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Photos by Ed Olen |
here’s much to interest the culture-starved (and travel-deprived) Orange Countian these days. Even the family that cancelled summer and declared a staycation was sure to find a plethora of activities beyond the tried-and-true day at the beach. In these backyard discovery times, we might have noticed, Orange County has become quite the sophisticated cultural scene, with state-of-the-art facilities like the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center and the big, bold OC Pavilion that opened over two years ago in Santa Ana. The latter – the one that’s way beyond the marine layer’s reach, past tree-lined neighborhoods and set right in the middle of progressive downtown Santa Ana – is the neon-lit beacon for all that jazz. It’s all that Broadway pizzazz we’re talking about – the kind that makes you want to don some elbow-high gloves, grab a cane and start twirling around the stage to piano-heavy numbers sung by a guy in a tuxedo. And speaking of tuxedos, maybe it was the amusingly deferential tuxedo-clad doorman who set the tone for an Evening at the Pavilion. He strode quickly to open the tall, stately glass doors, bowed, and with a flick of the wrist presented us the lobby. It was adorned with heavily draped red curtains and jazzy art and a very shiny elevator that opened at the immediate suggestion of the doorman and carried us swiftly up to Ambrosia, OC Pavilion’s upscale dining restaurant. The message came across as clearly as my image reflected in the spotless saxophone-shaped mirror: OC Pavilion intends to be an experience rather than a mere performance arena.
An oasis-like vision of a faux palm tree forest co-mingling with Michelangelo-esque frescoes and dimmed lighting greeted us as we entered Ambrosia. A jewel-draped singer crooned bluesy tunes next to a grand piano and oversized, semicircular booths provided a sense of intimacy. I was intrigued. How could something so foreign, so far from the breezy, coastal nature of OC’s culture, work? The answer involves a combination of a talented and dedicated chef (Michael Rossi); an over-the-top venue with some of the best values in the county; and an energetic general manager (Philippe Antoine) with a Salvador Dalí-style mustache and a theatrical nature. If fine dining is like theater for food, then Ambrosia has focused its spotlight on all the right characters.
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Take, for example, the shrimp scampi we ordered as a starter. The fact that the menu declares it a “signature” item is usually a good indication that the dish will waver slightly off-center, though Ambrosia’s rendition might be considered totally off the beaten path. To start, Antoine wheeled out a cart laden with ingredients for the preparation, which involves a flamboyant display of tossing, pouring and pyrotechnical ability. With the effortless finesse of a true expert, Antoine presented the scampi perfectly flambéed in a Cognac garlic butter sauce and finished with a touch of cream. The rest of the night, however, belonged to Rossi.
Starters like the American-raised kobe beef carpaccio with summer black truffles, Pecorino Romano and wild arugula appealed instantly with a short list of ingredients from my personal Greatest Hits collection of Foods That Can’t Go Wrong. Which is why it’s especially difficult to admit that the dish came up a bit short of my expectations. In my head, the combination of ingredients should result in a plate that is fresh and crisp, with a bit of a bite from the Pecorino. But this version suffered from being a bit overdone, especially when factoring in the creamy sauce that was drizzled over the beef, itself not as tender as I would have imagined. We also sampled the Petaluma rabbit and housemade tagliatelle with wild mushrooms, Vidalia onions, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and roasted tomato jus, which left me wanting more of a comforting, hearty ragù that evokes a winter in the mountains of northern Italy.
But moving beyond the critical opinion of winners and losers, the menu at Ambrosia presented something else that was appealing in its execution: theme. Each dish told a story with its composition, ranging from summer in the French countryside (wild Burgundy snails) to the arid heart of Texas (Black Angus flat iron steak with jalapeño-Manchego gratin and tomato-avocado relish). It is this talent for transporting the diner that makes Rossi not just a great chef, but a great chef with a vision. His menu manages not only to create something that is pleasing to the palate, but also to the imagination.
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My entrée of barramundi with mango stir-fried rice, peppadew peppers, baby bok choy, and coconut emulsion took me to Indonesia, but also managed to impress on all the technical points that ultimately get the grade: tenderness of the fish, compatibility of flavors and the execution and presentation of the plate. With the Colorado lamb chops with purple artichoke panzanella, olives, feta, and cucumber tzatziki, we were taken to Greece, practically feeling the Mediterranean and its salty sea air. It’s not just that Rossi manages to pull off a regional dish, it’s that he understands and respects the tradition of food. For his duck fat fried chicken, he doesn’t choose obscure accompaniments to sex up a down home dish – he sticks to corn and potatoes, albeit dressed up as a Brentwood corn whipped version.
Dessert was no less well thought out, with everything from the Southern charm of peach melba with fresh blackberries and candied pecan and caramel ice cream to the exotic, island-inspired pineapple upside-down cake with Malibu rum ice cream and coconut crème anglaise. The chocolate tasting is also worth exploring, and though I’m usually averse to an orange-chocolate combination, the orange milk chocolate flourless cake was surprisingly good. Also part of the lineup is a dark chocolate frozen parfait with almond brittle and housemade white chocolate horchata.
Go to Ambrosia for the food, yes, but more than that, go for the experience.
Ambrosia is located inside the OC Pavilion, 801 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 550-0811; ocpavilion.com
