French eateries moving into Newport-Mesa

Paul Clinton

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, meet David Wilhelm.

Wilhelm, the noted Laguna Beach restaurateur, is readying two new

eateries for residents farther north who have had to head southward

to partake of his food.

No longer.

In October, Wilhelm will open Chat Noir, a stylized French

restaurant near the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa that, with

its smooth jazz sounds, should be popular with the theatergoing

crowd.

Six months later, in April, Wilhelm plans to open the doors of

Rouge, a French bistro geared to a clientele that enjoys fine dining

but is not so free-spending.

Both new French eateries are in part, Wilhelm says, a result of

the success of his French 75, listed in the 2003 Zagat Survey as a

“lively Laguna hot spot” with “fancy French fare.”

While Chat Noir is expected to be more in line with French 75,

Rouge is being pitched as a more affordable alternative.

“It’s an everyday version of that,” Wilhelm said. “It’s the French

version of Cheers. It’s bustling ... It’s not about fussy food and

fussy sauces.”

Rouge, which will replace Chimayo Grill at Newport Center. For

French cuisine in Newport Beach, diners can head to Balboa

Peninsula’s Aubergine, which has a fixed price menu that usually

won’t let them off for less than $80 per head. Other notable Gallic

eateries are Accents, Basilic, Golden Truffle, Pascal and Pescadou.

In Costa Mesa, Chat Noir joins Cafe Pascal, Golden Truffle and

Troquet.

Richard Luehrs, president of the Newport Beach Chamber of

Commerce, expects Rouge to be welcomed eagerly.

“David Wilhelm over the years has brought us many fine dining

opportunities,” Luehrs said. “He’s one of the icons in the industry.”

While the average bill at French 75 rings up at just under $70 per

person, Wilhelm says eating at Rouge will cost less. Lunch should

average $20, while dinner will cost between $40 and $45 a head.

Wilhelm, a self-taught chef and restaurateur, has developed and

opened more than 14 eateries in Southern California during the past

decade.

Wilhelm held a high-profile position with W.R. Grace Restaurant

Group, a former division of chemical giant W.R. Grace & Co., where he

designed the concept and menu for the El Torito Grill, which opened

in Fashion Island in the mid-1980s.

He formed West Coast Restaurants Ventures Inc. shortly after that

and developed and opened several restaurants in Orange County and Los

Angeles County.

In the early 1990s, Wilhelm opened Chimayo Grill. Chimayo at the

Beach, which has a similar southwestern theme, opened in Huntington

Beach in 1999.

In 1996, Wilhelm and former Taco Bell Corp. Chief Executive John

Martin jointly formed David Wilhelm’s Culinary Adventures Inc. In

addition to the two Chimayo eateries and French 75, the company runs

Sorrento Grille in Laguna Beach and Savannah Steak & Chop House in

Laguna Niguel.

* PAUL CLINTON covers the environment, business and politics. He

may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].