Dining
The New Waterfront A&O Kitchen+Bar
06.30.14
Newport’s newest waterfront bar and restaurant, A&O Kitchen+Bar just opened at the Balboa Bay Resort. A&O, an abbreviation for Anchors & Oceans, specializes in gastropub fare such as shared plates, hearty dishes, and creative cocktails.
A&O also features a centerpiece tap system with eight craft beers from renowned breweries and two wines on tap from ONEHOPE Wine. Proceeds from sales of the ONEHOPE’s sparkling wine are dedicated to ending childhood hunger; the Chardonnay and Cabernet wine kegs will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County.
On the A&O menu, Executive Chef Vincent Lesage and chef de cuisine Rachel Haggstrom are offering a twist on classic favorites such as the Nice Rack (baby back ribs), Birthday Suit (beef tartar, raw beef and French fries), and Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (beer marinated fried chicken with biscuit and gravy). Pastry chef Brooke Martin offers innovative desserts such as Nutella Pot De Crème, Tobacco and Whiskey Brulee, and a selection of Hangover Beer Floats.
The full menu can be viewed here.
The interior of A&O is casual and rustic, with wood floors, reclaimed barn siding wall, and live edge wood communal dining tables and bar top. The large horseshoe-shaped bar, overlooks the harbor, and it’s a great place to watch a game or enjoy the sunset. We loved the custom lighting fixtures with sailing rope looping over amber glass. For the outdoors, you can relax and stay warm near two fire pits during cool evenings.
Open 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
A&O Kitchen+Bar is at Balboa Bay Resort at 1221 Coast Highway in Newport Beach. 949.630.4285.
Nirvana’s Summer Menu
06.23.14
Nirvana Grille in Laguna Beach, a delicious farm-to-table dining experience will launch its new summer menu on Tuesday. In celebration of the season and the restaurant’s recent six-year anniversary, Executive Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales and her husband/co-owner Luis Rosales invite you to enjoy any of the new dishes at half price and select wines at 25% off from Tuesday through Sunday, June 29. And, the rooftop Bliss Bar Patio and Lounge will open Tuesday, July 1 for the summer season nightly offering bar, lounge and rooftop dining.
Highlights from the new summer menu include housegrown organic roasted figs – honey goat cheese stuffed Turkish figs, parma de prosciutto, wild arugula, balsamic reduction; Burrata and Heirloom Tomato Salad with heirloom tomatoes, burrata, balsamic reduction, basil pesto, kalamata olives, micro arugula, olive oil, smoked black salt, pepper; Sunflower and Beet Salad with sunflower sprouts, arugula, feta, roasted beets, ruby grapefruit, roasted sunflower seeds, preserved lemon and balsamic Dijon vinaigrette; Pistachio Dijon Rack of Lamb with pistachio panko crust, rosemary demi-glace, goat cheese mashed Yukon gold potatoes, broccolini with shallot butter; Coriander Spiced Black Cod with asparagus, fennel, tomato, citrus and herb saffron cream sauce, organic jasmine and grain rice with baby daikon and garbanzo.
For dessert, there is a Cashew Almond Salted Caramel Pie with Lecuma macadamia and almond crust, pink Himalayan salted caramel, raw cacao chocolate, cashew almond and coconut milk custard (vegan, gluten-free, raw and organic); and Glazed Seasonal Fruit - A seasonal offering of fruit (apricots or housegrown organic figs depending on availability) glazed with Grand Marnier and vanilla sugar, served atop housemade goat cheese maple ice cream.
Open 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday. Happy hour is available all night, every night in designated bar areas throughout the year.
Nirvana Grille is at 303 Broadway, Ste. 101 in Laguna Beach on the corner of Beach and Broadway. 949.497.0027.
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