In 2014, a small, unassuming yet distinct sandwich shop called Sessions West Coast Deli opened its doors on the Balboa Peninsula.
They served sandwiches—glorious, unconventional, delicious sandwiches as well as breakfast items and other dishes that made them stand out from the competition.
Anyone that devoured their notorious Summer Zephyr sandwich—mozzarella, marinated tomato, pickled onion, basil aioli, arugula and balsamic reduction on a French roll—knew immediately this was no ordinary sandwich, or ordinary sandwich shop.
Surfers, locals and tourists quickly discovered this hidden gem that refused to stay hidden.
Now, nearly 10 years later, the Summer Zephyr is still the most popular menu item, but Sessions has expanded to six locations.
Two of those spots have opened in 2023: at South Coast Plaza in the former Wolfgang Puck space adjacent to Macy’s, and at the Shops in Mission Viejo.
Larger Spots
“Our goal was never to replicate Sessions. Our goal was to open a fun sandwich place for our friends and foodies who wanted to enjoy something different,” said Sessions Executive Chef Max Schlutz, who together with his partners Matt Meddock and Beckham Thomas opened Sessions with the hope that their food would put smiles on hungry diners. It did.
The success of that initial shop led the partners to look at other opportunities.
Their first expansion opportunity arose in Huntington Beach. A pizza joint on Coast Highway was closing, so Sessions grabbed it and turned it into Sessions version two.
The next opportunity arose in the Irvine community of Woodbridge. Once that took off, the three partners took a hard look at their business model to see where it could go.
The answer: back to Newport Beach. The team opened a Sessions at the Macy’s store in Fashion Island.
“Macy’s had restaurants that used to be Chef Nancy Silverston’s concepts. Macy’s took them back and developed their own concepts,” Schlutz said.
“Macy’s then decided they did not want to be in the restaurant business.”
Enter Sessions, with the ability to drive a young, fun, local demographic to their restaurant—and to Macy’s.
The next two opportunities came simultaneously at South Coast Plaza and in Mission Viejo’s main mall.
The largest restaurant in the brand’s portfolio, Sessions at Macy’s South Coast Plaza, spans 3,400 square feet. Its design reflects the SoCal culture with hanging plants, raw materials, and earth tones.
A large open-air kitchen allows guests to watch their order being crafted. A spacious patio allows al fresco dining throughout the year. The restaurant is accessed from the patio and from inside Macy’s.
Sessions at The Shops at Mission Viejo boasts a 2,000-square-foot restaurant with an expansive covered patio.
“The Sessions at South Coast Plaza is more of a family-driven, sit-down, customer service restaurant,” said Schlutz, although he noted that “about 60% of our traffic is grab and go, ordering off of apps, or third parties.”
Catering Focus
One reason the Sessions crew agreed to the South Coast Plaza location was its large kitchen and proximity to the Costa Mesa (55) and San Diego (405) freeways.
“This footprint is dedicated to catering,” Schlutz said. “We are cognizant of the fact that a lot of our business comes from mall traffic, but we can also do business lunch catering and shoot out to Costa Mesa, Tustin, Anaheim. We want to be successful outside of malls.”
Schlutz said the original plan was to open the Mission Viejo location in October 2022 and South Coast Plaza in February 2023. The delays in getting equipment and products set those timelines back.
Both locations opened in March—first Mission Viejo, then South Coast Plaza a week later.
Baking Partner
“We went from four stores to six stores really quickly,” said Schlutz, who noted that a lot of the issues they and other restaurants were experiencing with food quality and pricing during the pandemic have calmed down.
Schlutz heaped praise on OC Baking Co., his bread supplier, for being a reliable, longtime partner.
“Our business succeeds only by our suppliers doing it right. OC Baking owner Dean Kim will not go to bed if he knows you are not going to get your bread the next day. That kind of relationship has allowed us to be successful. The first sandwich we sold was on OC Baking bread. He is dedicated to his craft. His bread is consistent, delicious, crusty, soft, beautiful, airy.”
Ballpark Food
Ever the culinary experimenter, Schlutz said Sessions is about to make concession-stand type offerings.
“Concessions is our new happy hour,” Schlutz said. “People hear the words ‘happy hour,’ and they think cheap wine and cheap food, but concessions is our chance to do ‘cheffy’ stuff.
It’s our take on ballpark favorites. We’ll take a deli sandwich and lighten it up and make it more friendly. We have a classic burger made our way. We have a corn dog—an all-beef 12-inch hotdog. Eat to live and eat to be happy. That’s the next direction for us.”
Menu Consistency
The Sessions team has discussed differentiating menus at each location, but Schlutz said no.
“When you walk into Sessions, you need to understand what you are going to get. If you have the Summer Zephyr in Huntington Beach it’s the same experience you will have at all our restaurants.”
The OCBJ Review: BY CHRISTOPHER TRELA
Sessions West Coast Deli Executive Chef Max Schlutz certainly made my palate happy when he brought out several of his new concessions dishes, including a classic Italian sandwich, a burger and a hot dog.
“This is a classic Italian sandwich on ciabatta bread with mixed greens and light Italian vinaigrette. It has ham, salami, lemon-scented ricotta, thyme, oregano, cherry peppers and red onions. It’s like a traditional Italian sandwich but you walk away feeling not as heavy,” Schlutz said.
He was right. Normally I would not order an Italian sandwich, but this was not only flavorful—and the OC Baking Co. bread is fabulous— but light enough so I did not feel like a needed a nap later.
The burger, Schlutz said, is a cross between backyard barbecue and something more elevated.
“The burger patty is chuck and brisket, sauce is similar to thousand island. The burger is soft and yummy, and hits all the notes you want on a burger. The bun holds up just enough, and there’s a little heat.”
Schlutz’s description was perfect—this is a damn good burger. Perfectly cooked medium, slightly juicy, good flavoring with the melted cheddar and crisp onions. Completely captivating.
Childhood Moments
I laughed when he brought out his foot-long hot dog. It arrived with the ends sticking out of a six-inch bun.
“This hot dog is nuts,” Schlutz admitted. “It’s crunchy, juicy, the mustard has sweetness to it from sour cherry preserves and Dijon. It’s fun, it has texture. It does not fall apart. It’s a childhood moment, but as you eat it you realize a lot of thought went into it.”
I loved this dish. It was indeed fun and unexpected. The “corn dog” concept came from grilled corn heaped on top of the hot dog. I bit off each end of the hot dog and then dug into the remaining dog in the bun.
But Schlutz was not done delighting my senses. He brought me a fried pickle. I have had fried pickles at the OC Fair, but nothing like this.
“Instead of classic dill slices dipped in batter, we take a whole dill pickle, quarter it, wrap it in habanero jack cheese, fold it in egg roll paper and serve it with ranch dressing with fresh herbs and smoked jalapeño peppers,” Schlutz told me. “It’s creamy and spicy with textures.
It makes you want to go back for more. Again, this is only during concessions hour.”
Okay, I admit it—I love this dish. It’s crunchy, tangy, and far above fried pickles I’ve sampled elsewhere.
Other dishes Schlutz is working on include his take on chicken and waffles using churros that can be infused with different flavors.
Of course, less adventurous diners can always take advantage of the regular Sessions all-day menu of fun breakfast items, salads, bowls and sandwiches.
The scratch kitchen features housemade sauces, sides and soups prepared daily. All sandwiches are made to order with fresh, locally grown produce and naturally raised meats.
Sessions South Coast Plaza: 3333 Bristol St., Ste. 6000, Costa Mesa, (714) 760-4015, sessionswcd.com
Sessions at The Shops at Mission Viejo: 47 The Shops Blvd., Mission Viejo, (949) 545-7056, sessionswcd.com
Sessions Balboa Peninsula: 2823 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, (949) 220-9001, sessionswcd.com
Sessions Huntington Beach: 414 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, (714) 594-3899, sessionswcd.com
Sessions Woodbridge Village: 4736 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, (949) 333-3949, sessionswcd.com
Sessions Fashion Island: 101 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 554-4497, sessionswcd.com
