RESTAURANT REVIEW:

There has been a touch of confusion with Champagnes Deli and Grill because of a restaurant with a similar name. The move of Champagnes store earlier this year only added to that confusion.

But Champagnes continues to thrive after 20 years, and it should continue to flourish for another 20 — especially with the food they serve.

With the old store there was more room for products, and the emphasis seemed to be on items to buy. With a much smaller space for retail and a much larger dining area, the focus has gone to the food, which could be a very good thing. The restaurant has instituted a new menu and the unique cuisine adds to a nice relaxed atmosphere.

Both owner Rand McDevitt and General Manager Tina Voso have worked on making the dining room an inviting place where diners have a quality and varied menu. They have succeeded.

When I arrived with my guest, we were greeted warmly and directed to one of the comfortable booths in the room. There is also an outdoor area that would be perfect for spring and summer dining.

Fresh bread sticks that had been lightly coated with butter were brought to the table as a nice starter. Next was sampling the newest addition to the menu, the four pizzas.

The first we tried was the hearth roasted veggie. Three of the four pizzas have a homemade sauce. It is very flavorful, but not too sweet, and allows the toppings to be the focal point. This one had roasted vegetables such as red bell peppers, zucchini, caramelized onions and yellow squash. Fresh basil is added as well.

The most unusual pizza we had was the Champagnes BBQ. It was made with a house-made barbecue sauce and comes with either pulled barbecue pork or barbecue chicken. On top of that was smoked Gouda and mozzarella cheese. It was finished off with cilantro and caramelized onions. I wasn’t sure this would work, but it was an interesting combination. The sauce blended with the meat and cheeses.

We took a break from pizza and sampled the tri tip. It was a nice cut of meat and the horseradish sauce that accompanied it did not have too much of a bite, which is good or bad depending on your tolerance for spice.

The baby back ribs were outstanding. These are slow roasted overnight with a very simple garlic and hot pepper rub. They are put back in the stone hearth oven for additional cooking and are so tender I barely needed to chew them.

The menu has other items for dinner such as turkey meatloaf, grilled chicken breast with lemon garlic butter and Atlantic salmon.

The restaurant also serves breakfast and lunch. A new breakfast menu includes sandwiches and burritos and classic favorites like homemade buttermilk pancakes, organic brioche French toast, signature egg scrambles and house-made granola.

One item that is still there and probably would have created a riot had it been taken off the menu is the coconut cake. This small square is packed with coconut and cream, and is one of the best desserts I have ever had. It was incredible, and I ended up taking one home.

That is another advantage of the restaurant.

All of the dinner items can be taken home and provide a perfect dinner for people like myself who are too busy to cook. The food is so well-prepared that it tastes like it was made in your own kitchen.

Eat here once and you probably will be giving your kitchen many nights off.

CHAMPAGNES DELI AND GRILL

ADDRESS: 1260 Bison Ave., Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 640-5011

CUISINE: American

SPECIALTY DISH: pizzas

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer and wine

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $7.95 to $19.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes, four-item children’s menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at Nolimepublishing@aol.com or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.