Orange - Three Seventy Common

SEC: News
DT: 12-11-2014 ZN: 1 ED: 1 PG #: 1
PG: Cover_A
BY: wfawthrop
TI: 12-10-2014
22:29 CLR: C
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TAKING A STAND
Athletes are talking about social issues.
It’s happened before. SPORTS
PRICE: $1
·
·
THURSDAY, DEC. 11, 2014
OCREGISTER.COM
County
seeks GPS
monitoring
overhaul
AN
EXPLOSION
OF
TASTE
In wake of serial slaying case,
supervisors ask for legislation
linking state, federal systems.
BY KEEGAN KYLE and MEGHANN M. CUNIFF
STAFF WRITERS
Orange County lawmakers want additional
oversight of parolees wearing GPS ankle
bracelets and better communication between
government agencies in the wake of two local
registered sex offenders being charged with
serial murder.
Prosecutors say the Anaheim men, Steve
Gordon and Franc Cano, raped and killed four
women from October 2013 to March this year
while wearing GPS bracelets. The men were
supervised by state parole and federal probation officials.
Supervisor Todd Spitzer said this week that
the case exposed flaws in law enforcement's
ability to track convicts wearing GPS bracelets. At least one agency prohibited Gordon
and Cano from associating, but the men still
met frequently while drawing little attention
Register critic
looks at the best
in local
restaurants.
S E E G P S ● PA G E 1 5
Explaining
that the most
important tools he
has are his hands,
chef/owner Ryan Adams
applies a signature clap to a
bag of flour at Three Seventy
Common in Laguna Beach.
CINDY YAMANAKA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
O
range County eateries can
match up with any, anywhere –
even Mexico City. After 400
meals and 8,000 local miles, our
restaurant critic, Brad A. Johnson,
recounts some of the year’s exquisite
culinary experiences. Enjoy! LIFE | FOOD
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: Taco Maria
MARK RIGHTMIRE, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
A front-loader builds 10-foot berms near
Balboa Pier in Newport Beach on Wednesday.
See more weather photos inside Local.
CHEF OF THE YEAR: Ryan Adams,
Three Seventy Common and The North Left
PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR:
Nasera Munshi, Little Sparrow
State braces
for monster
storm
OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE:
Wine Works for Everyone
O.C. ICON AWARD: Basilic
BEST NEW RESTAURANT: Driftwood Kitchen
INSIDE
Year 1 of
Obamacare
Small companies gear up to
provide health insurance.
BUSINESS 1
Kendrick moves
to Dodgers
Angels gain pitcher.
SPORTS 1
SKATE BOOM
68/58
72/55
Coast
Inland
Weather in Local
Holiday season in Orange
County means temporary,
outdoor ice rinks. They’re
cooler than cool. NEWS 6
Abby Life 8
Comics Life 4
Deaths Local 8
●
●
●
Richard Yakkey, co-owner
of Holidays on Ice Mission
Viejo, helps Hailey Cook, 3,
learn how to skate.
●
●
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Orange County Register
is a Freedom Communications
newspaper. ©2014
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STAFF
PHOTOGRAPHER
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TV Life 6
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®
North told to expect deluge,
while we get high surf.
The biggest storm in five years is expected
to batter Northern California, with forecasters calling for up to 8 inches of rain in coastal
mountains and a couple of feet of snow in the
Sierras tonight through Friday. The last time a
storm this big hit the state was early 2009.
Locally, forecasters predict up to 2 inches of
rain tonight through Friday, with dry weather
returning Saturday. Waves as big as 14 feet are
predicted for local beaches on Friday. Storm
and tide advisories are in effect. NEWS 14
HOLIDAY CLEANING SPECIAL
25 0FF
$
Cleaning Completed By 12/31/14
asthma & allergy friendly™
Minimum charges apply. Must present coupon at time of service. Not valid with any other offer or coupon. Residential only. Combined living areas, L-shaped
rooms, and rooms over 300 sq. ft. are considered 2 areas. Protector not included. Valid at participating locations only. Certain restrictions may apply. Call for details. asthma & allergy friendly™
Promo Code: 25LOCAL
.
. ASTHMA & ALLERGY
SEC: Life
DT: 12-11-2014 ZN: 1 ED: 1 PG #: 1
PG: Cover_E
BY: dcomfort TI: 12-10-2014 13:13 CLR: C
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LIFE FOOD
THURSDAY, DEC. 11, 2014
1
20 1 4 R ES TAURANT AWA RD S
R E S TAUR A N T
OF THE YEAR:
TA C O M A R I A
Arrachera with hanger
steak is among dishes
at this exemplar of
modern Mexican.
MARK RIGHTMIRE,
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
TOP TABLES
CRITIC BRAD A. JOHNSON BOILS DOWN HUNDREDS OF MEALS INTO HIS LIST OF O.C.’S BEST.
SEE PAGE 3
O . C. ICO N AWAR D : B AS IL IC
CH E F O F T H E YE A R: RYA N A DA MS , T H RE E S EVEN TY C OMMON
A ND T H E NO RT H L E FT
PA STRY C HEF OF THE YEAR :
NASER A MUN SHI , LI TTLE SPAR R OW
The Newport
Beach
restaurant
is a triumph
of tradition
that refuses
to let itself
become dated.
The best is often
saved for last,
like this Opera
Torte, at Little
Sparrow Cafe.
Showing entrepreneurial as well as
culinary boldness, Ryan Adams is
making a bet on Santa Ana.
CINDY YAMANAKA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
CINDY YAMANAKA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
PAUL RODRIGUEZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ALSO INSIDE | A NEW TAKE ON WAFFLES PAGE 2 | ZUCCHINI LATKES FOR HANUKKAH PAGE 9
SEC: Life
DT: 12-11-2014 ZN: 1 ED: 1 PG #: 3
PG: PageB_E
BY: dcomfort TI: 12-10-2014 13:19 CLR: C
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LIFE | FOOD
Register
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 Life 3
1
B R AD A . JO H N SO N ’ S
2014 RESTAURANT AWARDS
The new, the old, the faces and places that make dining a pleasure in O.C.
C
TOP 10 NEW RESTAURANTS
hef of the year? Best new restaurant? The greatest desserts ... ? To condense a
year’s worth of dining into just six awards is a daunting but delicious task. The
possibilities were numerous, but the awards are few.
To arrive at these selections, I dined more than 400 times, driving more than
8,000 miles from one end of the county to the other in a never-ending search for something
great to eat. In the end, it comes down to this: the best of the best for 2014.
RESTAURANT
OF THE YEAR:
Taco Maria
When Taco Maria
opened last year, the
kitchen did not serve
tacos. The message was
loud and clear: This isn’t
that sort of place. The
menu has since evolved –
growing more refined
each day. At dinnertime,
the kitchen still offers a
four-course, prix fixe
menu that changes
monthly, and it usually
includes a single taco.
But it’s never really just
a taco. In November it
was a black tortilla
topped with peanuts and
buttery-soft calamari,
pigweed and delicate
purple flowers. The tortilla got its color from
the ink of the very same
squid that filled the taco,
and the cornmeal from
which that tortilla was
made came directly from
the farmer who grew the
corn – because that’s the
sort of a place this is.
The best way to experience the full-sensory
ride of Taco Maria is to
sit at the kitchen counter
and watch the crew up
close. Led by chef and
owner Carlos Salgado, a
team of only three or
four cooks remains laser-focused, each obsessing over just a couple of
dishes, again and again,
all night long. They work
much of the shift without
saying more than a few
words but constantly
communicate with a nod
here, a gesture there,
perfectly in sync. It’s an
unspoken language understood only by the best
of chefs.
It quickly becomes
clear that anything less
than perfection is not
tolerated, not because
there’s an evil Gordon
Ramsay-type chef at the
helm but because that’s
simply what everyone on
staff expects from themselves. It’s an attitude
that permeates the entire operation. The head
waiter previously
worked at far ritzier
places, such as the St.
Regis and Montage,
which drives home the
message: Taco Maria
isn’t a taco joint. The
wine pairings are sophisticated and perfectly
matched: a California
grüner veltliner with a
bowl of geoduck clam,
sea urchin and freshly
captured tomato drippings, for example, or a
spicier-than-usual Chianti matched with woodgrilled beef and housemade blue hominy grits.
The blue corn for those
grits comes from yet a
different farm, near
Santa Barbara. Taco
Maria bought the entire
crop.
Taco Maria has grown
up awfully fast. Despite
its very casual vibe, I
cannot think of another
restaurant in Orange
County where the entire
staff is as polished and
professionally mature.
To the many worldrenowned restaurants in
Mexico City, take note:
Taco Maria is nipping at
your heels. This is quickly becoming one of the
most important Mexican
restaurants in the Americas, and it just keeps
getting better.
3313 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa; 714-538-8444,
tacomaria.com
ROSE PALMISANO, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Kathie Carter, left, and Krystal Stewart enjoy lunch with
a side of sea at Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach.
1.Ocean
Driftwood
Kitchen
breezes, crashing waves and spectacular sunsets.
Whole fried redfish. Roasted halibut and a crisp grüner
veltliner. Sticky toffee pudding. 619 Sleepy Hollow Lane,
Laguna Beach; 949-715-7700, driftwoodkitchen.com
2. Solita Tacos y Margaritas: Awesome margaritas and
civilized sangrita. Soulful enchiladas. Oak-fired carne
asada from a Santa Maria-style grill. Soulful enchiladas.
Bella Terra, 7631 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach;
714-894-2792, solitatacos.com
3. The Winery: Epic lamb chops. Chili-rubbed mahi-mahi.
Milk-fed elk. USDA prime steaks. Legendary wines and
birthday vintages. 3131 W. Pacific Coast Highway, Newport
Beach; 949-999-6622, thewineryrestaurant.net
4. Waterman’s Harbor: Modern seafood on the harbor.
Swordfish au poivre. Mexican-style shrimp cocktail.
Prawns with Asian rice dumplings. Plus one helluva
burger. 34661 Golden Lantern St., Dana Point;
949-764-3474, watermandp.com
5. The North Left: A phoenix risen from the ashes.
Beetlejuice on the rocks, the signature cocktail. Ribeye
tartare with bonito flakes and vermouth sabayon. Prawn
ceviche with coconut milk and Fresno chili. Stewed apples
with miso ice cream. 400 N. Broadway, Santa Ana,
714-543-3543, thenorthleft.com
6. Pueblo Tapas: Finally, great Spanish tapas in O.C. Lamb
meatballs, pork belly with clams, housemade chorizo and
lentils, pan con chocolate. The wine list still needs work.
SoCo, 3321 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa; 714-340-5775,
pueblotapas.com
7. Wei Shian Noodles: Dumpling house with 30 seats and
crystal chandeliers. Spicy Sichuan-style dandan noodles –
electroshock therapy has never tasted so good. 5408
Walnut Ave., Irvine; 949-653-6138, weishiannoodles.com
8. Pirozzi: Next-gen, slow-food Italian. Wood-roasted
prawns. Bistecca Fiorentina. Handmade pasta. Plus O.C.’s
most authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. 2929 E. Coast
Highway, Corona del Mar; 949-675-2932, pirozzicdm.com
9. Adya: Fast-casual Indian with the soul of a chef. Order
at the counter, then find a seat. Tender, luscious,
yogurt-marinated chicken. Wickedly good keema pav.
Packing House, 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim;
714-533-2392, adyaoc.com
10. Provenance: Garden-fresh redefined. A vegetable
lover’s lucid dream. Salad days. Steak nights. Housemade
cream soda. 2531 Eastbluff Drive, Newport Beach;
949-718-0477, provenanceoc.com
PHOTOS: MARK RIGHTMIRE, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
At top, a taco that makes the strongest non-taco-joint statement ever is made with
squid, squid ink, peanuts and purslane at Taco Maria in Costa Mesa. Above, a seat at
the counter offers a view of the quiet ballet of the kitchen.
HUNGER GAMES: THE MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 (XD) (PG-13) 105 405
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (XD-3D) (PG-13) 8:00PM 11:45PM
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE (3D) (PG)1115 150 425 750
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (3D) (PG-13) 9:30 10:15
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (PG-13) 8:45 11:00
TOP FIVE (R) 8:00 8:45 9:30 10:15 11:00 11:45
BIG HERO 6 (PG)1105 1225 155 320 445 615 740 905
BIRDMAN (R)1105 200 455 750 1045
CHAKKALIGINTHA (NR)1230 350
DUMB AND DUMBER TO (PG-13)1130 220 510
EQUALIZER, THE (R)1240 350 705 1015
FURY (R)1250 400 710
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (R)1125 1250 215 340 505 630
755 1020 1045
HUNGER GAMES: THE MOCKINGJAY, PART 1(PG-13)1100
1205 205 305 505 805 1000
INTERSTELLAR (PG-13)1255 250 445 640 835 1025
JUDGE, THE (R)1235 355 715 1030
KAAVIYA THALAIVAN (NR)1200 320
KIRK CAMERON’S SAVING CHRISTMAS (PG)1200
LINGAA (TAMIL) (NR) 6:00 8:00
LINGAA (TELUGU) (NR) 7:00 9:00
NIGHTCRAWLER (R) 115 415 715
PANIC 5 BRAVO (R)1100 120 340 555
PAST TENSE (NR) 1110 200 455 745 1040
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE (PG)1205 100 240 335
515 615 700 1035
PYRAMID, THE (R)1230 300 530 800 1030
ST. VINCENT (PG-13)1155 240 520
THEORY OF EVERYTHING, THE (PG-13) 110 410 710 1010
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (XD-3D) (PG-13) 800 1201
HUNGER GAMES THE MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 (XD) (PG-13) 100 400
BIG HERO 6 (3D) (PG) 135 645
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (3D) (PG-13) 900 1015
1100
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE (3D) (PG) 1205
230 500
BIG HERO 6 (PG) 1100 1200 240 410 520 805 1040
DUMB AND DUMBER TO (PG-13) 1120 200 435 720
EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS (PG-13) 805 1000 1205
FOXCATCHER (R) 110 420 730 1035
FURY (R) 1225 355 705 1030
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (R) 1100 1145 1250 220 340
425 455 620 740 940 1015
HUNGER GAMES THE MOCKINGJAY, PART 1 (PG-13)
1100 1140 1220 150 230 320 445 520 615 745 810
915 1040 1135
INTERSTELLAR (PG-13) 1230 410 755 1010
NIGHTCRAWLER (R) 1110 155 440 735 1020
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, THE (PG) 1115 1240 145
315 415 545 640 810 905
PYRAMID, THE (R) 1245 310 535 800 1025 1130
ST. VINCENT (PG-13) 140 710
THEORY OF EVERYTHING, THE (PG-13) 1105 1235 200
330 450 625 750 920 1040
Buy Tickets Online
www.regencymovies.com
CINDY YAMANAKA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Three Seventy Common’s Ryan Adams is the type of chef who can raise the mundane to high art. He’s also the type willing to gamble on a risky location, opening The
North Left at the site of a notorious Santa Ana killing, the former Crosby nightclub.
CHEF OF THE YEAR:
Ryan Adams, Three Seventy Common
and The North Left
Fettuccine, sausage,
garlic, broccolini and an
egg: There’s a good chance
we all have these ingredients in our fridge. But
nobody makes better use
of them than chef and
owner Ryan Adams at
Three Seventy Common in
Laguna Beach. In his
hands, these everyday
items become one of the
best, simplest, most memorable pasta dishes of the
year.
Adams has a way of
turning the mundane extraordinary. A grilled
cheese sandwich becomes
an unlikely star, served one
bite at a time. Poutine, a
heap of fries smothered in
a glop of short rib chili,
becomes a strangely refined culinary masterpiece.
Meatloaf encased in a
crisp layer of bacon awakens as an individual work
of art.
Roughly once a month,
Three Seventy Common
sends out an alert to its
loyal customers that family-style buckets of fried
chicken will be offered on
an upcoming Sunday, and
if you’re lucky enough to
open your email before
everyone else, you might
still be able to get a reservation. Good luck with
that. The chicken is hauntingly good and eerily reminiscent of Thomas Keller’s
Ad Hoc in Napa Valley,
except maybe even better.
Capitalizing on the success of Three Seventy
Common, which Adams
opened in 2011, it was inevitable that he would
branch out. The Laguna
Niguel native could have
opened a second restaurant pretty much anyS E E AWA R D S ● PA G E 1 0
WESTMINSTER 10
6721 Westminster Ave.
Featuring New High-Back Love Seats
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 E (1:20, 2:20, 4:00, 5:00), 6:40, 7:40,
9:25, 10:25
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR B (1:10, 2:10, 3:35, 4:35),
6:00, 7:00, 8:35, 9:35
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 C
(12:30, 1:30, 3:30, 4:30), 6:30, 7:30, 9:30, 10:30
DUMB AND DUMBER TO C (2:00, 4:50), 7:35, 10:20
BIG HERO 6 B (1:40, 4:20), 7:10, 9:50
INTERSTELLAR C (12:00, 4:00), 8:00
NIGHTCRAWLER E (4:20), 7:20, 10:15
THE BOOK OF LIFE B (1:50 PM)
CHARTER CENTRE 5
7822 Warner Ave. at Beach 714-596-3456
All Seats $3.00 • $1.00 All Beef Hot Dogs
DRACULA UNTOLD C 12:30, 2:40, 5:15, 7:45, 10:00
THE JUDGE E 4:15, 7:15, 10:15
THE GOOD LIE C 1:15 PM
THE BOXTROLLS B 11:55, 2:05
THE EQUALIZER E 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55
THE MAZE RUNNER C 12:15, 2:50, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY C 4:00, 9:30
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3D C 6:45 PM
LAGUNA SOUTH COAST TWIN
Broadway/S. Coast Hwy.
949-497-1711
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 E (4:20), 7:20
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 C
(4:00), 7:00
Bargain Showtimes in ( )
DIRECTOR’S CUT CINEMA
714-893-4222
Rancho Niguel Road
949-831-0446
Enjoy a Glass of Wine with your Movie
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING C (11:25, 2:10, 4:55),
7:40, 10:20
FOXCATCHER E (12:30, 3:30), 7:10, 10:05
THE HOMESMAN E (1:00, 4:00), 7:00, 9:50
ST. VINCENT C (11:10, 1:45, 4:15), 6:50, 9:20
BIRDMAN E (11:00, 1:40, 4:30), 7:20, 10:10
WHIPLASH E (11:20, 1:50, 4:35), 7:15, 9:45
GONE GIRL E (3:15), 10:00
BOYHOOD E (11:45), 6:30
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
26762 Verdugo Street
949-661-3456
HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 - VIP SEATING E (1:00, 4:00), 7:00,
9:45
PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR B (1:30, 4:30), 6:45, 9:00
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 C
(1:15, 4:15), 7:10, 10:00
INTERSTELLAR C (12:30, 4:20), 8:00
SOUTH COAST VILLAGE 3
At South Coast Plaza/Sunflower & Plaza Dr. 714-557-5701
BOLSHOI BALLET: LA BAYADERE ENCORE I Tue:
7:00 PM
TOUCH THE WALL I (12:00, 2:30, 5:00), 7:30, 9:55
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING C Mon & Tue: (1:00,
4:00), 7:00, 9:50; Wed: (1:00, 4:00), 9:50; Thu: (1:00, 4:00),
7:00, 9:50
BIRDMAN E Mon: (12:45, 3:45), 6:45, 9:30; Tue: (12:45,
3:45); Wed & Thu: (12:45, 3:45), 6:45, 9:30
HOLIDAY INN I Wed: 7:30 PM
“Locally Owned, Proudly Operated”
Showtimes for December 8-11
SEC: Life
DT: 12-11-2014 ZN: 1 ED: 1 PG #: 10
PG: Back_E
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BY: dcomfort TI: 12-10-2014 13:18 CLR: C
LIFE | FOOD
Life 10 Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014
1
Register
AWARDS: O.C.’s best restaurants in 2014
AND, BRINGING
UP THE REAR …
Worst service for an
expensive meal
Bayside, Newport
Beach. Good food
cannot save the utterly
dismal, disinterested,
inattentive, indifferent,
totally clueless service.
Worst downgrade
Smoqued BBQ, Orange.
What happened to this
place? It used to be so
good, but the brisket
now is just terrible, so
chewy and dry. The
cornbread, too.
Worst steak
Tie: La Cave, Costa
Mesa; Savannah Chop
House, Laguna Niguel. I
think Sizzler would
have been better.
Worst crudo
Cucina Enoteca,
Newport Beach. Raw
fish should never taste
like canned sardines,
but that’s exactly what
the hamachi crudo
here tasted like.
Worst bang
for the buck
The Loft at Montage,
Laguna Beach. When
rotisserie chicken
costs $36 per person,
it ought to be
revelatory, not simply
average and served at
room temperature.
I asked the sommelier
for a wine
recommendation in the
range of $75; he
recommended
something for $200
instead. What?
Worst wine list
Selanne Steak Tavern,
Laguna Beach. All
cabernet sauvignons
and red blends –
ranging from a
predominantly
zinfandel blend to the
more classical
meritage style wines –
are lumped under a
single heading with a
generic overview
description that reads:
“Common Cabernet
Sauvignon flavors
people taste are
blackberries, coffee,
licorice, plum, smoked
herbs, black currant,
chocolate, tannins,
cedar, lead pencil, and
leather.” Even worse,
the wines are listed
without any reference
to the specific grapes
or blends of each
selection. Despite
some excellent wines,
this is easily the
stupidest, most
amateurish,
nonsensical wine list I
have ever seen.
F R O M PA G E 3
where, and diners would
have come. But the location he chose for a followup venture is the site of
one of the year’s most
notorious crimes, the infamous nightclub killing at
the former The Crosby in
downtown Santa Ana. It
was a daring move that
cannot go unmentioned
and might ultimately prove
too much to overcome.
However, I sincerely
believe The North Left, the
phoenix that Adams has
raised from those ashes,
could be exactly what
downtown Santa Ana has
long needed to push it
beyond the tipping point.
Some of the kitchen crew
from the old place remains
at the stoves, but with
Adams now running the
show, everything feels
different: grown up, wellbehaved, organized and
earnestly focused on being
taken seriously as a restaurant.
Adams splits his time
between The North Left
and Three Seventy Common, devoting quality time
to both kitchens every day.
The cooking in Santa Ana
is an evolution of what he
started at Three Seventy, a
dose of the familiar with a
pinch of the unexpected.
Three Seventy Common, 370 Glenneyre St.,
Laguna Beach; 949-4948686, 370common.com
The North Left, 400 N.
Broadway, Santa Ana;
714-543-3543,
thenorthleft.com
PASTRY CHEF
OF THE YEAR:
Nasera Munshi,
Little Sparrow
The power of a great
last bite should never be
underestimated. That final
impression often determines whether a restaurant’s customers will return.
Little Sparrow continues to establish itself as
one of the most exciting
restaurants in Orange
County, and one of the best
things about dining here is
always dessert. Before
joining the opening team
at Sparrow, Nasera Munshi worked in the pastry
departments at David
Myers’ Comme Ça and
Thomas Keller’s Bouchon,
CINDY YAMANAKA, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Chef and owner Bernard Althaus manages the delicate process of keeping his Balboa
Island restaurant, Basilic, both fresh and traditional.
PAUL RODRIGUEZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
An ile flotante, with its cloud of meringue,
is a testament to the skill of Little Sparrow Cafe pastry chef Nasera Munshi.
two of L.A.’s best French
brasseries, so it’s no surprise that her desserts
continue a Francophile
theme.
Order the seasonal clafoutis, her interpretation
of the classic French tart.
The filling changes regularly depending on what’s
in season. A few months
ago, it was plum. Currently, it’s apple. The filling
doesn’t matter. You don’t
even have to like apples or
plums or whatever. The
crust alone makes this tart
so special, it will haunt you
every single time you attempt to eat pie again for
the next six months.
And it’s not just the
clafoutis. It’s everything
I’ve ever encountered on
the dessert menu here: the
chocolate doughnuts at
brunch, the decadent chocolate torte at dinner, the
chocolate mousse with
caramelized bananas, the
ile flotante (floating island).
The meringue in Mun-
NICK KOON, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jean and Darren Coyle offer a wine list
full of pleasant surprises – including the
prices – at Wineworks for Everyone.
shi’s floating island tastes
as if she reached up and
pulled it from the clouds,
so light and fluffy that the
slightest breeze could
easily spirit it away. Fortunately it is weighted down
with toasted almonds and
anchored in a bath of perfect creme anglaise.
300 N. Main St., Santa
Ana, 714-265-7640;
littlesparrowcafe.com
OUTSTANDING
WINE SERVICE:
Wineworks
for Everyone
If you asked the average
sommelier to dream up the
perfect wine list, no expenses spared, all bases
covered, most would turn
to a guide such as Wine
Advocate and start checking off the classic estates
and legendary vintages
until the cellar was full.
Darren and Jean Coyle,
the duo behind Wineworks
for Everyone in Mission
Viejo, chose a much different approach. Scan their
list. They make no pretense toward the cult of
Robert Parker. Instead,
they offer an obscure,
constantly changing collection of terrific, modestly
priced wines – roughly 60
or 70 at a time – that even
the geekiest of wine geeks
probably hasn’t tasted.
And in doing so, they have
leveled the playing field for
everyone. Ordering wine
becomes an adventure, no
matter your expertise or
private-cellar status.
The only way someone
can create a list like this is
by tasting a lot of wine,
which everyone on staff
seems to have done. Tell
your waitress you prefer
big, full-bodied reds, and
she might bring two 3ounce pours of a Herman
Story Syrah and Orin
Swift’s D66. The former is
a smoky, hedonistic,
“Games of Thrones” sort
of drink. The latter, made
by former Opus One winemaker David Phinney, is a
raunchy, sexy, Rhone-style
blend that defies its own
stereotype and crosses
into a cabernet lover’s
domain. “If you don’t like
it, let me know and we’ll
explore something else,”
she says. But more likely,
you’ll leave here with an
extra bottle of each under
your arm. Wineworks isn’t
just a restaurant and wine
bar, it’s also a retail boutique with some of the
fairest prices around.
26342 Oso Parkway,
Mission Viejo, 949-5820026; wineworksfor
everyone.com
O.C. ICON AWARD:
Basilic
that continues to set the
standard and raise the bar
for the entire restaurant
community. This year that
honor goes to Basilic, a
tiny storefront bistro on
Balboa Island where chef
and owner Bernard Althaus has been serving
classic French/Austrian
cuisine since 1997.
Basilic is a secret window into the past, a virtual
time machine to another
era somewhere high in the
Alps. Keeping it classic –
while also remaining relevant – is an extraordinarily
difficult balancing act.
Rare is the restaurant that
pulls this off without eventually feeling dated. Basilic
understands this perfectly
and continues to feel fresh
even when serving something as simple as a slice of
cheese. Every meal here
involves at least two paper
doilies, and the wine list is
strictly, unapologetically
French. Dated? Not in the
slightest.
Seriously, though, order
the raclette, which is nothing more than a slice of
cheese, a couple of fingerling potatoes, a gherkin
and a pickled onion. The
plate is untouchably hot,
the cheese bubbling. The
fragrance is intoxicating.
A salad of blue crab
tastes of little more than
the crab itself, unpretentious and decadent. Endive
is melted into an ethereal
cream sauce with prosciutto and becomes an enigma
so much greater than the
sum of its parts. The rack
of lamb is always superb,
as is the apple tarte Tatin.
Note: If you want a reservation, you will have to
pick up the phone – and,
most likely, speak with
Althaus himself.
217 Marine Ave., Balboa
Island, 949-673-0570;
basilicrestaurant.com
BEST NEW
RESTAURANT:
Driftwood
Kitchen
The cocktails. The view.
The wine. And, most importantly, the food. Driftwood Kitchen is the total
package. It feels like the
restaurant we’ve all been
waiting for but never realized we were missing until
someone finally opened it:
a great, chef-driven, openair dining room that dangles over the beach and
doesn’t cost a fortune for
the experience.
Chef Rainer Schwarz
makes it look easy, turning
out baked-to-order Parker
House rolls and beautiful
charcuterie boards. The
buttermilk-fried soft-shell
crabs are as good as you’ll
find on the West Coast.
And the halibut is stunning, served atop a fricassee of summer corn and
fava beans. Rising-star
pastry chef Rene Baez
seals the deal with the
perfect sticky-toffee pudding and a tongue-in-cheek
riff on carrot cake.
619 Sleepy Hollow Lane,
Laguna Beach, 949-7157700; driftwoodkitchen
.com
The O.C. Icon Award
praises an institution –
open for at least 10 years –
C O N TA C T T H E W R I T E R :
[email protected]
★ COUPON ★
PURCHASE ONE
LUNCH OR DINNER
ENTRÉE & GET THE
SECOND ONE FREE
Lunch maximum discount $7 and Dinner discount maximum $14
(WITH PURCHASE OF 2 BEVERAGES)
One coupon per table, per party. NO separate check, please. Not valid with other discount ofer,
promo or Roma Bucks, and on Holiday. Valid only at Tony Roma’s Fullerton. Expires 12/30/2014.
Not valid on 12/24/2014.
Tony Roma’s Fullerton
1300 South Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832
714-871-4000
www.tonyromas.com