I have to commend Charlie Palmer, the chef who brought his eponymous restaurant to Orange County, rather than plunking it in Los Angeles. This Charlie Palmer restaurant is part of the South Coast Plaza Bloomingdale’s with its own end of the building and separate entrance.
I think Angelenos are jealous that we acquired the 12th sibling in Charlie Palmer’s stable of restaurants, which inhabit territory in New York, Las Vegas and other top dining places in the U.S. Charlie has happily become a Californian himself, now living in Sonoma.
This is truly the first restaurant in OC that has authentic New York style. Luxurious white leather chairs and brown leather banquettes mingle with a central art piece that serves as a rather see-through divider for four squared-off booths smack dab in the middle of the room,each will seat six and they are my favorite places to sit. Massive woven wall treatments cover a portion of a glass wall and there’s the deluxe look and subliminal nuance of the glassed-in wine cellar wall that makes up part of the dining room on one side and leads us downstairs to the impressive wine cellar on the other side. The lounge that, like the dining room, is reached via a glass bridge is highly fashionable but friendly, the ideal place for a cocktail and some conversation, before, after or instead of dining. It’s all rather serene, beautiful in its luxurious simplicity and serves up a statement that you want to settle in and enjoy more.
Recent Dinner
A recent dinner there impressed my husband and me with not only the food and wine but the price point of the menu. All wines for dining are priced at only $25 above retail and $25 off the price if you are taking a bottle (or more) home from the wine cellar. Do ask to use one of the electronic wine lists that allows you to select wines by country, region or varietal and peruse them immediately. It’s quicker than using the printed wine list and more fun.
With a real spirit of what big city dining can be, the resident chef de cuisine and Charlie Palmer prot & #233;g & #233;, Amar Santana, has kept us enthralled with several lunches and dinners in the few months since the restaurant opened. In fact, I and our previous guests have been so impressed with the tastes and presentations that, just two weeks ago, I arranged for a group of 30 of my foodie followers to have an evening of food and wine with Santana. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that those 30 people, down to the last soul, were in awe of the food and wine value, the flavors and the ultra professional service.
Foie gras lovers will relish Santana’s version co-mingled with fresh pineapple chutney. In fact, this is an ideal place to do a meal on appetizers alone. Pork belly is featured in many places; it does a textural dance here between meltingly soft and crunchy crisp that makes me want to order another dish of it even though it is so rich.
Let me just tell you what our group ate that brought on all those sighs of pleasure. I am including wines that the sommelier chose for us to match with each course. We began with the ahi tuna tartare with balsamic, soy and avocado mousse matched with the 2006 Schloss Gobelsburger Langenlois Gruner Veltliner from Austria. Second course was a blue cheese risotto with caramelized pear and wine reduction and a glass of 2004 Eponymous, MacAllister Sonoma Cabernet.
We were back to white wine for the third course,Charles Smith 2007 Riesling, Kungfu Girl from Columbia Valley in Washington,with our pan-roasted sea bass (piquillo peppers, Bilbao chorizo and parsley essence ribboned about as extra delights). On to confit of pork tenderloin with braised pork cheeks and Chile’s 2006 Cono Sur Pinot Noir, 20 Barrels from the Casablanca Valley. We ended with the dessert that I’ve had over and over because it’s so downright delectable: vanilla braised pineapple with warm brown sugar cake. The sommelier matched it with the 2004 Loire Valley (France) Domaine des Baumard, Clos de St. Catherine, Coteaux du Layon.
Just get yourself to this restaurant and savor the world of Charlie Palmer as delivered via the talented resident chef Amar Santana.
Charlie Palmer: 3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa. (714) 352-2525.
New Life at Scott’s
And for another South Coast venue, we’ve been hanging around Scott’s in Costa Mesa a lot lately. After a long haul with some management that had turned me sour for several years, the restaurant has been reborn as a breath of fresh air. I’d previously encountered a decidedly non-friendly attitude from management when it came to getting info I’d needed to include in order to complete an article, but after hearing about a number of internal changes, I came back to witness a fantastic turnaround.
Now under new management, you’ll find smiles and friendliness de rigueur. There’s a highly respected new chef, suave service, including a dedicated sommelier, and Shannon Jones, a general manager whose gorgeous smile sets the tone.
Dining Room
I just love sitting in this dining room now. The remodel erased the white-on-white theme that reminded me of the old Colonial empire decor. Now, there’s a m & #233;lange of wood tones and the feeling of chic hospitality. It’s all helped along by a curvaceous marble topped bar that fronts the large open kitchen.
It was a nice surprise hearing that Michael Doctulero had stepped in as chef because I know his food well having followed him through a trio of kitchens in the past two decades. If I thought I liked what he was doing before, his redo of the Scott’s menu is the real crowning glory. Michael is relying on his intellectual format of coaxing the best essences from fine ingredients and letting them shine without a cacophony of embellishments overshadowing the main star on the plate.
The plentiful menu is laden with fresh seafood and quality red meat. Ahi crudo and avocado salad, oysters on the half shell, fabulous crab cake sided with a salad of seasonal ingredients, the unbelievably delicious Proven & #231;ale style calamari, rich Maine lobster bisque and the Asian pear salad are all standout beginnings at lunch or dinner. The midday menu shows a good selection of salads and seafoods garnered from the dinner menu, with a flattering selection of sandwiches as added possibilities.
Dinner brings forth a plate of superb Petrale sole (with lemon and parsley, sided with roasted potatoes and haricots verts). Sea bass with sushi rice and spinach is a fine dish, as is Alaskan halibut with potatoes, artichokes and shiitake mushrooms and a sprinkling of orange zest. Big sea scallops are meltingly tender and the bowl of cioppino is chock full of briny swimmers. There are far too many good choices to mention. A good steak also is always welcomed at my table and here they are properly seared. There are seven fine desserts and the cheesecake stuffed beignets have skipped right on to my “Bests of the Year” list.
Additional things to know: Sunday brunch is served which includes a create your own Bloody Mary bar; sake matching menus are available every Thursday evening; $ix ’til six happy hour features $6 martinis, $6 appetizers and $10 select sparkling wines Monday through Friday 3-6 p.m; pre-theater dining, of course.
Scott’s: 3300 Bristol St. (at Anton), Costa Mesa. (714) 979-2400.
