The Bliss of Pinot Provence

Ever since superstar restaurateur Joachim Splichal brought his Pinot empire to South Coast Plaza in the form of Pinot Provence, it’s been a hit for both lunch and dinner.

The reasons are clear. Chef Florent Marneau is a highly skilled craftsman well matched to the casually elegant bistro concept that has caught fire in this decade. And then there are the restaurant’s high-gloss appointments, everything from French farmhouse antique furniture to a stone floor that Splichal and designer Cheryl Brantner imported slab by slab from Europe.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, however, when the restaurant serves one of the most appealing brunch menus around, it is a different matter. The large main dining room is rarely full, and neither is the outdoor area called “patio le bar.”

Sitting out here under the azure sky, on flowered sofas and wrought-iron chairs, one experiences a bucolic sort of bliss. I’d probably come here even if the food weren’t good, but that is a moot point.

This isn’t a buffet or even a prix fixe brunch, but have no fear. Despite being a la carte, the price is well within most diners’ budgets. All starters and most main courses are less than $10, a bargain considering the high-quality food and elegant surroundings.

If you wish to further celebrate the day with a flute of champagne, a Cotes de Provence rose or even a glass of mineral water, this will pad, but not inflate, the bill. That is because Splichal restaurants have a fine wine and beverage selection and keep markups to a reasonable level.

Four of us met for a Sunday brunch at Pinot Provence, and the encounter proved delightful. It began as we nibbled on crusty sourdough bread, which Pinot Provence serves with high-grade French sweet butter. We soon wisely put on the brakes, though, not wishing to curb our appetites completely.

My wife’s starter, a mille-feuille of heirloom tomatoes, goat cheese, herb salad and tomato basil vinaigrette, turned out to be a delicious little amusement, a stack of red and yellow tomatoes layered with a creamy goat cheese. A Belgian endive and watercress salad was enlivened by Roquefort cheese and crunchy candied pecans. The only disappointment was the “soup of yesterday,” an under-salted, under-intense French onion broth that bordered on watery.

The more substantial courses generally acquitted themselves with aplomb. I liked mine best, a fluffy omelet of sauteed morels with field greens and a pile of crisp, addictive fried potatoes.

The crispy sauteed whitefish is also masterful; crusty on the outside, juicy in the center and served with wilted greens, Granny Smith apple puree and balsamic vinaigrette. I’m less enamored of white blinis with assorted smoked fish, chives and creme fraiche. There is plenty of smoked whitefish and salmon in this tall pancake stack, but the blinis are starchy, and the dish is more assembled than prepared.

Should you want more breakfast items, there is a delicious apricot stuffed French toast with house-made vanilla syrup and roasted pineapple, a real Splichal touch. And how can you go wrong with a classic eggs Benedict, in which the eggs nestle on toasted brioche bread atop slices of applewood smoked ham, oozing a textbook Hollandaise sauce?

Those with a sweet tooth will want to hang around for lemon trilogy, a plate with lemon sorbet, a small but intensely flavored lemon tart and a creamy lemon Napoleon. Warm chocolate souffle cake with Armagnac ice cream is mildly bitter and uncommonly rich. There is also an array of imported cheeses and various homemade ice creams.

At Pinot Provence, the cappuccino is frothy and the service doesn’t miss a beat. When skies are blue, it would be greedy to hope for even a scintilla more.

Pinot Provence, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 444-5900. Brunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Brunch for two, $34-$57.