Taste of Newport brings more than just food

Greer Wylder

The Taste of Newport is the city’s biggest party of the year. Set at

Newport Center Drive in Fashion Island, it has gourmet foods and

cocktails, live music and dancing.

The three-day festival starts today at 6 p.m. and goes to 11 p.m.;

it continues Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m.; and on Sunday from noon to 8

p.m. More than 900 hard-working volunteers help make the event

happen, and it attracts more than 75,000 people.

Participants include 30 of Newport’s finest restaurants, more than

15 California wineries and breweries. Each night, there’s great live

entertainment: Neil Diamond tribute group Super Diamond, Sugar Ray,

and the classic Southern California sound, the Beach Boys!

Fifteen years ago, Orange County’s growth hurt Newport’s fine

dining restaurants. Newport was no longer the “in-place to go.” The

first Taste of Newport was originally intended to boost the city’s

economy. In the past five years, it has been so successful that it

also helped numerous local charities through The Taste of Newport

Grant Program. More than $107,185 has been contributed.

New to the event are hassle-free e-Scrip cards. They’ve replaced

confusing food and drink tickets. The card works like a gift or debit

card. Any value can be added to the cards at e-Scrip booths using

cash or credit cards. Food and drink purchases are deducted from the

cards. The remaining balances can be refunded at refund booths, or

customers may donate the remaining value left on cards to local

charities’ cards. Admission tickets are $17 at the gate, free for

children younger than 8. “Tastes” at each restaurant booth are from

$1 to $5 each.

Back-by-popular demand is the cooking demonstration pavilion. Some

talented chefs are from the Art Institute of California. Learn tips

on making great recipes.

A great new addition is Sunday’s “Ask The Chef” hour at 2:30 p.m.

Chef Julia Elkins will answer any of your cooking questions. Murrat

Day will make seared breast of turkey with mushroom chive cream;

Peter Striffolino will make shallot crusted sea bass, champagne

ginger broth with fresh thyme, potato gallete; Rick Royal will make

raspberry white chocolate creme brulee; Chris Lauderdale will make

chocolate redemption cake; and Arnold Kwok will make salmon confit

with asparagus spears, herb salad, black pepper tuile and balsamic

reduction.

This is your chance to sample cuisines from around the world.

There will be casual and fine-dining choices. Portions are smaller

than serving sizes.

Here is a partial list of participating restaurants and the

samples they will be serving:

* Bibi Anna’s on Balboa Island will serve barbecue boneless beef

ribs with wasabi mashed potatoes; seafood ceviche in fresh lemon cups

and blackened ahi on rice with rich Thai peanut sauce.

* Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant, which has locations at Lido

Park Drive and at South Coast Village, will offer New England and

Manhattan clam chowder, fish and chips or shrimp and chips, and

seasoned “Old Bay” French fries.

* Capri Blu at Westcliff Drive will have its popular pizza regina

margherita, grilled calamari steaks on arugula and fresh

strawberries.

* Ciao at Balboa Island will serve shrimp scampi, three cheese

ravioli, bruschetta and tiramisu.

* El Tarasco Mexican Food on West Balboa Boulevard will serve

asada, chicken or carnitas tacos and burritos.

* Five Crowns Restaurant on the East Coast Highway in Corona del

Mar will offer roast prime rib sandwich with creamed horseradish and

creme brulee.

* Gregorio’s at Main Street in Huntington Beach will serve braised

sirloin beef tips served over creamy mashed potatoes, pan-seared

jumbo scallops served over creamy mashed potatoes and bananas Foster

sauteed in orange Juice, Grand Marnier and dark rum.

* Gulliver’s Restaurant at MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine will

serve barbecue prime rib bones, prime rib sandwich, prime rib, cream

of corn, cream of spinach and English trifle.

* Kitayama Restaurant at Bayview Place will serve California,

spicy tuna or shrimp hand roll, spicy lobster and asparagus soybean

paper hand roll and green tea ice cream.

* Koto Restaurant on Von Karman Avenue will serve sushi hand

rolls, tempura, yakitori and tempura roll.

* Marrakesh at Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa will serve chicken

or lamb kebobs with vegetable couscous; filo triangles with spinach

and feta; and morgues lamb sausage with vegetable couscous and

baklava.

* Pavilion at the Four Seasons Hotel at Newport Center Drive will

serve Chinese chicken salad with sesame peanut dressing; butternut

squash ravioli with spiced corn sauce; pepper-crusted lamb chops with

garlic mashed potatoes with Port wine reduction; creme brulee with

fresh raspberries; and warm berry crisp with vanilla bean ice cream.

* Sage at Eastbluff Drive will serve grilled Asian barbecue beef

short ribs with sweet and spicy dipping sauce; tortilla soup; and

chocolate chip Hawaiian bread pudding with caramel sauce and sweet

vanilla cream.

COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS

Today, there will be demonstrations at 6:15, 7:15 and 8:15 p.m.;

on Saturday, at 4:15, 5:30, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.; and Sunday at 12:30,

1:30, 2:30, 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.

ENTERTAINMENT

Super Diamond will perform today for 90 minutes starting between 9

p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Fans of Neil Diamond will love the incredible

impersonations of the legendary singer by the frontman, known as “The

Surreal Neil.”

The band, from San Francisco, performs Diamond’s top hits from the

last 30 years, including “Sweet Caroline,” “September Morn” and

“Forever in Blue Jeans.”

Special guest Disco Inferno will also perform favorite ‘70s hits.

Sugar Ray, a double-platinum-selling band from Orange County, will

perform Saturday for 90 minutes starting between 9 and 9:30 p.m.

Sugar Ray is known for its top singles “Every Morning,” “Fly,”

“Someday,” “When It’s Over,” “Falls Apart” and “Answer the Phone.”

The Beach Boys, the legendary surf band from the 1960s, will

perform for 90 minutes on Sunday starting between 4 and 4:30 p.m.

Some of the group’s classic tunes are “California Girls,” “Surfin’

USA,” “I Get Around” and “Surfer Girl.”

More than 10 other bands will perform during the festivities.

For more information, contact the Newport Beach Chamber of

Commerce at (949) 729-4400 or visit https://www.tasteofnewport.com.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.