No truer than in Orange County, where fine dining too often coincides with unapproachable. A bar backed by an illuminated perforated grill sets the vibe. Vinyl records spin over a percussion of a cocktail shaking. Pink graffiti emblazons the bathroom walls. Scherer, who spent several years at Playground in Santa Ana, and Adams, who served as executive chef at Outpost Kitchen, have created a menu consisting of smaller shared plates and larger entree-ish dishes that are as full of eye-catching pluck as they are complex flavors.
Menu highlights include a fort of chips made with nori and colored with squid ink concealing a bright mound of wagyu steak tartare. A whole grilled trout, ideal for one person, topped with a nest of mandolined cucumbers. A roasted cabbage wedge with gorgeously charred edges paired with a beef hollandaise.
And a hand-held caesar salad, which can be picked up and enjoyed with your hand, comes with comte cheese, lacto tomatillos and a veritable garden of dill on top. The dessert part of the evening offers a handful of equally thoughtful dishes, like the seasonal ice cream that arrives at the table with classic sundae vibes; ricotta doughnuts; or a dark chocolate mousse, which has a near ganache-like texture, comes topped with a dollop of briny caviar, offering a refreshing spin on a salty-sweet combo.
Scherer says that a hamburger will be available exclusively at the bar. There will only be 10 of them available each night. It will be somewhere between a steakhouse burger and a smashburger. Now the creative output of the kitchen can be leveraged to make the bar world class as well.
Shaken drinks might include clarified pineapple juice and coconut with a float of amontillado sherry or a vermouth cocktail tinged with red seaweed. In lieu of names, cocktails are christened with numbers. The No. We have a voice and an image, just like your favorite musicians. By Brock Keeling bkeeling scng. Sign up for The Eat Index, our weekly food newsletter, and find out where to eat and get the latest restaurant happenings in Orange County. Subscribe here. More in Restaurants Food and Drink.
