RESTAURANT REVIEW:

The wait was 10 months, and I am happy to say that the remodeling of the Back Bay Bistro was definitely worth the wait. The transformation was part of the 50th anniversary of the Newport Dunes resort.

The old Back Bay Café was a quaint place to have lunch or dinner during the spring and summer months, but wasn’t really considered a place that had to be visited.

What is now called the Back Bay Bistro challenges that mindset. The restaurant could rival many of the upscale hot spots in the area.

The building itself underwent a facelift, headed by Style Interior Design. They utilized the existing space, but added touches such as black concrete tile floors, large gilded framed mirrors and multi-tiered chandeliers.

The biggest addition was of a retractable awning, giving the restaurant natural light and protection from the elements.

The views of the bay were the biggest selling point of the facility and they are still there, with more viewing areas in the now 199-seat dining room.

Longtime Executive Chef Daniel Jimenez has also transformed the menu, adding some incredibly inventive dishes to both the lunch and dinner menus.

The lunch sampling I had there recently in anticipation of today’s opening was definitely impressive.

My first dish was the Kobe beef sliders. The three mini-burgers were topped with bleu cheese, caramelized onions and served on potato rolls.

Being Kobe beef, the quality was obviously excellent, as is all the red meat served at the restaurant. Jimenez is using USDA Prime for all his steaks. The sliders were tender, and the caramelized onions gave it a sweet taste.

The appetizers are enough to get diners to come here. There were several that intrigued me. The crab bistro was nicely presented in a martini glass, the lump crab and homemade tomato relish working well together with the avocado mousse.

Even a simple starter like the hummus and pita or the shrimp cocktail was refreshing in its quality. The pita was soft and fluffy and the hummus very understated. The shrimp cocktail sauce was very different, almost sweet and very good.

My favorite appetizer, which is served as an entrée at lunch, was the lobster and shrimp quesadilla. The tomato basil tortilla is filled with chunks of lobster, shrimp, bell peppers, onion and cheddar cheese. The cheese is a little sharper than most used and adds to the dish. The combination of lobster and shrimp is a great mix, especially with the picante salsa that accompanies the dish.

I was surprised at the breadth of choices for lunch entrees, almost as many as are offered for dinner. Some of the dishes are available at both sittings, which is good because they are worthy of it.

The pecan crusted chicken was my favorite. The chicken breast could be the most tender piece of poultry I have had all year and combined with the crunchy pecans, and warm banana sauce made it a fantastic entrée.

The seafood selections are one area that could probably be improved upon at lunch. Fish and chips and fish tacos seem out of place on the menu, though the fresh fish, such as the Dover sole and halibut were very well prepared.

The dinner seafood entrees are much more entailed. A macadamia-nut crusted halibut and crab stuffed salmon looked appealing to me.

Lunch also has several sandwiches that mix old and new. Some of the selections are a tuna melt, French dip, chicken wrap and prime rib. There are also six salads as well.

This is a nice change from what used to be here and with the menu and building being renovated, it should become an institution with not only tourists, but locals as well.

BACK BAY BISTRO

ADDRESS: 1131 Back Bay Drive, Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 729-1144

CUISINE: Contemporary

SPECIALTY DISH: Pecan crusted chicken

ALCOHOL SERVED: Full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $18 to $29 for dinner

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.