Waterline Rising and a Classic Sazerac

With Executive Chef Vincent Lesage at the helm of Balboa Bay Resort’s refined waterfront restaurant, Waterline Newport Beach (formerly the  First Cabin), continues to offer residents and visiting Newport Beach guests stunning scenic harbor views while they savor new menus of fresh seafood, savory steaks, and delicious complements.

The House Roll (above) as served at Riviera’s Live & Dine event this year. This is what brought me in to try more. With lobster, avocado, cucumber soy paper, chipotle sauce and yuzu soy vinaigrette it is a must have. ($15)

I first met Balboa Bay’s new culinary team, which includes Rachel Haggstrom as Chef de Cuisine and Pastry Chef Brooke Martin, at a media event heralding the Newport Beach Wine Festival and again at a Twitter party at the modern beach-side gastropub A & O Kitchen & Bar (formerly Duke’s Place) which has been drawing rave reviews and a lively crowd every evening.

Waterline restaurant unveiled its new contemporary nautical design in March 2014 and presents an enjoyable water to table experience, with the freshest seafood and a unique chef-driven concept. Captivating oceanfront views of the harbor and luxury yachts lining the Club’s private marina stretch from adjacent A & O Kitchen & Bar extending the length of the casual outdoor patio dining area of Waterline.

Our experience at A & O was excellent and, a friend and I finally made it to Waterline for dinner recently. We were a little surprised that Waterline seems to be a work in progress – the cocktail menu and wine list are in the process of being totally revamped. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted to make sure and share a fabulous cocktail that you can order when you visit. So I went for the classic Sazerac which Food & Beverage Manager Ian McDermott expertly prepared for me himself.

First of all, a Sazerac should always be made using two glasses – one for the mixing and muddling and one for serving the cocktail. Delving back into history, the original Sazerac used as its base spirit a brand of cognac named Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils. At the same time, Aaron Bird, a clerk, took over the Merchants Exchange and changed its name to the Sazerac House. Its main specialty was the “Sazerac Cocktail,” a cocktail, as above, made with Taylor’s Sazerac cognac and — it is claimed — the bitters that were being made down the street by a prominent local druggist, Antoine Amedie Peychau. {Source: Esquire.com}

The classic New Orleans Sazerac is made with rye whiskey, Peychauds bitters and a lemon twist but, with oranges being the namesake for Orange County, Balboa Bay Resort decided to put a historical OC twist on their Sazaerac with a burnt orange twist and pay homage to the original by using Martell VSOP cognac.

Print

Classic Sazerac with Burnt Orange

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

_The classic New Orleans Sazerac with a smokin' Orange County twist!

Ingredients

• 3 ounces rye whiskey or Martell VSOP Cognac
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• Peychaud bitters to taste
• Absinthe or absinthe substitute
• Orange peel twist for garnish

Instructions

1. Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and letting it sit while preparing the rest of the drink.
2. In a separate mixing glass, muddle the simple syrup and Peychaud bitters together.
3. Add the rye whiskey and ice to the bitters mixture and stir.
4. Discard the ice in the chilled glass and rinse it with absinthe by pouring a small amount into the glass, swirling it around and discarding the liquid.
5. Strain the whiskey mixture from the mixing glass into the chilled old fashioned glass.
6. Light the orange peel and twist to release the oils into the drink.

Recipe Notes

Traditionalists will say that the lemon (or orange, in this case) twist should be squeezed over the drink to release its essence but that the twist should not be dropped into the glass itself. But it's totally up to you!

Diners flock to the columned patio to bask in the warmth of Southern California’s prevailing sunshine, gentle ocean breeze and view of the sparkling bay lined with luxe yachts. Brilliant sunsets set the mood and natural ambiance of Waterline, but once darkness descends, its personality seems to fade with the last rays of color. Friday evenings are celebrated with a pianist and standup bass duet which surely livens the atmosphere once the sun sinks below the horizon.

On the other hand, it is nice to be able to be able to have a conversation without constantly leaning in and raising ones voice to be heard. One detail we found pleasantly surprising and unique were the menus that mysteriously light up when opened, so the lot of us who have difficulty reading the fine print these days can actually read the menu without the use of your smartphone flashlight. I overheard a gentleman with the party of 6 next to us remark how great it was to be able to read a menu!

The most unique, and enjoyable dish of the evening for me, was “Squid Tagliatelle” appetizer which, at first glance, looked like gussied-up ramen – something very close to my heart and many others, who sustained themselves through college on those comforting squiggly dried noodles at 3 for $1.00.  But ramen can’t hold a candle to these thin strands of sautéed California squid adorned with pancetta and chives in a light cream sauce with grated parmesan and a perfectly runny egg.

“Squid Tagliatelle” | sautéed California squid, pancetta, chive, parmesan, cream sauce, egg yolk – $12

Crab crusted Coho Salmon with pan-seared sea beans and truffle caviar – $29

Berkshire Pork Chop “Sweet & Spicy” | stone fruit and jalapeño chutney, mashed potato – $36

We selected one entree from “the sea” and one from “the land”. The Coho Salmon was wonderfully fresh, high quality salmon, perfectly cooked with a delicious “gratin” of crisped crab dotted with truffles. I enjoyed the vibrant green and unusual pan-seared sea beans as the vegetable component.

Berkshire Pork Chops always make for a grandiose presentation and this one had gorgeous grill marks and beautifully prepared to just medium, still juicy and complemented with a sweet and spicy stone fruit and jalapeño chutney that made it sing. The traditional pairing  of mashed potatoes and fresh mixed vegetables would please any meat and potatoes lover.

At the staff’s urging, we also tried the Braised Sonoma Lamb Shoulder served with potato pancakes, corn succotash drizzled with braising jus. There is no doubting the quality of the lamb and potato pancakes and bright crunchy succotash was an inspired pairing, but the dish suffered from too much of a good thing with the succotash on both the lamb and the pancakes.

But there’s more! Pastry Chef Brooke Martin sent out two desserts for us to taste. Unfortunately, we were quite full at this point because BOTH were scrumptious and definitely worth saving room for. The Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a modern interpretation of the classic and the warm brown sugar shortcake and toasted coconut ice cream with tiny chunks of pineapple and a crispy praline was brilliant and the Banana Semifreddo (below)  with salted caramel and candied peanuts has a sweet and salty flavor profile that is always difficult for me to resist!

Over the years, my husband and I have celebrated several birthdays and anniversaries here (always with a very special dessert personalized dessert) – even when it was known as the Balboa Bay Club.  As long as I can remember, the restaurants were open to the public but the name suggested otherwise. A & O’s lighthearted atmosphere has caught on with the locals and visiting guests.

Waterline, with a little refining of the aesthetic and attention to detail, has the potential to be a go-to spot for a more intimate evening. Two distinct private dining rooms also provide the option to have exclusive, intimate gatherings for corporate meetings, events, or private dinners. On Sundays, Waterline serves up a phenomenal brunch which allows you to take full advantage of the gorgeous view for the ultimate day of leisure. So what are you waiting for? I’d love to hear your take on what’s new at the Balboa Bay Resort.

Balboa Bay Resort

1221 West Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA  92663

949-645-5400