Fresh vegetables, garlic, seafood, poultry and steak this
place has it all and each dish is less than 475 calories. Unbelievable you say nope they can do
it. Nothing is cooked with butter but
that does not skip on the taste. The
spices and seasons are all fresh and enhance the flavor of the meat and
vegetables they do not disguise the flavor.
This place is billed as a fresh grill and wine bar. There is a piano bar with live music to
listen to in the bar area. What makes
this place unique is that the menu changes with the seasons. The chef’s specials are changed 52 times a
year.
The flatbreads are a delight. There is always one featured by the
chef. On this particular night the
special was Portobello Mushroom, garlic, basil and mozzarella. It was light and hit the spot so there was
plenty of room to move with entrée and a fabulous dessert. The garlic had just the right amount of
kick. However if flatbreads are not your
thing you can indulge in a Chicken Chile Relleno, Goat Cheese Ravioli, or Ahi
Tuna Tartar you cannot go wrong with the wide selection of appetizers.
I really wanted to try the Vegetarian Tasting featuring
quinoa-citrus salad, soft taco, chili relleno, vegetables, cedar roasted tofu
and mango chutney but since I always go with veggies I changed it up and had
the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Penne Pasta with spring asparagus, oyster mushrooms
and lemon-basil sauce. It was seasoned
to perfection the shrimp was tender and large and I must credit the chef with
giving more than just few shrimp. It was
light on the penne pasta. The
Caramelized Grilled Sea Scallops with roasted asparagus, sun-dried
tomato-mushroom pearl pasta. The pearl
pasta was a little over cooked but the freshness of the scallops was spot
one.
Desserts were advertised as each being less than 350
calories. I had to be reassured by the
waiter that this was a true statement.
Although they were small they were the perfect portion to end the
dinner. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Mouse
was rich and decadent. There is a little cake hidden at the bottom of the
dish. At first you would think that it
was not enough to satisfy that sweet tooth but by the 3rd bite you
just could not eat more than what was presented. The Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cannoli was
exceptional. Yes you can have a bad
cannoli and unfortunately I have. But
the mascarpone cheese was spot on.
The price was a little high but as we all know you get what
you pay for and healthy food done right comes at an expense. This a perfect place for date night. The service was friendly which around South
Coast Plaza is hard to come by. This
place rates 3.5 Forks Up. Like I said it
is a little pricey, but the atmosphere, food and staff make it worthy.
3333 Bristol St. Ste. 2802, Costa Mesa, California 92626 –
Located at South Coast Plaza 
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