Welcome to our new executive dining column. We look forward to carrying on the long tradition of 26-year Business Journal columnist Fifi Chao, who retired in October and died last month.
As you read this on Dec. 4, hundreds of Fifi’s friends are gathered at the Hilton Anaheim, celebrating her amazing life and “Chao’s Dinesty.”
Over the past few years, we often ran into Fifi at restaurant media events. She had a way of lighting up a room with her smile, and her larger-than-life personality endeared her to readers, restaurateurs, and fellow food writers. She was a champion of chefs and never minced words when offering her opinions—but she did it with a spoonful of sugar and a hearty laugh. And she blazed many a trail.
Fifi is a hard act to follow. We’re honored.
A little about us: Christopher is an award-winning writer and photographer who’s contributed more than 2,500 articles and columns to various local publications over the past 25 years. He’s written about food and wine for many of those, as has Catherine, a native of Napa Valley who spent several months in Italy studying food and wine—which explains her passion for authentic Neapolitan pizza.
We’ve been writing together for six years and have received awards from the Orange County Press Club for our Off the Menu dining column in the Newport Beach Independent. Christopher has also garnered numerous awards for his writing and photography from the press club and others.
Let’s dine!
Hello Again
Two classic restaurants that closed last year are back in business: Marche Moderne and Prego.
Marche Moderne owners Florent and Amelia Marneau closed their South Coast Plaza location this year after a successful decade run but promised their legion of loyal diners they would reopen this year in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center in Newport Beach.
Marche Moderne has made a grand comeback inside the old Tamarind of London spot, and we couldn’t be happier with the “simple elegance” ambiance and enticing menu, which retains the classic Marche Moderne dishes while offering several new ones.
We’ve dined there twice since the reopening. Our most recent foray into Florent’s authentic French cuisine included braised rabbit a la moutarde, a dish from his stint at Pascal Restaurant in 1991; a dégustation of an heirloom squash—acorn squash soup with brown butter foam, brûléed honey nut squash, and mangalitsa prosciutto tartine; celery root potage with stone crab apples and hazelnuts; and to top it off, a tasting of five butters: fleur de sel, yuzu, buckwheat, smoked sea salt and Espelette.
Classic French fare at its best. Marche Moderne is open for dinner nightly—no lunch service … yet. 7862 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach, (714) 434-7900, marchemoderne.net
Longtime Italian favorite Prego Ristorante, which also closed its Irvine restaurant this year, reopened on Thanksgiving Day as Prego Mediterranean at The District in Tustin Legacy inside the space formerly occupied by Bluewater Grill.
According to owner Tony Bedi, the new location is an opportunity for “a rebirth with a new location and menu, but you’re guaranteed to see familiar faces in the kitchen, front of the house and behind the bar.”
Chef Ugo Allesina has returned to lead the culinary team. Many of the signature Prego menu items have reportedly also returned, along with new ones, such as seasonal hummus with mushroom and truffle, golden beet salad, and lobster and shrimp stuffed sole in a white wine, garlic, lemon and caper sauce.
We’ll be dining at the new Prego soon and will report back in a future column. Open for lunch and dinner.
2409 Park Ave., Tustin, (949) 553-1333
17th St. Menu Adds
Two restaurants have opened on 17th Street in Costa Mesa over the past few weeks: The Crack Shack and The Country Club. They’re two blocks apart and couldn’t be more different, but both are welcome additions helping to make 17th Street a dining destination.
The Crack Shack is the popular chicken concept by celebrity chef Richard Blais, who also has locations in San Diego’s Little Italy and Encinitas. The fast-casual restaurant’s name comes from its proprietary “crack spice” blend.
There was a line around the building when Christopher arrived for lunch on opening day, but it moved fast. The concept is simple: Order at the outdoor cashier, grab a seat inside, and your meal is brought to your table.
The all-day menu includes eight sandwiches, most chicken; several salads; small and large orders of fried chicken; and “other cluck,” including chicken oysters, Mexican poutine, deviled eggs, mini biscuits and schmaltz fries.
After trying the Royale sandwich—savory chicken sausage, sunny-side egg, and smoked cheddar on an English muffin bun; the Malibu Barbie Q—barbecued chicken, cornmeal onion rings, smoky bacon, Swiss cheese, pineapple and mustard on a potato roll; the schmaltz fries; and the biscuits served with miso-maple butter, Christopher was so impressed he returned two days later for an order of Mexican poutine with pollo asado and Blais’ own jalapeno “cheese wiz,” plus another helping of biscuits.
Fun, tasty … filling. The Crack Shack is cluckworthy. Complimentary valet parking is available at the back of the restaurant. 196 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, (949) 383-5040, crackshack.com
Down the street from The Crack Shack is The Country Club, a new supper club of sorts built on the spot where the old Pierce Street Annex stood. The restaurant caters to a 21-and-over crowd and is open late for dancing and imbibing.
The classy-yet-comfortable interior boasts chandeliers, high-back leather banquettes, vintage sports memorabilia, an 80-foot marble bar, and an outdoor patio with a fireplace.
The restaurant is serious about cuisine. It’s appointed Zachary Scherer as executive chef. He spent some time at The Playground in Santa Ana and Haven Gastropub in Orange, and as banquet chef at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach after graduating from Le Cordon Blue in Pasadena.
Christopher, who attended a media tasting to sample Chef Scherer’s dishes, didn’t know what to expect. He was pleasantly surprised at the inventiveness and creativity of the menu, which Chef Scherer said focuses on American classics with his take on local styles and tastes.
Some dishes he sampled: just-right grilled pork tenderloin with Japanese sweet potato and bacon bourbon jus; a magnificent shaved Brussels sprouts salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, duck prosciutto, Anjou pear, dried cranberries and apple cider honey vinaigrette; and pan-roasted wild mushrooms with slow egg, garlic confit, crispy garlic, and mixed herbs.
Open for dinner daily, and weekend brunch. 330 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, countryclubcm.com
Boat Parade Dining
The annual Christmas Boat Parade in Newport Beach is the largest event of its kind on the West Coast and draws thousands of people to Newport Harbor. This year’s procession is Dec. 13 to 17, and one of the tastiest ways to watch it is from a restaurant with a harbor view.
More than a dozen eateries flank the parade route, including The Winery, Waterline and A&O Kitchen & Bar at Balboa Bay Resort, Rusty Pelican, and Billy’s at the Beach.
Most require a reservation on parade nights and fill up fast.
Suggestions to make the dining options easier:
The parade passes Lido Marina Village, an often-overlooked destination that now boasts three terrific restaurants: Nobu, Zinque and Lido Bottle Works. All three will have views of the parade and offer unique cuisine and libations, and there’s plenty of parking in the nearby structure or on the street.
Further down the peninsula is Marina Park and the Lighthouse Cafe, a prime viewing location with an outdoor patio and excellent cuisine (the beignets are our favorites). Watch from the restaurant or from the lawn.
We’ve also dined at Bayside the night of the parade, although it’s not on the route. It’s just a three-minute stroll from there to the Balboa Island Bridge, where you can watch the parade from either side—or continue onto the island and watch from the shore.
Happy holidays—and happy dining!
