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Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
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What’s new for lunch at Caf? Tu Tu Tango

One of my favorite hangouts, Caf & #233; Tu Tu Tango, has just launched a new lunch menu. This restaurant, truly reminiscent of an artist’s loft and Bohemian to the core, defines the subtleties of life in the neighborhoods of Europe where musicians, artisans and those without a plan are still looking to find their fortune. It is so relaxing and so much fun. And I do not tire of the food since the menu is very eclectic and international.

Unlike dinner, where all food is served in appetizer portions meant to be shared, the new lunch menu consists of individual offerings. The restaurant’s focus on multi-ethnic flavors comes through in items like the shrimp po’ boy with Cajun r & #233;moulade sauce, chicken gyro burrito with tsiziki sauce, Mandarin scallop salad, blackened salmon tacos and sesame beef and vegetables over chilled sesame noodles.

Lunch entrees are under $10 and if your business is in central or North County, Tango is a fun and different venue for group luncheons as well as personal dining.

Early Dining at Salt Creek

In keeping with the lunch theme, here’s another restaurant with a good idea. Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point, formerly a dinner-only establishment, now is serving lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Lunching on the spacious patio during this Indian summer is a great way to unwind. Don’t miss their Santa Maria barbecue plate prepared right on the patio. This specialty of the central California coast consists of marinated barbecued tri-tip roast, kielbasa sausage, Santa Maria salsa, pinquito beans and French bread. All this, plus a Caesar salad as a starter, is a bargain at $10.95.

In the wineries of the central Coast, the chefs and caterers are always pulling out their red wines to match with this flavorful regional meal, so scour the wine list here for a glass of Sangiovese, a central coast blend or a Pinot Noir. An added bonus on Sunday is the SCG Jazz group, consisting of studio musicians, who play “al fresco” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

New Menu at the Waterfront

The Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach also has revamped the menu for its signature Palm Court restaurant. I keep finding people who have never been in this casually elegant hotel overlooking the Pacific Ocean, but we have had some lovely meals here. Award-winning executive chef Dan Paymar’s concept is to “start my ideas with flavors,blending fresh local ingredients with more unusual ingredients from other countries- to create a combination that invigorates the palate.” Then he presents the dishes in a way that’s fun to look at and experience.

One of the new dishes on the dinner menu is apple chicken, which is a breast of chicken that’s saut & #233;ed with walnuts and finished with a light tarragon cream sauce. Good enough on its own; but Dan gives it the added flair of overflowing from a baked apple. It is served with garlic-roasted mashed potatoes. It’s a new twist that works very well in taking common ingredients and giving them a happy new millennium personality.

Lamb roulade chops are also new to the menu. Dan says this is his “regal roast rack of lamb stuffed with spinach and bacon.” Its secondary interest comes from the unique pico de gallo infused with orange and black beans. A gourmet veal chop comes with wild mushrooms and a finessed sauce combining sun-dried cherries and Merlot wine.

New dishes also mark the current lunch menu. An eight-ounce Kansas City strip steak is saut & #233;ed with mushrooms and dashed with Johnnie Walker Scotch and garlic demi-glace. The French know how to use grapefruit to its best advantage in sauces. Dan jumped right in and created chilled Pamplemousse salmon. Peppercorns flavor the fish itself, which marries very well with the grapefruit-tarragon-cr & #269;me fra & #238;che sauce. There are a number of intriguing spa-style dishes as well: mango chicken, curried halibut and a grilled vegetable sandwich to name a few.

Above-Par Choices at Tustin Ranch

Think you have to play golf to eat at a nice golf course dining room? Or that the food in those places is not very good anyway? In some instances, you’d be wrong on both counts. Conveniently located is the public Tustin Ranch Golf Club. The club and course were just awarded a fourth star by Golf Digest magazine, putting it right up there with Pelican Hill and Tijeras Creek. My interest is in the dining room, which serves only lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch to the general public. Evenings are almost totally booked with private functions for 40 to 250 (there are just a few dates left open for special parties during the holidays).

To make a reservation for a meal or book a function, call Jeffrey Gagnon, the food and beverage director. Jeffrey is known around OC from stints at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and other upscale places. He arrived here three months ago. I like his style in treating every customer as if they were a guest in his own home. He is very people oriented.

Food presentations and service are top-notch. They stick with the basics. Good salads: Caesar and Oriental are good choices (the latter with crispy noodles, chicken and a nice sesame/rice vinegar dressing). There’s an Asian soup full of noodles, shrimp, fish, slices of meat and fresh vegetables. Fish tacos and the big juicy hamburgers are still big sellers in this atmosphere- tables are set with linens, though. The Sunday brunch is a real bargain. For $19.95 adults (with sparkling wine) and $5.95 for children, there’s the full array of stations with fresh prime rib, ham and turkey being carved, the salads, pastas, made-to-order omelets and waffles and desserts to stop the clock.

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