Montage Resort (now in Laguna and Beverly Hills) is opening a third location in Deer Valley (Park City), Utah in December. We were told that locals seem to be anticipating what one called the “luxurious mountain craftsman resort.” It gives you one more reason to indulge in the powdery snow of winter, the seasonal beauty at other times, or to just sink into the Montage brand of deluxe comfort. More on Park City later.
The Holecheks are at it again. That would be Mark and Cindy, whom we first met as restaurateurs when they had the nice-looking and good-tasting Waters on the Lake in Irvine a couple of decades ago. Then they introduced the Bungalow and, most recently, they were mainstays on Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna with their Cabana restaurant, which now is Nick’s (owner Nick Nickoloff, whose dad is the Claim Jumper guy).
The Holecheks recently opened Summer House—2744 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, (949) 612-7700. It fits well into the charmingly quaint beach-town setting.
Just to keep your notes straight, this was the musical chairs spot that they came by when El Ranchito moved to the former Oysters location just up the street.
The Holecheks have their son, Justin Holechek, as their managing partner. Summer House is a very down home, drop-in place with burgers, sandwiches, fresh fish and a few nice salads that make up the all-American-comfort-food menu. Since this family is known for its hands-on hospitality, the service is friendly and attentive.
In the age of gastropubs, Corona del Mar’s SideDoor has become a truly beloved spot that locals would like to call their own, but they have to put up with foodie interlopers who pop in from neighboring cities to spoil themselves with the comforting, interesting and tasty treats that have come to define the place.
Add some casually comfy seating, a clever list of wines and beers to match the charcuterie and other inducements from the menu, and one begins to realize that this is easy living, the flavorful way.
Some of my favorite items include the duck confit, the decadently delicious mac ‘n’ cheese—made with an imported Stilton-infused cheddar—the Cuban beef sandwich, several of the dozen cheeses, Cornish pasties, prosciutto and fresh mozzarella dappled with pesto, a melange of olives, charcuterie from four countries, the lamb stew, brown butter cauliflower, beets with fresh ricotta and pecans, and warm figgy pudding.
Please note that you will have about three dozen other tempting things to choose from.
That array and the cultural diversity show the owners’ dedication to making this a happening pub where good food is not just an afterthought.
The SideDoor: 3801 E. Coast Hwy., Corona del Mar, (949) 717-4322.
Tandoori-Baked Turkey
Clay Oven in Irvine has some upcoming wine dinners and it also is the place to get a tandoori-baked turkey that will really impress your guests on Thanksgiving. We got hooked on this redolent and moist turkey—with cranberry-studded rice dressing—a few years ago. Last day to order the turkey is Nov. 22 for pickup on Thanksgiving Day.
The first wine dinner is on Oct. 25 and is a five-course offering with Italian matching wines at $85 per person. The second is on Nov. 15 and also is a five-course meal featuring Portuguese wines at $80 per person.
Remember that this restaurant serves very modern renditions of Indian food that are artfully presented.
For reservations for either of the wine dinners, to dine on your own just for the fun of it or to order a tandoori turkey, call (949) 552-2851 and ask for Praveen Bansal, the owner (that way, you can say hello for me).
Clay Oven is at 15435 Jeffrey Road in Irvine.
New Focus
The Cellar in Fullerton has been a mainstay of destination dining in Orange County for four decades.
The Cellar has been around a long time and there was a long stretch when the Continental classics of the menu seemed to be a little tired and we wished for more joy on the plate.
That sort of update now appears to be in the works, thanks to a youthful crew assembled by owner Ryan Dudley, himself a relative youngster at 34. General Manager Sara St. Pierre is 33 and sommelier Cameron Tyler is 26.
The new focus at The Cellar is driven by fresh ingredients from as close to home as possible and by extrapolating the freshness into vibrant dishes.
A retooling of the restaurant’s menu of classic French cuisine is expected in coming months, and you can look for the best of the old to meld with vast resources and techniques of the present, all with a California twist.
When seeking a romantic, intimate and worldly setting this downstairs sweetheart will fit the bill.
It still delivers the haute charms that sometimes trump all of the new and trendy restaurants that continue to emerge. And a sense of nostalgia and intensely serious service amid beautiful table settings endures at The Cellar.
In case you need more incentive, there is the half-off bottles of wine promotion on Wednesdays. It’s a good idea to call for reservations.
The Cellar: 305 North Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 525-5682.
Trip to Utah
After a 15 year-span, we finally took a return trip to Park City, Utah, via Las Vegas bookend stays. The clean, clear air was divine and the fall colors of the trees rivaled New England’s legendary seasonal show.
Since we’re all making more of less in this economy, this was a nice road trip—five hours max to and from Las Vegas and an easy seven-hour drive from Vegas to Park City, Salt Lake, etc.
We traded our timeshare week to stay at the newly refurbished Marriott’s Summit Watch, smack-dab on Park City’s historic Main Street. For those who ski, this is one of those convenient ski-in, ski-out locations.
We spent some delightful time with David and Shauna Engen, catching up on a quarter century of restaurant and wine people we’ve known in common.
The Engen name is synonymous with wine sales in Newport Beach since the elder Rolf Engen is the founder of one of the county’s longtime gems, Rolf’s Wine Shop (110 Tustin Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 631-1212, www.rolfswine.com), which is one of my favorite places to buy wine. That’s because Rolf’s managing partner, Rick Webster, is there, taking personal care of his customers and helping us find the great boutique wine bargains of the world.
Rolf and Carol Engen had built a home in Park City, but some years ago came back to their original home base of Laguna Beach.
Dave, the younger generation, began his wine sales and consulting career here in OC, and we first met when he was working on the wine list at La Vie en Rose many years ago.
He, too, ended up in Park City, founded his own wine business and subsequently sold it to Young’s Market, one of the big national wine and liquor sales distributors.
He now is president for Young’s Market in Utah, Montana and Wyoming.
In case any of you are inclined to visit Utah, know that Park City now has a lot of very good restaurants.
We especially relished a dinner we had with Dave and Shauna at the multi-awarded Riverhorse, also on Main Street and only a two-block walk from our lodging. They are doing what we’d describe as creative California-style food with some unique platings of wild game and an eclectic assortment of dishes to suit most any palate.
While we liked all that we tasted, I was quite taken by the clean simplicity of a watermelon salad in light vinaigrette.
We drove to Sundance (Robert Redford’s lovely resort with its hidden lodging and fine dining) and through the canyons ablaze with fall colors.
We loved the patio dining at Ruby’s Diner (no relation to our Ruby’s restaurants here in OC) in Emigrant Canyon. This place goes back to the ‘30s and has been featured on the FoodTV network. It was deliciously down home.
Salt Lake City provided two swell meals as well. Not gourmet or flashy meals but ones that will last in our memories.
On the night we arrived, we drove in via Salt Lake City and stopped for dinner at Settebello, one of the better pizza places ever invented. There’s also a Settebello in Henderson, so when you visit Vegas, that one will be right next door for you.
Belgian Waffles
During the week, we drove into Salt Lake City just to have waffles at Bruges Waffles & Frites.
This is a tiny place that is unique and harks back to part of my heritage. My father was born in Belgium and I remember as a child my grandmother making Liege-style waffles for him, and for us, that were made with a yeast batter. They are eaten out of hand by Belgians as snack food, but they just don’t seem to exist here as a fast food we can buy.
They have a completely addictive flavor profile that is utterly different from what we perceive as waffles.
Willing to wait in the lines that are always the norm, I ate one order, then another, then took some back to Park City with me.
If we’re lucky, owner Pierre Vandamme, will bring his Bruges Waffles to OC.
By the way, the frites part of their name is because the only other thing they make are those crispy tender Belgian fries with various dipping sauces, which we already have here.
Vegas Gems
To make our jaunt easier, we stayed two nights on either end of that week in Las Vegas. We enjoyed the amenities of the JW Marriott in Summerlin, Nev. at the beginning of the trip. That property originally was built as a Regent Hotel so it’s quite upscale.
On our return trip, we discovered the charms of Marriott’s newer concept, Springhill Suites (just off the strip). I am so impressed with the spacious, attractive and contemporary rooms. We will definitely be staying at this version of Marriott again.
I can add a couple of things on dining in Vegas for you.
Thanks to local food maven, cooking instructor and former restaurant writer Teddy Wells, a longtime friend of ours, we had croque monsieur and croque madame sandwiches at Payard in Caesar’s Palace at her suggestion. Known for their pastries and chocolates, the bistro section of Payard is a little gem of white leather banquettes and a meandering of attractive tables for the breakfast enticements, sandwiches and salads.
Another restaurant that was recommended to us by locals was Cathay House on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas’ Chinatown. We are lacking in great Cantonese restaurants in OC, and this one was so good that we did a repeat on the second day. It made us realize the intense tastes we’ve been missing out on.
Cathay House is frequented by both locals and big-time gamblers who have leveraged themselves late into the night, and thus it is open from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. daily. We ate very late and found, on both occasions, the restaurant filled with lots of tables with enthusiastic patrons. Put it on your Vegas list for very affordable and delicious food. n
