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The Gossiping Gourmet: A coastal feast at Babette’s

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The bohemian chic Babette’s Restaurant first opened in East Hampton on Long Island some 20 years ago and became one of the most popular eateries there. After many years of catering to the trendy islander set, it opened its second location on the West Coast in beautiful Crystal Cove.

It features healthy organic cuisine, farm-picked produce, sustainable-sourced meats and seafood, vegetarian and vegan offerings, and a long list of “healthy cocktails,” juices and smoothies.

The team has done a beautiful job of remodeling the space originally occupied by Pacific Whey Cafe. The front is all glass, and the windows are covered with sheer white drapes blocking the view of the parking lot. You enter through the large bar area and can choose to eat in the dining room or on the lovely patio, which has been sectioned off from the public walkway with a new wooden fence that is disguised by an attractive hedge.

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There is a small fire pit on the patio. The tables are covered by very large, square, white umbrellas. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors separate the two dining areas. The feel is casual and yet very attractive.

For starters, my husband and I chose the sesame scallion pancakes and the Manila clams. The three little pancakes were each topped with a thin slice of tender, Korean-style, barbecued flank steak and a crunchy slaw of carrots and cabbage in a very light, tasty dressing and finished with pea shoots. Our waitress asked how we would like the meat cooked and it was, as requested, medium rare and delicious.

The Manila clams lounged in a wonderful, complex tomato broth seasoned with garlic, Calabrian chili and Sauvignon blanc. Two slices of grilled ciabatta bread accompanied the dish. Sadly and oddly, the bread, which we would like to have used to sop up the broth, was very salty. It had been sprinkled with salt for some unknown reason and couldn’t be eaten. Also, the clams were quite chewy. Such a shame, since the broth was outstanding.

My husband selected the sake-soy-marinated rib eye of organic grass-fed beef, served with broccoli rabe, shishito pepper, charred-scallion bone marrow puree and a spiced pomegranate glace. It was the best steak I have tasted in many a moon.

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the beef itself was full of meaty flavor with a light char. The spiced pomegranate glaze, which added a subtle background to the beef, helped make this is a must-have dish for meat lovers. The accompanying fried broccoli rabe, accented with shishito pepper and simple oil and salt finish, was a little chewy. The coup de grace was the zippy charred scallion and bone marrow puree that came on the side as a sauce for the meat.

I was a little disappointed in the grilled wild seabass. The fish was well cooked and juicy but lacked flavor. It wasn’t seasoned at all. Fortunately, it came with a wonderful chickpea and marcona almond pesto. It was almost like a side in itself, but I used it as a condiment with each bite of fish and loved it.

The entrée came with a big piece of roasted heirloom squash seasoned with garam masala. It was very tasty. On the side were chanterelle mushrooms and sugar snap peas.

The menu includes a long list of salads, which can become entrees with the addition of crispy tofu, grilled tempeh, chicken, salmon or Korean flank steak. It also has a nice selection of vegetable preparations.

We ended our meal with a buttermilk panna cotta with a strawberry rhubarb gel, strawberries and a streusel cookie. It was a pleasant, light dessert except for the cookie, which was like a hockey puck. What we really loved was the chocolate fudge cake. It had a deep, dark chocolate flavor, and the cake was really dense and moist, just the way I like it.

Babette’s is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This East Coast favorite is destined to be equally popular here.

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.

Babette’s

Where: 7962 East Coast Hwy., Crystal Cove Center, Newport Beach

When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Prices:

Appetizers and salads: $6 to $16

Entrées: $22 to $42

Desserts: $10 to $11

Wine:

Bottles: $40 to $600

By the glass: $12 to $19

Corkage fee: $25 for first two bottles, $40 afterward; waived with purchase of bottle

Information: (949) 715-9915 or babettesoc.com

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