Comforting food in a warm setting

Restaurants come and go in Laguna, but there are a few that keep their customers returning time and again. Restaurateur David Wilhelm seems to have found the magic recipe at Sorrento Grill.

The combination of ingredients includes an attractive design, a warm ambience, gracious, knowledgeable service and people-pleasing contemporary American cuisine. As you enter the two-story room, there is a stone staircase on one side leading to a dining balcony. Underneath the balcony is an open kitchen with counter seating and the famous martini bar.

Tucked in the corner is a cozy fireplace and four tall tables with stools where you can drink or dine or both. Downstairs, tables fill the long room. As the sun goes down, translucent black curtains cover the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating a distinctive atmosphere.

The Mexican pavers, aged stucco walls and wrought-iron chandeliers are softened by the warm candlelight suffusing the room. Upstairs, there are four booths and a number of tables for two overlooking the dining room, as well as two attractive and quiet private rooms.

On the weekends, the martini bar is usually crowded with people ordering drinks in martini glasses that are not necessarily martinis.

Another Gossiping Gourmet pet peeve: real martinis do not contain: pineapple, cranberry or pomegranate juice, Cointreau, Chambord, peach or strawberry liqueur -- even if they claim to be “shaken and not stirred.”

On a weeknight when the place isn’t full, the noise level is manageable, but when the place is packed the sound level inhibits conversation unless you request seating on the balcony.

When we arrived, during the week, we were seated downstairs. Thinking about it a bit, we decided we would prefer the balcony, so we could more easily indulge in our nonstop food conversation. Our waiter very graciously encouraged us to sit wherever we preferred.

We also made some off-menu requests that were greeted with affability and granted with enthusiasm. When we ordered a single entrée, she asked us if we would like it split. We said we would and expected a split charge that is the norm these days. Not only was there no charge, but the two portions were unusually generous.

We also requested an order of vegetables, as there were no side orders on the menu. Our delightful server offered us a choice and asked us how we would like them. The chef prepared a medley cooked exactly as Elle requested. We were naturally pleased and quite frankly amazed. High marks for service!

The new winter menu features some old favorites as well as new seasonal preparations. For starters, the fabulous wood-grilled marinated artichokes with mustard-parmesan dipping sauce and the retro shrimp scampi are still available. The cornmeal-crusted calamari now comes with the addition of rock shrimp. New dishes include a spicy crab, corn and smoked-paprika risotto; and spinach, parmesan and bacon-stuffed Portobello mushrooms on cambozola sauce (cambozola is a mixture of camembert and gorgonzola cheeses).

We enjoyed the spicy ahi tartare. The coarsely chopped seasoned tuna was set on a bed of avocado topped with greens and house-made potato chips. The plate was attractively designed with a ring of smoked chili aioli and dots of a green lime salsa. This clever presentation made it possible to spice the tuna to taste. We liked it with all the sauce, balanced by the coolness of the avocado.

New items on the soup and salad menu include butternut squash and apple bisque with crispy sage and truffle oil; chopped salad with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, bacon, corn, scallions and blue cheese; and a new version of spinach salad with apples, Roquefort, red onions, spiced walnuts and bacon vinaigrette. Of course, you can still get the wood-grilled Caesar that is their unique and delicious variation on a traditional dish.

If you haven’t caught on by now, this food is not light or delicately flavored. It’s almost like comfort food that has been elevated to new heights. To be filled up, you will most certainly not need to eat the so-called focaccia that is served at the beginning of the meal. This may be a good thing, since this fluffy white stuff, with some onion baked on top, is as far from focaccia (a pizza-like Italian flatbread) as Wonderbread. Sauces are rich. There is no shortage of butter, cream, bacon or cheese in them, but they are well prepared and tasty and the portions are generous.

For instance, if you order the grilled double-cut pork chop with cabbage, apples, bacon and mashed potatoes, be prepared to take home a doggie bag, but under no circumstance give it to the dog because this lusty dish is great. Other meat dishes include fettuccine stroganoff with filet mignon, cremini mushrooms and Dijon sauce; braised boneless prime short ribs with horseradish mashed potatoes; grilled lamb chops with cheddar potatoes and sweet garlic jam; or the more casual focaccia cheeseburger with French fries.

What could be homier than fried chicken? Grandma’s crispy chicken with mashed potatoes, spinach and thyme cream gravy will make you long for the comforts of Southern cooking, even if you’ve never been in the South. Chicken is also featured grilled in a sandwich with prosciutto, fontina, arugula and basil aioli accompanied by fries.

Several fish dishes show chef Zuniga’s more inventive side: seared scallops on creamy corn; Yukon gold and bacon chowder; petrale sole with caper and green olive butter; spinach and roast potatoes; and the roasted sea bass with rock shrimp, corn and lobster sauce.

The last is normally served with mashed potatoes, but we wanted to try something more interesting, and our accommodating waitress suggested risotto. We knew it would be overly rich paired with the buttery sauce, but we wanted to taste it, and it was delectable. The luscious lobster sauce punctuated with a generous serving of excellent rock shrimp was the high point of the dish. The fish itself was local sea bass and unexciting, yet one hardly noticed when eating it with the inspired sauce.

The dessert menu features the usual suspects: chocolate souffle cake, crème brulee (with sun-dried cherries), three-berry cobbler, a selection of ice creams and a cheese plate with fruit. We selected an apple puff pastry tart with caramel sauce and cinnamon ice cream. The pastry and the caramel sauce were excellent, but the apples were strangely tasteless.

Generous portions of high-end comfort food served by experienced and personable staff in an attractive setting guarantee the continued success of this longtime Laguna favorite.

IF YOU GO

*WHAT: Sorrento Grill

*WHERE: 370 Glennyre St., (949) 494-8686

*WHEN: 7 days

Bar: 5 p.m.

Dinner: 5:30 -- 10

*PRICES:

Appetizers: $8 to $14

Soups and Salads: $9 to $18

Entrées: $12 to $36

*WINE:

Bottles: $28 to $265

Half bottles and carafes: $12 to $44

By the glass: $8 to $29

Corkage fee: $1520060113imh5ntnc(LA)20060113imh5ognc(LA)