Columnist Muriel Stevens: Mina-Condy combo continues to impress

Friday, Jan. 11, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Dining at a Michael Mina and Charles Condy restaurant is always a joy. The twosome have created a number of outstanding restaurants. Aqua in San Francisco was the first, followed by Charles' Nobhill, and then Pisces in Burlingame on the San Francisco Bay Area peninsula. There is an Aqua at Bellagio and another at the MGM Grand, and NOBHILL, a San Francisco-style neighborhood eatery where diners can order everything from a tasting menu to macaroni and cheese.

Most recently an Aqua opened at the St. Regis in Dana Point, Calif. It was a key factor in my choosing to stay there during a recent holiday.

My friend and I had made a reservation to dine at Aqua on Christmas Day. We had stopped by to see the restaurant when we arrived at the resort and were impressed with the relaxed elegance of the decor and the enchanting ocean view. There is so much to admire there.

Christmas Day was crisp and clear. We ate lightly in anticipation of a splendid meal. It was all we expected and then some. We had barely tasted the amuse bouche, a little extra bite from the chef -- alderwood smoked salmon and osetra caviar on a sour cream blini -- when the aroma of another extra wafted our way. Never before had I experienced this exciting dish that the chef had created. A bowl of freshly popped corn, glistening with butter, was topped with shavings of black truffle that ran through the popcorn. It was an irresistible combination.

Then came a Dungeness crab and sorrel bisque enriched with roasted porcini mushrooms and sweet cippolini onions; seared Hudson Valley foie gras with tart and sweet huckleberry sauce and black truffles; French turbot topped with wilted baby spinach and a potato chip-crusted fried oyster (the chef uses Ruffles) masked with Bernaise sauce; and pan-roasted Liberty Farm duck breast perched on seared day boat scallops with creamy polenta-filled ravioli and a caramelized onion jus.

The sauces were so light (even the Bernaise), the food selection so well balanced, we toasted the chef with the wine served with the duck, a relatively new offering from Bonnie Doon, the 1998 "Le Cigare Volante," from Santa Cruz, Calif.

Master Sommelier William Sherer chose excellent wines for each course: 1998 Reisling, Grand Cru, "Muenchberg," Ostertag, Alsace; 1999 Gewurtztraminer, Ice Wine, Andrew Rich, Oregon; 1999 Gevrey-Chambertin, Denis Mortet, Burgundy, and with dessert a 1989 Sauternes, Chateau Sudiuraut, Bordeaux.

It was a lovely evening. The dining room was filled with happy celebrants. Most were from the surrounding beach areas. Open just a few months Aqua already has a loyal corps of devotees.

With so many restaurants to oversee, Mina relies on expert staff from his other properties to maintain the Aqua standards. General Manager Patric Yumul was previously at Aqua Las Vegas; Executive Chef Jeff Lloyd, at Aqua San Francisco.

Aqua offers dinner nightly in the dining room. A la carte selections and tasting dinners, including one for vegetarians, are featured. Afternoon tea is served in the adjacent Aqua lounge, which also offers a menu of hors d'oeuvres and appetizers, fresh shellfish and seafood selections and caviar and oyster cart service. Seating is available indoors or on the terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Aqua's Terrace and and bar menu includes sandwiches and other light fare and desserts. We never did get to have tea at Aqua's lounge, we were too busy gadding about, but there's always a next time. Reservation number: (949) 234-3318.

From the sublime to the Crab Cooker: "Are you game for a bit of dining history and good cheap food?" I asked my friend. As expected, she was, so off we went to the venerable Crab Cooker in Newport Beach, Calif., at Balboa Island. More than 50 years old, the Crab Cooker thrives inside a converted bank building that has looked the same through all the years I've been going there.

Once a Bank of America, the vaults have been converted to refrigerators that house the fish. The founding family boasts that theirs is the only seafood joint that keeps its fish in a vault and who could dispute that? The Crab Cooker does not take reservations and is always busy no matter what time of the year it is. In the summer the lines circle the block. You get to know everybody while you're waiting.

Food service is on paper plates, the flatware is heavy plastic. But the fish and seafood are cooked just right, portions are generous and the cole slaw needs just a little more seasoning to be perfect. All plates at lunch and dinner include a choice of Romano potatoes or rice pilaf, a wimpy, but OK tartar sauce and cole slaw or sliced tomatoes. On the table are plastic tubs of crunchy sourdough bread sticks and real Trenton oyster crackers. A freshly baked loaf of fisherman's bread is $1.40. A child's plate of fish on a skewer is also available to light eaters. It's a real deal at $6.50, lunch and dinner.

Another deal is the Blue Plate Special ($5.95) served all day -- a bowl of chowder, a fish salad and coffee. Dinner is served all day; lunch specials are offered until 4:30 p.m.

While we were sitting on a cold cement bench waiting for a table I regaled my friend with Crab Cooker stories. Before we knew it we were seated at a table and being served by one of the friendly waitresses. They've been there forever, too. Crab Cooker address: 2200 Newport Blvd. Call for directions: (949) 673-0100. Parking is limited, especially during the day; slightly better at night.

Ping Pang Pong at Gold Coast: New at the Gold Coast is Ping Pang Pong (The Chinese Kitchen), a moderately priced Chinese restaurant owned by Kevin Wu, owner of the luxe Royal Star at The Venetian. The price range is terrific. Potstickers and other starters are priced from $3.95.

Authentic dishes, such as julienne of fresh abalone, Cantonese pulled chicken, and lotus leaf-wrapped pork ribs are priced from $9.95-$11.95. A variety of beef, pork and poultry dishes are offered. Tea-smoked duck (half) is a special value at $15.95. Included are mor mor pancakes, shredded scallions and hoisin sauce.

The fish and shellfish selection includes a superior seafood stew, San Pan tiger prawns, spicy Dungeness crab. Only a few dishes, such as lobster Macao are market price.

Generous noodle bowls ($6.95-$11.95), tofu and vegetables ($6.95-$8.95), clay pot rice dishes and congees (thick rice soups) and combination rice dishes ($6.95-$11.50) are available. That's the good news. The bad news is that without any fanfare this small Chinese eatery is packed every day. No reservations.

Short orders

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opens Tuesday at 8721 W. Charleston Blvd. Featured are steaks, chops, fish and chicken and a wine list offering more than 100 selections served by the glass. Reservation number: 838-4774.

Gold Coast opens Ports O' Call Buffet: Sunday night is Steak Night at the new Ports O' Call buffet at the Gold Coast. All you can eat for $9.95. Breakfast ($4.45), lunch ($6.45), dinner ($8.95) and Sunday brunch ($8.95). There's more to come at the Gold Coast as the total revamping project nears completion.

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