Eat & Drink Special Section

A Gourmet Gathering

The Newport Beach Wine & Food festival returns for its fifth year of culinary artistry.

With an impressive lineup of celebrity chefs and more than 40 Orange County restaurants providing tastings, Newport Beach Wine & Food (formerly the Newport Beach Wine & Food Festival) returns this fall for its fifth edition, marking a milestone for the epicurean event that debuted in 2014 and continues to showcase the culinary delights of our beachside town and beyond.

“It’s bringing notoriety [and] more attention to the city of Newport Beach as a desirable, affluent community that people want to visit and live in,” says founder and CEO Stefanie Farnsworth Salem, noting that the festival has become a signature event for the city.

Salem started the festival after Taste of Newport ended in 2012, with a goal of creating an upscale, world-class event for local gastronomes, and that’s exactly what she did. This year’s lineup features the return of Nobu Matsuhisa, who will present a VIP cooking demonstration and lunch at his illustrious, eponymous restaurant in Lido Marina Village. Georg J. Riedel, 10th generation owner of his family’s namesake wine glass company, will also be in attendance to host a master glass tasting with Hundred Acre winery from Napa Valley, Calif.

Other celebrity guests include Food Network star Duff Goldman, perhaps best-known for the former “Ace of Cakes” TV show; James Beard Award-winner Hubert Keller; and Devin Alexander, the health-conscious chef for contestants on “The Biggest Loser.” There will also be plenty of local icons, such as Amar Santana of Broadway by Amar Santana in Laguna Beach and Vaca in Costa Mesa, Richard Blais of The Crack Shack in Costa Mesa and Brian Huskey of Tackle Box in Corona del Mar, all known for appearing on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” plus “Chopped” winner Alejandra Padilla of Five Crowns in Corona del Mar and Candace Nelson, founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes, which has a location in Corona del Mar Plaza, who also served as a judge on “Cupcake Wars.”

True Food Kitchen | Photo by PencilBox Studios — True Food Kitchen | *Photo by PencilBox Studios*

This year’s festival builds on previous iterations, adding a wider range of premier events spread out across multiple venues—from meals prepared by celebrity chefs to a twilight cruise—and many are already selling out. “We try to mix it up every year. We’ve found that people tend to enjoy more interactive and exclusive events, so that’s what we deliver,” Salem says. “[I want] … to create a weekend that is highly anticipated by the community and one that I can’t wait to experience myself.”

Festivities start with an opening night reception Oct. 4 at The Resort at Pelican Hill. Attendees will be treated to a five-course dinner presented by award-winning cooks, “Top Chef” stars and top local chefs alike, with wine pairings by master sommelier Michael Jordan. This will be followed by a Q&A session, during which guests can ask the chefs their most pressing culinary questions.

The festival continues Oct. 5 with an event called Fire It Up at Balboa Bay Resort, where celebrity chefs will be cooking fare over barbecues, which will be accompanied with a musical performance by Common Sense, a reggae-rock band based in Orange County. In the evening, take a twilight cruise on Hornblower’s Endless Dreams yacht, during which 250 VIP guests will mingle with the celebrity chefs and listen to a special performance by Bruce Kalman (of “Top Chef” fame) and Goldman’s band, Foie Grock.

A taste from Marche Moderne | Photo by PencilBox Studios — A taste from Marche Moderne | *Photo by PencilBox Studios*

The next day, there will be two sessions of the master glass wine tasting with Riedel, which will be held at The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, while a VIP Champagne and caviar tasting will be held simultaneously at the Newport Beach Civic Center. This will be followed by a special seminar: 101 Reasons to Drink More Wine, A Hilarious Romp Through Science, Medicine, History and Religion of Drinking, led by Wes Hagen, winemaker and brand ambassador for J. Wilkes winery in Santa Maria, Calif., which will also be held at the Civic Center.

Then, of course, there’s the Grand Tasting, which is the main attraction of the festival and runs Oct. 6 and 7 at the Civic Center. The two-day event will include cooking demonstrations as well as fare by the participating chefs, plus tastings of more than 250 types of alcoholic beverages. Newport restaurants taking part include Fig & Olive, Marché Moderne, Olea, Red O Restaurant, Sushi Roku, True Food Kitchen and many more. Later that night, a private estate in Newport will host another VIP event called Shaken, Stirred and Twisted, featuring “Top Chef” competitors who will cook up specialized courses and go against one another to in a blind-draw mixology challenge.

On the final day of the festival, the Grand Tasting is preceded by a VIP cooking demonstration and lunch prepared by Matsuhisa, complete with wine, sake or cocktail pairings for each dish. This will overlap with one last VIP event, a Franciacorta Italian sparkling wine tasting, which will include six exquisite Metodo Classico wines. The weekend festivities will come to a close after the second Grand Tasting, which will showcase cooking demonstrations and cuisine by celebrity chefs, plus more tastes from local restaurants. With so much delectable food to try, remember to pace yourself as you sip and savor of all of the best dishes and drinks in Newport and OC.

Taste of the Town

Dine Feature: The Reel Deal

Circle Hook Fish Co., the newest harborside eatery at Lido Marina Village, is serving up seafood with sustainability in mind.

Two local fishermen with popular restaurants under their belt have opened a new eatery on the waterfront at Lido Marina Village. Fourth-generation Dory Fishing Fleet member Scott Breneman, also of West Caught Fish Co., and Thos Carson, founder and owner of Bear Flag Fish Co., a renowned seafood restaurant and fish market, and Wild Taco, a popular spot for Mexican fare—both of which have locations in Newport—teamed up to create Circle Hook Fish Co., an ocean-to-table concept with a mission to serve only the freshest line-caught seafood from local waters. Set overlooking Newport Harbor, with the Bear Flag fishing boat docked right outside, this space is nothing short of a nautical paradise. From the ocean-themed decor and turquoise accents that are reminiscent of crystal clear waters to, of course, all the delicious dishes, diners are certainly in for a treat.

The fast-casual restaurant features counter service and bar-style seating, both inside and outside, and there certainly isn’t a bad seat in the house. If you dine at the right time, you may even see the Bear Flag fishermen pulling fresh catches off the boat—such as the swordfish we saw hoisted straight into the kitchen. And it was fitting that one of the plates we tasted was a daily special (which will always be based on what the fishermen bring in either that morning or the day before): grilled, juicy and tender harpoon-caught swordfish featuring a house-made black garlic butter quenelle, served with organic black rice and a hearty mixture of seasonal, roasted veggies.

Another daily special, which actually didn’t contain any seafood, was bruschetta with herbed goat cheese, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and crisp, spicy garlic all atop grilled bread. If you’re looking to start your meal with a light bite that is still full of fresh flavors and packs a bit of heat, this is the perfect dish on a summer day. Wash it down with a refreshing cocktail, such as the restaurant’s signature blood orange margarita, which is beautifully garnished with a blood orange slice as well as a sprig of mint. Other drink offerings including mimosas, bloody marys and a cocktail of the day, as well as a selection of draft and bottled beer, wine and soft drinks.

For a shareable appetizer, opt for the Thai curry and coconut cream-soaked clams and black mussels. This dish is the ideal mixture of simple, classic flavors from the shellfish, with a more exotic taste from the Asian fusion twist in the broth. Another item that follows this theme is the banh mi sandwich, which also features locally caught fish—and was a personal favorite. On the day we dined there, the fresh catch was bluefin tuna, which was blackened and placed in a soft, grilled baguette with Asian coleslaw and topped with a homemade spicy aioli. This play on a Vietnamese classic, which can also feature crabcakes as the main ingredient, comes with spicy Asian cucumbers and one side, such as traditional, coconut or Asian coleslaw; fries; or the aforementioned veggies or black rice.

Other popular items include the vodka-battered, tempura-style fish and chips (or you can opt for shrimp and chips), as well as oysters on the half shell, calamari fries, crabcakes, a lobster roll, seafood-filled soups and much more. The restaurant also offers a children’s menu, though it is simple, with a choice between fish and chips or chicken tenders, just in case your little one hasn’t yet acquired a taste for the bounties of the ocean.