Great Restaurants in Newport Fashion Island CA
Newport, CA is such a beautiful place, between the Bay, the Ocean, the dunes and of course the trendy and luxury fashion spots such as South Coast Plazza http://www.southcoastplaza.com/ and Fashion Island and with some views on the Ocean, this is always great to go there. My husband had to go there a few times lately for his job and he convinced me to see this place. So we went there on a sunny, lovely day, last August and of course I loved it! The Exotic sofas and umbrellas with the Ocean view are such a great idea, to take some breaks between your shopping! Indeed.
Anyway ,on our way back to the car we spotted Brasserie Pascal, http://pascalnpb.com/locations.htm. I never really saw a Brasserie on the West Coast on the East Coast you have plenty. We entered to have a look and it was lovely with red, black, brown it was looking and smelling ( in a good sense as a Brasserie), the Menu and a la carte looked good. So with my husband we decided to come back and treat ourselves with Escargots and Steak Tartare! Again when leaving this area we spotted : “True Food Kitchen” restaurant and we had no idea what is was.
Back home I googled “True Food” kitchen, http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/ and was intrigued by the name. And tada I found what I have been looking for years: a restaurant with healthy but delicious food in So -Cal. Since my husband and mylsef are huge fans of Dr Weil, it made sense to check -out this place.
So last weekend we went there for our Anniversary. We decided to go to Braserrie Pascal for the diner first and then go to True Food Kitchen restaurant for cocktail and dessert.
This was a truly lovely dinner, the ambiance, the decor, the service was really nice.
We ordered Cote du Rhone wine. Very nice. Then the staff brought us some delicious bread with Aoili-calamata Olives dip. It was delicious!
Warm bread served with aoli -calamata olives dip
First my husband ordered snails en croute. I tasted one it was really good.
Escargots en croute
I had Saucisson Lyuonnais with French lentils salad.
Warm Lyonnais Saucisson
The presentation was lovely, the warm saucisson delicate with pistachios, but unfortunately the French Green Lentils (Lentilles du Puy) where hard and not cooked enough. In France we eat them soft, never hard. So it was not so good.
My husband ordered the Steak Tartare that the server prepared in front of us.
Steak tartare prep
He loved it and I tried it and loved it too, there were not enough French Fries, though!
I had the Hachis Parmentier made with beef and duck. It was fantastic. With it I had a Warm Frisee salad with bacon and poached egg. What a treat, this salad with the Hachis parmentier were superb.
Warm frisee salad with bacon and poached eggs
We were very full after the meal and I was a little dizzy from the wine. But I really, really wanted to check the True Food Kitchen.
True Food Kitchen
At 9,600 square feet, the Newport Beach restaurant is nearly twice the size of the Phoenix location, with seating for more than 250 guests. It includes a 2,700 square foot outdoor patio, which features a striking “living wall” of succulent plants and a modernistic firepit.
About Dr. Andrew Weil
A world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, Dr. Weil is a best-selling author and editorial director of DrWeil.com, the leading online resource for healthy living based on the philosophy of integrative medicine. Dr. Weil’s books include the national bestsellers: Spontaneous Healing; 8 Weeks to Optimum Health; Eating Well for Optimum Health; The Healthy Kitchen, and Healthy Aging. He is the Director of Integrative Health & Healing at Miraval Life in Balance Resort. Dr. Weil is an internationally-recognized expert for his views on leading a healthy lifestyle, his philosophy of healthy aging, and the future of medicine and health care. As a columnist for Prevention and TIME magazines and a frequent guest on Larry King Live, Oprah, and the Today Show, Dr. Weil provides valuable information and insight on how to incorporate conventional and complementary medicine practices in one’s life to optimize the body’s natural healing power.
This is the kind of place you want to stay for ever. The kitchen is completly opened and you can see everyone’s job. The ladies who are filling the raviolis, the other one who are shopped vegetables… Everyone is busy but they do not look stressed or tired like in usual restaurants’ kitchen. In the center of the restaurant there is a juice bar.
We went outside, it was a lovely, warm Californian night and had a seat near the pit table, a long rectangle table with a long pit. Lovely. The lounge chairs were beautiful and comfortable.
The kitchen
Outside by the Pit
Orange Olivello sorbet
We shared an Orange Olivello Sorbet. Don’t know what is Olivello? Do not worry it was the same for us! Since you are asking, they are bays imported from Italy, the most powerful antioxidant fruits you can find.
For coktail I did not want any alcohol since I drank too much wine before! So I had Hangover RX a freshly blended from coconut water, honeydew melon and pineapple. Exactly what I needed.
My husband had a Retail therapy with Vodka, Grand Marnier, Strawberries, lemon , basil.
It was a lovely, lovely moment, only us, beautiful setting, people, food an drinks. 6 hours of freedom without kids!
A big thank you to Sylvain our wonderful nephew “au pair” who watched the kids!
The verdict?
We will visit these places again. The Brasserie was lovely but the True Food kitchen intrigued us in order to come back and have an entire meal there!
A bientot!
Emily
Oh this was fun to read! Chock full of fun foodie goodness. Glad you and the hubby had some time to yourselves and the True Kitchen looks amazing. You are adorable Celine!