FIVE CROWNS MODERNIZES WONDERFULLY!
Review by Sheryll Alexander
The old timbered beams overhead, the slightly creaky floors and the well-dressed servers (no longer in controversial wench outfits) still welcome you to Corona Del Mar’s iconic Five Crowns restaurant, but the interior and the menu have been revamped most wonderfully.
Yes, Five Crowns has finally come into the 21st Century and in a very California “casual elegant” style or so we thought when we entered the main dining room after a months-long renovation that closed down the restaurant.
What does Five Crowns look like now? Dark paneled walls are painted a sunny, cozy and muted golden mustard yellow. Four-top tables feature two high-backed muted gray leather chairs and two turquoise-and-gold silk covered classic wood chairs. I was impressed how the new golds, turquoises and grays don’t overwhelm the charming Old World space, but add more modern by-the-sea elements in a surprisingly subtle way.
As for the menu and the service, Five Crowns doesn’t disappoint either. Both are still superb and worthy of a trip for a leisurely dinner, special occasion or romantic interlude.
Chef Wilson’s “New” Menu
Longtime effervescent Chef Dennis Brask has retired and Five Crowns is lucky to have Chef Ryan Wilson (who just happens to be part of the founding Frank family of Lawry's restaurants fame) at the helm of the “new Five Crowns.”
We were a bit worried when we saw Chef Wilson had cut the menu down to just one page. All of our intrepidations faded away, however, when we realized this most basic menu still has all the classic Five Crowns dishes plus a few delicious new ones.
We start every Five Crowns meal with a Pimm’s Cup. This absolutely refreshing cocktail made with Pimm’s, orange, cucumber, mint, lemon, strawberries and lemon-lime soda opens the palate and gets the tongue loose for the (hopefully) lively dinner conversation.
Don’t miss ordering at least one appetizer as Chef Wilson’s summer menu is thick with excellent starters. We enjoyed the Mary Alice’s Pride Salad with its delicate lettuce, toasted pistachios, oh-so-light sheep’s milk cheese and smoky bacon lardons. Other good choices are the crispy pork belly (with roasted peaches and a lavender gastrique), Sonoma foie gras torchon (pickled bing cherries all atop toasted brioche bun) and white corn chowder (with Dungeness crab and lemon verbena).
Prime Rib Heaven Exists!
Sure, you can still get Five Crowns’ roasted Prime ribs of beef in four different cuts. (The Fred Flinstone-sized 18 oz. Henry cut is no longer on the menu, but you can still request it.) These dishes come with melt-in-your mouth hunks of Prime rib, a silver carafe of au jus, Yorkshire pudding, whipped cream organic horseradish and a classic side (creamed corn, spinach or mashed potatoes).
We found the other old and new entrées at Five Crowns are also good, serious eating for real foodies. Some love the “bricked little chicken” with buttery Yukon gold potatoes and English peas. Seafood lovers are happy with the grilled sea bass or roasted ling cod.
We tried one of Chef Wilson’s newest entrée items. The cocoa-rubbed “bistro filet of beef” was super tender and flavorful. However, we enjoyed the “cheesy faro” even more and the Bing cherry demi glace and bits of bitter arugula combined to create the perfect beef dish (especially with 2000 BV Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley). Yum!
Other signature sides such as the “Stilcheddar” macaroni and cheese, sautéed broccolini, “smashed” Yukon golds and spiced sweet carrots are worth the extra $5-7. For summer, try the summer pole beans with a lemon basil sauce.
Cheese, Please!
One of the best new things about Chef Wilson’s menu is the cheese platter. Offered before only to gastropub guests at the adjacent SideDoor, these excellent three- and five-cheese selections can start or end an always memorable meal at Five Crowns.
Or, end your relaxing dinner with dessert. We always enjoy the C.C. Brown’s hot fudge sundae or the order-early dark chocolate souflée with Devonshire-style double cream. On this visit, we gratefully gulped down the seasonal apricot and almond puff pastry “strip” with delightful brown butter gelato.
Don’t think Five Crowns will ever be the same? It won’t. Nothing stays the same. This “new” Five Crowns has not transformed the “bones” of this place one bit. The venerable old Five Crowns and its vibrant new décor and crew still brings it as a place to experience a meal worthy of your hard-earned cash.
Sheryll Alexander runs a lifestyles news media agency based in Costa Mesa, California. Follow her! @sheryllalexande
