Dining Review

Kathy Mader

The Yard House.

If you are thinking dry chicken wings, potato skins and three feet of

Coors Light in a break-it-and-pay glass, you are so wrong.

The recently opened Yard House, on the upper level of Triangle Square in

Costa Mesa, is a sure money-making reflection of the Newport Beach

crowd’s wants and needs in 2000.

A multidimensional restaurant and bar that specializes in food, beer and

black leather atmosphere, The Yard House manages to do all three very

well. Loud music, dim lights, industrial-looking ceilings and

black-and-tan decor highlight the bar at the heart of this restaurant.

So you wonder how good can the food be if the bar is the star? Nothing

remotely says “bar food” about this Asian-influenced menu. In my opinion

it doesn’t really even say “beer food,” but with a mammoth selection of

beers they offer with names like Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Bay Hawk Chocolate,

Longboard lager, Humboldt Hemp, John Courage and Saxer 3 Finger Jack

Roasted Red, who can resist?

An interesting tidbit I picked up from their Web site was that it would

take a “200-pound man more than 65 years to drink all the beer in the keg

room.” I know we could have put away a few weeks’ worth while we waited

in the long, long line.

Some of the industrial interior look is from the more than four miles of

nylon tubing used to transport beer from keg to tap. Knowing this

definitely improves the look of the ceiling. And by the way, you can

order your beer by the foot or by the yard depending on how bold you are.

Our savvy server, Nikki, who won’t take any guff from Dennis Rodman, a

semi-regular, gave us the lowdown on the place and all the beers. The

staff appears to be expertly trained in beer and can recommend several

based on your favorites. Kona Firerock Pale Ale and Lost Coast Alleycat

were two of the preferred at our table.

They also offer a beer sampler so you can make an educated decision when

you decide to go full-size.

Back to the food. We started with some Korean barbecue short ribs ($7.95)

that my husband, Brian, and friend Blake swore midbite they would stand

in line again for two hours to eat, and some crispy wontons ($6.95)

stuffed with chicken and fresh, finely chopped vegetables served with a

spicy red chili sauce.

A new look to the old favorite California roll went over big, as well.

One extra-large round of sushi rice is filled with a creamy crab mixture

and topped with shredded fresh crab meat and sesame seeds and smothered

in a soy dressing.

Several major salads are on the menu, but we shared the house salad

($4.95), crisp greens mixed with raw vegetables in a spicy peanut

dressing. If it were a perfect world I would redirect some of that four

miles of the aforementioned tubing and have the dressing mainlined to my

home.

One of the nightly specials was a pork tenderloin ($17.95) in what seemed

to be a peanut-based barbecue sauce, and of the dishes we ordered, this

one took the prize. The grilled prime rib chop ($18.95), rubbed with

olive oil and rosemary, confirmed the chef’s skill with meats. Served

with crispy green beans and grilled potatoes, we all ate from this plate.

Our friend Claudia’s chicken penne with sun-dried tomatoes and asparagus

in a Marsala cream sauce even made the leftover cut, a very rare thing,

as leftovers are usually akin to the Antichrist in my mind.

The well-touted crab cake hoagie ($9.95) was my dinner selection but came

up short in taste. The crab cakes were generous but bland and relied

heavily on a spicy aioli mayonnaise and hickory smoked bacon to bring

home the flavor.

The Yard House’s menu boasts a wide selections of salads, pizzas, meats

and pastas, from cobb and Thai chicken salads to lobster garlic noodles

and wild mushroom risotto cakes.

Halibut, swordfish and salmon, as well as several steak and a Parmesan

chicken dishes, round out your choices.

You could join the man in the keg room and spend a few years of your life

trying them all. A Ben and Jerry’s ice cream sundae leaped out from the

dessert section, and with a dessert like Banana Banana Banana ($5.95), a

banana tart and banana ice cream garnished with a frozen chocolate

banana, who would want to resist? There is just no point. After all New

Year’s, and all its resolutions, was a long time ago.

With an extensive selection of food, massive menu of beers, and its New

York club style, the Yard House could tout any one of these as their

claim to fame. But like all things 2000, it comes at a price.

I would not recommend it as a place to enjoy fine dining, and fine dining

it is, if you are not interested in the bar scene as well. I would,

however, recommend it as a fine bar whether or not you are interested in

the dining scene. And with a standard lengthy wait, I see the bar-goers

waiting and the diners moving on.

But do like my friend Karen does, and go on an off night -- there may not

be many of these -- to enjoy the food. And enjoy it you will.

WHERE: 1875 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa at Triangle Square

WHEN: 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Wednesday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday

HOW MUCH: Moderately expensive

PHONE: (949) 642-0090 WEB SITE: https://www.yardhouse.com