RESTAURANT REVIEW:

When Pelican Hill Golf Club closed a couple of years ago for renovations I was depressed, but I think it was the restaurant closing that saddened me more than the golf course.

There was nothing better than finishing a round of golf and then heading up the stairs to enter the restaurant and eat dinner while the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean.

When I found out the Irvine Co. wasn’t opening the restaurant back up in its previous location, I was disappointed. The new location was going to be lower down the street where the practice facility is located. I figured I had lost my ocean-view dining experience for good.

I should have known better. As is usually the case, they made it bigger and better than before. The grill now is incredible and offers something for both the golfer coming off the course and the sophisticated diner.

I pretended to be the latter, and a guest and I went to the restaurant recently to partake in what is being billed as a “quintessential California dining experience.”

Chef Thomas Ryan isn’t from this state, but he certainly has acclimated quickly and has many influences in the menu.

The boneless short ribs are made from natural Brandt beet from Brawley and the avocados and tomatoes come from the Irvine ranch the company owns. The olive oil used for the aged sherry vinaigrette is Sparrows Lane, made in Napa Valley.

“We wanted to have mostly local food,” Ryan said. “We thought that was important, and the quality is so high it was perfect.”

The quality is incredible, even on the most simplest of items. The crispness of the mixed greens in the organic green salad was outstanding and combined with ruby grapes, hazelnuts, fried goat cheese made for a truly unique start to our meal.

The tortilla soup is another dish that shouldn’t be missed. The spice is not overpowering and the shreds of chicken and home grown avocados really complement the dish.

For dinner we had the pistachio-dusted ahi tuna steak, and it was quite nice, especially with the peppercorn citrus sauce that was served on the side.

The grilled lamb chops were another outstanding dish. The two adequately sized pieces of meat came with a plum chutney sauce that was good, but there is one better.

Ask for the Pinot Noir reduction sauce instead. It is one of the best sauces I have ever had. Orogeny, a Pinot Noir from Green Valley, is used with shallots and the process takes three days.

What transpires is a sauce that is so flavorful that when the meat meets it, the enhancement is indescribable.

It is one of 30 by the glass that are offered and almost all of which are from California. Some of the wines featured are Honig 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a Ferrari-Carano 2004 Merlot from Sonoma County, and a Chateau Montelena 2004 Chardonnay from Napa.

Ryan is planning wine dinners at the grill for guests and will feature his cuisine with selected vintages.

It is all part of Ryan’s philosophy of building a clientele that regularly accompanies the resort guests.

“This should be the locals place,” Ryan said. “Some resorts ignore the locals, and that is such a mistake.”

Ryan is warm and personable and enjoys interacting with guests. He has an open air kitchen that is close to the dining area and presents the opportunity for diners to watch the activity in the kitchen.

It will be a tough choice, though, between that view and the one of the Pacific Ocean.

The restaurant has a terrace that overlooks the water, and there are also many vantage points inside the dining room.

After my meal it didn’t take long to get over bereaving the old restaurant. Pelican Grill is better, and with Ryan’s direction is only going to improve.

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.