Food and wine specials toast the summer

Greer Wylder

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar just announced the 2004

“Fleming’s 100,” its renowned top 100 wines-by-the-glass list.

Notable wines on the list include Cakebread Cellars 2003 Napa Valley

Sauvignon Blanc, Honig 2000 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon,

Murrieta’s Well 2001 Livermore Valley Meritage, Swanson 2000 Napa

Valley Merlot and Wattle Creek 2002 Alexander Valley Chardonnay. In

addition, 25 bottles have been added to their reserve list.

Fleming’s Director of Wine Marian Jansen op de Haar and local

Fleming’s wine managers chose the “Fleming’s 100” list. They attended

a grand tasting in the Napa Valley, where more than 5,000 wines from

around the world were tasted.

The new list features popular labels, as well as many hard-to-find

boutique wines. Fleming’s award-winning wine list is in an

easy-to-read format, listing wines in order of intensity (light to

full). Fleming’s offers “wine flights” -- a trio of 2-ounce samples

served in miniature carafes and poured into Fleming’s custom-designed

glasses. Pre-selected “wine flight” cards are available, as well as

blank cards for custom choices. The samples cost one-third the price

of a full glass of wine. This allows guests to experiment with wines

before selecting one.

Fleming’s also takes the guesswork out of food and wine pairing

with its “Discovery Dinners.” The educational prix fixe dinners,

priced at $75, $100 and $150, include wines that complement each

course. Fleming’s “Discovery Flights” allow guests to explore

varietal (wines chiefly made from one grape) tasting, and how diverse

a varietal can taste, depending on winemakers’ styles and different

grape-growing regions.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is in Fashion Island at 455

Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach. (949) 720-9633.

https://www.flemingssteakhouse.com.

Villa Nova Restaurant features views of Newport Harbor and hosts a

happy hour in the lounge from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. They

offer half-priced appetizers and discounted cocktails -- even

specialty martinis are just $5. The Villa “Novacane” (shaken, not

stirred) is a favorite mixture of Smirnoff vodka, a dash of Tanqueray

gin and a splash of Duckhorn King Elder vermouth, served with a

twist. Appetizer selections include calamari fritta, bruschetta

pomodoro, prosciutto di Parma and melon, and stuffed mushrooms and

shrimp cocktail. Villa Nova also plays live music from two of Orange

County’s favorite musicians. Mike McKenna from Pure Imagination

performs Tuesday and Friday and Ed Waters plays the piano Monday,

Wednesday and Thursday. Both musicians play a variety of popular

music, show tunes and classic favorites. Guests can take advantage of

complimentary valet parking and guest boat docks.

Villa Nova is at 3131 W. Coast Highway in Newport Beach. (949)

642-7880. https://www.villanovarestaurant.com.

Pinot Provence and Executive Chef Florent Marneau are presenting

“Summer in Provence” on the patio each Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30

p.m. through Labor Day. Guests can enjoy wines from the south of

France paired with fresh seafood while a classical guitarist plays

melodies of the Mediterranean. Marneau mingles with guests and

prepares his specialties including smoked duck with stone fruit or

the braised, boneless prime short ribs with potato Lyonnaise. The

small plates vary each week. Some may include French cheeses and

terrines, Parmesan scones, paprika sauteed shrimp, crab legs with

lemon aioli or blinis with caviar. There is limited seating, and

reservations are required.

Pinot Provence at the Westin South Coast Plaza, 686 Anton Blvd. in

Costa Mesa. (714) 444-5900.

Each Friday, Cafe Pascal at South Coast Plaza offers “Sunsets

Under the Bridge” from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. It’s a combination of six

generous wine tastings with a French appetizer buffet and

European-style music. Appetizers selections include a whole wild

salmon poached and wrapped in herbes de Provence, cheese,

charcuterie, olives, French bread and savory tarts. All are served al

fresco. The cost is $28 per person. The regular menu is also

available.

Cafe Pascal is at the Bridge of Garden Terrace, right under the

Bear Street pedestrian bridge by Macy’s. (714) 751-4911.

The award-winning Yard House Restaurant known for its American

fusion dishes introduces “Martinis & Beers,” an afternoon social

gathering from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The bar’s well

drinks and house martinis are priced 50% off ($3.25 to $4.25) and a

pint of draft beer is just $2.75. Customers can choose from 130 taps

of beer from around the world, including Anderson Valley Hop Ottin,

Black Dog Ale, Guinness Stout, Bay Hawk Amber Ale, Boddingtons’s Pub

Ale, Sierra Nevada and Red Hook E.S.B. House martinis are

hand-shaken, chilled and generously poured. Traditional to trendy

varieties range from the Bikini Tini to California Cosmo, Sour Apple,

Black Orchid, Dirty Martini and the Yard House’s signature Lemon

Drop.

The Yard House serves its signature appetizers at half-price. The

selections include moo shu egg rolls filled with chicken and chili

cream cheese with apple ginger plum sauce; grilled artichoke served

with roasted garlic aioli and fresh, handmade potato chips. There’s

also Korean sweet ribs grilled and cross-cut, then marinated in

garlic, soy and brown sugar; and chicken lettuce wraps, with

stir-fried mince chicken, smoked tofu and pine nuts in sesame soy

glaze; an onion ring tower is beer-battered and served with chipotle

and ranch dressing; or Blue Crab cakes come with mango papaya

chutney, passion fruit beurre blanc and tomato oil.

The Yard House is in Triangle Square at 1875 Newport Blvd. in

Costa Mesa. (949) 642-0090. https://www.yardhouse.com.

Each Tuesday, The Cannery Restaurant offers great deals on wine.

Bottled wines are priced at just $1 above the Cannery’s cost. Three

sparkling wines, 11 whites and 18 reds comprise the list. A few of

the premium reds include Louis Latour “Gevery Chambertin” 2000 ($25);

Silverado Sangiovese 2000 ($14); Stag’s Leap Merlot 2001 ($24); and

St. Francis “Reserve” Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 ($33). From the white

list, there’s Schlumberger Riesling 1999 ($14); Fournier Sancerre

2002 ($13); and Mer Soleil Chardonnay 2001 ($32). It’s at 3010

Lafayette Ave. in Newport Beach. (949) 566-0060.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.