The Gossiping Gourmet: Sol Grill gets a little spicy

The other evening I had a very nice dinner at Sol GrilI in Newport Beach.

After my companion and I had eaten and were about to leave, I noticed a review on the wall that had my name on it, and I realized that I had reviewed this restaurant 7 1/2 years ago. I liked it then and I like it now, although it has changed a bit.

The original was strictly Italian, but it has branched out to include items like Kung Fu Shrimp and Cajun ahi tuna.

Large paintings of surfers hang on the walls, and one side of the room is all mirrored, making the area appear bigger. The walls are black and red, with windows that look out to the beach if you crane your neck a bit. Candles on each table give a romantic touch.

As we perused the menu, a waiter brought over a tray of good bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a standard offering at many places, but it was kicked up with flavorful herbs.

I ordered a cup of ahi chowder, which in fact was a large and delicious bowl of soup that could have been a meal in itself. I can’t imagine what a bowl of that chowder would be like.

The broth was rich and thick and laden with small chunks of ahi, green onions, and bits of tomato, peppers and onions. It was very good, but I am so used to ahi being rare that I found the fish, which was fully cooked, to be a bit bland.

My dinner companion had the Kung Fu Shrimp. This also came in a bowl, a very big one. Six excellent and very fresh tiger shrimp were sautéed in a Louisiana hot sauce that provided a nice amount of heat. Chopped red and green peppers, green onions and chopped tomatoes completed this very good dish. It was another creation that could easily have been an entrée.

In keeping with the theme of hot stuff, which seemed to be my preference that night, I ordered the Fettuccini Jambalaya. This composition included pieces of chicken breast, very flavorful Louisiana sausage, peppers and onions in a lush Cajun cream sauce. All was smothered in fettuccini pasta that was perfectly al dente. This dish also was spicy and wonderful.

We also tried Grandma Jill’s meat loaf. This is no ordinary meat loaf since it is made with ground filet mignon. Pieces of tomatoes and mushrooms were strewn on top of the fat, round loaf. Mashed potatoes and half slices of yellow and green squash filled out the plate. I thought the meat loaf was good, but after all that heat, it seemed a little tame.

Other dishes that sounded good were Mahi Mahi Piccata, Sol Rack of Lamb, Swordfish Fettuccini, Lobster Ravioli and Halibut with Rosetta Mushroom Sauce.

Four desserts are listed on the menu: vanilla pot de crème, tiramisu, cheesecake and “Good For Yer Sol” brownies. Our waitress recommended the pot de crème. It was a bit lighter than we were used to but very tasty and not overly sweet, with a bit of salt. A lightly seared sugar top and a big dollop of whipped cream helped make the pot de crème one of the best we have tasted.

I was happy to rediscover this restaurant. Try it; you’ll like it.

TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.

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SOL GRILL

Location: 110 McFadden Place, Newport Beach

Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays

Prices:

Appetizers: $7 to $14

Entrees: $16 to $30

Desserts: $7 to $9

Wine:

Bottles: $24 to $48

By the glass: $6 to $13

Corkage: $10; Thursdays, no corkage

Information: (949) 723-4105