I was searching for a theme for this issue and then, suddenly, it was there. People are always asking me to recommend favorite restaurants, and I have many of them,for many different reasons. Therefore, I always ask what type of food fascinates them at the moment and I go from there for recommendations.
What makes a restaurant a favorite for someone? In digesting this question (you will forgive the intended pun!), I have concluded that some restaurants, large or small, gorgeous or simple, just offer a better overall package that makes a meal something special. It can be almost intangible, as in a seamless evening of quiet dining, or it can be a force of energy and good feeling that floats over the whole experience.
I love to find small, clever restaurants, mostly run by on-site owners who make you feel part of the family. The owner might be the chef and he will probably come through the dining room once or twice to see how everyone’s doing. This provides us with a feeling that the chef is secure with what he cooks and not afraid to face his customers. These small restaurants feel cozy and tug at some string in our hearts that probably relates to this as the ideal comfort zone. No intimidation factor, a place where mom would be at home.
Then there are the bigger restaurants that fascinate us with the beauty that money can provide. Some of the backdrops are spectacular and I even sometimes feel a little dreamy that here in conservative Orange County we actually have restaurants that are as gorgeous as anything in any major city. But they only become favorites when there’s something beyond the grand fa & #231;ade.
Restaurants do not remain successful and “hot” unless they have good food. It’s getting harder to fool the public with glitz and glamour alone. We travel, we dine out a lot, we buy good wine, we have come to know a lot about food and ethnic cuisines. The beautifully decorated restaurants now know that what’s on the plate is of utmost importance. But if, along with the grandeur, we find food that’s appealing to the eyes and the palate, plus entertainment, food- and wine-matching dinners and attentive service, we feel a sense of satisfaction that sits well in our memory and brings us back again and again.
The chefs of these restaurants will also often visit with guests in the dining room. They have fancier fare to discuss with us, but it is still food that pleased our palate and which planted the seed that this could be a favorite and that we should stick with this winner.
We must feel relaxed and happy in our restaurants for them to crack the “favorite” category. It’s a package deal, small or large, and those subliminal messages of happy dining are there permeating the very essence of every favorite restaurant we have on our list.
So, this time I have chosen restaurants that have what it takes to make them a favorite spot of the dining public. Their ongoing success says it all. As you read about the restaurants, you will see what it is that they’ve got that makes them hot.
With all that’s happening on the food scene in this county, we are no longer taking a back seat to anyone. Not LA, not NY, not San Francisco. We may not have quite as many restaurants per capita as those cities, but we sure have a plethora of wonderful food to choose from. Do a little traveling and you also realize that we enjoy some of the best service in the nation. Value has always been a given here,we get it all for less. Dining in OC is a bargain noted by every out-of-towner who sits at our tables. So remember, it’s not nice to gloat, but it’s just fine to be proud.
Always, always, there’s a caveat or two. This is not, by far, a list of all the “hot” restaurants in the county. It’s merely another overview of several that have found me in their dining rooms lately. Also, restaurants are in alphabetical order, merely for ease in using this guide.
Accents Dining Room
and Wine Cellar
4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach
(in the Sutton Place Hotel)
(949) 476-2001
The “hot” factor here is by far the reopening of the serene Antoine dining room, now attached by name and demeanor to the wine room. It had been closed the past few years and used only as a special function facility, and that was a shame because it is one of the prettiest places in Orange County. It is now backed by a newly installed wall of glass that connects it to the lovely wine room which boasts one of the world’s great collections of Bordeaux wines, in addition to the top names in American winemaking. The room is filled with French-style furnishings in bleached wood. There are the impressive armoires and the artwork depicting life on the Continent. Whitewashed armchairs with their silk upholstery surround superbly napped tables that sparkle with silverware, good wine glasses ready to hold the vintages that we know will be poured, and bouquets of flowers. Serenity is its middle name.
The quality of the French food also puts this in my “hot’ category as does their attention to getting the very best winemakers to present their wines at special dinners. You can call the hotel right now, in fact, and get your reservation in for the Chateau Montelena dinner on June 8. Bo Barrett himself will be there,funnyman that he is,telling you how his wines are made and giving you every reason in the world to love them, and him. They also do the very special occasional wine tastings, which on this Friday is a vertical tasting of the best 1996 Bordeaux wines. Quick, quick, call now!
The menu takes you to various regions of France with plenty of signature dishes from which to choose. Superb is a word that describes the grilled portobello mushroom and duck salad with its fig dressing. Every day there’s a different preparation of fresh foie gras to get your meal off to a very rich start. Elegant entr & #233;es are out in full force. Day boat scallops and shrimp are dappled with an anisette sauce. Salmon is coated in crushed walnuts. The seared duck breast on Napa cabbage and jasmine rice seems to always be one of the entr & #233;es at my table. I also love their veal tenderloin with gnocchi Proven & #231;al. As for desserts, I would never miss them here. French pastries are partly what we cross the ocean for and this kitchen puts a whole array of fabulous ones out every evening.
Before you leave the hotel, do stroll down the walkway toward the indoor reflecting pool and look in the wine room from its front view,you will probably want to book your next small party there. You can also revel in the great beauty of the fine art,paintings, sculptures and photography,that are displayed along that space. Works of many great artists are showcased, and they are for sale, of course, to enhance your own personal environment. Then, if it’s Saturday night, do not miss listening to the Stonebridge Band playing the songs of the ’50s and ’60s. It’s nothing short of wonderful and it’s without cover charge.
Anaheim White House
887 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim
(714) 772-1381
Let’s see. It has that up-to-date contemporary Italian food that always catches us off guard with the superb presentations,works of art these plates are,and then the remarkable tastes. It has that welcoming rolling lawn and white serene fa & #231;ade that beckons. Inside, it’s pure relaxation and comfort and attentive attitude from the moment you walk in the door, a totally unexpected experience in Anaheim. No wonder this restaurant is blessed with such loyal customers, many of whom come from as far away as LA. No wonder I love to have lunch here whenever I am in mid-county.
Since Bruno Serato, a native of Verona, Italy, bought it several years ago, it has just gotten better and better. This is yet another place where the staff can introduce a most uplifting wine that you may not know of from the affordable list and you find yourself learning something new about the whole reason for food and wine matching. They are so good at fleshing out the complementary matches of wines for the flavors the chef packs into the food. It’s a “hot” combination.
It’s always such fun for me to see people’s eyes light up when I take them here for a meal for the first time. They look around and can’t believe the charm of the place; then they look at the menu and their jaws drop. Not at all the kind of Northern Italian food they expected. Where’s the spaghetti and meatballs? Well, Bruno and his chef left them in the dust, eclipsed with these dishes that the sophisticates in Italy are dining on at the moment, as are we.
Try the fillet of sand dabs with a melange of whole roasted mushrooms or some lobster ravioli with crispy leeks to start off your meal. Then a salad with a little round of fresh mozzarella in the middle. Chicken breast baked in parchment with julienne of leeks, lemon, capers, shiitake mushrooms and fresh sage is also a sophisticated poultry dish. The chef hand-chops the filet mignon and seasons it with onions, capers and Dijon mustard for a splendid tartare.
There are pasta dishes. I almost always order the rigatoni with a sauce of bacon, prosciutto and Parmesan. Italian handmade torcolo pasta with small Santa Barbara clams, shaved garlic, and fresh marinara is quite a treat. Yet another I like is the four-cheese ravioli in rainbow pasta with a wild Porcini mushroom for good taste and good measure. My husband is crazy for Bruno’s version of whitefish. It is pan roasted, which results in a crispy skin, and sits atop lobster and chive mashed potatoes. A final dish I think everyone should order is the braised Sonoma rabbit with saffron risotto.
Now, who ever thought we’d find this refinement in Anaheim?
Antonello
3800 South Coast Plaza Drive, Santa Ana
(714) 751-7153
How many times have I told people about the unparalleled beauty of this restaurant and the refined, but affordable food that adds to the delight? How many meals have I loved that were cooked by chef Franco Barone? Too many to count, but put all of us in with the diners who over the years still relish it as something extra special and it fits the theme of this issue.
I never come away from this restaurant without marveling at the beautiful memories of his hometown in Bistagna, Italy that owner Antonio Cagnolo managed to convey to the architects and designers. Sure, they all went to Italy on research trips and sketches emerged. But in the end, when the plans were drawn and the interiors finished, it was the inner beauty of living in such a picturesque village that he helped them to capture. Walking into Antonello is like looking directly into someone’s soul,Antonio’s own soul.
When it first opened, it seemed that no business could be accomplished in OC unless it was done while dining at this restaurant. There were jokes that this or that was an “Antonello deal,” meaning that the papers for some big happening had been signed over a meal at the gathering place of the literati. That still happens a lot because this place is like home to so many of them, but of course there are now so many more restaurants. However, I have a place in my own heart that gets me to the table here with friends for lunch or I just call at the last minute to gather about five couples together to pamper ourselves with an evening meal.
Antonio and Franco are the epitome of dedicated restaurateurs. Together they reminisce about foods they ate in Italy as children and that they always have when they visit relatives there now. Those real foods have worked their way into the menu, along with the signature dishes we have always known at Antonello. On the must list of appetizers for me are the original mozzarella cheese that’s lightly fried until it oozes out when you cut into it and the salad of green beans, arugula, mache, fennel and shaved parmesan cheese.
I’ve written about it, I’ve insisted that our friends order it, and now I’m saying again that everybody must have Antonio’s mother’s miniature ravioli stuffed with veal called Ravioletti di Mamma Pina. If you like gnocchi, these are fluffy little dumplings in a tomato and basil sauce with fontina cheese melted over them. My goodness, I wish I were eating them now. The marinated thin medallions of filet mignon cooked in a clay pot are a beef lover’s dream. Tender and redolent with the flavor of lemon, oregano and virgin olive oil, they are served over a potato puree. This is Antonio’s favorite dish on his whole menu so I am in good company.
Next time you want to really impress someone, take them to Antonello for a meal.
Bayside
900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach
(949) 721-1222
When it opened last year, it added a touch of class to the neighborhood. The handsome building is not a clone of its sister in Irvine, Bistango, but the same architect designed it. This one makes it to my “hot” list because it offers a casual elegance that fits Newport Beach like a glove. From the good service to the fine, fine food of chef Paul Gstrein, this is a very pleasant and happening place to be. The bar definitely makes a classy statement. There’s table and booth seating in the lounge and the bar itself is fronted by the most comfortable stools in the county. The custom-made metal stools have not only restful backs on them, but deeply padded seats. You could sit for a few martinis or glasses of wine. Besides, the front part of the bar folds seamlessly into a real design statement, a soaring, glass-enclosed wine vault. For a small price, some wonderful tapas are served in the bar every evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
On the other side of the artistic wine storage unit is the main dining room. It’s done up in soothing, soft colors. Banquettes and booths are tucked along the walls. It has a restful minimalist look. All the better for quieting the stresses of the day and being able to concentrate on the menu.
I do love the tiger prawns served martini style; you know, in that particular glass with a bit of cucumber, avocado and tomato accompanying it. Roasted red beets with a dollop of goat cheese in the middle and Belgian endive spokes is one of my favorite appetizers. Then, there’s the very special seared foie gras served with both butterflied quail and a mushroom pancake. The truffle essence that Paul drips around the edge isn’t bad either.
I’ve never asked the chef how he comes up with his food ideas, but he made a dandy decision when he decided to make a green risotto with tiger prawns in it. The rice turns green thanks to a puree of peas. It’s delicious and then some. Italian penne pasta is very decidedly upscale with its melange of forest mushrooms and caramelized onions for sauce. The seared rare tuna has a hint of smokiness to it from being seared in a red-hot cast iron skillet. The seared edge and raw center give a duo of tastes and I always enjoy the creamy texture of fine tuna prepared this way. Swordfish is simply grilled and then topped with a bit of roasted tomato vinaigrette, while baby artichokes add dimension. Do not miss the stroganoff made with pork tenderloin. In this royal version, shiitake mushrooms even take the place of the common button mushroom. There are many good steak, pork and veal entrees on this menu as well.
As if all of the above is not enough, this is just a gorgeous place to have Sunday brunch. It’s an a la carte affair, or you can order three courses at $19.75 and the Champagne flows freely for that selection. Live island music is played on steel drums while you munch on your Sunday fare.
Bistango
19100 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
(949) 752-5222
The overall beauty and stability of this restaurant keeps it in the “hot” category, not to mention the ever-changing artwork that enhances our world tremendously as we dine. It has been run with such professionalism for so many years, that it’s still a powerhouse dining spot for business people at lunch. Dinner finds many more couples enjoying the peace and tranquillity. They are to be applauded for even having music in the evenings in the bar that is soft enough to hear in the dining room, but it is never invasive. But, how nice to be able to dance if we care to throughout the evening.
This is also a place where I truly enjoy sitting at the zinc bar or in one of the booths in the lounge for a while before dining. Time permitting, it conveys a feeling of buffer zone between the rush we just left behind and the pleasantries of the table that are about to unfold.
From the moment I walk in, I begin to breathe in the surroundings. It’s never the same, because there’s a curator who changes the art regularly, thus keeping a fresh perspective for us. It is always a wonderful experience. The design team crossed art gallery with a socially conscious European bistro. Green and yellow awnings make it seem we are dining al fresco in some village. But this place would be the pride of the hamlet with its graceful demeanor and properly napped tables and classy woven chairs. The artistic presentations of food would not make it seem a bistro for the downtrodden.
We, however, are pleased no end with young chef Hermann Schaeffer’s sophisticated food. Crab and lobster are combined in the shellfish cake served atop a stream of fire-roasted tomato vinaigrette. At this time of year, the asparagus salad with prosciutto is superb. I once offered to take a pizza chef to Bistango for lunch just so he could see what I considered the best pizza. Well, he asked and I told him. Hermann makes them with a crispy crust and they always have that slightly charred flavor from the stone floor of the pizza oven. Love the one with scallops and artichokes and the one with Tuscan salami and goat cheese.
If you enjoy salmon, wait until you taste this soy-glazed version with baby artichokes. When I was growing up, we used to go quail hunting. I still order them whenever they are on a menu. These are nicely presented with portobello mushrooms, a generous helping of gnocchi and a quail egg for good measure. This is the place I would order venison. Hermann uses the loin and adds highlights to it with shiitake mushrooms, wilted spinach and wonderful Swiss sp & #228;tzle (miniature pasta dumplings). There’s a lot on the current menu at Bistango and two ideas that sit well with me are the prix fixe two-course lunch for $13.95 and the four-course dinner menu for $39.75. Have the strudel for dessert if it’s available.
Clubhouse
3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa
(949) 708-2582
It’s very “hot” because of the unforgettable d & #233;cor and sense of grandeur. Yet the staff does manage to make you feel that you really are a member of a private club without paying for the privilege. It’s a unique concept in which they welcome you to “your clubhouse” and until you walk back out the door, they never lose stride. I just chose to celebrate my birthday here with almost 60 friends. You know that I could have gone anywhere, so why the Clubhouse? Well, for one thing they impressed a group of my friends so much a few months ago that most of them have been back more than once and a few have been clamoring to go with me. It can be a great experience.
I do a lot of business lunches here. I find that the big booths in the upstairs dining room are conducive to good conversation. Certainly whatever the occasion that gets you in the door, you cannot help but be impressed by the palatial look of this building. Is there another alabaster bar in OC? And, this one is lit from beneath! Lots of money in that gold leaf ceiling over the bar, that grand staircase, the hundreds of yards of velvet to make those two-story draperies and upholster all those chairs in their glorious jewel tones. I’ve even commented that I would like to buy one of the tall lamps sitting on either end of the bar that were custom made by the architect who designed the whole place. It would be a floor lamp for me. The custom touches are visible absolutely everywhere.
Then there’s the food of Leonard Delgado, the young chef who runs two identical kitchens on two floors. The food is deliberately meant to be unintimidating and somewhat lighthearted. But that does not mean that good-looking presentations and great flavors are missing. To the contrary. For instance, the bruschetta is simply everything that farmland dish should be: lots of tomatoes, garlic and basil tossed in fine olive oil and placed atop shards of toast. The coconut shrimp appetizer is great bar food and a nifty palate pleaser before a meal, especially when you dip the shellfish in the spicy plum sauce.
Get into the main part of a meal and Leonard has some interesting possibilities. I’m not wild about blackened things, but I do like the flavor that the blackened chicken lends to Leonard’s jambalaya sauce served over pasta. He enhances the jambalaya with andouille sausage, onions and peppers. One of his more unique offerings is a grilled portobello mushroom and filet “sandwich.” These two are stacked along with balsamic marinated onions. Delicious!
Then there’s salmon according to Delgado. He roasts the peppercorn-cured chunk of salmon and glazes it with honey during the cooking. One of the best pieces of salmon you are likely to find. Let me end this food parade by saying that his signature ribeye steak with boursin cheese “butter” is nearly to die for. I spoke too soon. Must remind you to have the fabulous banana cream pie and fresh fruit cobbler for dessert. That’s all.
Five Crowns
3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar
(949) 760-0331
It’s forever “hot” with a loyal clientele, no, make that an educated clientele, who know that you will never find better prime rib of beef or roasted duck. They also know that the wine list is loaded with great little wines that do not bankrupt us, yet the most famous of the world’s wines are there as well. We also know that despite all the new and glitzy restaurants, there’s something about this English Manor home that embraces us. It’s been there since 1965 and I think that subconsciously we feel totally secure sinking into that plush and comfortable chair at the table.
The caring servers make us feel we are in capable hands and in all the years that Dennis Brask has been heading the kitchen, we’ve trusted him to make us go home fulfilled.
Actually, it’s a shame to arrive just in time for the reservation and go directly to the table. The lounge area with its fireplace as a centerpiece, the cushy wing chairs around it and the heavily beamed ceiling overhead set the mood for the evening. Thus, we usually like to allow time to have a cocktail here.
Finally, at the table the servers never make you feel rushed. I like that they take their time explaining the specials of the day so that we can absorb what they’re saying. Nightly selections and chef’s corner items of the menu feature signature seasonal dessert, salads and unique items available on a more limited basis and change weekly (the chef loves these as he utilizes products available one time only). The sesame-crusted crab cakes are an outstanding appetizer. The Pride of the Crowns salad is arguably the best dinner salad in the county with its mix of Bibb and Romaine, walnuts, bacon, Gruy & #269;re cheese and croutons.
Striped bass from Virginia is pan roasted and paired with a rice and grain pilaf. I already mentioned the superb roasted half duckling and the prime rib, which comes in four different cuts. Swordfish is very nice with its Jamaican spices rubbed on the outside. There’s also an excellent grilled veal chop and steaks done to perfection; none better than the butterflied tenderloin topped with crab legs, asparagus and b & #233;arnaise sauce.
Lest you think that dessert is always rather the same, think again when you see Earl Grey cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e (an infusion of scented oriental teas stirred into egg custard and topped with a caramelized sugar crust). But, if they have their lemon tart, it’s one of the best this side of Europe, so you might want to have that as well.
A wine of the month is featured and there are suggestions on certain menu items for matching wines by the glass. Wine dinners here are very serious but fun affairs, meaning that they have many famed wineries bringing in their best vintages, which in turn sets Dennis in motion in the kitchen again creating dishes that sing along with them.
French 75
1464 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach
(949) 494-8444
We spent most of September in the south of France and we are going to the Loire Valley in late spring. And, what do I search for when traipsing around breathing in the culture of that wonderful country? I’m on the lookout for bistros that resemble French 75. Lovely places that have that unintimidating sense of casual elegance. David Wilhelm, the visionary behind this and several other restaurants, remains on the “hot” list himself, along with this restaurant, because the dining experience flows so naturally after the visual introduction. It still feels French at the end of the evening.
The graciously served food is full-bodied contemporary French fare. What they do in France with casseroles, seafood, exotic ingredients and garden fresh vegetables, chef Justin Monson does here. The wine list sports no less than 35 Champagnes, paying homage to what this kind of French bistro can deliver. There are also two pages of Old World wines and three pages of New World wines (translate the latter into California wines).
There’s a story unto itself with Justin. Napa Rose restaurant in the Grand Californian Hotel hired Andrew Sutton away from the nationally famous Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley, and David hired Justin away from the same kitchen. So, if you know the reputation of the Auberge, you can find the refined French cuisine right in this bistro.
I have been known to give up my dining room table here to stay and dine in the intimate bar area. Just like in the little clubs in France, David has chosen to surround his cocktail tables with leather club chairs. With my cocktail and that upfront comfort, why not? Of course, I also like sitting, and sometimes staying to dine, at the very bar itself, with my requisite Citadel martini to whet the appetite. Over this bar is that now-famous ceiling mural of the cherubs and Champagne bottles. The lighting is low and seductive. Just like in the adjoining dining rooms with their big comfortable booths and partially gilded ceilings, it oozes serenity and good living.
I could make a meal every time on the appetizers alone. I shall never tire of the plate of real French fries sprinkled with herbed salt. They yearn to be munched just like potato chips and they go so well with my martini. Tartare of beef, made with freshly ground filet mignon, is topped with a delicate little quail egg. A small tarte tatin is topped with a round of exquisite foie gras. The crock of onion soup has a melty cover of Gruy & #269;re cheese. Patrick usually sits with his plate of oysters on the half-shell and a glass of Champagne.
There are, of course, the serious entr & #233;es, which do sometimes beckon. Herb-crusted sea bass with a ragout of tomatoes, leeks, olives and capers is awesome. Roasted loin of lamb surrounds truffled macaroni gratin. Bouillabaisse is loaded with fish and shellfish. And there’s always a Soul Food dish of the day, something based on a country dish that is served tableside.
Golden Truffle
1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa
(949) 645-9858
Here we have a “hot” chef/owner who is cool to the max. He’s so good in the kitchen that he’s been called our resident culinary genius by both the media and his loyal customers. Alan Greeley was my Creative Chef of the Year in 1995 because I consider him to be the equal of a three-star chef in France. I can think of no other chef whose food thrills me more. He serves it to us in his suave little bistro of a restaurant with a wine room attached. There are a trio of booths cuddling in the front window and tables all around seem ready for our foray into this creative world as they are unfailingly set with white linen and shiny glassware. The latter is necessary because Alan is also a walking encyclopedia on the boutique wines of the world and you will surely want to order one of his marvelous finds. Please, oh please, trust his judgment. Believe me when I say he has a gift for picking the right little wine for his dishes.
He reminded me one day that they “live on the edge in my kitchen; it’s never boring.” Attesting to his creativeness, there are no recipes in the kitchen. There has never been a set menu of signature dishes, because the world is his palette. He walks into the restaurant each morning with a vision of a few things he’s fascinated with cooking that day. To be honest, a few things can add up to 15 daily specials. Literally winging it, using the fine array of products he works with, those become the specials of the day. The rest of the menu is an affair that’s changed weekly.
Luckily, Greeley has one of the most loyal staffs in the county, with almost the entire kitchen crew having been with him for years. This inspirational approach to cooking, in which everything is made from scratch, keeps them happy too. Cleverly conceived dishes pull from Alan’s experiences in various countries. There are always some French Caribbean-style dishes. Influences from India, the Far East, and islands all over the place work their way into the melange as well.
I must confess that I call the restaurant to see if Alan’s in the kitchen for sure and then I always let him cook for me at will. It has fascinated our friends no end to see and taste some of these off-the-cuff dishes. An appetizer on the current menu called Red Hot Lobster Taquitos with Cool Sauce is a smashing way to begin a meal, as is the tart that’s filled with eggplant, tomato and mozzarella, then spritzed with a warm chorizo vinaigrette. Tongue-in-cheek entr & #233;es that are exquisite in taste include chicken livers with grits, macaroni and cheese with truffles, grilled lamb with horseradish lasagne, roasted Gypsy chicken, and pot roast from Ma and Pa’s kettle. He also does a spa menu and a prix fixe dinner menu.
The latest evolutionary phase for Alan is turning every Thursday into Italian day. While the food respectfully remains gourmet Italian, Alan presents all of it on exotic plates and in clever ways. A guitar player fills the place with moody music.
Maggiano’s Little Italy
3333 Bristol St. (at Sunflower), Costa Mesa
(714) 546-9550
It’s “hot” because the nostalgia factor alone has the place crowded from lunch until late at night and the energy level permeating it all brightens your day, or evening, whatever the case may be. Add old-fashioned Italian food, served in gigantic portions, that’s far better than expected and the joy of sliding into one of the big booths and it’s a package that obviously the public is finding irresistible. I’ve been doing the restaurant scene for so many years that it takes me right back to the Italian dining rooms laden with dark wood, red velvet and lush carpeting of the grand Hollywood era, a time when we actually did go to the places where Sinatra and Martin hung out and saw them dining there.
Maggiano’s left no nostalgia factor behind. They’ve got all the dark and handsome wood, the dated wall sconces, the gigantic mirrors rimmed with gilt frames, the photographs of the Rat Pack on walls and on the sides of the squared-off columns. And they’ve put a ton of money into the custom carved wood bar behind which is one of the most glamorous of the beveled and framed mirrors in the whole place. Mostly Sinatra sings to us in the background.
You have never seen bigger portions of food. They are so certain that you’ll be sharing, each table has a stack of salad-size plates sitting on it. Start a meal with the baked shrimp flavored with fresh oregano, or the baked mushroom ravioli. Also, the stuffed artichoke is quite popular. I have a difficult time passing up the crispy calamari, especially when I am having a before-meal drink, and I love their roasted peppers drizzled with olive oil.
This is, after all, a place where we are looking back at the good old days. Thus, eating spaghetti and meatballs is always appropriate. The meatballs are massive and dense and very flavorful and they sit atop a literal mountain of spaghetti strands. I also like this same spaghetti with the fat sausages. Country-style rigatoni (fat pasta tubes) with those sausages and broccoli is yet another terrific combination. Those who like linguine with clams will find them literally falling out of the bowl because there are so many.
On the wall there is a big blackboard featuring family-style dining with platters of food for sharing. At $19.95 per person, you get 10 courses, and you get lots of choices within the main course, pasta, appetizer, salad and desserts to choose from. We’ve done this many times with friends. For one or two couples, the whole chicken roasted with garlic and rosemary is outstanding. I also like the lamb chops with rosemary and the veal Milanese. They get extra points for having very inexpensive prices. There’s music on Mondays with a band playing old standards. Sinatra would like it.
Memphis Soul Caf & #233; and Bar
2910 Bristol St., Costa Mesa
(714) 432-7685
What makes it hot is that it really does have soul. It’s not a sellout; it is always just what it is. Any casual dining spot that can consistently garner such a wide following,I mean serious food professionals, diners who just want interesting food they can always afford, and restaurant writers from every major publication,has a “hot” button equal to that of any glitzy dining palace. There’s a fascination for all of us in discovering that from a miniature kitchen carved from one end of the back bar of this former biker dive, chef Diego Velasco can turn our heads and our hearts with his cleverly conceived down home food. Though there are thousands of restaurants and only one of me, I need my Memphis “fix” on a regular basis and I do not deny myself the pleasure. It gets my feet back on the ground and reminds me that simple can be wonderful.
They’ve also got a terrific Saturday and Sunday brunch; on Friday night after 10 p.m., a DJ appears and the place turns into a lounge where contemporary music fills the air. On Thursday evenings, there are the Bristol Sessions: Todd Oliver quartet plays jazz. On the third Saturday of each month, the DJ plays the music of the ’80s. Because of all its facets, I still think of Memphis as the quintessential roadhouse.
From my perspective, you just let Diego’s menu talk to you and I envision his down-home gumbo chock full of chicken, shrimp, okra and andouille sausage begging to be ordered. I can encourage you to do the Southern crab cakes made of rock crab meat, corn and peppers. You must taste the Zuni frybread. Starting with the wonderful bread that is a staple of the American Indian diet, Diego tops it with red onion, roasted poblanos, corn, jack cheese and sage pesto. It’s awesome. You can also get it with all those ingredients, plus chicken. The warm goat cheese and beet salad is nice. With more decidedly Southern charm are the shellfish jambalaya and fried catfish filets. If you like meatloaf, don’t miss this one. And either the grilled ribeye steak or the garlic-marinated pork chop will satisfy the hearty eater. There’s even something special about eating one of their hefty hamburgers with the pile of fries on the side.
One would expect mostly beers and unpretentious cocktails to reign here. Not so. The wine list is concise, but as serious in its intent as Diego’s food and it’s just another bit of comfort.
Mr. Stox
1105 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim
(714) 634-2994
Their “hot” buttons are a beautiful and sophisticated new atmosphere (thanks to a recent renovation), food that’s far more eloquent than you’d expect in this part of the county, a world-class wine cellar, food- and wine-matching dinners of the highest caliber and artisanal breads that are sold in some of the county’s upscale markets. It truly is a restaurant in the European chateau tradition.
Brothers Ron and Chick Marshall have had the restaurant for over 20 years and they’ve kept surprising us along the way. It took them only a few years to use their wine knowledge to build up one of the great wine cellars of the world. Yes, I said it correctly. Over 20,000 bottles and a wine list so big and interestingly crafted that I always want to keep it at my table and read it throughout the meal because I always learn so much from it. The restaurant is a consistent winner of the top Wine Spectator Award given to only a small group of restaurants worldwide that maintain extraordinary cellars. To do justice to a wine cellar of this caliber, there must be good food with which it can be paired. That’s the realm of chef Scott Raczek.
This is quite a graceful restaurant. Beneath the arches outside is a massive fountain and courtyard laden with bougainvillea, a place where we like to have drinks before dinner with friends. There are also a few tables for outdoor dining. Inside the double glass doors is a lobby that would make a hotel proud: marble host’s desk, cozy seating areas and a beautiful hand-carved armoire. Dining rooms flow to the left and right. The carpeting is nothing less than navy and peach Axminster and there are booths hugging every wall. Fine artwork is a given.
Scott was almost a child when he started here. He’d worked for a short time at an upscale French restaurant, where I first met him, and he was already showing untapped culinary talent then. At Mr. Stox he’s refined his style, redefined central county cooking and garnered an impressive following of gourmets who drink those bottles of wine with their meals. He’s at his best when one of California’s winemaking stars is in for the evening and he cooks a special meal for the 70 or so customers who will taste the wines.
Scott mesquite grills a lot of the items on his menu. There’s the pork chop that then gets a dose of Jack Daniels barbecue sauce. Duck breast, veal chop and several kinds of fresh fish are also grilled over the hot coals: swordfish, sea bass, salmon. He does a lovely veal shank osso buco. And, if you like rack of lamb, Scott slices his for the guest and serves it with a nice melange of mesquite grilled vegetables. The menus are similar at lunch and dinner, so you can enjoy the same level of dining at both meals.
Pinot Provence
686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa
(714) 444-5900
Love at first sight and it has not abated since. Joachim and Christine Splichal first popped onto our scene with this showstopper that in looks, food, wine and demeanor is “hot” every day of the year. They took a top-notch designer to the south of France in search of artifacts that would mentally transport us totally across the ocean once we stepped inside. It’s flawless. Not only did they find the graceful statue that greets us at the dining room entrance, they brought back more than anyone could have imagined to create this dreamy place. Containers arrived from France with wood boards to line the ceiling, willowy chandeliers to light the space, tall and narrow doors for the entrances to adjoining rooms, limestone blocks to highlight the archway and even hand-hewn containers in which to plant the flowers and a fountain to grace the patio. Then they went out and got Florent Marneau, an extraordinarily talented chef and one of my former Chefs of the Year, who provides us with contemporary French food.
Perhaps what impresses me more than anything, though, is that every few months they bring over a Michelin-starred chef from France to cook for us for a couple of nights. Recently, Regis Mahe, a chef from Brittany, regaled us with his food and a few months ago it was Dominique Saugnac of Chez Bruno, the famed “truffle” restaurant of Europe. In a strange twist of events, I had already planned to take our September group of travelers to Chez Bruno and the chef turned up here allowing us to meet him beforehand.
But we have the food of Florent Marneau to make us happy all the time. One thing before I get my mind geared to lunch and dinner, since this restaurant resides within the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, it does serve a superb breakfast menu and a Sunday brunch.
It has become a habit for me to order some cured olives to start things off. They do three variations. For lunch, some saut & #233;ed lobster with potato salad is pretty fine. Salmon seared in a cast-iron pan is scented with truffle oil, so you know how good that is. Daubes are stews to us and Florent uses the braising technique for cooking his lamb to maximum tenderness, infusing it with sun-dried Moroccan olives, flageolet beans and roasted tomatoes. This is a taste sensation that is addictive.
One day I asked Florent just to cook whatever he liked for me and out came some braised short ribs, which he decided to use in combination with sweetbreads, tiny turnips and girolle mushrooms. It’s permanently on the menu now. Finally, I would like everyone to know his saut & #233;ed Brittany sole with cepe (portobellos to us) mushrooms. Add the white asparagus as he does and one might say it’s a dynamite dish.
What can I say I think we are so lucky to have this restaurant and this chef.
Prego
18420 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
(949) 553-1333
Well, chalk up the beautiful Tuscan villa d & #233;cor as a hot item, the unique occasional wine dinners featuring the food of one Italian region and an Italian movie to go with it and the overall feeling that we’re getting value at every turn, and the equation is complete. Well, almost. The new hot item for me is the just-launched $24.95 Sunday brunch where the Proseco flows freely and the array of foods is superb. Children under 12 are free at this one. Then, in the summer months, there are those swell patio dinners with a chamber orchestra entertaining us throughout the evening.
This earth-toned space is soothing. You probably never realized that terra cotta came in so many hues. It’s a color sometimes brilliant, sometimes mellow, depending on which rough textured wall it is adorning. The tall, elegant windows throughout are statements in themselves. The kitchen is open, so the activity of cooking is always visible to us. As we go to our table, we pass the farmhouse table laden with desserts and a chunk of the best Parmigiano cheese that the server will grate over our food. We must remember to save room for the pastries. Most of the seating on one side of the room is in booths or on banquettes that cuddle along the walls. The other side and one additional room are set with tables of various sizes. It’s a place where couples or families are comfortable. I like the way the main dining room is divided into various sections by complete walls of glass that keep the noise to a minimum yet are almost invisible to the eye, making the whole room seem a large open space.
The food is comfortable Italian specialties: mainly pastas and pizzas and several meats from the rotisserie. We understand this straightforward food. What’s important is the quality of the food, and that’s of the highest caliber. Melon wrapped with prosciutto, carpaccio of beef, buffalo mozzarella slices interspersed with tomato and onion and calamari fritti are all very fine appetizers that need no explanation. In the salad department, there are two that stand out for me. There’s one with a bed of mache and watercress topped with roasted duck breast. The other one I like a lot is the mixed greens, walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese topped with grilled quail.
Pizzas are crispy, but not paper-thin. They have texture without being thick. The menu has half a page of pastas. The one I go for first is the bucatini pasta. I have always loved the hollow pasta straws, but nobody serves them anymore. Well, they do here and they toss them with pancetta and fresh tomato sauce.
Next, I would order the risotto of the day because the rice is always of the correct creamy texture and ingredients range from shellfish to vegetables. Love the half-moon pastas filled with lobster and topped with lemon-lobster sauce. Had that just the other night. Finally, I prefer the corkscrew pasta with chunks of sausage, mushrooms and onions and just the right amount of tomato sauce to coat it all.
Meats and poultry cover everything from marinated flank steak to Tuscan-style ribeye, veal chop to spicy Italian sausages, roasted duck and rabbit to the best pork chop I’ve come across in an Italian restaurant. This hefty one is marinated in balsamic vinegar and grilled with rosemary sprigs. It is first-rate. For dessert: the tiramisu, naturally, and the citrus tart.
Roy’s of Newport Beach
453 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
(949) 640-7697
Roy Yamaguchi opened his first Roy’s restaurant in Hawaii in 1988. Today there are several. There are locations in Hawaii, Japan, Guam and a few places in the continental U.S. Our restaurant opened in the middle of 1999 and it’s been a “hot” ticket since. There’s the welcoming, yet fine-looking d & #233;cor. The interior features just enough color to give it a happy aura, but it still manages a kind of refinement. The open kitchen strikes a casual note and the large lounge is always crowded, which seems totally appropriate. There’s substantial use of wood, which lends itself well to the rather tropical feeling. A good reminder that this is a Pacific Rim kind of place is the huge fish tank that is part of the entryway.
I would like to talk about wines first. Why? Because they are so serious about their wine list and that it should have fine wines in all price ranges, and wines picked specifically to match the style of food they serve. The beverage manager is Eric Allen, a young man who has been with this restaurant since it opened. He honed his wine skills at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and the Kahala Hilton in Honolulu. He is in charge of coordinating the wine list and tailoring it to local tastes.
The 13-page list almost takes us on a world tour, but of utmost interest are the wines that are specially bottled for the restaurant. Famed winemaker Forrest Tancer of Iron Horse makes the Champagne blend for the Roy’s “Late Disgorged” Blanc de Blanc. A wine expert in Germany’s Rhine River Region bottles the Roy’s Euro-Asian Riesling. I cannot encourage you enough to try this with some seafood or chicken.
Another wine with the Roy’s label is the Oregon Pinot Gris from Rex Hill’s Lynn Penner-Ash. The same winery bottles perhaps the best overall match for the food here: the Roy’s “Pinot Rising” Oregon Pinot Noir. Finally, there’s a Cabernet Franc from the highly regarded Bryan Babcock of Babcock Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley. This Santa Barbara “Aine” is rich and smooth with only medium weight so as not to overpower the food. All of the wines with Roy’s own personal labels, which incidentally are all beautiful artists’ renderings, are great value wines. You don’t need to spend a fortune to have something wonderful to go with the food.
And, about that food. There are a few signature dishes on the menus of all Roy’s restaurants, but each local chef also has a page of his own specialties that fall within the Pacific Rim realm. Things which have regularly been on my table include the lemon grass shrimp & black rice risotto in truffled lobster sauce, butter basil Hawaiian mahi-mahi, slow-braised short ribs of beef and ginger-steamed Chinese chicken with soy scallions and sizzling garlic oil.
