333 Bayside Dr.
Newport Beach, CA 92660
In recent years I've made it a point to try new restaurants. Unfortunately, this was not always the case. So when I started this restaurant review site, I made it my policy to wait a year or so to try a place to ensure a restaurant had some staying power. I didn't want a long list of closed restaurants cluttering my blog. Then it dawned on me that you all might want to know if a newer place is worth spending your hard-earned money at.
That's when I started paying closer attention to notable restaurant openings featured in the Orange County Register, OC Weekly, and especially Orange Coast magazine. In recent years I've tried to hit up as many of their best new restaurants as I've been able to. Last year I think I made it to six out of ten. With all the craziness of this year, this is my first visit to a restaurant on this year's list.
Tavern House took over the long-time spot of 3-Thirty-3 Waterfront, which sits adjacent to Sol Cocina on PCH. They opened their doors in July last year and are brought to us by a pair of well-respected restauranteurs in OC, Gregg Soloman, and David Wilhelm. Between them, they are the creators of some of OC's most iconic restaurants; Bistro 201, Sorrento Grille, Kachina, French 75, and Jimmy's Famous American Tavern, to name a few.
I had never been to 3-Thirty-3 before, but the renovation into Tavern House took only two weeks to complete, so I imagine this was more or less what the restaurant looked like. We had made reservations and requested to be sat near a window overlooking the tranquil waters of Newport Bay. The view was very comforting, as the bay's gentle waves lapped easily against the sides of the big yachts as the sun slid from view on the horizon.
The inside vibe of Tavern House was a little more raucous as we arrived, just as the Sunday Funday crowd was shuffling out, but the Dodger game was just starting up. The game was being played on numerous TVs surrounding the bar, which is centrally located in the center of the restaurant. The dark woods are reminiscent of Jimmy's Famous Tavern, but with a much better view and lightened up a bit.
The menu features many starters and share plates, with many featuring different seafood offerings. There are eight soup and salad selections, with most running in the $12 to $20 range. In addition, there are 13 of what I'd call big entree plates and five burger and sandwich options. Fans of Soloman's and Wilhelm's past restaurant ventures will see some of their old favorites on this menu. Let's see if we can add Tavern House to this dynamic duo's long list of hit restaurants.
We started our culinary adventure at Tavern House with their BBQ Buffalo Style Meatballs ($17). Unfortunately, these ping-pong-sized orbs of meat were bathed in a way too sweet to be called buffalo-style sauce. The provided garlic ranch helped cut the sweetness, but I was expecting these to be a bit spicy, which they were not. Also, at $3.40 per meatball, I thought they should have at least been a little more tender.
Our good friends Cynthis and Scott were joining us this evening, and Cynthia gave the New England Style Clam Chowder ($8) a try. This creamy chowder came with plenty of clams, potatoes, and a good amount of bacon which lent a smokiness to each bite. She was very excited by this version, as she considers herself an expert in all things clam chowder.
Not only one of the most photogenic soups you will ever see but one of the tastiest you will have as well. As good as the clam chowder was, I could not see myself visiting Tavern House without getting their classic French 75 French Onion Soup ($12). This just exuded comfort food with each spoonful. The tangy, sweetened onions complimented the savory broth wonderfully, but the gruyere cheese blanketing the top layer of this was, of course, the show's star. Each bite was a pleasure, a little crispy on the edges and bubbly and creamy in the middle. It's hard for me to get too excited about soup, but this is one to shout about.
Cynthia is pretty special to all of us, especially to her beaming husband, so it was very appropriate that she picked the fresh fish special this evening. This Sea Bass Special ($34) came with a good-sized piece of sea bass in a butter sauce with sliced almonds and capers. The fish was cooked perfectly, with good flakiness to it. Rounding out the meal were some vegetables, most of which were french-cut green beans and mashed potatoes.
Scott is a man of simpler tastes, as he quickly zeroed in on this Cowboy Burger ($21). This burger was heavy on condiments and toppings, including barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese, green chile, strips of bacon, and fried onion strings. A definite upgrade to his usual Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. Scotty is a man of few words when it comes to anything but poker. Still, he called this burger above average, which translates to him being impressed with his meal selection.
Katie has been doing the keto thing for the last five months, and I have to say that I'm very proud of her. She's cut her insulin intake to a quarter of what it was, and she's been feeling great. I was a little worried that she would be unable to find meals at the restaurants we visit, but that has not been the case. At Tavern House, she partook in the Chopped Salad with Chicken ($19). This bowl contained romaine lettuce, bacon, heirloom tomatoes, red onion, and a delicious blue cheese dressing. The six-dollar upcharge for the chicken was softened a bit with the amount of poultry she got and how it added some protein to her meal. She also got a side of Green Beans ($8). Unfortunately, these were kind of lackluster. The menu proclaims that they come with bacon and shallots, but their was so little bacon and no trace of a shallot anywhere on the plate, so this was a bit of a letdown. The beans were okay but could have been better.
I decided to get something a little out of character this evening at Tavern House and went with the Pork Schnitzel ($28). This breaded pork tenderloin was topped with a buttery caper sauce. I would have liked a little more sauce, as this was fine, but it did not wow me. The breading on the pork had a good crunch, but the pork itself needed to be a bit more tender. This was served with a scoop of buttery mashed potatoes and an interesting cabbage braised with apples and bacon. I ended up liking both sides better than the pork.
The grand finale for our foursome this evening was Trissa's Peanut Butter Pie ($9). This came highly recommended by our server. It featured an Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter mousse, a layer of chocolate, lots of caramel, and a dollop of whipped cream. The peanut butter mousse was spot on, light, and flavorful, but this needed a bit more chocolate for my tastes. I believe it would have been even better if they had used a chocolate drizzle instead of caramel.
Tavern House had its ups and downs for me on this visit, but it was still a very solid spot for dinner. Their menu is diverse enough to satisfy even the pickiest of your friends. I really enjoyed the view and the ambiance, and as is the case with restaurants with lovely views, prices tend to be a bit on the higher side. The food was all a bit above average, except the french onion soup, which is a must-get. Our server, Lenora, who told us she had been with David Wilhelm for almost all of his restaurants, was warm and efficient in her duties, keeping our evening moving along and ensuring we were well taken care of. It feels like these two veteran restauranteurs have another hit on their hands.
Out of five riverboats (because near this restaurant is where the famous Reuben E. Lee Riverboat Restaurant was located, which I never got a chance to eat at, but always wanted to), five being best to zero being worst, Tavern House receives a solid 3 riverboats.
For more information about Tavern House, head to their website here: https://www.tavernhousekb.com/
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