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Photos by Ed Olen Filet mignon with Bleu des Basques demi cream sauce |
ver since the so-called “Green Movement” hit its stride – right about the time Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth hit bookshelves and gas prices started becoming, well, inconvenient – any company that valued its bottom line began promoting its “environmental” angle. Recycled paper, energy-efficient light bulbs and low-flow water taps became promotional tools. “Green” moving supply companies materialized overnight; “green” builders came out of the woodwork (no pun intended); “green” fashion suddenly didn’t look so unfashionable. “Green” anything became the new capitalistic endeavor, leading cynics (and us) to wonder whether it wasn’t all just a passing trend. An opportunistic bandwagon of sorts. Nobody likes an opportunist, but not everybody who’s in the business of being green became an environmentalist overnight (right after they had a dream about dollar signs floating in the earth’s ailing oceans). And being green doesn’t require forsaking civilization to live in a grass hut in the forest. There is a middle ground. There is Old Vine Café.
Old Vine Café isn’t much of an extremist sort of place. It’s small. It’s somewhat hidden, located at the back of OC’s alterna-mall, The Camp (go past the outdoor SCUBA diving center and behind the yoga studio, instructed one local). It’s run by two brothers, Mark and Brandon McDonald, who play the parts of the restaurant’s chef, host, server, and owner. They have one employee. If anything, Old Vine Café is under-hyped and under-known, and despite its commitment to community supported agriculture (CSA) and the use of artisanal products and mostly organic meats and dairy, one would never know that the restaurant is actually “green.” In fact, when I ask Brandon about it, he simply says that they choose their products based on taste, not because they’re labeled with any buzz words.
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Executive Chef Mark McDonald |
Not to give anything away, but buzz words aren’t necessary for Old Vine Café’s menu; good food speaks for itself. We were there for dinner on a fairly quiet weekday night, seated in the small, sparsely decorated dining room lit by the late afternoon light that shines in from the outdoor patio. The menu consists of a variety of small plates, including salads, pasta and an assortment of “smaller plates” that can be side dishes or light meals. Three tasting menus – the seasonal, original and vegetarian – make things easier for those who want to order the whole menu and on Brandon’s request, we go with the seasonal, plus a few extras like the eggplant burrata that sound too perfect to pass up (more on that later).
First in the lineup is the tomatillo shrimp cocktail with julienned jicama and avocado. The shrimp are enormous, placed in a puddle of cool, smooth purée that resembles a green Spanish gazpacho. It’s refreshing, mostly, but also perfect for a summer’s evening, which this is, after all.
Italian-inspired dishes follow, starting with a handmade raviolo (yes, singular – it’s one big pasta pocket) filled with fresh lump crab and creamy mascarpone. The sauce consists of a rich chive cream sauce sprinkled with pecorino romano, which pairs delightfully with the Nieto Chardonnay from Argentina – a flavor profile I’m not usually terribly fond of, but works with the overall effect of the raviolo. And the panko-crusted eggplant burrata with pesto and grape tomatoes was thoroughly satisfying with soft, pillowy slices of the cheese (made with mozzarella and cream) contrasting well with the crunch of the eggplant.
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Panko-crusted eggplant with burrata cheese |
Changing cultures, we were pleasantly surprised by the next dish, an Indonesian-style Asian curry shrimp. Sautéed in an Asian vodka and doused in a spicy curry sauce that was heavy on the lemongrass, it was more flavorful than most curries I’ve tasted. This one had fresh-from-the-market aromas and was anchored by a gigantic shrimp that was given additional texture from flash-fried glass noodles. The spiciness was subtle, but there, and much in the vein of Old Vine Café’s style: restrained and not overpowering, yes, but also memorable. OVC is a place that, while rarely the same (the menu is changing constantly), is somehow consistent. Starting in with heartier dishes, we tried the pork tenderloin medallions, which were served atop a fried polenta cake and garnished with fresh strawberries. A berry-heavy Cortijo III Rioja complemented the fruit, but it was also structured enough to stand up to the more substantial texture of the pork, which also happened to be extremely tender – and all-natural. (When asked why Mark uses only certified all-natural meats, he responded bluntly, “Because it tastes better.”)
This mildly heartier fare was but a mere introduction to the true force of OVC’s intensely flavored options. Although it wasn’t part of the seasonal menu, we couldn’t leave without trying the porcini mushroom mac ‘n’ cheese made with a blend of artisan cheeses. I will say this: It’s a good thing this dish came out at the end of the meal, because I would have halted things there, content to fill myself up on elbow macaroni dripping with cheese and hints of pungent mushrooms. But it was still a “small plate,” so we were able to eke out a few bites of the last plate of the night, the petite filet mignon with Bleu des Basques demi cream sauce and crispy fried onions. It might have been too much if it weren’t for the ample-bodied Gouguenheim Cabernet that cut through the heaps of unabashed opulence.
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Mini pecan pie tartlets |
As part of the seasonal menu, dessert consisted of crema fritta, an Italian-esque concept hailing from the Veneto region in which pastry cream is flash fried until golden brown. OVC’s version was accompanied by a chocolate espresso sauce that added necessary dimension to a fairly simple concept. We also sampled the mini pecan pie tartlets from the vegetarian menu, which were perfectly bite-sized, and drizzled with a vanilla fleur de sel butterscotch sauce and whipped cream. Delightful and amazingly well-balanced with the perfect amount of saltiness to offset the sugar rush.
Great food aside, OVC proves that extremism isn’t the only option when it comes to being green. Moderation, as any foodie (and dieter) knows, is the best way to achieve sustainability.
Old Vine Café is open for breakfast (Tues.-Sun.), lunch (every day) and dinner (Tues.-Sat.), at The Camp, 2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 545-1411; www.oldvinecafe.com
