“Expect to stumble into wine country in the heart of Orange County.”
That’s the message you’ll find on the website homepage of The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, which debuted in the city of Tustin (2647 Park Ave.; 714-258-7600) and recently added a second location in Newport Beach (3131 W. Pacific Coast Hwy.; 949-999-6622).
And The Winery delivers, as it pairs contemporary California regional cuisine with a hip, vibrant, sophisticated setting, creating a cutting-edge dining experience. In fact, The Winery’s Tustin location was named “Restaurant of the Year” by the Orange County Concierge Association in its first year in business.
Each restaurant’s wine list, which offers around 650 selections, changes weekly, providing diners with a wide range of varietals and blends from around the world. Guests can look into and even tour the climate-controlled cellars, which can hold up to 7,500 bottles.
The dinner menu is packed with taste-tempting options. “Beginnings” include Shrimp Bisque, Colorado Beef Carpaccio, Crispy Almond Dusted Calamari, and Prosciutto Wrapped Wild White Shrimp.
Salad choices include Santa Barbara Heirloom Tomatoes (with fresh Burrata Mozzarella and garlic croutons), Organic Quinoa and Baby Beet Salad, and a Classic Caesar Salad.
Prime steaks seem to be extremely popular with diners, but guests should not ignore the other main course offerings, which include Jumbo Maine Scallops and Wild White Shrimp, Chili Lime Rubbed Hawaiian Mahi-Mahi, Rotisserie Sonoma Free Range Chicken, and Herbs de Provence Organic New Zealand Rack of Lamb.
The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar offers a warm and passionate menu, complemented by well-selected wines — truly a touch of wine country in “The O.C.”
