Comfort food on the menu at The Lodge

Stephen Santacroce

For years Tim and Liza Goodell have been treating Orange County

diners to memorable meals at their two highly acclaimed restaurants,

Aubergine and Troquet.

Aubergine, the couple’s flagship restaurant provides patrons truly

innovative cuisine in an elegant cottage setting. Troquet, tucked

away in a corner of South Coast Plaza, serves French bistro-style

food and has also been highly rated by critics.

It seemed that for a while the couple would be content to manage

their existing locations to the delight of local customers. But the

creativity that results in such offerings also breeds a certain

restlessness, which can manifest itself in a revamping of existing

locations, or the urge to venture out to new ideas.

Tim and Liza have adopted the latter approach, and in the past

year have opened Red Pearl, an Asian restaurant in Huntington Beach

with 1950s Polynesian overtones; Whist, a hip, upscale (and always

booked) joint in Santa Monica’s Viceroy hotel; and The Lodge here in

Costa Mesa.

The Lodge is the most casual of the three, which is fitting as

it’s in the funky new mall called the Camp, which is across the

street from the equally funky Lab Anti-mall at Bristol and Baker

streets. Several outdoor outfitters anchor the Camp, and as you walk

through small center’s meandering paths, hidden speakers deliver

birdcalls, frog and cricket noise, and other wildlife sounds.

The Lodge is at one end of the mall. In homage to the center and

it’s own name, several antler racks adorn one of the small eatery’s

walls. The rest of the decor has a nostalgic 1970s feel, complete

with a free-standing, stone-lined fireplace. The bar that runs along

one wall features an alabaster top lighted from below, casting a warm

glow on revelers enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail.

My friend Cynthia, who’s studied restaurant design, points out

that the decor is in a style known as “Googie,” which is something of

a cross between “The Jetsons” and Bob’s Big Boy. These touches are,

of course, understated here, but one look and I think you’ll see the

influence.

In addition to the single main room that sports about 20 tables,

there is a small outdoor patio. One server told me that they’re

building a second floor identical to the first, except it will be

open air. This roofless addition should be complete in a few months.

Cuisine at the Lodge fits squarely in the comfort food category.

The formula seems to be attracting fans. The Lodge, which has only

been open two months, was drawing decent crowds on several visits.

Chef Jason Nietorkorn, who has worked at Aubergine and Troquet,

has efficiently organized the menu. There is a decent selection of

appetizers, salads and a few sandwiches (the Lodge is also open for

lunch), and about a dozen or so main courses.

Below the main courses is a selection of sauces -- bearnaise,

peppercorn, pan gravy -- that can be paired with any of the entrees.

Among the starters are oysters, steamed clams and a deliciously

moist smoked trout ($8) that’s graced with a tangy mustard seed

sauce. The crab cake ($10) was the way crab cakes should be, heavy on

sweet crabmeat and light on breading or filler, with a nice crispy

crust.

Less successful was the artichoke ($6). The leaves are stuffed

with a savory breadcrumb and garlic mixture, which was the way my

grandmother used to make them. But ours was undercooked and a touch

of the cooking liquid on the plate or some good olive oil would have

added needed moisture.

The meat loaf and the pot roast were superb. The pot roast ($14)

is supposedly braised for five hours, and by the way the moist meat

easily yielded under our forks, I don’t think they’re exaggerating.

Meat loaf ($12) is always a tricky offering. Everyone remembers

mom’s version, whether it’s made with mushrooms and tomato sauce or

Lipton’s onion soup mix. Here the moist meat has a pleasantly

sweetish flavor, and the pan gravy that accompanies it partners

perfectly.

The reasonably priced steaks include one of the best New York

strips ($28) I’ve tasted and a flavorful and tender marinated flank

steak ($16) that’s perfect paired with the tarragon-scented bearnaise

sauce.

I wasn’t as impressed with the salmon ($14), which was cooked well

but needed some seasoning. The peppercorn sauce I ordered with it had

too much cornstarch, for an unpleasant glutinous consistency.

All of the entrees are served a la carte, so there’s a good

selection of side dishes. Don’t miss the onion rings ($5), which are

the best I’ve had, period.

Runner-up should probably go to the French fries ($5), thin potato

spears seasoned with a touch of oregano. The braised greens ($5)

leave something to be desired.

Like coaching a football team, running a restaurant requires

teamwork and timing, and in this respect the Lodge is still in

training camp. The staff is friendly and tries hard, but the tempo

just isn’t there.

On one visit, our waitress seated us and told us she’d be right

back with a basket of bread and some water. The bread never showed,

and we had to ask before we got the water.

On a second visit, bread was never mentioned (although there were

baskets on other tables), and we again had to ask several times for

water. Both times, the kitchen was out of several menu items, even

though we weren’t dining particularly late.

I’ll be eager to return in a month or two and hopefully see

improvement.

The Lodge finishes strong, presenting a small selection of

desserts designed to bring you back to the fifth grade. A rich,

creamy chocolate pudding ($5) is choice No. 1.

Service missteps aside, the Lodge offers diners a casual,

nostalgic selection of good solid menu items in a pleasing retro

setting.

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other

Thursday. Send him your comments at sdsanta@oc-dining.com.