THE GOSSIPING GOURMET:

***FOR THE RECORD: The Sept. 4 Gossiping Gourmet article should listed the hours for Flight Bistro as: open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 11 p.m., and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. There are no appetizer specials from 4 to 6 p.m. There is no late night menu. There is no Sunday brunch. ***

There is certainly no shortage of places to eat in Huntington Beach, but there are very few, if any, that represent the newest dining craze — small plates. From New York to L.A. and points in between, “Food and Wine” magazine has named the small-plate phenomenon the hottest trend of the past year.

The new wave has finally crashed onto the Huntington Beach restaurant scene in the form of Flight, a hip new dining spot and social lounge. Surrounded by elegant, towering palms, lit from below, encircled by stuccoed walls that enclose the front and back patios, you enter a contemporary oasis off the busy boulevards of Beach and Adams.

As we sat down, we noticed the fresh baby roses on the table, a lovely touch. The casual dining menu with Italian and Asian influences features cheese and charcuterie plates, starters, salads, flatbreads, paninis, burgers and entrées — familiar selections for this type of menu, but the execution here at Flight is superior.

You can make a meal out of several of the smaller plates. We began with the crispy rock shrimp accompanied by sambal (chili sauce) aioli dip. The shrimp were juicy, plump little morsels, fried to crispy perfection in a delicate spicy coat with nary a trace of grease.

A different take on sushi was the seared hamachi. The barely grilled fresh fish was wrapped around an inventive take on guacamole. The chunky avocado was mixed with grapefruit salsa, adding a surprising touch of sweet tartness to the creamy avocado.

A few of the other starters include: a Napoleon portabello mushroom with layers of mushroom, mozzarella, heirloom tomato, pine nuts and a drizzle of basil oil; Kobe-style beef picks with sweet soy and scallions or shrimp ceviche with cilantro, cucumber, sweet pepper and corn chips.

Salads can be made into an entrée with shrimp or chicken for a small charge. Besides the classic Caesar, there is an interesting version of Asian salad, with a potpourri of bok choy, edamame, shiitakes, peppers, tofu and a soy-lemonade dressing. One of the other intriguing choices is the arugula piave salad. Piave vecchio, an Italian cheese, is combined with the spicy greens, candied walnuts, shredded apple, dried figs and apricots in a champagne walnut vinaigrette.

Rustic flat breads, like long, narrow pizzas with a thin crust, come in a few varieties: spicy Italian sausage, wild mushroom or the grilled vegetable. We tried the latter with its very fresh toppings: sliced portabellos, fresh tomatoes, red and yellow bell peppers, olives, a bit of crunchy asparagus and cheese. The flavorful crust was brushed with basil pesto but the vegetables needed a bit of salt and we added a dash of hot sauce to perk them up a bit.

Even their burgers and sandwiches have a little extra flair. Served with a choice of fries or salad, you can get a Kobe burger or three different paninis. For vegetarians, there is a portabello mushroom with spicy aioli, balsamic onion and blue cheese. Chicken lovers can get avocado, butter lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, pesto and Swiss on grilled herb focaccia and Italophiles can yum up the prosciutto, burrata cheese, tomato, arugula and spicy aioli version.

You may also order full-sized entrées. Scallops with asparagus and wild mushrooms are sauced with a shellfish emulsion. Flatiron steak is accompanied by broccolini and a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction. Atlantic salmon comes with mashed potatoes and warm spinach.

Although quite full, we had to try one of the entrées and ended up eating every bite. The toothy orecchiette (“little ears”) pasta was topped with grilled chicken, Serrano ham and pine nuts. Burrata cheese melted down into the roasted garlic broth to make a luscious, creamy sauce. The ham added an intriguing saltiness and the toasted pine nuts a bit of crunch.

On to dessert: classic crème brulée comes with wild raspberry and fresh mint, Flight’s molten chocolate cake is served with caramelized bananas and java cream, panko-breaded fried banana is flanked by coconut sorbet, seasonal fruit and passion fruit meringue. For a simple refreshing dessert, try the coconut sorbet with lichee and raspberry compote.

We ate here on a week night, and the service was very attentive and the room was quiet. Perhaps a different atmosphere reigns on the weekend. This restaurant was formerly a nightclub and possibly people don’t realize that although it still calls itself a social lounge, Flight deserves to recognized as an excellent restaurant. It combines the best aspects of casual dining with exciting cuisine in a beautiful venue.

FLIGHT

CALL: (714) 374-8300

WHERE: 8082 Adams Boulevard

WHEN: Tuesday through Sunday: appetizer specials, 4 to 6 p.m.

Dinner, 5 to 10 p.m.

Friday through Saturday: Late night menu, 10 p.m. to midnight

Sunday: Champagne brunch, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PRICES:

Appetizers: $6 to $19

Entrées: $10 to $26

Desserts: $7 to $8

WINE:

Bottles: $28 to $300

By the glass: $8 to $18

Corkage Fee: $20

ELLE HARROW AND TERRY MARKOWITZ owned a la Carte for 20 years and can be reached at themarkos755@yahoo.com.