Class of 2008
Orange County’s new crop of restaurants is one of the juiciest ever. Gourmet pub grub near the beach, a lovely French bistro in the mall, that posh grill on a hill—the last 12 months saw our dining landscape flourish with intriguing fresh arrivals. We’ve tagged the scene’s most notable newbies, and given nods to some older and not-so-old phenoms. These are the restaurants we’ll be booking this year.
By Gretchen Kurz • Photography By Michael Rutt
The Best of the Best
Marché Moderne
Ranking South Coast Plaza’s Marché Moderne as the county’s best rookie is so obvious it’s almost anticlimactic. But it must be done because the place is that good. Composed yet approachable from Day One, the dishy bistro never entered the awkward stage that typically plagues newcomers. It’s as if Marché Moderne sprang to life fully formed, but the reality is Florent and Amelia Marneau spent years mulling and conjuring this bôite of their dreams. Hence, the surefooted demeanor that feels so…French? After serving eight strong years as the inaugural chef at Pinot Provence, Florent opened his own shop in April to instant, ardent raves. Even his odd, mall-encased site at South Coast Plaza, reportedly a burden for previous restaurant tenants (Troquet, Piccola Cucina), couldn’t slow the accolades. Without any visible marketing (not even a Web site?), Marché Moderne keeps packing them in, perhaps because the Marneaus devote their talents to what’s on the plate, not in the press. Refined and thoughtful French bistro dishes stream inventively from Florent’s imagination through the kitchen and out to the table. He makes it look easy, but we know it’s not. Ever sympathetic to the seasons, the dense menu offers classics (moules frites), quick bites (try the superb charcuterie), and shifting specials (exotic tagines, wine-braised meats, and uncommon seafood). Florent conjures dazzling salads as well, and it doesn’t hurt that he unfailingly scores premium produce and elite goods from artisan suppliers. Wine options are mostly French bottlings, bien sûr. Lovely cheeses are beautifully served (room captain Sylvie gladly enlightens the cheese-curious). And any life can be improved by sampling one of the day’s elegant offerings from wife/partner/pastry chef Amelia, an exceptional dessert talent. The burnished, handsome room never felt new, even when it was. Bookended by the elegant cabana patio to the south and the stone-bedecked bar on the Nordstrom end, the main dining room’s most entertaining seats are the velvet banquettes with a clear view of the open kitchen. I’m always looking for an excuse to dine solo at the bar on the day’s Spontanée, an impromptu three-course lunch. It’s so affordable, it could be an everyday indulgence. Being yanked so quickly to the bosom of Orange County’s gourmet glitterati has its own problems. Tables are often hard to get. Old supporters expect special treatment. New admirers demand perfection. Flying the corporate coop is a daunting strategy that has undone many a chef. Happily for us Francophiles, Marché Moderne is handling the pressure with focus and aplomb.
MARCHÉ MODERNE
3333 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa
714-434-7900
Seconds
Kimera Restaurant Lounge
Kimera, the new hottie in corporate Irvine, is the natty little sister in the Ghoukassian clan’s Dining as Art portfolio, which includes Bayside and Bistango. Tucked slyly beside the Google building, Kimera is dripping with design derring-do. As proved by their other restaurants, the Ghoukassians create a singular world through heavy use of strong visuals and vibe-enhancing sound. But they never neglect the food—so Kimera comes through there, too. Chef Chris Grodach delivers a tight menu of polished dishes that defy category labels. Some are Asian fusion, such as the lively, light summer roll, a watercolor-hued cylinder of yuzumarinated daikon, green apple, watermelon, and wasabi sorbet. Some are new-wave Italian, such as the Risotto Carbonara, with its crispy bacon, caramelized onion, Parmesan, and elfin baked egg, which deserves undying devotion. But the Basil-crusted Halibut evokes southern France with its grilled eggplant, yellow pepper, dried tomato, and niçoise olives. The brawny pork ribeye with country bread, apple, fig, and peppercorn sauce sounds pretty American, doesn’t it? So the cuisine is an interesting ride, and mostly well-executed. What Grodach’s cooking has in common with the eye-popping surroundings, I’m not sure. Maybe that the environment also defies categorization? It’s a sharp, modern space full of neoteric, eco-wise materials and finishes. The main dining room’s one-two punch is a huge, florid fresco on a carmine wall juxtaposed with an undulating ceiling of fat russet shafts of bamboo. The dramatic mural brought an old hallucination to mind; your flashback may vary. Helmed by siblings Marc and Karyn, the next generation of the family restaurant dynasty, Kimera naturally targets a younger audience. Prices are a smidge lower, tables are free of tablecloths, and the wine list avoids heavy hitters. Service is hit or miss, but generally earnest. While the boomers are wrapping up at 9 p.m., the young guns are just starting to valet their Audis. Some come hungry, others are thirsty and head for the spacious saloon that’s oh-so cool in that squishy leather chaise lounge sort of way that speaks to our inner Prozac patient. Some nights the lounge appears oddly devoid of hipsters, which can be a boon should you want to partake of the bargain Happy Hour (5 p.m. to closing!) without jockeying for a prime seat at the bar.
Kimera Restaurant Lounge
19530 Jamboree Road
Irvine
949-261-1222
www.diningasart.com
Old Vine Café
Old Vine Café is so small it’s hard to conjure the business model that predicts sufficient profit from its measly 28 seats. But like other bantam bistros in O.C. (Basilic, Tabu Grill, Café Zoolu), the scant square footage seems only to add to the allure. Tucked into the southernmost nether region of Costa Mesa’s alt-eco-indie retail colony The Camp (soul sister to The Lab), Old Vine Café soars on the updraft of passion from brothers (and local boys) Mark and Brandon MacDonald. Despite the cramped kitchen and indiscernible wine repository, they manage to create deft, interesting meals that are carefully crafted and warmly served. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A table overlooking the pseudo-pine forest is an escape to a place that doesn’t feel like Bristol Street. Chef Mark (ex-Picayo) hangs his toque on highly seasonal fare inspired by mostly local ingredients. He proudly supports family farms, extolling the virtues of fresh, sustainable crops in such dishes as braised Leg of Lamb with Sautéed squash and Saffron Risotto Arancini, and Caprese of Mozzarella Buratta with fried Arugula and seasonal veggies in Citrus-Infused extra-virgin olive oil. How nice the compact menu also suggests half-glasses of companionable wines, selected to intrigue and priced to sell. Wine is an important player here. Brother Brandon, who runs the front of the house, handles those duties, and often challenges Mark to devise a dish to complement a recent discovery. Both benefited from the tutelage of local wine maven Peter Neptune; now they take particular pride in sharing geeky, affordable gems from hither and yon. When schedules allow, they also host weekly wine tastings. You can even take home a bottle from the Lilliputian nook that also offers artisan cheeses and Mark’s delicious nut butters. Don’t skip those butters when they’re offered at breakfast. And if you’re here for lunch, you can splurge on the Banana Pecan Crepe for dessert (technically, a breakfast item, but so what?). This isn’t fussy or fine dining. Sure, the room is loud, and the friendly service can be unfocused. But the cooking is adept, the goods are top-notch, and the hospitality is heartfelt. No wonder my friends-in-the-know want to keep this a secret. By the looks of Friday and Saturday nights, it might be too late.
Old Vine Café
2937 Bristol St., Suite A-102
Costa Mesa
714-545-1411
The Rest of the Best
Super-Shiny and New
The paint is barely dry on these standout rookies
The Crow Bar & Kitchen
Corona del Mar’s instantly lovable hatchling flew in fromnowhere, and the locals are atwitter. Who can ignore a winning combo of oddball brews, fun wines, sane prices, and the insightful cooking of local hero Scott Brandon? Pull up a stool and nosh on blue crab deviled eggs one day, bangers and mash (tricked up with Fra’ Mani sausage, Yukon golds, and leeks) the next. How about the grilled cheese sandwich of the day? A slave to the seasons and devoted to local, sustainable food sources, Brandon is destined to constantly redraft those dinner and brunch menus. Exposed brick, big windows, low banquettes, and tall communal tables supply an offhand, raffish edge that belies the accomplished chow. This spanking new joint has the old soul of a neighborhood tavern. Expect to encounter large flocks of locals. Turn to page 148 for a full review of The Crow Bar & Kitchen.
The Crow Bar & Kitchen
2325 E. Coast Highway
Corona del Mar
949-675-0070
www.thecrowbarcdm.comThe Pelican Grill
Before it closed for a lavish makeover, The Grill at Pelican Hill was a fine-dining sleeper operated by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Then the Irvine Co. took back the venue, only to gild the lily during the first phase of creating a resort sans pareil on those breathtaking acres that embody Southern California’s coastal beauty. You can’t book a spa treatment or bungalow just yet, but The Pelican Grill has reopened with a shorter name but no shortage of love for the lush life. Chef Thomas Ryan commands the gleaming open kitchen as a gorgeous theater for presenting his confident California fare. Expect such dishes as curried lobster agnollotti with green apples and tomatillo vinaigrette, and boneless beef short ribs from an olive wood fire. Naturally, the revamped room is tasteful and exquisite, but hardly stuffy. And oh, that blue water view from the loggia tables? That was perfection long before Newport Coast ever had a name.
The Pelican Grill
22800 Pelican Hill Road
Newport Coast
949-467-6800
www.pelicanhill.com
Hamamori Restaurant Lounge
Sushi shaman James Hamamori had a fan club during his wildly successful years behind the bar at Wasa (Tustin, Newport Beach, and Lake Forest). Fin fans line up for his signature “treasures”—ingenious, artisan creations always underpinned by pristine ingredients. So it was just a matter of time before he and partner Bronnie Lee elevated their act, and the newborn Hamamori at South Coast Plaza is the result. The high-style space, luminescent and undulating like a mermaid’s fever dream, is a painstaking transformation of the old Bangkok Four site. Of course, there’s a sleek sushi bar backed with white-on-white coral sculptures. At tables beside the sky-high windows over Bear Street, diners hook such novel catches as King Crab Risotto with Uni Bisque or Tamari Black Cod. A spare, open lounge at the entrance is the laid-back choice for sipping an astounding stash of premium sakes and perhaps one of those signature nibbles laden with omega-3 fats.
Hamamori Restaurant Lounge
3333 Bear St., Suite 320
Costa Mesa
714-850-0880
www.hamamori.com
Scene Stealers
Noteworthy newcomers with that certain sizzle
Eno
It shouldn’t have taken this long to have a comfy haven where we can properly idolize the foodie trinity: cheese, wine, and chocolate. In handsome surroundings that suit the elitism implied by the top-shelf offerings, the peckish and curious are graciously handled by a well-informed staff at this luxe tasting room. Pop in for a flight of Ports with a trio of blue cheeses or a trilogy of artisan chocolates from L.A.’s superb Jin Patisserie. Sure, you can have just a single glass of wine from the eclectic list. But why would you? Eno also offers frequent classes featuring actual winemakers (not sales directors) and their dotingly crafted wines. And if hosting your own tasting party is too daunting, buy out the room and let Eno’s staff do all the work in snazzy surroundings you won’t have to clean after the last lush finally leaves.
Eno
1 Ritz-Carlton Drive
Dana Point
949-240-2000
www.enowinerooms.comIzakaya Zero
One gander at the sharp, cool look of Huntington Beach’s nod to the izakaya craze, and you just know this isn’t what a “working man’s pub” looks like in Japan. But it’s clear a lot of thought (and cash) went into this retool of the old Red Pearl Kitchen space. Gone are the Godzilla videos and silk lanterns; instead, patrons are treated to roomy booths and a radiant bar with lacy lights glowing overhead. Even better, the menu of small plates was crafted by Takashi Abe (Bluefin), and though he may not always be in the kitchen, his refined sensibility is obvious. Somehow I can’t imagine Osaka pipe fitters scarfing down black cod with foie gras over baked apples, and they’re probably not tossing back a Tangerine ’Tini, either. One other note: Zero’s selection of top sakes is impressive.
Izakaya Zero
412 Walnut Ave.
Huntington Beach
714-960-1278
www.izakayazero.com
Break of Dawn
Top-notch breakfast fare is a disregarded category in these parts. Chef-owner Dee Nguyen (formerly of the Ritz- Carlton, Laguna Niguel) wisely fed that morning pang, and South County sleepyheads are the lucky winners. Poached eggs with flaky puff pastry, Black Forest ham, artichoke and roasted tomato purée, plus shiitake cream? Ginger meatloaf and fried eggs with buttermilk-cheddar biscuit under sausage-espresso gravy? No, you’re not dreaming. You’re at Nguyen’s yearling café, where creative, refined daylight dining is steadily gaining followers charmed by the cheerful, casual environs and seduced by artful dishes that belie his Laguna Hills location. He also serves a yummy banh mi at lunch. And his cast-iron sticky bun with coffee glaze makes a wicked dessert. Oh, and the prices will make you pinch yourself. So maybe you are dreaming.
Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite N-6
Laguna Hills
949-587-9418
www.breakofdawnrestaurant.com
Mesa Restaurant
Is it a smoker’s patio? A fireplace lounge? A trendy restaurant? An ivy-walled, architectural Chia pet? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. There’s a lot going on at Costa Mesa’s hipster newbie that attracts scads of the too-cool-for-school set. Plus, this is Orange County, so the crowd inevitably includes some emptynest boomers. The obvious hook here is the retractable glass roof that, when open to the night sky, allows smokers to light up. And boy, do they. An eastern wall is lushly covered in vibrant green ivy (apparently nicotine-tolerant) that supplies soft contrast to the patio’s taut lines and hard surfaces. The contemporary Cal-Med fare is by turns inspired, amateurish, thrilling, and middling. Sometimes all in one meal. Unlike the eyecatching ivy art wall, the rookie kitchen is still establishing some roots.
Mesa Restaurant
725 Baker St.
Costa Mesa
714-557-6700
Sapphire Laguna
Azmin Ghahreman may be a seasoned citizen of the world, but he has a soft spot for Laguna Beach. After stints in farflung luxury resorts (O.C.’s St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa, most recently), Ghahreman decided to make his indie debut at Coast Highway’s beloved and iconic Pottery Shack. It took long months to appease the municipal gods and much cash to artfully remodel the site in a way that didn’t smother its homegrown mojo, but the result charms locals and tourists alike. Ghahreman’s outlook on dining is simple: Because, according to the experienced chef, O.C. food-lovers have developed wider palettes over the years, they’re a more adventurous lot now, which inspires new creations and calls for new trends. “If that helps a new place succeed,” he says, “it’s good for all of us [restaurants.]” His worldly take on fine cooking is simultaneously exotic and comforting (curry of the day, anyone?). Add a sprawling, ocean breezy patio dotted with tangerine umbrellas and crowned with the spruced up statue of “the Greeter” Eiler Larsen, and this rustic-chic gem offers much to this beach village known for welcoming outsiders.
Sapphire Laguna
1200 S. Coast Highway
Laguna Beach
949-715-9888
www.sapphirellc.comThe Winery
Forged in the kitchen of Morton’s The Steakhouse, where beef gets the 1,800-degree treatment, alums J.C. Clow and William Lewis knew they could take the heat when they broke away from the revered Santa Ana beefery to create their own brand of VIP hospitality. Of course, there is prime steak, fresh seafood, and a flashy 5,000-bottle wine cellar. Unlike Morton’s, there are huge windows, multiple patios, live music, and the culinary genius of lauded Chef Yvon Goetz. To see what Goetz brings to this show, skip the rib-eye and go for his Alsatian tart or Duck Two Ways. The restaurant can’t hide in Tustin’s higgledy-piggledy center The District, so the masses and investors are wasting no time filling those plus-sized leather chairs and velvet banquettes. Plenty of private rooms and wine lockers are clues The Winery intends to mollycoddle those old big shots and spoil some new ones. Check out our peek into a few of those lockers on page 46.
TheWinery
2647 Park Ave.
Tustin
714-258-7600
www.thewineryrestaurant.netLucca Café
Irvine’s dapper Lucca Café continues to defy the suburban formula by emphasizing quality over quantity, adventure over predictability, discovery over cowardice. Lunch still plays it the safest, but once the cubicle warriors depart, the kitchen cranks out scintillating small plates inspired by the season. The intrepid wine selection complements some of the choicest charcuterie around, so they make it easy by pouring half-glasses and custom flights. Plus, the counter is a welcoming spot for a solo nosh on some of that sexy cheese in the deli case. Slowly but surely, chef-owner-dreamer Cathy Pavlos is luring foodies out of their gated communities and into her Euromindset café.
Lucca Café
6507 Quail Hill Parkway
Irvine
949-725-1773
www.luccacafe.net
Sophomore Standouts
Getting better all the time
Bluefin
If you’ve got a yen for Zen, you have two choices at Crystal Cove. One, park yourself on a sandy blanket at the ocean’s edge and bliss out watching the waves roll in, or two, seat yourself at Takashi Abe’s slick, serene Japanese treasure, Bluefin. Adoring disciples were bereft when Matsuhisa-alumAbe left his flagship sushi bar, only to rejoice when he resurfaced in the glossy, pricey Promenade overlooking the coast. The view isn’t predominant (imagine how that would affect those steep tariffs), but the sea imbues every aspect, from the shimmering blue water wall, to graceful tableware, to the pristine sashimi on your plate. This quiet season is the ideal time to worship at Chef Abe’s temple and trust your every bite to his celebrated rite of omakase.
Bluefin
7952 E. Coast Highway
Newport Beach
949-715-7373
www.bluefinbyabe.comInfusion
In our newly hatched suburbs, where developers hedge their bets by leasing retail space to chain names, Infusion was a standout from the start. Lonnie and Claire Shepard cast their mom-and-pop operation as a martini-centric American bistro with modern, from-scratch cooking. Think Seared Scallop Salad and Flat Iron Steak with Boursin macaroni. Real housewives and the men who support them couldn’t drive their Beemers there fast enough. Today, the upscale grub is holding up nicely, and the martinis, well, vodka is pretty timeless. In Ladera Ranch, the small bar and chef’s counter is the watering hole to beat. At dinner, don’t even think of making the drive from Coto without reservations.
Infusion
25612 Crown Valley Parkway, Suite L-1
Ladera Ranch
949-364-1100
Leatherby's café Rouge
Poor Leatherby’s. All dressed up, and no one to admire you. After its bright debut inside the sparkling citadel of the new Renée and Henry Segestrom Concert Hall, the sleek Patina Group ingénue lost her vaunted Chef Mark Gold. Then a raft of flashy newbies gathered attention, and Leatherby’s slipped off the radar. Too often the gorgeous modern room encased in serpentine sky-high glass seemed quiet as a crystal crypt. Not anymore. A booming theater season and the arrival of Chef Lauren De Rouen have awakened this sleeping beauty. De Rouen’s work bears the imprint of her time at Pinot Provence (under FlorentMarneau), but her confident take on Asian-inflected California cuisine again is attracting the smart set that this stunner needs to thrive.
Leatherby’s Cafe Rouge
615 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa
714-429-7640
www.patinagroup.com
Well-Aged Classics
Five that have stood the test of time
Antonello Ristorante
With irrepressible vigor and vision, founder Antonio Cagnolo has kept Antonello, South Coast Plaza’s lavish villa fantasy, at the top of the heap for ref ined Italian dining. Masterful work from longtime chef Franco Barone, supported by a deep wine cellar and silver-tongued service, keep the region’s cognoscente coming back for frequent pampering. Cagnolo spoils his power-elite regulars, but the enchanting setting also attracts dashing Romeos with bulging Bulgari wallets and svelte, slinky dates.
Antonello Ristorante
3800 Plaza Drive
Santa Ana
714-751-7153
www.antonello.comFive Crowns
Ever so delicate nips and tucks keep Corona del Mar’s ivycovered landmark fresh enough to lure lusty loyalists since 1934. Yes, it’s still Lawry’s-owned, so the prime rib is reliably terrific. Many old-timers were sad to see the wench costumes die out (though the waitresses shed no tears), but the service still sparkles, and veteran chef Bill Brask still packs the manor with fans of his polished take on English classics and California creations.
Five Crowns
3801 E. Coast Highway
Corona del Mar
949-760-0331
www.lawrysonline.comThe Hobbit
This isn’t dinner, it’s an event. Pageantry, almost. Special occasion diners book far in advance for their seven-course French-continental gorge that’s choreographed from appetizers in the wine cellar to cognac after dessert. Chef-owner Michael Philippi’s cuisine rated No. 1 in the current Zagat Survey, but his happy customers rarely recall the prix-fixe meals in much detail. Probably because they’re sated silly by their Gatsby-esque encounter with indulgence.
The Hobbit
2932 E. Chapman Ave.
Orange
714-997-1972
www.hobbitrestaurant.comThe Ritz Restaurant & Garden
Fashion Island’s grand dame of continental dining is so old school it could be circling back to new again. Dark, clubby, and discreet, the lived-in luxury retains its appeal for that romantic evening or, say, dinner with your niece. Stellar service and a dynamic bar scene ensure faithful patronage from the old money coastal set. Always tops for business lunches and deal closings. Hosting your in-laws here is never a bad idea, either.
The Ritz Restaurant & Garden
880 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach
949-720-1800
www.ritzrestaurant.comTradition by Pacal
Back in the day (1988), Pascal Olhats appeared as our messiah of libertine French fare by turning us on to the foods of France’s earthy Provence and Normandy regions. The reward for making the pilgrimage to his sweet, anti-glam storefront was sensuous cooking that tasted novel compared with the Coquilles Saint-Jacques and chateaubriand we expected. Today we return for the duck confit and thyme-encrusted sea bass we can’t imagine life without. And despite the name change during the last face-lift, we still call it “Pascal” because it’s … tradition.
Tradition by Pascal
1000 N. Bristol St.
Newport Beach
949-263-9400
www.pascalnpb.com