New menus and forthcoming concepts are setting Orange County’s culinary scene ablaze.
PRJKT RESTAURANT GROUP
Prjkt Restaurant Group founder Alicia Whitney, the brains behind SeaLegs at the Beach, is continuing to make her mark on Huntington Beach with a new 10-year agreement with the California State Park System. The exciting new deal allows for Whitney and her team to open three new beach concessions—The Huntington Beach House, Sahara’s Sandbar and California Fork & Spoon—plus SandBox, a recreation kiosk. The Huntington Beach House will offer full menus of elevated fare from sunup to sundown, plus fire pits, sandboxes and a 120-foot seated counter overlooking the Huntington boardwalk, while Sahara’s Sandbar will focus on pizza, and California Fork & Spoon will embrace the Golden State with a redwood-carved bear statue, an original West Coast mural and plenty of SoCal-inspired cuisine. prjktgroup.com
SCARLET KITCHEN & BAR
The bright flavors of spring and summer are alive and well at Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge, where chef-owner Paige Riordan has debuted a new seasonal menu. “Allowing nature’s jewels to be the star of the show allows me to lean into my roots of plant-based cooking,” says Riordan. Don’t miss chicken and corn risotto, spring beet and burrata salads, blackened fish tacos and more. 30865 Gateway Place, Mission Viejo, 949.503.3086, scarletkl.com
THE MAYOR’S TABLE PACIFIC PUB & KITCHEN
A fabulous new menu of whimsical cocktails is being served at Lido House’s Mayor’s Table Pacific Pub & Kitchen thanks to executive chef-partner Riley Huddleston. The fresh lineup—dubbed Cocktails from the Kitchen— features six new libations served in photoworthy vessels. The Blowfish (shown above) is a glass depiction of the sea creature that arrives filled with clarified pineapple juice, Flor de Cana white rum, banana peel lactic syrup, fermented pineapple juice and cardamom-infused Aperol. Meanwhile, The Russian Doll is a frozen sipper that includes clarified strawberry juice, French vanilla bean and Herradura blanco tequila that oozes with liquid nitrogen from inside a traditional Matryoshka doll. Make a res—your photoop awaits. 3300 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, 949.662.6160, lidohousehotel.com
SPLASHES RESTAURANT
Surf & Sand Resort’s signature restaurant, Splashes, continues its homage to the full moon with more dates for its High Tide dinner series, a monthly fete featuring an exclusive coursed menu. Indulge on June 24 in celebration of the strawberry moon or Aug. 22 to toast the blue moon. Expect dishes like pea and black truffle agnolotti, agave chili-glazed pork belly or Colorado rack of lamb. 1555 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, 888.281.3502, surfandsandresort.com/splashes
O SEA
With a commitment to transparency in sourcing its seafood, O SEA is a new ocean fare-focused concept in Old Towne Orange from restaurateur Mike Flynn. “My deep passion for responsible coastal cuisine led me to develop this concept, which has been designed to make seafood approachable, contemporary and just plain fun for our guests,” says Flynn, who tapped executive chef David Yamaguchi, an alum of Water Grill and Bottlefish, to craft its innovative menu. Dive into dishes like Santa Barbara seaweed salad, wild Fijian albacore tuna poke and steamed mussels in pho broth with freshly torn herbs and crusty bread for sopping. Now that’s making a splash. 109 S. Glassell St., Orange, 714.363.3309, eatosea.com
PUESTO MEXICAN ARTISAN KITCHEN & BAR
It’s a feast for the senses at the latest location of Puesto, now open at Huntington Beach’s Bella Terra, where the expert design of San Diego’s BASILE Studio shines bright. The third O.C. location of the award-winning Mexican restaurant is the largest, clocking in at 7,600 square feet, where its culinary dream team includes executive chef-partner Luisteen Gonzalez, culinary director Erik Aronow and executive creative R&D chef Ian Tenzer. Order Puesto’s signature tacos, featuring handmade, non-GMO, organic blue corn stone-ground tortillas, paired with a tequila or mezcal flight, curated by bar and spirits creative director Beau du Bois, and let the fiesta begin. 7821 Edinger Ave., Ste. 110, Huntington Beach, 714.316.0151, eatpuesto.com
A+O RESTAURANT | BAR
Inspired by its waterfront locale, Balboa Bay Resort’s A+O Restaurant | Bar has debuted a colorful new look by designer Shannon Cook—think yellow-and-white-striped umbrellas to complement the fire pits on its beloved patio—plus all-new menus from executive chef Octavio Sabado. Sip a cocktail, like the tequilatinged Coconut Grove, and explore new signature dishes, including grilled ancho-glazed octopus and a butcher-block 16-ounce prime ribeye. 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach, 949.630.4285, balboabayresort.com
Photography by: Candace Rock; Courtesy of Outshine PR; Timothy Kwon/Parallel Medium; Courtesy of Surf & Sand Resort; Kristin Smetona of Smetona Photo; Dustin Bailey; Baldemar Fierro
