Give Newport a taste

Preparing for this weekend has required Five Crowns to have a fully prepped staff, a seasoned executive chef and enough food to feed a small army: 410 loaves of bread, 100 pounds of fresh horse radish, 80 gallons of creams, 60 prime ribs, 25 pounds of sugar and 3 pounds of fresh vanilla beans.

After all, the Taste of Newport isn’t just any outdoor event. The festival features 30 fine dining restaurants showcasing their top tastes, an assortment of wines and musical entertainment and cooking classes.

Feeding thousands of people side-by-side with other top restaurants can be intimidating, but Executive Chef Dennis Brask has it down to a science. Brask has been orchestrating the Five Crowns Restaurant’s booth at the festival since before it was Taste of Newport.

Five Crowns will be creating its festival staples — a roast prime rib sandwich, port wine au jus and organic whipped cream horseradish for $5.75 and a vanilla bean crème brûlée with fresh raspberries for $3.50.

“Virtually everything is prepared that day,” Brask said.

The Five Crowns two-item offering might seem stingy compared with other restaurants’ five- or six-item menu, but time has taught Brask what people want. Changing the menu isn’t an option, Brask said.

“I think I’d be lynched,” Brask said.

The items are so popular they have started serving the roast prime rib sandwiches as part of their bar menu, said Chris Szechenyi, Five Crowns general manager.

The sandwich and crème brûlée are the restaurant’s signature dishes — what they are famous for, Szechenyi said. Last year, they sold 2,998 sandwiches and 1,775 tastes of crème brûlée during the three-day festival.

With more than two dozen other restaurants vying for business, Szechenyi said it can get competitive to get the most sales.

“There is a lot of camaraderie and a little bit of competition,” he said.

Despite the rivalry, Szechenyi said the staff of the Five Crowns’ booth get to take breaks to enjoy the festival and see what the other restaurants are showcasing. One of his favorite booths to visit is the Royal Thai Cuisine. This year they will be serving up chicken satay, Thai sticks and pad Thai noodles.

“It’s fun to see some of the new things,” Szechenyi said.

Beside tasting the food, the festival has great music, he said. This year Sugar Ray, Train and American Idol’s David Cook are headlining the entertainment every night with a variety of opening acts — from the Huntington Beach reggae, hip hop band the Dirty Heads, and the indie rockers the Bolts to pop singer Jeff Wright and Doors cover band Wild Child.

The selection of musical acts is one thing festival officials are really excited about this year, Chairman Joe DuBois said. Besides the top-notch restaurants and great entertainment, the venue itself is part of the pull with the palm trees swaying in the wind and the cool ocean breezes, said Richard Luehrs, Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce president. The event is also a great chance to bring the community together.

“It’s just a wonderful time to be outside. We always have wonderful weather, knock on wood,” DuBois said.

If You Go

What: Taste of Newport Festival

When: Friday to Sunday

Where: Newport Center Drive, Fashion Island in Newport Beach

Cost: $22 in advance, $25 at the door. Food costs $1 to $7.

Info: www.tasteofnewport.com

Event Calendar:

Friday: Open 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sugar Ray is performing at 9 p.m.

Saturday: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Train is performing at 9 p.m.

Sunday: Noon to 8 p.m. American Idol’s David Cook will take the stage at 6 p.m.