“Is it wrong that I think biscuits are sexy?” My good friend Heidi asked me over dinner at Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits in Newport Beach the other night.

Well, no. Especially when talking about these particular buttermlik biscuits. Our waiter gingerly set a basket of them on our table, along with some of the restaurant’s sweet butter. We both stopped mid-conversation to take a peek into the basket, and were met with the familiar, subtle aroma of warm biscuits. We couldn’t wait to dig in.

The sexy part? Breaking open a warm biscuit between your hands, watching as slight wisps of steam escape from the middle, slathering on an almost illegally large pat of the sweet, whipped butter, then watching as it melts into the already bursting-with-butter mini time-bomb. It’s been awhile since I’ve been this decadent, and this biscuit was one of the best ones I’ve had in a really long time. I wolfed down four of them before our food was brought out.

Overall, we were impressed with the food at Blue Coral. The seafood (particularly the sea scallops and mahi mahi) are cooked perfectly, but what really shone during this meal were those lovely libations. Blue Coral has more than 60 vodkas from all over the place on-hand, and a tome of various concoctions to choose from. We tried the Peaches and Herb, made with peach vodka, apple juice, peaches and fresh basil. The drink was completely refreshing, as was a Four-Berry, house-made infused vodka. I recommended both.

As for sides: The lobster macaroni and cheese was the meal’s only disapointment. The dish lacked the southern-comfort feel of a real, hearty mac and cheese, being somewhat watery and a bit on the salty side. Be sure to try the Fuji apple and blue cheese slaw, an unexpectedly flavorful hit at our table that solicited just as many “mmms” as the biscuits did. It was one of the least expensive things on the menu; a bargain in my eyes.

If you’re interested in reading more about Blue Coral, here’s a link to Elizabeth Evans’ review.

Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits, Fashion Island, 451 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach
949-856-2583.

Posted in: Restaurants by price: $31-$50 • Seafood |

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