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The Gossiping Gourmet: Sol Grill is more than neighborhood ristoranti

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We have stumbled on a charming little restaurant on the Balboa Peninsula. Locals have been enjoying it for nine years, and we are delighted to recommend it to you.

Sol Grill reminded us of one of those small neighborhood ristoranti on a side street in some Southern Italian city that you find by accident, and return to again and again.

Just across the way from the Newport Pier, Sol Grill is a cozy little spot with dark red walls, black chairs, lots of candles and red-hued lighting from an eclectic mix of fixtures.

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Chef Aron Cervantes does an excellent job with mostly traditional Italian food, particularly with his interpretation of classic sauces. The flavors are distinctive, balanced and complex, and the portions are hearty. There are also some American and Asian dishes. This is just the kind of food that appeals to almost everyone.

We started with the ahi chowder.

We ordered only a cup to save room for what was to come but it turned out that the cup would have been a bowl at any other restaurant. It was hard to stop eating this unique version of chowder with its creamy tomato base that was redolent of garlic and basil and bursting with flavor. Bite size chunks of ahi and crunchy cubes of zucchini and yellow squash abounded.

Shrimp scampi was also interesting.

Scampi is usually prepared with, garlic, oil, butter and white wine. The chef added light cream, chunks of tomato and mushrooms. It came in a large flat soup bowl with “lotsa” sauce; a sauce so delicious that we ate it with spoons like a soup. The shrimp however, was just ordinary and a bit overcooked.

The dishes on the menu that seemed to appeal to us were all fish or seafood, although Sol Grill is known for Grandma Jill’s meatloaf. They do have a filet of beef, a rack of lamb, barbecued ribs, pork tenderloin, a number of chicken dishes and a nice selection of pastas.

Both of the pastas we tasted were perfectly cooked with a slightly chewy al dente bite. The lobster ravioli were plump with filling but the lobster was just a whisper, it was mostly ricotta cheese; however they were very good. Once again, the sauce was outstanding, this time it was a vodka tomato cream sauce. Somehow Cervantes manages to keep his cream sauces from being heavy so that cream doesn’t dominate the other flavors.

Newport linguine is his take on seafood marinara. We ordered it with the marinara on the side and enjoyed it with just olive oil, pepper, garlic and juices from the mussels and clams. The pasta itself was especially tasty.

The small mussels were sweet and tender but the clams were quite chewy and the shrimp were the same as before, a little overdone. The dish was equally good when we added the excellent, light marinara sauce.

We were equally pleased with the Mediterranean swordfish. The fish was unusually fresh tasting and moist and had been taken off the grill at just the right moment.

It was buried under a mound of chunky, fresh tomato sauce, flecked with slivers of garlic and enriched with black olives. On the side was a medley of crunchy vegetables and some nicely seasoned creamy mashed potatoes. Even after eating all this food, we still fought over the last bite of fish.

The dessert had us swooning. It was the perfect marriage of pot de crème and crème brulée. The luscious vanilla pudding was soft and creamy rather than dense because it was made with half and half rather than cream. Borrowed from crème brulée was the caramelized sugar crust on the top. The combination was dynamite.

We were surprised to find this delightful little restaurant with delicious food at reasonable prices, especially during Happy Hour (5 to 7 p.m.) with its small plate menu for $5 and entrées for $10.95 or less.

Sol Grill

Where: 110 McFadden Place, Newport Beach (Balboa Peninsula)

When: 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Entertainment is 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; Happy Hour is 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and 5 to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays; kids eat for free on Thursdays.

Prices:

Appetizers: $5-$12

Entrées: $14-$28

Desserts: $6-$9

Wine:

Glass: $6-$12

Bottle: $24-$42

Corkage Fee: $10, Thursdays free

Information: (949) 723-4105; solgrill.com

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