Brotherly love at Overstreet

Greer Wylder

There’s a hidden gem at the Lido Marina Village -- Overstreet’s Wine

Bar & Merchant. An intimate wine connoisseur’s paradise, Overstreet’s

is a place to enjoy fine wines and cocktails, sample cheeses and

order from a tapas-style dinner menu, all while listening to live

jazz.

The wine bar has an excellent pedigree. Its founders, Chris and

Dennis Overstreet, also own Le Quai restaurant on the Newport Beach

waterfront and the Wine Merchant, a premier wine shop in Beverly

Hills.

Dennis Overstreet opened the Wine Merchant 32 years ago with

raison d’etre: to provide premium wines in a showcase setting at fair

prices. This has remained the same over the years.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” said Dennis Overstreet, whose

expertise landed him on “The Dinah Shore Show” in the 1970s, and more

recently as a guest on “The Martin Short Show,” “Blind Date” and this

year’s Golden Globe pre-show on E! Entertainment Television.

It’s Dennis Overstreet’s commitment and fascination with wines,

especially French varieties, that has made him an authority for wine

enthusiasts and many celebrities. He’s written two books,

“Overstreet’s New Wine Guide” and “Wine Secrets.” The Wine Spectator

once named him one of 100 most influential people in the wine

industry.

“In France, they consider Dennis a major contributor to the

Bordeaux wine region,” Chris Overstreet said. “He’s like an

ambassador to that area.”

Dennis Overstreet counts Hollywood celebrities among his regular

wine patrons, including Whoopi Goldberg, Nicolas Cage, Kiefer

Sutherland, Keanu Reeves, Sally Field, Ben Affleck, Julie Andrews and

the late Johnny Carson.

Over the years, Dennis Overstreet has developed great

relationships with wine producers and has access to exclusive wines.

“Some wine producers don’t want their wines on the floor stock,”

Chris Overstreet said. “They want to be on a menu.”

Overstreet’s wines are predominately French and domestic, with

about 10% coming from other wine regions, such as Australia and

Chile. Overstreet’s stocks about 1,000 wines and gift items,

including Laguiole handmade knives from France, and Leonidas

chocolates from Belgium.

Overstreet’s prices are competitive with Hi-Time Wine Cellars in

Costa Mesa, one of the largest retail wine cellars on the West Coast.

Overstreet’s fits a different wine mood; their philosophy for wine

enjoyment is to provide a total experience.

The two brothers opened Overstreet’s Wine Bar & Merchant in 2002

as an extension of their living room. It’s a homey place for

entertaining. Four small rooms are decorated in warm woods and

European antiques.

The Beverly Hills store has a “Hollywood dynamic, a different

look,” Dennis Overstreet said, but they wanted each location to have

its own sense of place.

“The ambience [at Overstreet’s Bar] is like you’re at the Carlyle

Hotel in New York, without the formality,” Dennis Overstreet said.

“You can walk with a plate of food and chat at another counter or

table, and feel comfortable, with a sense of belonging, like a club.”

Ideal wine storage and aging temperature is 58 degrees, yet

Overstreet’s wine inventory turns over quickly. They keep the room

temperature at a not-so-chilly 65 degrees.

Live music is available most nights from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

There’s acid jazz on Tuesdays, a solo vocalist on Wednesdays and a

jazz trio on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The tapas-style menu offers small but rich portions of food. There

are also three choices in traditional caviar service, including

Sevruga ($67), Royal Ossetra ($79) and Iranian Ossetra ($86).

Customers can also try a selection of wine-friendly artisanal

cheeses, with a plate of three cheeses ($12) or five cheeses ($16).

Chef John Loxterman, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of

America in New York, prepares salads ($6 to $12); fish ($11 to $16);

meats ($10 to $17) and chef’s sampler trios ($7 to $9).

Among the menu choices are a roasted beet and carrot salad with

Humboldt Fog cheese, candied walnuts and curry honey vinaigrette

($6); Maine lobster braised in kumquat butter with fennel gnocchi,

English peas and roasted shallot ($16); a paillard of swordfish with

vine-ripened tomato, olive and pine nuts garnished with garlic

eggplant tortellini ($11); three lamb chops paired with a sauce of

walnut mint pesto, spicy honey clove and ginger soy ($14); and sliced

strip loin bruschetta with roasted tomatoes.

At Overstreet’s Bar, Dennis Overstreet also hosts educational wine

tastings.

“Everyone knows why they like their friends,” he said. “You can

look at someone smile and know exactly why you like that person. It

can be the same with wine. You know you like a certain wine, but why?

“I want to delve into why you like a wine, and teach you how to

identify wine’s characteristics. Then wine is no longer just a

beverage. It tells a story.”

Dennis Overstreet loves to share his enthusiasm for wines and have

guests compare Old and New World wines.

“I want guests to try the American counterpart to a French wine to

taste the differences,” he said. “It’s always an exciting journey.”

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

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626;

or by fax at (714) 966-4679.