Cabana offers a romantic celebrations

Glori Fickling

Because Valentine’s Day arrives this year on Saturday we are blessed

with a splendiferous three-day weekend to celebrate this annual

holiday honoring Love. With so many and varied dining options

available locally, one choice which promises a memorable and

affordable evening is the intimate little Cabana Beachside on Coast

Highway Downtown.

The launching of a newly revised menu this week makes the popular

restaurant especially noteworthy today, as a tribute to chef Javier

Flores’ enticing taste temptations garnered via his extensive French

culinary training and his impressive tenure at many prestigious

Orange County dining destinations.

Romantically subdued interior lighting sets a warm Polynesian pace

achieved with Island style overhead fixtures. The ambience continues

with bamboo furnishings. Comfortable chairs are perched atop parquet

floors, on the elevated front porch and at the bustling tropical bar.

The bar is a warm invitation to local camaraderie and the source of

tantalizing tropi-cocktails and potent birdbath size martinis. These

are happily dispensed by lovely Lee and entourage who, like many of

the caring crew, has been with dynamic owner/manager Cindy Holecheck

since the Cabana was unveiled in May at the start of this millennium.

These nicely priced libations also include more than a dozen wines by

the glass and a good selection of draft and bottled beers. Cocktails

average $7, 7-ounce vintages poured in sparkling stems are in a $4.50

to $7.50 range, brews tabbed from $3.50 to $5.50.

Beyond all the aforementioned amenities, it is the creative

cuisine of chef Flores that takes the Cabana to the top of the heap.

His approach to an appetizer of seared ahi is one example. For this

popular delicacy, he drapes a circle of rare, pink slices of the

delicate blackened fish with a heap of crisp Asian slaw, that you

will be tempted to take home. Flores’ way with vegetables is

illustrated in his penchant for seasonings, and in the tasty

fruit-based relishes embellishing some dishes. Velvety mashed

potatoes are spiked with horseradish and, on this revised menu, pesto

is a savory alternative. A palate-tickling blend of garlic, basil and

olive oil -- it is more commonly known to adorn pastas and pizzas.

Request pesto, too, as enhancement to sauteed spinach that

accompanies several dinner entrees. A new treat among half a dozen

seafood offerings is baked halibut crusted with black and white

sesame seeds sided with chunks of zucchini, red bell pepper strips

and those great horseradish mashed potatoes. Shrimp are grilled

rather than prepared scampi style, and pesto potatoes and sauteed

vegetables replace the former lemon pepper linguine. Teriyaki flank

steak is now served with a baked potato and sauteed caramel banana.

Among a quintet of steaks, ribs and chicken entrees, marinated rib

eye steak continues to star. It’s delectably tender with pineapple

juice, soy, fresh ginger. Accompaniments are sauteed spinach and

crisp kernels of corn roasted to peak flavor prior to being stripped

from the cob. That addictive Asian slaw turns up again along with

fried potatoes cozied up to barbecue pork ribs so tender, the meat

falls off the bones. Dinners range from $12.95 for grilled marinated

chicken to $19.95 for seared rare blackened ahi, both presented with

appropriate trimmings. Add a house salad for $4.50, a cup of soup du

jour for $3.50.

Lunch at the Cabana features the same assortment of soups, salads,

appetizers, plus burgers and sandwiches wrapped in a freshly baked

bun with accompaniments of Asian slaw and fries. All are less than

$10 including blackened ahi with wasabi mayo, and a chicken club

sandwich stacked with avocado, bacon, mozzarella. A memorable finale

for sweethearts of any age is the huge wedge of Kona coffee mud pie,

at $5.95 more than enough for two happy lovers,

For Cabana Kids up to 12 years of age there are corn dogs and

cheese quesadillas at $3.95, barbecue ribs and cheese burgers for

$5.95, each accompanied with fries. Ice cream sundaes and beverages

are $1.95 each.

* GLORI FICKLING is a longtime Laguna Beach resident who has

written restaurant news and views columns since 1966. She may be reached at (949) 494-4710 or by e-mail at [email protected].