I’ve been to A Restaurant many times in the past, but always during dinner. The restaurant is so dimly lit I’ve never been happy with the library of photos I’ve acquired so I’ve never written about it. Therefore, it was incredibly lucky that Chef Jon Blackford agreed to indulge me in my request to visit during the day so I can take some photos of his incredible food.
On previous visits, I’ve eaten a lot of steaks and comfort foods like mac n cheese, and of course, the delicious Brussels sprouts. This time, I came here for lunch with a friend and enjoyed some things I’ve never eaten before at A.
We began with Seared Albacore Tuna ($15) and I was amazed at the beauty of the presentation. I joked that usually, I’ll have to pull out my trusty flashlight to get a good look at what I was eating, but my flashlight could not have done any of Chef Blackford’s dishes justice. The perfectly plated slices of tuna with jalapeno emulsion, shaved celery, hearts of palm and micro cilantro was so pretty and tasted delectable. It was light so ladies who are lunching can indulge without ever feeling guilty!
Now, I’m not a salad person, but when it came to the Tuscan Black Kale ($12) it was a salad even I loved. You wouldn’t have known I’m not a fan of raw vegetables if you had seen me devour this bowl of shaved mushroom, red onion, brioche croutons, country ham, green goddess dressing, parmesan, all topped with a runny fried egg. I think I embarrassed myself a bit when the guy tried to take it away and I wanted to make sure every morsel had been eaten first.
If you’re a fan of Steak Tartare ($18) this is definitely one to get. Black truffle, arugula, romano cheese, mustard and capers combine to season this ever so perfectly and with the right amount of saltiness to be eaten with the toast. There is nothing worse than under-seasoned meat and raw meat at that! This was sublime!
But the best dish of this particular meal was Free Range Veal Chop ($38), the ultimate piece of meat executed to such precision it was just genius. Tender, succulent, and just top-notch! Served with Anson Mill’s grits, hedgehog mushrooms, baby spinach, leeks in a marsala reduction, this is definitely a winner in my book. Yes, their steaks are fabulous, but give the veal chop a try! You might just be hooked.
I didn’t have room for anything else, naturally, no desserts, but you can be sure I’ll return here again now that I know they serve lunch. I never knew they were open for lunch! Silly me! Chef Blackford is a secret Orange County must share because he is masterful in his craft and his menu needs the recognition it deserves!
A Restaurant
3334 W Pacific Coast Highway
Newport Beach, CA 92663
Tel: 949-650-6505
Thank you Anita for posting this. I have never been there and we do prefer our bigger meal at lunch so this is a must for us now! I, too, thought they were not open for lunch.
Hi Karen, I prefer mine at lunch as well…. it’s too difficult to sleep after a heavy dinner… let me know what you think, I loved knowing I can go at lunch time.