Scott’s does more than just seafood

Greer Wylder

Scott’s Seafood Grill & Bar opened in Costa Mesa’s theater district

in 1989, primarily serving seafood dishes, some shared from its

original San Francisco location at Scott and Lombard streets.

Then Scott’s introduced to Orange County its first prime-grade

steakhouse menu in the mid-1990s -- serving typical New York-style

rib-eyes, Delmonico’s, porterhouse steaks and more, along with

classic side dishes. News spread quickly that Scott’s was serving

fabulous steaks and prime steakhouse chains noticed. Within six

months, Morton’s of Chicago moved in nearby, soon followed by Ruth’s

Chris Steakhouse in Irvine, then Fleming’s in Newport Beach.

“Prior to 1994 people were stuck in a boneless skinless chicken

breast, tofu crunch,” general manager/partner Mark Kuehn said.

Red meat wasn’t in vogue. In Costa Mesa, steakhouses were limited

-- competition included the Barn and Sizzler. Scott’s owners saw that

red meat was ready for a comeback and they wanted to be at the

forefront of that trend. So they flew to New York, and as luck would

have it, on the day they arrived, The New York Times listed the

city’s top 25 steakhouses.

They went down the list and for one week, they ate at each of the

25 steakhouses -- three restaurants at lunch and four restaurants at

dinner. Chefs and restaurant owners shared their cooking secrets:

where they bought their beef; what ovens were used; and special

seasoning tips. They tasted classic side dishes too: sauteed

mushrooms; Lyonnaise potatoes; creamed spinach; and tomato, onion

salads.

By the end of their trip, they knew what made a perfect New

York-style steak. When they returned to Costa Mesa, they blind-tasted

beef from nearly 20 companies to find the best vendor.

“We will never change,” Kuehn said. “Our prime age beef is

spectacular -- aged 28 days.”

Because New York’s steakhouses consistently had infrared broilers

set at 1200 degrees, Scott’s installed them. They found that

traditional char-broilers cook from the bottom up and meat’s

flavorful juices fall into the flame. Scott’s sears meat from the

top. When the meat puffs up, the juices stay sealed inside.

Steak choices include a classic 14-ounce New York strip ($34); an

extremely tender 10-ounce filet mignon ($36); and a flavorful,

marbled 16-ounce rib-eye ($32). The Delmonico steak is not found on

the menu, but is Scott’s specialty. Any steak can be topped with

melted bleu cheese ($4), or served with a California spiny lobster

($37). Sides include a baked potato, steamed asparagus, blue cheese

mashed potatoes, or sauteed mushrooms ($5).

If that’s not enough, Scott’s is equally concerned with serving

the highest-quality seafood.

“We will not sacrifice quality,” Kuehn said. “We always buy the

best -- no substitutions.”

Scott’s buys fresh fish every day, and they want to use all of it

every day, Kuehn said.

Seafood selections include King salmon, Chilean sea bass, Alaskan

halibut, superior Mexican Gulf shrimp and farm-fresh oysters.

“It’s easier for restaurants to pre-open them,” Kuehn said. “We

make sure every single one is alive. You might have to wait five

minutes, but they’re absolutely fresh.”

One of its best seafood dishes is the Chilean sea bass ($29),

prepared in a unique-Japanese style cooking method. The fish

marinates for 24 hours in a byproduct of sake, rice, sugar and

starch. When it’s baked it caramelizes, which adds a sweet and yeasty

flavor. The calamari appetizer is also excellent -- lightly dusted in

flour, flash- fried, then sauteed in lemon butter, garlic, shallots

and white wine ($10). The seafood Cioppino is a melange of Alaskan

king crab, in-season fish, clams, mussels, half of a lobster tail in

a Roma tomato sauce, with toasted focaccia ($26).

Scott’s decor is British West Indies, with plantation-style arched

windows, palm trees, ceiling fans and an exhibition kitchen visible

from the main dining room. For parties there are private and

semi-private rooms and patios. All rooms can connect for large

parties.

With its proximity to Orange County Performing Arts CenterScott’s

does its part catering to theater patrons.

“No matter what time the curtain goes down at the center, we will

offer a full dinner menu a half-an-hour after the show,” Kuehn said.

It’s also one of the few restaurants that doesn’t have a dark

hour, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. It serves lunch straight into dinner,

making it an ideal dining choice for business meetings and South

Coast Plaza shoppers.

Scott’s celebrates the holidays -- Christmas Eve and New Year’s

Eve are two of its biggest nights, but it’s closed on Christmas. On

Christmas Eve, Scott’s is a popular dining choice, and its annual

tradition on New Year’s Eve is to offer dancing. Starting at 9 p.m.,

Scott’s clears out tables in the dining room to make a dance floor,

and there’s a live band. Scott’s provides party favors and Champagne

au gratis.

* 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.