Dining Review

Stephen Santacroce

Ever since the days when putting a good meal on the table was not always

a certainty, elegant feasts have been the hallmark of celebrating a

special occasion.

Whether it’s Grandma’s 90th birthday, the closing of that “big deal,” or

prom night, we all have a special restaurant that signifies the

importance of the momentous event.

For almost a quarter of a century, the venerable Ritz restaurant in

Newport Beach has been just that special place to a generation of Orange

County diners.

Hans Prager opened The Ritz in 1977 on the site of what is now 21

Oceanfront, along the Newport Pier. When Pacific Mutual was building its

headquarters, Hans was asked if he’d consider moving his restaurant; in

exchange he’d get to design it to his liking. Hans agreed, and The Ritz

opened in its current location in 1982.

The Ritz is the archetype of continental elegance. In an area where

fashion and fancy motorcars are the rule, heads still turn at the array

of stylish vehicles pulling up to the signature black porte-cochere.

Diners for the most part still dress up for dinner here, though the

jacket and tie requirement for men was recently done away with.

Once inside, the mood and atmosphere shifts back in time 50 years. A

design best described as posh recalls the bygone glamour of other notable

mainstays, such as Chasens or the Brown Derby in L.A. and the 21 Club in

New York.

To the right of the entrance is the clubby cocktail lounge, dimly lit and

richly appointed with hardwood and red leather. The full menu is served

in the bar, and it’s a popular spot for an after-dinner drink and

dessert.

The dining rooms each feature a separate theme, such as the luxurious

Escoffier Room, a formal pavilion-style room that features oil portraits

of Auguste Escoffier, the original head chef of The Ritz Hotel in Paris.

The Ritz, which has been rated as the most popular restaurant in Orange

County, prides itself on its service as well as its food, and it’s

immediately evident in the formally dressed wait staff that never hovers

but is readily available to fill a glass or answer a question.

For most of its existence, The Ritz’s kitchen has been under the

admirable tutelage of head chef Lupe Camarena. The menu here is proudly

old-school continental, refreshing in its familiarity. There are no

daring fusions of pan-Euro-Asianic elements here, and the sous chefs

don’t need a contractor’s license or a crane to assemble the plates.

The most popular starter, especially for larger groups, is the signature

appetizer carousel ($14.95 per person). A silver Lazy Suzan is crowded

with plates holding vodka-cured salmon gravlax, smoked trout, an

assortment of cold shellfish, pate and steak tartar, among others.

By far my favorite is the steak tartar, raw sirloin finely chopped and

seasoned garnished with capers and onion. It’s served perfectly here,

with just the right amount of spice in the seasonings.

The salmon gravlax ($12.50) is also available served over potato

pancakes, topped with a dollop of creme fraiche and Russian caviar. More

elegant still is the Ritz “egg” ($9.50), a cracked eggshell filled with

smoked salmon and scrambled eggs and topped with caviar. It’s served with

a complimentary shot of ice-cold vodka.

Several salads are offered, including a traditional spinach salad ($8.50)

that’s tossed tableside with hot bacon dressing. Soup-lovers are offered

a choice of the soup de jour, but I’d go no further than the lobster

bisque ($7.50), which is the best in town. The soup is velvety smooth and

redolent with rich lobster flavor. Just the tiniest hint of sherry adds

the perfect finish to the dish.

Camarena has definite affection for the classic dishes he began his

career with, and happily has perfected most of these over the years.

Borrowed from his days as chef of Scandia, a 1950s Sunset Strip legend,

is the veal “Oskar” ($27). Veal cutlets are sauteed and topped with

asparagus and crab legs. The dish is draped luxuriously in a classic

bearnaise sauce that has just the right hints of tarragon and vinegar.

Other classics include the steak Diane ($28): filet in a cognac mustard

sauce and a delicate Dover sole ($28) sauteed on the bone and served with

a rich butter sauce and cremini mushrooms.

I accompanied three attorney friends who share the same birthday on a

recent visit (dinner was “nonbillable”), and was told I had to order the

rotisserie-roasted duck ($24).

Fearing a lawsuit, I obliged them, and I wasn’t disappointed. The crispy

skin yields to tender, moist meat that is perfumed by the compote of warm

apples and lingonberry sauce that accompanies it. All of the entrees are

accompanied by a spoonful of a deliciously rich creamed corn, ladled

tableside by your server.

Wine-lovers will appreciate the selection and pricing offered at The

Ritz. Prager and his associate, Tony Herman, have put together a list

that offers a generous cross-section of Californian, French and Italian

wines. The mark-ups are the lowest I’ve seen in a high-end restaurant;

several bottles I was familiar with were priced at 25% to 50% above

retail, vs. the usual 100%.

Definitely save room for dessert. A friend and I recently shared the

Harlequin Souffle ($8), half Grand Marnier and half Belgian chocolate.

The dish comes from the kitchen airy and golden and is sauced at the

table with a Grand Marnier-flavored creme anglaise. The light, eggy

texture belies the rich flavor.

And as the aforementioned attorneys will attest (provided they’re on

retainer), the perfect after-dinner drink to go with the souffle is the

signature chocolate martini, a drink so popular that you can even get a

recipe card on request.

The Ritz is a familiar dining icon that, despite its age, will not let

you down. Sure, there may be trendier restaurants or more innovative

menus out there, but The Ritz is true to the old adage: “If it ain’t

broke, don’t fix it.”

STEPHEN SATNACROCE’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday. He can

be reached via e-mail at food_critic@hotmail.com.

WHAT: The Ritz

WHERE: 880 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

WHEN: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday; Dinner: 6 to 10

p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5 to 9

p.m. Sunday

HOW MUCH: Expensive

PHONE: (949) 720-1800