COSTA MESA — Knife Pleat at South Coast Plaza has become renowned for its multi-course tasting menus, which earned Chef Tony Esnault a Michelin star, as well as the Business Journal’s nod as Chef of the Year for 2022.
Knife Pleat also has options for those looking for a quicker, but still high-end, meal.
It recently debuted a new bar menu which is offered daily at its six-seat bar.
The menu is short and sweet—and savory.
Dishes include house-made waffle potato chips; devil egg toast with brioche, mustard, chive and celery; panisse with chickpea and charred English pea emulsion; cod croquette with cod, potato and saffron aioli; black truffle brie with frisée, chive, truffle vinaigrette and a toasted baguette; Louis XV with hazelnut crunch, chocolate crémeux and gianduja glaze; and Knife Pleat’s famous box of six assorted macarons to take home.
Extensive Cocktail List
Dining at the bar is also a perfect opportunity to try one of the fun and elegant concoctions on the cocktail menu. My choice when I dined at the bar was the Smooth Operator with brown-butter bourbon, tarragon and house-made bitters.
Never heard of brown-butter bourbon? I learned that it’s made by melting butter and browning it in a skillet. Add tarragon and bourbon, muddle and let it sit for four days so the bourbon absorbs the flavor. Add a couple more secret ingredients, and you have a Smooth Operator cocktail.
Menu Stars
But back to the savory dishes. I was accompanied by fellow foodie and Business Journal Community Editor Mark Mueller, and we decided to order every bar menu dish—for research purposes, of course.
We began with a trio of lovely amuse bouche, followed by the waffle potato chips (probably the best I have had), the deviled egg toast (prepared and presented in a way that can only be described as elegant), the panisse which elevated peas to a new level, the cod croquettes (so good you’ll be tempted to order a second round) and black truffle brie (the only way I want to eat brie from now on).
And then there is the Louis XV, a dessert so beautiful and so damn good that you will want to hog it all to yourself. It has five layers of chocolate and hazelnut crunch.
I learned that the Louis XV is a homage to Chef Alain Ducasse, mentor to Chef Esnault who worked with Chef Ducasse at his Le Louis XV restaurant in Monte Carlo.
During our bar menu adventure, we tried two cocktails and several wines that paired perfectly with our cuisine, including a 30-year tawny port with the Louis XV.
Summary: the bar menu is worthy of Michelin mention on its own.
AUG. 8 EVENT
This week marks a special Charles Heidsieck and M. Chapoutier dinner coming up at Knife Pleat, on Thursday, Aug. 8.
This six-course tasting menu is paired with champagnes from Charles Heidsieck and wines from M. Chapoutier in the Rhône Valley.
The menu features osetra caviar, fruits de mer (abalone, spot prawns, geoduck), black truffle with pasta and basil foam, Columbian river salmon with summer squash and basil-preserved lemon, Cascade Creek lamb and chocolate mousse with raspberries.
The champagne and wine pairings are exquisite: Charles Heidsieck Brut N/V “Blanc de Blancs,” Charles Heidsieck Brut 2007 “Blanc de Millénaires,” 2017 hermitage blanc from M.Chapoutier (Marsanne), a 2012 vintage rose brut from Charles Heidsieck, 2016 hermitage rouge from M.Chapoutier (syrah), and champagne rose brut NV from Charles Heidsieck.
Seating is limited. Price per guest is $295 for this special six-course dinner menu; $195 for wine pairing (does not include tax and service charge). Additional beverages are available for purchase during the dinner.
Knife Pleat, 3333 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, (714) 266-3388, knifepleat.com.
