Orange County Register

Sometimes I get the feeling that O.C. has a handful of truly great restaurants, and then a large margin of just so-so upscale places that seem to keep their doors open on the fact that they’re just good enough to get by. When I heard that The Winery Restaurant & Bar was opening at The District in Tustin, I immediately thought it would fall under that category; a ho-hum place planted in a shopping center because the fine-dining quota needed to be filled.

Location and exterior aside (The building is an unfortunate shade of orange, to match everything else in the shopping center), I hope The Winery will eventually stand out from the rest of O.C.’s fine-dining pack. It’s still too early to tell (the restaurant opened Aug. 27), but there are some real hints that might suggest that the restaurant could truly make an impact on the dining scene. You’ve got a trio of owners (J.C. Clow, William Lewis and Patrick “Irish” Quinn) who spent more than a decade at Morton’s the Steakhouse in Costa Mesa, so they have the know-how to keep a restaurant open for more than a few months. (”Irish” is already a favorite of mine because of his “Shanahan’s Lemonade,” a devil-of-a-drink he made with Southern Comfort while at Morton’s). Then there’s the restaurant’s backbone and fourth owner, French-born Chef Yvon Goetz, who has stints at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, the Balboa Bay Club and Culinary Adventures under his belt. And if that doesn’t draw a curious crowd, the restaurant has one of the largest wine cellars in the county, with room for 5,000 bottles.

Cuisine here is contemporary Californian with a twist of French and an emphasis on Napa Valley cuisine. A Rib-eye steak (pictured above, $26), is prepared by-the-book and needs no fancy garnishes or sauces (though a few sauces are offered). It is what it is: A tender cut of beef sitting in a pool of it’s own juices. The Winery’s minimalist steak dishes are perfect for no-fuss eaters, proving that simplicity is often best.

The Wild Mushroom Risotto (pictured at right, $19.95), provides a medley of woodsy offerings mixed into the risotto. Normally, risotto is overshadowed by meat dishes on a menu, but this one shouldn’t be passed up. Try it as an appetizer if you need to.

Classic Gratin Dauphinois potatoes ($7) are offered as a side and are another must-have. Paper-thin slices of potatoes offer a more refined approach to this standard American family dish. The slices are a good mouth-feel and practically melt in your mouth under the creamy cheese sauce.

An appetizer of Alsatian Pizza ($11, pictured below) features Applewood smoked bacon, creamy onions and gruyere cheese. It’s just light enough to order as a snack, yet it’s got enough substance to stand up to the red wine we we had ordered (A bottle of 2004 Tutto Bene, at $35 is perfect for wine-lovers on a budget).

Information: The Winery Restaurant & Bar, 2647 Park Ave., Tustin. 714-258-7600.
www.thewineryrestaurant.net Lunch: Daily 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.. Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 5-10:30 p.m.

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