A Relaxing Evening at Back Bay Bistro - CLOSED

Back Bay Bistro

1131 Back Bay Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

I get a lot of emails from people out of the area asking me where they should eat when they visit our grand county. Sometimes, they say they will be around Disneyland and want to avoid eating the food at the park. An even more significant majority of tourists ask me to give them a restaurant with a view of the water, where they can soak up the California sunshine along the shore and have a great meal. After being invited to Back Bay Bistro at the Newport Dunes Resort, I will send our out-of-town guests to this restaurant, which has some of the best views of the Back Bay.

Back Bay Bistro is located at the Newport Dunes Resort, just off Jamboree and on Back Bay Drive. I've lived in OC all my life and only thought of this resort as a campground, but it's so much more. This 110-acre resort has one of the most convenient boat ramps around. They not only offer camping for RVs but there are also beach cottages available for people like me who are inept at camping. Other amenities include one mile of beach, playgrounds, and a water park, and they offer visitors the opportunity to rent sailboats or pedal boats for tours of the Back Bay. Many events are also happening at the Dunes, so there's almost always something to do. I like to eat, and they have a spot for that as well, Back Bay Bistro.

Like Newport Dunes Resort, something is always happening at Back Bay Bistro. I always get emails from them for events and special happenings at the restaurant. They have a pretty impressive Taco Tuesday. On Wednesday, they offer half-priced bottles of selected wines from 5 to 9 pm. Sunday is Pasta Night, and also kids eat free on Sunday evenings. There's a Jazz night every month, and for you sports fans, there's LA Rams legend Vince Ferragamo's Wine Dinner every third Thursday of the month. An excellent opportunity to meet a sports legend, hear some great stories, and partake in some wonderful wine and food.

Even though we weren't here for the wine dinner, our disappointment soon washed away as we took in the incredible view from our table and the Back Bay Bistro patio. We were cheated out of a sunset dinner because of the June Gloom, but the scenery was spectacular nonetheless. Watching the boats dock and set sail around us while eating was fantastic. Something about the sea air really gets me hungry, so let's see how the food turned out for us this evening.

Of course, with the relaxed vacation feel of Back Bay Bistro, a beverage from the bar was definitely in order. I had difficulty choosing from their impressive cocktail list but finally settled on their Chupacabra ($11). When I'm having trouble selecting a cocktail, I pick the one that sounds the most unique, and this one fills the bill for that. They use a Milagro Silver tequila and Bacardi rum base, then add muddled jalapeno, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup. I really liked the contrasting feels of each sip of this drink. In some, I got the slight spice from the jalapeno; in others, I got the sweetness from the syrup. It kept me guessing and interested throughout the short life of this drink.

Before we ordered, the folks at Back Bay Bistro set out these rolls for us. They came out nice and warm, with plenty of butter. I like it when they provide lots of butter, so I can spread as much as I like without bothering the wait staff for more. These were good sourdough-style rolls, which they refilled a few times during our stay.

The first of our two appetizers was this photogenic Ahi Tower ($14). Cubed avocado and ahi tuna are layered with tomato and a citrus gastrique. The tuna is seasoned very simply here, so the richness of the ahi shines through. The double layer of fresh avocado, of course, works well with the ahi. The citrus was muted here, relegated to a supporting role in this starter.

It's a close race, but I liked this Crab Cake ($14) even better than the Ahi Tower. This excellent crab cake used lump blue crab meat and Canadian rock crab to assemble this cake, which did not use a lot of filler. It was almost pure crab bliss here, and it was made even better with the very well-done tarragon aioli. I know it was not meant to be showcased, but the coleslaw used here for a bit of color should be preserved. It is one of the best ones I have had recently. I look forward to returning, forgoing the fries, and getting this coleslaw again. A must-try for coleslaw lovers.

We were told that we must try their award-winning Seafood Chowder ($8), and now I'm telling you that you need to try it also. Chef Bruno Massuger was not very forthcoming about what goes into this seafood chowder, but it was delicious. It was a very creamy chowder that did not lack for including lots of chunks inside. I don't know what awards this chowder won, but I found myself licking the cup clean and wishing I had ordered the bigger bowl instead. Excellent work, chef, and you have every right to keep this a secret.

When you are so close to the ocean, wanting some seafood is natural, and that's what Katie ordered this evening. She had the Chef's Daily Feature (Market Price), which just happened to be Opah this evening. She was surprised by the portion size she was given, which was served in a very solid sauce. The opah was very light and prepared well, with some excellent grill marks across it. Katie called this delicious, and the plate was rounded out with a scoop of mashed potatoes and some asparagus spears.

Since it was Friday, I took advantage of their Prime Rib Special ($30 for the 14-ounce option). Prime rib is only available on Fridays at Back Bay Bistro, and it has become a popular night of the week for people to take advantage of this great deal. They offer a 10 ounce portion as well, but do yourself a favor and spend the extra $5 to get the bigger slice, it's the start of the weekend after all. I don't want to speak ill of a prime rib competitor I visited recently, but this version was much better than that outdated, supposedly prime rib specialty restaurant. This prime rib was flavorful all the way through, was leaner than most, cooked to a perfect medium rare, and came with some au jus for an even more significant flavor boost. This dinner was rounded out by some veggies and a baked potato with all the trimmings on the side, so you could dress it any way you like. A very satisfying meal.

Dessert was up next, and we had a short debate on what to have and decided on this Creme Brulee ($8). This was a good-sized creme brulee, which helped prevent Katie and me from fork-fighting over this creamy dessert. It was a great way to end our meal at Back Bay Bistro.

I'm really excited we finally got to experience Back Bay Bistro for ourselves. Not only is this a great restaurant for people camping at the Newport Dunes Resort and wanting something better than barbecued hot dogs and burgers, but it's also a great spot for locals to take advantage of. The dining room offers gorgeous views of the bay, and there always seems to be something going on here, whether it's their nightly specials, their wine dinners, or their almost legendary Sunday brunch, which features an impressive array of seafood favorites, along with your favorite brunch staples. Our server, Sabrina, was terrific; everyone we encountered this evening made us feel at ease and helped provide a greatly needed vacation feel to our day. We look forward to sharing this restaurant with our out-of-town guests and people from around the area.

For more information about Back Bay Bistro, head to their website here: http://www.newportdunes.com/back-bay-bistro/