cuisine Moises Chavez keep the finely tuned kitchen humming.
Blackford stretches out with each season, shuffling consistently fabulous American dishes at his will. Start thinking now and hope for morels and spring peas over silky polenta or halibut aside lemon risotto or dreamy strawberry-rhubarb crumble. There’s even a short list of superb pizzas for those forgoing the Niman Ranch pork cutlet or the piri piri chicken.
Booking a weekend table in the tastefully beachy venue takes some planning. Wing it and stand three deep at the bar with the natty crowd. If you can nab one, the drinks are outstanding. Down below, there’s cocktail sorcery at work inside teensy speakeasy Under CdM. The A team knows how to build a hot-spot for the long haul, and the wait for this Coast Highway address is paying off with gusto. Not up for a noisy scene? Three words: Tuesday or Wednesday.
WAY BACK IN 2010
CdM was Crow Bar.
➜ 2325 East Coast Highway, Corona Del Mar, 949-287-6600
MORE:
➜ Our Best New Restaurants of 2020
➜ 5 Questions With CdM Mixologist Ravin Buzzell
➜ CdM Mixologist Ravin Buzzell Unlocks Secret of Smoke in Old-Fashioned Cocktail
➜ Spiffy CdM Restaurant Celebrates Classic American Fare with Contemporary Flair
Facebook Comments