Newport Beach Magazine: December 2019/January 2020
Gourmet
A Festive Feast
Local eateries emulate traditional dishes, making for a slightly unconventional holiday meal.
Regardless of the traditions you adhere to, the main attraction is almost always the same at holiday parties: That’s right, it’s the food. From the start of the giving season through the new year, everyone looks forward to their favorite festive fare. Here, we offer an alternative to a traditional holiday meal by presenting local restaurants’ renditions of a few Yuletide classics. Whether you’d like to keep it simple and try a taste of one, or make an evening out of it with a progressive dinner throughout our jovial seaside town, these dishes are sure to tantalize your taste buds and make for some nostalgic noshing during this celebratory season.
Fig and olt speck appetizer | Photo courtesy of A Restaurant
A Restaurant
Though it’s not in pudding form, there is a figgy dish at A Restaurant that will surely get you in the holiday spirit: a fig and olt speck appetizer. To create this complex bite, Executive Chef Jonathan Blackford brings together local black Mission figs, high-end speck (lightly smoked, dry-cured ham) from Italy and other pure, simple ingredients including hazelnuts, honey mascarpone, 30-year-old balsamic vinegar, Thai basil, 1923 extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt—a tasty juxtaposition of salty and sweet flavors. The balsamic and basil work to brighten up the plate while the crunchy nuts and creamy mascarpone offer a contrast of textures, making for a dish that delights all of your senses. (949-650-6505; arestaurantnb.com)
Roasted satsumaimo potatoes | Photo by Darin Meyer
Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens
After finding satsumaimo sweet potatoes at a farmers market, chef-owner Rich Mead created a decadent side dish for the regular menu at Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens. The potatoes—which are redolent of a Japanese treat traditionally served in observance of the new year—are roasted in aluminium foil, then sliced and drizzled with an apple cider molasses glaze. “One word to describe this dish is umami: The sweet, tangy and savory … glaze brings out the sweet and rich flavor of the potato, which has a slight bitterness from the skin,” Mead says. “… The textures complement each other nicely, as the outside of the sweet potato gets a little crispy … while the inside remains fluffy and creamy.” (949-640-1415; farmhouserg.com)
Roasted goose | Photo by Anne Watson
Five Crowns
Though turkey is often the bird of choice, Executive Chef Alejandra Padilla offers a different type of poultry at Five Crowns: goose. “My inspiration, this year, was the beautiful passion fruit and oranges that we grow in our on-site garden,” Padilla says of the recurring holiday entree that varies slightly from year to year. The fruits are used to make a sweet yet sour glaze and these flavors contrast with the five-spice roasted goose breast and thigh confit as well as butter-poached savoy cabbage and garlic potatoes. “The aromas of the dish evoke warmth from the roasted skin and the scent of toasted spices are reminiscent of mulled wine,” she explains. “The goose is rich in flavor and almost has a beef steak-like quality to it.” (949-760-0331; lawrysonline.com)
The Happy Huladays cocktail | Photo courtesy of Tommy Bahama
Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar
Instead of scooping cranberry sauce onto your plate, opt for a liquified version with the Happy Huladays cocktail at Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar. This seasonal concoction incorporates a base of Mount Gay Black Barrel rum as well as house-made cranberry-ginger syrup, lemon juice and a splash of prosecco. The alcohol offers an oakiness and a bit of bite that’s balanced by the sweet yet tart syrup and effervescent bubbly. Served up in a coupe glass and garnished with fresh cranberries as well as a mint sprig, the vibrant coloration of this drink turns heads in the dining room—and it certainly tastes as good as it looks. (949-760-8686; tommybahama.com)
Pumpkin croissant pudding | Photo courtesy of Oak Grill at Fashion Island Hotel
Oak Grill
The most important rule to follow during the holidays? Always save room for dessert. At Oak Grill, Pastry Chef Andy de la Cruz has combined two iconic dishes—pumpkin pie and bread pudding—to create a pumpkin croissant pudding. This sweet treat combines pumpkin puree, cinnamon and other spices, which are blended together and poured over sliced, toasted croissants before being baked. “The dish is warm and comforting with a creamy texture and a touch of crispness,” he says, noting the buttery and spicy flavors as well as an aroma profile that’s reminiscent of the holiday season. The pudding is served with house-made Guinness ice cream and warm Valrhona chocolate sauce poured tableside. (949-760-4920; fashionislandhotel.com)
The snug at Fable & Spirit | Photo by Kyle Fierro
Taste of the Town
Enchanting Eats
There’s nothing fictitious about a delicious meal at Fable & Spirit, which recently released a lunch menu.
Just over three months after Fable & Spirit opened on the Balboa Peninsula, this eclectic eatery was given top honors at the Golden Foodie Awards in September, deemed Best New Restaurant. Then, in October, the dining establishment released its lunch menu, which serves as a continuation of the seasonal ingredients and bold flavors found in dishes on the dinner menu.
While the interior design and decor are decidedly Irish, these menus draw influence from all over the world—including Spain, Asia, England and more—but with a modern American feel and a classic French foundation due to Executive Chef David Shofner’s professional background.
Once inside, diners can choose between a seat at the bar or in the main dining room, while parties of up to six people may opt to get cozy in the snug: a sort of walled-off booth. This traditional Irish seating arrangement was originally intended for women to avoid drunk men in crowded pubs, but has since developed into the ideal place to have an intimate, midday gathering with loved ones.
Smoked black cod cake appetizer | Photo by Kyle Fierro
So, grab a chair and a glass of sparkling cabernet franc, such as a rose varietal by Pierre & Bertrand Couly. The lack of acidity and creamy texture allow for this versatile sip to complement virtually everything on the menu. Also be sure to order the famous Guinness brown bread, served with honey butter and sea salt, to get your meal started.
Another appetizer that’s made to share is the beet agnolotti. Also available on the dinner menu, this bright bite features house-made pasta, goat cheese foam, a hazelnut crumble, oak barrel-aged balsamic, lemon and crispy kale. This makes for a refreshing juxtaposition of textures, from the smooth, creamy pasta and cheese to the added crunch from the kale and nuts.
For seafood lovers in search of a larger plate, the smoked black cod cake combines the dish’s namesake fish with salmon, braised baby leeks, summer corn, garlic confit and Meyer lemon, all of which is then breaded and fried. Perfectly crisp, briny and slightly smoky with a creamy interior, this flavor profile has an interesting yet inviting contrast that creates a perfectly rounded dish—literally and figuratively.
Steak frites | Photo by Kyle Fierro
Another mystical main course is the cracked pepper bucatini. At first glance, this dish may look robust and earthy, but in reality, it’s a light bite that tastes like the sea. With Manila clams, pancetta, Parmesan and smoke-cured egg yolk as well as homemade noodles, this briny yet creamy pasta certainly hits the spot, and is also available on the dinner menu. If you prefer something from the land, opt for the prime flat iron steak frites, a classic pairing that includes fries tossed in a Peruvian sauce, toybox tomatoes and sweet onions.
Be sure to save room for dessert, as standout options include a warm lava chocolate cake and the lemon brioche bread pudding, which incorporates melted blueberries on the inside. Both offerings pair perfectly with an authentic Irish coffee, which has a beautiful contrast of cold cream on top and the hot coffee layered underneath, for what is essentially a dessert in and of itself.
And if co-owners Darren and Jean Coyle are on the floor, they will be happy to tell you all about the history of this gorgeous space, the fable-inspired art on the walls or their journey as restaurateurs—as one might imagine, they have an abundance of fascinating stories to tell.
