South County is getting more sophisticated on the dining front. Restaurateurs with fine reputations are opening or have just opened their spots, giving all of us reasons to go destination hopping.
Two Left Forks, a restaurant with an interesting back story, recently opened in Dana Point. Let’s begin by acknowledging the unusual name. Its mantra is that, “When you find two left forks next to your plate, you know your dining experience is going to be a step above the ‘one-fork’ experience!” Very clever.
Everyone knows Hotel Laguna, the iconic hotel in Laguna Beach that dates back to 1888. It was purchased in 1985 by husband and wife team, Claes and Georgia Andersen. Claes died five years ago, and Two Left Forks is the culmination, thanks to Georgia, of his longtime dream to find and create a restaurant entity separate from the busy hotel.
Georgia has the credentials to make it a success, since both she and Claes had years of restaurant and hotel experience before they purchased Hotel Laguna. She is fully dedicated to this new restaurant. On board with her: son Stefan Andersen, who has been general manager of Hotel Laguna and is the managing partner in charge of all operations at Two Left Forks; Robert Hines, who expands his executive chef duties to oversee the food at both the hotel and the restaurant; and Mike Koch, an industry pro who is the restaurant’s GM.
It’s open for happy hour from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Since we live in the age of creative food and beverages, this might be your new spot to relax after a busy day, because it’s certainly striving to impress. Have the bartender sway you with a custom mix or one of the old classics made with fine ingredients.
Happy Hour menu items come in at $5. Go for the 50/50 Sliders—a mix of half ground bacon, half ground sirloin—with all the accoutrements; a classic version of Poutine; or the Deconstructed Shrimp Cocktail. Many craft beers and wines are also $5.
Dinnertime food is diverse. Goat Cheese Croquettes; Seared Foie Gras; an authentic Onion Soup; Salmon Tataki; Short Ribs with sweet potato puree; Crab Stack; and four salads are part of the tasty appetizers and shared plates lineup. An absolute winner emerges in the Truffle Mac ’N Cheese made with gouda, gruyere and the amazingly tasty Tomme de Savoie cheese, plus black truffle.
Full entrées at $16 to $32 include many kinds of fresh seafood and shellfish, steak and lamb; a loaded Seafood Paella; Roasted Chicken with truffle risotto; and even a really impressive burger.
The stylish mid-century decor is quite attractive. Burgundy leather booths are most inviting, and light birchwood tables and chairs, smoked glass and walnut wood walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and an open kitchen fill out the scene.
34212 Pacific Coast Highway, Dana Point, (949) 489-8911.
Ironclad Eating
Russ Bendel—owner of Vine Restaurant & Bar, the very popular Napa-style restaurant in San Clemente—promised us earlier this year that he’d open his second restaurant, Ironwood-cellar, craft, cook, in Laguna Hills this month. He’s hitting his deadline, with the opening scheduled within the next few days. It’s exciting to see the dining possibilities now emerging in lower South County, so add this restaurant to your priority list.
Ironwood will serve wine country cuisine with its own unique personality. Jared Cook, executive chef at Vine, will also serve in that capacity here, but he’s made sure that dining at each restaurant will be an exclusive experience.
Naturally, the menu is built from scratch every day with the best products Jared can source. Begin thinking of items like English Pea Dumplings with fresh goat cheese, Jumbo Lump Crab with sea salt-roasted heirloom beets, and Heirloom Tomato with watermelon panzanella salad as possible starters from a dozen choices.
Three of the full entrée enticements on the menu are Duroc Pork Tenderloin grilled with rosemary, Lemon Verbena Poached Skuna Bay Salmon, and the Infamous One-Pound Meatball with pappardelle and ricotta salata. Entrée prices range from $15 to $35.
Russ and the crew decided on the name Ironwood after looking at various trees for the patio. They learned that ironwood trees have the reputation of being the densest wood available and that they’re commonly used for culinary tools. They found knife handles made of ironwood, and the restaurant’s charcuterie platters also are made from it.
There are more than 40 wines available, heavy on California but with some global ones mixed in, many served by the glass. There are a lot of bottles priced between $28 and $50. Add in a bunch of craft cocktails and craft beers, and you’ve got a diner-friendly list to match with food or enjoy alone.
The décor is friendly and rather romantic. It’s just the kind of restaurant that adds real enticement to South County. 25250 La Paz (La Paz Village Center), Laguna Hills, (949) 446-8772.
New Taco Post
It’s not quite finished, but plan on July or August for the opening of Puesto at Los Olivos Marketplace in Irvine. The reason I give this anticipatory intro is because Puesto already exists in San Diego and La Jolla, and knowing its food and concept, I am looking forward to this sibling being close by.
Puesto was born from a vision of tacoteurs Eric and Alan Adler alongside their cousin Isidoro Lombrozo and partner/executive chef Luisteen Gonzalez. It’s known for its Mexico City-style tacos made with crispy melted cheese, house-made tortillas and scratch-made salsas. Using locally sourced ingredients, the unique dishes are so welcoming in their other restaurants, and I think local diners will enjoy this type of Mexican experience. Puesto does a good job of providing a fresh, contemporary and approachable take on authentic cuisine. A vibrant but casual interior design accounts for optimum relaxation.
Here are a trio of tacos to catch your attention while waiting for the restaurant to open:
Maine Lobster Taco adorned with black beans, crispy onions, avocado, crema de cilantro, and jalapeño pico de gallo; Zucchini and Cactus Taco incorporating the chain’s signature crispy melted cheese, calabacitas of zucchini, corn and tomato, cactus, avocado, and cilantro-tomatillo salsa; and the Chicken Al Pastor Taco mingling the crispy cheese, hibiscus and chipotle tinga, avocado, and piña habanero pico.
Puesto also presents a few other typical Mexican plates, but it’s the delicious tacos that have garnered a slew of awards and what keeps our palates craving more.
Now that I’ve whetted your appetite, you can try the San Diego locations beforehand if you happen to be down that way. The restaurant here will be at 8577 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.
Can’t Wait
I talked with Rich Mead about the planned opening of his Farmhouse restaurant at Roger’s Gardens in Newport Beach. The target date is within a couple of months. The popularity of the beautiful gardens and Mead as one of Orange County’s best chefs is a powerful combination.
Rich, via his Sage restaurant for so many years, introduced us to the farm-to-table concept before anyone had heard of it. He was at the forefront of the first serious farmers market (in Santa Monica), which is still one of the stellar outdoor venues for meeting and buying from the best local purveyors.
Rich plans to continue going to this vast outdoor market before dawn each week to purchase the freshest and most interesting produce for the new restaurant. I know his creative California cuisine and am most anxious to again experience his food in a renowned setting.
Sipping in the Chai
There are so many impressive wine dinners in which we can participate. Can’t possibly list them all, so this is a reminder to put your name on the mailing list of your favorite restaurants for immediate notices. One that I find worth mentioning here is the Grgich Hills Wine Dinner at Antonello Ristorante at 6:30 p.m. on May 13.
The dinner will be hosted by Ivo Jeramaz, the winemaker and nephew of Mike Grgich. The evening begins with passed appetizers and 2013 Fume Blanc. That’s followed by a four-course meal. First course: Smoked Salmon and Vegetarian Caviar Stack with mascarpone mousse, and the 2012 Chardonnay. Second Course: Wild Mushroom Risotto accompanied by the Grgich Hills 2012 Merlot. Third course is Pork Osso Buco and chopped root vegetables. Wine is the 2012 Cabernet. Dessert is fresh Apricot Tart with vanilla gelato and caramel sauce, accompanied by Violetta 2012 Late Harvest.
Ivo is an engaging speaker and a veritable encyclopedia of the historical aspects of the wines and the winery. He will gladly discuss the reasons his uncle is an international wine legend if you ask.
The dinner is priced at $125, plus tax and gratuity. It’s expected to sell out, so make reservations now. Antonello Ristorante: 3800 South Plaza Drive, Santa Ana, (714) 751-7153.
