Dining Review

Kathy Mader

In order to gain both sides of the spectrum of opinion on this week’s

restaurant, I rented out my brother Steve’s finely tuned palette --

accompanied by him, of course.

While my motto when it comes to dining is generally “enjoy, experience

and educate,” Steve’s usually is “fill the hole.” But even he was duly

impressed with Gustaf Anders’ aptly named Back Pocket. Expecting a

high-end sandwich and soup place as could be interpreted by the somewhat

playful name, the Back Pocket is exactly the opposite of that, yet

surprisingly, still suitably named.

This restaurant is literally and figuratively the back pocket to Gustaf

Anders’ four-star ensemble in South Coast Village. While in Sweden the

term “Back Pocket” refers to the smaller and more casual eatery attached

to a fine dining establishment, the name and the restaurant were new to

me.

The Back Pocket is approximately five years old and a well-known,

well-set secret of the fine diners of Orange County. South Coast Village

is actually a treasure trove of these. You enter through the front door

of Gustaf’s namesake and walk through to the Back Pocket.

The decor is more casual, but still worthy of hushed elegance. Let’s put

it like this: Gustaf Anders is the place you go to close the deal, the

Back Pocket is where you go to get the deal in the first place.

Black and tan best describes it, with the chairs offering splashes of

bright blue color. The restaurant forms a half circle around the artfully

built wood-burning oven.

I confess, I don’t know a lot about Swedish-influenced food, but seeing a

wood-burning oven brought me right back into my comfort zone. I also have

to admit, we were somewhat leery with the highlighted item on the day’s

menu -- the “herring buffet” -- offering three versions of the freshest

herring, each version created daily. My brother and I were both glad we

kept reading, although for herring lovers, this is the mother lode.

We started with the gravad lax, a cured salmon appetizer served with a

honey mustard dill sauce and lemon wedges. Freshly made rolls, varying

from day to day, are offered and on this day, basil, black olive,

rosemary and almond/walnut were the choices. Trying them all made the

choosing easy.

Several salads are available from a parsley salad with sun dried tomatoes

and Parmesan cheese ($8), to the classic Caesar ($8). We settled on the

shredded chicken with lime and blanched red onions ($11) per our waiter

Tim’s recommendation, and this light, tangy and sweet salad made for a

perfect starter. For most, coupled with the aforementioned breads, it

would have made a perfect meal.

From the wood-burning oven, we thoroughly enjoyed the very spicy beef

pizza with goat cheese, red pepper and garlic ($13). You couldn’t be more

fairly warned. Directly above very spicy, the menu reads “Be careful,

dishes from the oven are very hot!” This pizza was definitely both of

these and more.

In the fine tradition of a family of six voracious eaters, my brother and

I attacked it much too early for a direct-from- the-oven entree. With

this pizza, a truly savory and bold flavor fills your mouth. Ours was

accompanied by mouth-blistering heat. In this case, do as I say, not as I

do, and be patient. This is very worth the wait.

The Back Pocket’s menu is rather eclectic. Various pizzas, Chilean sea

bass, roasted leg of lamb and Swedish cabbage rolls all make a showing,

along with rib-eye steak and mashed potatoes, and kalops -- a Swedish

style beef stew. The chicken crepes au gratin ($9) -- ground, spiced

chicken, wrapped in a delicate crepe served piping hot in a skillet, were

rich and rather heavy for lunch, but delicious.

To round out our intriguing new experience, we ordered the potato cake

with shrimp and smoked cod roe sauce ($12). The potato cake, made from

shredded potatoes and pan-fried was served hot and crispy with small

shrimp served around the perimeter.

Unfortunately both the shrimp and their flavor were smothered under the

predominantly mayonnaise-flavored cod roe sauce.

The dessert menu is that of a champion chef with lemon tarts, chocolate

walnut tortes, flans and sorbets. We had the baked chocolate mousse which

my brother described as a “souffle minus the two hour wait.” Warm and

scrumptious, served with fresh strawberries and cream. Even if we had had

the herring buffet, with this as the crowning event, we would have given

the Back Pocket our own four stars.

The service, the food, the atmosphere is all worthy of the name Gustaf

Ander’s. A soothing, sophisticated dining experience guaranteed to make

the deal. And the tie is optional.

* WHERE: 3851 Bear St., #B21, Costa Mesa (at South Coast Village)* WHEN:

Lunch -- 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; dinner -- 5:30

p.m. Tuesday through Sunday

* HOW MUCH: Moderately expensive

* PHONE: (714) 668-1737; reservations recommended

* WEB site: www.gustaf-anders.com