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The Gossiping Gourmet: Reefs has plenty of edge

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Reefs Edge Grill calls itself “an urban grill with a gourmet flair.”

The décor definitely reflects the current trend at almost every new dining spot, meaning repurposed wood, stone floors, hanging lights with exposed bulbs above the bar, gray walls, a black ceiling and, of course, several big TVs. The back wall and the wall by the counter have lots of randomly sized empty picture frames painted white and hung together to create of a kind of collage. It is actually quite attractive.

The chef, Gary Schiffauer, was in the catering industry for 20 years, and now his Huntington Beach-based Gourmet Sensations has opened its first restaurant with the recipes created the owner.

The atmosphere is very casual and family-friendly. Guests order their food at the front counter and receive a number, then seat themselves and await their selections.

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My companion and I began with shrimp ceviche that mixed pieces of shrimp with little cubes of tomatoes, bits of red onion and slices of avocado dressed with lime juice. It was served with white corn chips that were very thin and crispy, but the ceviche needed some heat and something to balance the acidity. It was refreshingly light as a starter.

Since our first course was cold, we chose something from the “Heat it up” column for our next tasting. Calamari was lightly fried and served with a roasted garlic aioli that had a delicate hint of sweetness. The rings and tentacles were tender and not a bit greasy.

Other starters include steamed clams in white wine garlic and green onions that can also be ordered with linguini for $5 more; clam chowder; poke ahi with ginger garlic, sesame soy and mirin; a jumbo shrimp cocktail; spicy edamame; and a grilled artichoke.

The Reefs Edge Grill menu has a fish section that offers salmon, ahi, mahi mahi, boiled shrimp and miso cod, all prepared with lemon- and herb-infused olive oil and all cooked medium rare. Choose from one of four sauces. Each entrée is served with caramelized shallot orzo and carrot soufflé.

We chose the mahi mahi and the greno sauce, which was capers and lemon juice. The fish was a thin slab of very well-cooked fish, just a bit pink in the middle, juicy and so fresh tasting. The flavorful creamy lemon caper sauce had a bit of tartness. On the side was a very pretty mound of carrot soufflé with the smooth texture of finely mashed potatoes and a buttery sweet flavor. It was quite delicious. The orzo pasta seemed to be lightly fried and accented with caramelized shallots.

Our other entrée was the flat iron steak, a small, thick piece of meat that had very little flavor except for the char from the grill, which tasted a bit burned. It came with the same sides.

We loved our dessert. It was a version of a flourless chocolate cake served in the pan in which it was cooked. The chocolate was the good dark variety, and nuts had been added for texture. It was served still warm and topped with a very big scoop of good vanilla ice cream that had been drizzled with melted caramel sauce. The caramel froze on the ice cream, creating long strips of the sticky stuff.

It was the special dessert of the evening. Typically, the dessert menu offers only brownie delight and oatmeal cookie decadence.

The restaurant also offers burgers, sliders and other sandwiches, tacos, several entrees, a salad that can become an entrée with shrimp or chicken, and many sides.

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.

Reefs Edge Grill

Where: 19171 Magnolia St., Huntington Beach

When: 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays

Prices:

Appetizers: $3.50 to $14.95

Entrées: $13.95 to $18

Desserts: $3 to $7.95

Wine:

Bottles: $17 to $29

By the glass: $5.75 to $7.75

Corkage fee: $5

Information: (714) 964-4500 or reefsedgegrill.com

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