Splashes at the Surf and Sand Resort · 2016. 8. 7. · restaurant, until the business was sold six...
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Splashes at the Surf and Sand Resort 1555 South Coast Highway Laguna Beach, CA 92651 I do not take advantage of the beautiful coastline of Orange County nearly enough. I realize this almost every time that I drive to one of our beach cities, and can visually see the water through my dusty windshield. The picturesque ocean view always takes my breath away. I'm always thinking to myself, why am I not down here more often. Then I remember that I'm part of the pasty posse. The sun and I do not mix too well, as my snow white skin usually burns in about ten minutes of exposure. Katie's right there with me, so it seems the only time we make it to experience the beach is when we get the chance to dine at the shore, which we had the opportunity to do
Transcript of Splashes at the Surf and Sand Resort · 2016. 8. 7. · restaurant, until the business was sold six...
SplashesattheSurfandSandResort
1555SouthCoastHighway
LagunaBeach,CA92651
IdonottakeadvantageofthebeautifulcoastlineofOrangeCountynearlyenough.IrealizethisalmosteverytimethatIdrivetooneofourbeachcities,andcanvisuallyseethewaterthroughmydustywindshield.Thepicturesqueoceanviewalwaystakesmybreathaway.I'malwaysthinkingtomyself,whyamInotdownheremoreoften.ThenIrememberthatI'mpartofthepastyposse.ThesunandIdonotmixtoowell,asmysnowwhiteskinusuallyburnsinabouttenminutesofexposure.Katie'srighttherewithme,soitseemstheonlytimewemakeittoexperiencethebeachiswhenwegetthechancetodineattheshore,whichwehadtheopportunitytodo
recentlyattheSurfandSandResortinbeautifulLaguna.Everytimeweareatthisbeachfrontresort,weareinstantlytransportedintovacationmode.Youcanhonestlyfeelthestressesofyourworkdaywashawaywiththetide.Wewereinvitedtothissunkissedresorttomeettheirnew,orIshouldsay,newtouschef,ChefRonFougeray,whohasthepleasureofworkinginthisbeautifulparadise.Withviewslikethis,Iwouldn'tgetmuchdone,butI'mgenerallyalazyperson.ChefFougeraycomestousfromPhiladelphia,wherehebuiltupaprettyimpressiveresume.Aftergraduatingfromculinaryschool,ChefRonwentthroughasnowstormtomeetwithfamouschef,GeorgesPerrierofLeBec-Fin,andagreedtoworkforfreeforhim,justtogetastartinthebusiness.Threemonthsafterthathewashired,andworkedeverystationintherestaurant,untilthebusinesswassoldsixyearslater.HethenmovedontoanotherFrenchrestaurant,thecriticallyacclaimedBibouBYOB,wherehewouldbenamedExecutiveChefin2013,andwinawholehostofaccolades,includingbeingnamedafinalistforaJamesBeardAwardasBestNewRestaurant.Alas,hewouldleavethisprestigiouspositionasapromisetohisOCraisedwife,thattheywouldmovebacktoherbelovedOrangeCounty,andthemuchmorecordialweather.Philly'slossistheSurfandSand'sgain,ashetookoverthekitchenalmostayearago.HispredecessoratSplasheswasmoreAsianinfluencedculinarywise,whileChefRonisofcoursemuchmoretrainedintheFrenchstyleofcooking.ThishasleadtoacompleteoverhaulofthemenuatSplashes,whichhasbeenabighitwiththeguestsoftheresortandthelocalsthatflockhereforstunningviewsandworldclasscuisine.TheyweregoingtobefeaturingChefRon'sSummerMenuonthisevening,whichallofusfoodmediawerealllookingforwardtoexperiencing.
Icouldn'tresistaddingafewmorepicturesofthespectacularviewweexperienced.Wedidgetcheatedofasunsetbecausethecloudsrolledin,butbeautifulnonetheless.Weweremetwithaglassofwine,andsituatedonapatiorightabovethepooldeck.Ittookeveryounceofmybeingnottostripoffmyclothesandjointheothervacationershavingagreattimeinthewater,butIknewIhadsomeeatingtodoonthisevening.
WhenIwasgrowingup,IwouldhaveneverhaveguessedthatBrusselssproutswouldbeasbigastheyhavegotten.Ineverreallyhadabadassociationwiththemlikealotofmyfriends,becausemymomnevermadethem.Thesearenotyourmother'sBrusselsSprouts($17).Theycamewithalightertouchthanmostrestaurantsdeliver,withasplotchofcranberrypureestreakingacrosstheplate,alongwithlardons,driedmulberries,anda
watermelonradishjulienne.Ireallylikedthissummerversionofthisclassicveggiesideitem.OfcourseIcouldhavehandledmorelardonsinthis,butthoselittlepiecesofporkmadethemselvesknown,andstillallowedtheBrusselssproutstobethestaroftheshow.IwasnotevenbotheredbytheinclusionoffruitswithvegetableslikeIusuallyam.Averynicedishwithagoodarrayoftextures,whichkeptmeinterested.
Notonthesummermenu,butIthinkChefRonwantedtoshowoffsomeofthethingshepickeduponaworkingvacationherecentlytooktoFrancewiththeotherJCResortchefs.ThisSalmondishhadusallsmiling.Thesalmonwasrubbedwithpeppercornsandespressogrounds,andcamewithamustard-mangosauceandafreshherbsalad.Thesalmonwascookedwonderfully,andtherubdidnotoverpowerthenaturalflavorofthefish,butenhancedit.Ilikedthesaucewellenough,whichisabigstatementconsideringI'mnotreallyintomustardormango.LookforthistomakeanappearanceatSplashessoon,ifwehaveanythingtosayaboutit.
Backtothesummermenu,andwhenyouthinkofsummer,soupisprobablynotsomethingyouthinkof,butatSplashestheyofferthisChilledCantaloupeSoup($15).Thisispreparedtableside,withadramaticflairwhichIalwaysenjoy.Littlebitsofduckprosciuttoandmintoiljoinanorbofmelonsorbet,asacantaloupeandhoneydewsoupispouredoverthetop.Uniqueflavorprofile,andrefreshingarewhatcametomindwhenIatethis.I'mnotreallyintomelons,butIthinktheduckandmintoilkindofsoftenedthesweetnesshere,andmadeforalovelychilledsoupthatcanbeenjoyedfullyoncethetemperaturesreachthetripledigitsinamonthorso.
Ahihasreallyhitthemainstream,asyoucannowgetitinanystripmallacrossOC,butnotasfreshanddeliciousasthisAhiTunaCrudo($19).ChefRonaddsawholeslewofitemstothesedicesizedtunacubes;curedblackolives,jicama,raspberryvinegar,mustardoil,cucumber,andanexcellentavocadomousse.It'snotoverlydressed,andtheavocadomoussereallycomesthroughatthemostopportunetimes.
Lastly,wearejuststepsfromtheocean,soofcoursemoreseafoodwasneededforourlastsavoryitemofthisevening.ThisBayScallopCevichewasafittingendtooureveningattheSurfandSandResort.Goodsizedhunksofscallopswereservedalongsidecucumber,radish,dill,celeryleaves,citrussupreme,andverdejus.Therewerenotesofcitrus,alongwithafreshnessthatmostrestaurantsseemtomisswhenpreparingceviche.Ilikedthisreworkedtakeonthisclassicdish.
DessertsaresomethingspecialatSplashes,andwewereluckyenoughtofinishwiththisMangoMeringueTart($13).I'malwayspartialtonon-fruitdesserts,butthisdessertmighthaveshownmethatthereissomemerittonon-chocolatedesserts.Thistarthadthreedistinctlayerstoit.Themangopureewassandwichedbyapralinecrumbleonthebottom,andaverywelldoneandeyepleasingmeringuetoppingthis.Notoverlysweet,butyouknewyouwerehavingadessertitem.ThiswasjustasamplingofwhatChefRonhasinstoreforhisguestswhentheyvisittheSurfandSandResort.TheGrilledLambLoin,DuckBreastandHalibutareonmyradarforthenexttimeweeatatSplashes,butI'msureChefRonwillhavesomenightlyspecialsthatmayenticemeaswell.Perfectforoutoftownguests,orlocalswhowanttotakeadvantageofwherewelive,SplashesattheSurfandSandwillnotfailtodelight.FormoreinformationabouttheSurfandSandResortandSplashesRestaurant,clickhere:http://www.surfandsandresort.com/splashes/
