The Gossiping Gourmet: A door worth sliding open

My husband and I recently discovered a small bistro on Balboa Boulevard near the pier. The chef, Kevin Cahalan, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked for Bradley Ogden and Wolfgang Puck, among other chefs.

He and his fiancée, Natalie Sarle, are the co-owners of the Sliding Door Café and Bakery, which opened just short of a year ago. It seems like a perfect little neighborhood bistro, except for the fact that its location makes it a convenient stop for tourists as well.

As you enter, you notice the bakery case, a small arched alcove offering a cozy spot for couples and tables crowded together in the rest of the room. Stone tiles cover the floor, and the now de rigueur random mixture of lighting fixtures can be seen overhead. The atmosphere is very laid back.

Our waiter was quite friendly but a bit too casual when describing the menu. He said everything was good but offered few specifics. He also forgot to bring us bread, but he did give us a bowl of curry-flavored popcorn to munch on as we perused the menu. We really didn’t need the bread.

The list of small plates was appealing and we tried several, beginning with the molasses glazed, itty bitty pork ribs, which came with a small salad. These short, fat little ribs were very meaty and had a nice char on the outside. They were glazed with a good barbecue sauce that was just a tiny bit sweet and a tiny bit spicy.

Bite-sized empanadas were filled with a chili-spiked mixture of chicken and corn and served with a delicious cilantro-lime crema that was perfect for dipping. Another small plate that was really not that small was the lobster mac and cheese. The creamy fusilli pasta was rich and cheesy with aged cheddar, little bits of tasso ham and lobster and herbed bread crumbs to provide crunch.

One of our guests loved the East Coast clam chowder. It was nice and creamy, loaded with potato pieces and bacon and seasoned with herbs, but it need more of a clam flavor. That same chowder can be ordered in a sourdough bread bowl. That, and the very good Caesar salad with pumpernickel croutons, made a meal.

A perfectly cooked risotto was accented with pieces of mild sausage and strips of crunchy asparagus, all slathered in a rich cheese sauce.

Very rare ahi tuna was wrapped in a spicy crust and served with a white bean salad in a tart dressing, with salty olive bits, red peppers and snow peas, which created a nice balance.

We enjoyed the handmade gnocchi with asparagus and bits of lobster, but found the gnocchi itself to be a bit mushy, although flavorful.

Desserts at Sliding Door are all house-made and can be viewed in the cold case in the front. We selected the peanut butter fudge bar on our waiter’s recommendation. It had a peanut butter base and a chocolate fudge topping, but we found it to be cloyingly sweet. Much better was the cheesecake with a chocolate crust and a light, creamy cheese filling that was quite good.

The menu also has a variety of burgers, from a classic cheeseburger to a buffalo wing burger to a surf ‘n’ turf with lobster, avocado and onion confit. Other sandwiches, all served with apple honey slaw and house-made chips, include a pressed cubano, a lobster BLT, a corned beef reuben and a pulled barbecue pork, to name a few.

The Sliding Door Café also serves breakfast and lunch and does takeout.

TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.

Sliding Door Café and Bakery

Where: 704 E. Balboa Blvd., Newport Beach

When: 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays

Prices:

Appetizers: $7 to $13

Entrées: $23 to $30

Desserts: $3.50 to $6

Wine:

Bottles: $29 to $42

By the glass: $8 to $11

Corkage fee: $10 (first bottle free)

Information: (949) 673-7173 or theslidingdoorcafe.com