Sorrento Owners, Chef Pull Into Restored Utah Depot

The owners of Sorrento Grille in Laguna Beach, Diane and Philo Smith, plan to open a new restaurant in September in the ski resort town of Park City, Utah, where they have a second home. And one of Orange County’s best chefs is heading east to oversee the kitchen.

The Grille at the Depot will be set in a restored historic train depot built in 1886. It will feature contemporary California cuisine under the supervision of executive chef Rosanne Ruiz, who not long ago returned to head chef’s duties at Sorrento Grille after a stint at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa.

Ruiz will be succeeded at the Laguna Beach restaurant (370 Glenneyre St.) by Paul Squicciarini, whom Ruiz has trained at Sorrento and at the Mondavi Center.

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Bistango Gallery Restaurant opened a new exhibit by local artists on Sunday, to a turnout of more than 200 people, one organizer said. The exhibit, as usual for Bistango, features local artists. One contributing sculptor, Daniel Miller, died in a pool accident before the exhibit opened, and it has been dedicated to his memory.

“I have a feel that that’s why there was such a turnout” at Sunday’s opening, said organizer Therese Denigan.

The exhibit, which includes work by eight area artists, will run through the second week in October. Ten percent of proceeds from art sales benefit Stop-Gap, a nonprofit group that uses theater as an educational and therapeutic tool.

19100 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. (714) 752-5222.

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The Single Gourmet, a dining club for single people, is planning an evening at the Pageant of the Masters show in Laguna Beach on Sunday. The show will be preceded by dinner at Five Feet restaurant in Laguna Beach.

The dinner is a fixed, four-course menu with a choice of one of four entrees: California King salmon, Cantonese chicken breast, pepper mixed grill and grilled vegetarian pasta.

Seats for the pageant are in the center section of the theater, about half-way up from the stage. The usual ticket price is $25.

The cost for the evening is $75, everything included: dinner, tax, tip and tickets.

For more information, call (714) 854-6552.

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A special menu featuring cheese in every dish will be offered at Restaurant Antoine during the month of September.

A salad of sweet Chino tomatoes with mozzarella will be served in a basil vinaigrette to start. The second course is steamed salmon with caramelized leeks and gratin sauce with goat cheese.

Next, a palate-cleaning Parmesan granite will be offered, followed by the entree, sauteed New York steak with Roquefort sauce and smoked bacon potato galette. For dessert, the restaurant is planning a mascarpone mousse with coffee sauce.

The price is $50 per person, plus tax and tip, and the menu is available daily from 6 to 10 p.m.

At Le Meridien hotel, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (714) 476-2001, ext. 2158.