Dining Review -- Stephen Santacroce

Fans of musical comedy will probably remember the ‘50s Broadway hit

“The Pajama Game,” in particular the sultry song “Hernando’s Hideaway.”

The song opens with the lyric, “I know a dark, secluded place, a place

where no one knows your face,” and goes on to describes a hidden, trendy

nightspotreminiscent of Prohibition-era speak-easies. The perfect setting

for a romantic romp or illicit assignation, where dim lighting and clouds

of cigarette smoke can obscure faces and intentions.

Today’s restaurants favor more open space, brighter lighting, and

bustling atmospheres. But despite these changes in style, there is still

some nostalgia for hidden, romantic retreats. Perhaps the best local

example is La Cave restaurant in Costa Mesa, where it still feels like a

password might be required to gain entrance.

La Cave, which opened in 1962 on Valentine’s Day, is accessed through

the lobby of an old office building on the corner of 17th Street and

Irvine Avenue. Here you’ll find a nondescript door, which could just as

easily house a broom closet, with a small-stenciled sign bearing the name

of the restaurant.

Pass through this door, and wind your way down a few flights of

stairs, and you’ll find La Cave tucked in the basement, quietly serving

locals steaks, seafood and cocktails in a setting of relative anonymity.

The restaurant resembles a cave or, maybe more appropriately, a cellar

in an old French chateau or English castle. The walls are lined in brick

and archways divide the dining room areas. A heavy candelabra provides

what lighting there is in the room; at the far end a stained-glass window

gives a muted glimpse into the restaurant’s private dining area.

The bar is a heavy oak affair that runs along the back wall, lined

with intricate wood relief. Overstuffed red leather booths provide cozy

seating for an intimate occasion. The overall effect is secretive and

hushed. The requisite bartender, polishing a glass, is perched behind the

bar looking like he knows more than he tells. The clinking of glasses

often seems louder than the conversations.

La Cave has a well-seasoned following of regulars, but the retro

surroundings have attracted a fair number of the young, trendy crowd, who

often populate the place on the weekends, listing to live jazz while

enjoying a martini and a steak.

The food at La Cave seems almost to be an afterthought. This is not a

criticism, the food is good for the most part; it just doesn’t seem to be

the focal point of the experience. Picture yourself seated with a close

friend, engaged in conversation and drinks, when you realize that you’re

hungry.

Maybe it’s for this reason that the choices are kept simple. No need

to ruin the flow of the evening poring over a ponderous menu. Chef John

Kottelanne has been with the restaurant for more than 20 years and has

wisely kept the menu stripped down to the most basic choices.

Soon after being seated, your server will drop off a basket of garlic

bread. At first glance, the bread appears to be toasted white bread, but

one bite hooks most patrons to the garlic and cheese-coated stuff -- it’s

not too difficult to polish off several baskets in a evening. If La Cave

serves any other appetizers, I’ve never found out about them from a

waiter, although rumor has it there is a shrimp scampi available.

Dinner choices are limited to grilled steaks and seafood. If you feel

like anything else, you’d better look elsewhere. The menu is presented on

a small trolley, where the meat and fish portions are laid out under a

plexiglass dome. Steaks include a seven-ounce or 10-ounce filet mignon

($23.95 or $26.95), an 11-ounce New York strip ($22.95) and, my favorite,

a meaty 16-ounce T-bone ($24.95). Kottelanne’s only nod to haute cuisine

is the beef medallions ($23.95), thin-cut slices of filet mignon topped

with a mushroom wine sauce. On Friday and Saturday, add prime rib for

$19.95, and you’ve covered the meat end of the menu.

Seafood choices consist mainly of shellfish, including a lobster tail

that’s market-priced ($46.95 on a recent visit), king crab legs ($28.95)

and broiled shrimp brushed with butter ($22.95). In addition to the

shellfish, La Cave offers a thick swordfish ($21.95) or halibut ($21.95)

grilled with garlic lemon butter.

That’s the extent of the menu at La Cave, although diners can also

create various “surf and turf” combinations, such as a filet with crab

legs or a New York strip and shrimp, which will be priced accordingly.

Dinner starts with a soup or salad, the latter being served with a

traditional choice of dressings, including Italian vinaigrette, French,

blue cheese and Thousand Island. I’d choose the salad; it’s about all

that’s offered in the way of vegetables. Entrees are accompanied by rice,

a baked potato or a twice-baked potato that’s been scooped from the

shell, mashed with butter and cheese and then baked again in the shell to

add a crisp crust.

I have few complaints about the food at La Cave. The steaks are always

cooked the way I like them and are good, well-marbled cuts of meat priced

right for the quality and portion. The seafood is not as consistent,

sometimes it’s overcooked and dry for my taste, but other times it’s just

right. Besides, I think most restaurants overcook their fish, so maybe

it’s me.

The wine list at La Cave offers a few good bottles, but overall is

pretty limited in selection. Bring something from home and pay the $15

corkage if you’re looking for variety.

Desert choices are fairly standard; diners can enjoy a rich

lemon-glazed cheesecake, a moist carrot cake or decadent chocolate mousse

cake (all $4), any of which will satisfy most people with a sweet tooth.

I like La Cave both for what it is and what it isn’t. La Cave is not a

trendy newcomer, catering to the fleeting whimsy of restless Newport

Beach diners. There are no concessions to current fads, and I doubt goat

cheese or arugula has ever made it past the well-hidden front door. La

Cave is a place to enjoy the company of friends in a secluded setting

over a cold cocktail. Just knowing it exists makes one feel “in.”

* STEPHEN SANTACROCE’S restaurant reviews appear every other Thursday.

Send him your comments at [email protected].

FYI

* What: La Cave

* Where: 1695 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa

* When: 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and

Saturday

* How much: Moderately expensive

* Call: (949) 646-7944