Perhaps the most anticipated food-related opening of the past year is The Hall Global Eatery at South Coast Plaza, now open in the space formerly held by Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill.
The Hall is three concepts in one, courtesy of noted chef Amar Santana and restaurateur partner Ahmed Labbate, whose culinary credentials include Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach and Vaca in Costa Mesa.
At a media preview, I got a sense of the restaurant’s personality, which as three concepts means a joyfully delicious split personality that hinges on the experience a diner seeks any given evening.
The Hall includes
• a pâtisserie with house-made pastries and cookies, grilled panini and other sandwiches, salads and gourmet coffee;
• a Mediterranean grill with hand-carved chicken, beef and lamb shawarmas, kebobs, combo plates and wraps; and
• Crudo, a full-service restaurant and bar highlighting Chef Santana’s take on crudo—Italian for “raw”—plates, plus seafood and shellfish. The slate also offers 40 cheeses, charcuterie, and entrees such as fish shermoula—a Moroccan spice mix—and braised lamb shanks.
“I like the flexibility,” Chef Santana told me.
The main dining room has three distinct areas that connect and intersect while offering vastly different products.
At the media tasting, Santana walked us through appetizers and entrees at the crudo bar, followed by samples of shawarma and desserts.
Both the lobster sashimi with Meyer lemon, olive oil, pink peppercorn and poppy seeds—beautiful—and octopus carpaccio with olives, feta and yogurt—sensational—show the attributes of the crudo bar; truffle scallops and tuna tataki with black garlic salt and avocado don’t hurt the cause either.
I returned a few days later with fellow foodie Della Lisi. We sat at the bar and shared an order of beef and foie gras sliders with truffle aioli. We also had more truffle scallops, and an order of lamb hummus with pita bread. Santana’s cocktail menu— overseen by beverage director Mike Rooney—is intriguing and fun, and the bar boasts an impressive selection of Japanese whiskies.
As word of its opening gets out, expect The Hall to be bustling, especially on weekends.
The Hall at South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 515-5544, thehallge.com.
