STEPHEN SANTACROCE -- Dining Review

I have to confess that I’ve harbored somewhat of a prejudice toward

hotel restaurants. Maybe it’s that I don’t think to visit a hotel in my

hometown, or that I worry that the same kitchen that’s cooking my dinner

is frying eggs for a room service order. Whatever the reason, with the

abundance of excellent restaurants in the local area, I rarely find

myself dining in hotels.

Prejudice, however, whether racial or culinary, stems from ignorance

and stereotyping. I’m pleased to have been proven wrong in my bias

against hotel restaurants by Pavilion, the elegant eatery in the Four

Seasons Hotel in Newport Beach.

I’ve known for a while that Pavilion is considered one of the top

restaurants in Orange County and, after a recent visit with my friends

Paul, Sharon and Karen, I know why. Paul and Sharon have dined at

Pavilion before and were eager to share the experience.

As soon as we were seated Paul, a veteran of fine restaurants,

informed us that we had to order the black and white souffle, proclaiming

it the best he’d ever had. We did, but more on dessert later.

Pavilion restaurant is tucked in a corner of the hotel, away from the

hustle and bustle of the main lobby. The decor is unpretentious and

calming. Floral print carpets and crisp white linens offset muted tan

walls, while delicate watercolors in gilt frames add a touch of elegance.

The restaurant does not have a bar, but there is a lively cocktail lounge

on the way to the lobby that’s a perfect stop for a pre- or post-dinner

cocktail.

Once we were seated, our attentive waiter adeptly described the

evening specials, which comprise the restaurant’s Prix Fixe menu that

changes on a regular basis. This particular evening, the specials

consisted of seafood-oriented items, all of which could be ordered a la

carte.

Chef Apolinar Barrera, working under the guidance of executive chef

and 20-year Four Seasons veteran Michel Pieton, knows his craft well and

understands that fine dining should be an experience that involves all

five senses.

Typifying this idea was the ahi carpaccio ($11) offered as one of the

appetizers. The visually spectacular plate featured slices of raw ahi

tuna, the fish was sliced thin enough that it was a vibrant red color,

garnished with a crispy daikon radish salad and silky morsels of salmon

gravlax. The perimeter of the dish was dotted with alternating dollops of

wasabi and Meyer lemon sauce, the perfect flavor companions for the rich

fish.

Appetizers are intended to wake up the palate, open the taste buds and

prepare the mouth for what’s to follow. The terrine of foie gras ($12.25)

accomplishes this with style. A thin slice of the rich pate is plated

next to a salad of frisee, bitter curly endive, and dressed with a tart

apple cider vinaigrette. The frisee adds texture to offset the velvety

liver, and the sweet and sour combination of the vinaigrette cleanses the

tongue nicely.

I also liked the lobster medallions ($11), a visually appealing dish

that places chunks of succulent lobster around a conical tower of mashed

potatoes studded with black truffles. The dish is garnished with mushroom

chopsticks: long tubes of pastry dough filled with mushroom filling and

quickly fried.

Barrera continues to flex his culinary muscles with the entree

selection, including the filet mignon ($29), offered as a special on our

visit. Billed as a “duet of lobster ravioli and medallion of filet,” this

haute cuisine version of surf and turf features a perfectly cooked

11-ounce filet topped with a single, large ravioli filled with a lobster

stuffing. A simple red wine reduction accented the meat and pasta without

overpowering them.

Another special was swordfish ($29) with charred vegetables and

nicoise olives. The fish was set atop a red pepper and a yellow pepper

sauce, each of which took up half the plate, giving the entire dish a yin

and yang appearance. The impressive dish was marred only by the fish

itself, which was overcooked and dry.

Europeans tend to cook fish more thoroughly than is the trend here,

and I wondered if this was Barrera’s style after tasting the swordfish,

but this was not the case with the excellent sea bass ($27.75). The thick

Chilean filet was broiled perfectly -- a crisp, herbed crust surrounded a

moist, meaty interior. A simple chardonnay sauce added the right note to

the delicately flavored fish.

I was told that the pan-roasted veal chop ($31) is a house favorite,

and after tasting it I know why. A flavorful, lean chop is cooked to the

desired doneness and served atop a creamy bed of risotto studded with

root vegetables. The dish is garnished with two “pasta purses,” which

resemble Chinese dumplings filled with a savory wild mushroom stuffing. A

truffle and chive sauce finishes the elegant dish.

Pavilion features a wine list offering a knowledgeable selection of

wines from California, France and Italy. The selection ranges from a $30

bottle of chardonnay to $500-plus Bordeaux. There’s something for every

taste and budget. If you’d like to bring something from your cellar,

there’s a $15 corkage fee.

So what about that souffle ($6.75)? In a word, it’s superb. A white

chocolate batter is studded with chunks of dark chocolate so that when

it’s baked, the dark chocolate melts, marbling the light puffy souffle.

The souffle is split tableside, and the resulting cavity is filled with a

luscious chocolate sauce.

Or for something even more decadent (if that’s possible), try the warm

chocolate fondue cake ($6.75). The center of this flourless cake is still

molten when you cut into it, and the rich chocolate batter oozes onto the

plate and mingles with the homemade vanilla ice cream served with it,

creating a warm-cold, chocolate-vanilla heaven.

Any prejudice I had toward hotel restaurants has been completely

vanquished by Pavilion. This elegant eatery stands proudly with the

area’s finest, offering cutting-edge cuisine in a stylish, relaxing

setting.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other Thursday.

Send him your comments at [email protected].

FYI

WHAT: Pavilion

WHERE: 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, in the Four Seasons

Hotel

WHEN: Breakfast and lunch are served from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and

dinner is served from 6 to 10:30 p.m. daily.HOW MUCH: Expensive

CALL: (949) 760-4920