This tidbit about a restaurant doing it right, doing what hospitality is really all about, seems like such a good way to start the column. Our friends Norm and Roxanne Checkor called Tommy Bahama to make a reservation. They showed up and had a fine meal. The next day, they got a call from the restaurant asking if they’d enjoyed their lunch and if they had any comments to make. The Checkors were so impressed and related to me that it was only the second time a restaurant had called to inquire about their experience.
I agree with the Checkors that it shows a level of customer appreciation and reaching out to diners that other restaurants ignore. Good for Tommy Bahama. Hint, hint for other restaurants: You’re calling so that people keep their reservations but missing the opportunity to really impress diners via the post-meal phone call.
As for the food, if you haven’t been to Tommy Bahama ever, or for awhile, be prepared to meet some impressive fare. Stylish presentations made from great ingredients have a good level of sophistication, all presented in a casually lush setting. They are doing it right.
Take your time with a drink at the bar, have a nice meal, and stop in the TB Store to see the array of interesting clothing, accessories and items for the home. We usually go to the one in Newport Beach, but there are other OC locations in Laguna Beach, Mission Viejo and Irvine.
Tommy Bahama Island Grille-Newport Beach: in Corona Del Mar Plaza; 854
Avocado Ave.; (949) 760-1886.
Gorging on Mondays
There’s always something sophisticated in fashion and food going on at AnQi, the chic restaurant at South Coast Plaza. All part of the package are scheduled runway fashion shows, a menu of unique food for everyone not found anywhere else in Orange County, a beautiful stand-alone bar that’s as impressive as any, and a dining room whose demeanor is as distinctive as the food.
Even with all this, owners Elizabeth An and her mother, Helene An, the acclaimed executive chef of their Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills and AnQi, are always looking to up the ante for diners. Lately, they’ve introduced the GourMonday extra-special dinners meant to appeal to those who will go anywhere for that one-of-a-kind meal. They are held only in the 18-seat private dining room with its window allowing peeks into the kitchen.
Prices may vary depending upon how many courses and the wines that accompany, but we happened upon a nine-course showstopper at $198 per person. Their top-notch sommelier, Alice Hama, chose all the wines and succinctly told the wine stories and their matches within the meal.
She elaborated on our Taittinger Champagne, Gunderlock Jean Baptiste German Kabinett Riesling, Hugel et Fils Gewürztraminer, Kenzo Estate “Yui” Rose, Four Graces Dundee Hill Pinot Noir, La Doucette “Baron de L” Sauvignon Blanc/Pouilly Fumé, Delas Châteauneuf du Pape, and Chateau Roumieu-Lacoste Sauternes.
Food courses include egg in the shell topped with caviar; Kobe Vietnamese-style tartare; foie gras; Matsutake garlic soup; Hokkaido scallops; lemongrass-flavored wagyu rib eye; and Viet-jito snow cone.
Whatever is served on the GourMonday menu in the private room is not food from the restaurant’s menu; it’s made especially for that evening’s meal, completely unique. Gather up a group of friends and enjoy this unusual experience.
AnQi: 3333 Bristol, Costa Mesa; (714) 557-5679.
Great Vue
I’ve written before about the hospitality level throughout the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa—voted, by the way, as having the “Best Romantic Spa” by Spa Finder Reader’s Choice Awards. I’ve also written about the approach to interesting food in its Vue restaurant keeping pace with the ocean views and the indoor/outdoor ambiance. I didn’t get my information from news releases. I’ve actually experienced it all many times over the years.
Chefs and menus change as time marches on, and upkeep is mandatory. The entire property got a complete redo a couple of years ago, and as part of that, the modern and streamlined dining spaces now gracefully complement the food of Chef Thomas Trevethan, who arrived in March 2013 to oversee all food prepared at the resort. He acquired a state-of-the-art kitchen as part of the renovation.
I can tell you that Chef Trevethan is driven by finding the best of everything in the food realm, and a love for what he does runs deep. His desire to keep the menu fresh and updated ran through a conversation I got to have with him.
He’s originally from Australia and began a culinary apprenticeship at 16. As a teenager, he was making sauces, roasting and searing, baking and experimenting with the flavors of herbs and spices at home. His philosophy has surely been influenced by the impressive places he has worked: serving British royalty for Harrods of London and working in the kitchen of the Ritz-Carlton, Paris Hotel and Casino. He was on the opening culinary team at The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
A couple of recent meals at Vue found us sampling several of the items on lunch and dinner menus. I know it’s considered ill-mannered now to snap pictures of the plates, but these presentations might tempt you. Artistry prevails.
Let me sidestep a moment to say that we decided to have dinner at the upper level of Vue, such an attractive space that serves as a lounge and dining facility. It’s called the Overvue room. Although the lower level Vue has superb views of the ocean, Overvue offers a panorama of green lawns gently rolling down to the ocean, along with the attractive deck just outside the walls of windows. It was such nice weather when we had lunch that we chose to sit on the deck and smell, as well as see, the ocean.
Trevethan has included several dishes on the menu called “Fit for You” that are suitable for the dietary needs of guests. The chef’s SoCal Organic Salad may be the most attractive salad in OC. A rectangular plate holds upright towers of melon, rosettes of prosciutto, heirloom tomato, wedges of hard-boiled egg and a smattering of other savories adding color and vibrant taste. His Ahi Tuna plate includes a mélange of apple jicama slaw, red pepper puree, and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. Kobe Short Ribs are accompanied by lobster risotto and leeks, while Skuna Bay Salmon cuddles with curry-flavored quinoa.
More suggestions: Tempura Shrimp with sweet-and-sour slaw, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Chilean Sea Bass with pineapple and saffron accents, Filet Mignon, and creative sandwiches and salads for more casual dining.
Tomahawk Steak is the hefty caveman chunk of meat meant to serve two or more with its bone protruding like a giant handle. It pays homage to pure beefy deliciousness. Another unique offering—not on the menu, but you can ask for it—is the $98 Burger. No kidding. It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek with that price but seriously engaging food. It’s huge, will serve two very generously and is comprised of a custom bun stuffed with the finest meat and complements and topped with a lobster tail, all held together with a substantial skewer.
For those who appreciate dessert: Several offerings are given equal time and attention. We sipped a few wines with Trevethan’s food, and the carefully curated list is geared to easy selection and food-matching possibilities.
Put this restaurant—and a perusal of the whole property with its beautiful pavilions and venue spaces—on your “Destination Worthy” list.
Vue: In Laguna Cliff’s Marriott Resort & Spa; 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point; (949) 487-7555.
Sipping in the Chai
A long time ago when I wrote weekly and thus had more space, I used to put in some of my wine thoughts. There’s an endless variety of wonderful wines out there, and I’m going to attempt a bit of coverage again. Here, in addition to those mentioned above in the AnQi article, are some wines of interest that have hit my palate lately:
n At Fleming’s, had a smooth Chateau de Parenchere, a red Bordeaux Superieur. This typical Bordeaux blend has concentrated flavors and easy tannins, enjoyable for both casual sipping and matching with food.
Will you mind if I say that Prosecco has overtaken Champagne sales worldwide? Personally, I love a glass of Prosecco, because it has a friendlier palate profile than many champagnes. Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa has a great selection of them.
n Hi-Time also did a fantastic job recently helping me choose a fine Riesling to pour with a Chinese dinner. The Riesling expert led me to the Richter 2011 Mulheimer Sonnenlay Auslese Riesling—which incidentally got a 93 rating from Wine Spectator. I ended up drinking it with fish entrees, too, in a French restaurant because it’s a rather elegant marriage of green herbs, apple and stone fruit. It’s not cheap, at $49.95, but it might just turn you on to why some wine aficionados covet Rieslings. For a long time, I have been introducing our friends to these white wines that a couple of master sommeliers said in a seminar were the easiest wines in the world to match with food since they range from sweet to very dry.
If any of you have recently tasted a spectacular wine, let me know. We’ll keep it going.
