Columnist Muriel Stevens: Las Vegas staple Glusman sticks to what works

Friday, Jan. 10, 2003 | 9:09 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' dining column appears Fridays. Her shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Reach her at (702) 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Having dinner with Freddie Glusman is always a kick. Glusman is the owner of Piero's on Convention Center Drive, a favorite hangout for nabobs and celebrity types. Glusman is as well known for his quirky and often dour personality as he is for the humongous fresh Florida stone crabs available in-season.

This past year the endearing curmudgeon acquired the venerable Ritz restaurant at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif.

The Ritz and its founder, Hans Prager, are part of the history of Newport Beach. The original Ritz was a small upscale ocean-front restaurant at the Newport Pier; the Ritz at Fashion Island is a glorious tribute to Old World grace and decor.

Becoming the owner of this gorgeous restaurant (the Christmas decor was breathtaking) has brought about distinct changes in Glusman's personality. He's charming and friendly. The management and staff at the Ritz admire and respect him. Except for adding a few items to the menu (such as the stone crabs) he's kept everything as it was, including all of the chefs and the staff.

As he said, "Why change a winning policy?" The Ritz restaurant and garden is a Newport favorite for any occasion. It was a few days before Christmas when I dined there and there were a number of parties taking place. I expected the dining room to be noisy, but there are so many parts to this beautiful complex that diners were barely aware so much activity was going on around them.

In addition to the main dining room (named for the esteemed Auguste Escoffier) there are private party rooms, an elegant wine cellar dining room, the gallery, a bar and lounge and lovely gardens. A few hardy diners were eating on the patio.

The holiday menu included a traditional roast Christmas goose dinner ($32) served with celery root mashed potatoes, sweet-and-sour red cabbage, warm Gala apple compote and lingonberry sauce. Portions are generous and all entrees include appropriate side dishes (called garnishes) and a specialty of the house, a dish of creamed corn au gratin.

Piero's osso buco and haricots verts salad with shaved Maui onions have been added to the Ritz menu along with a number of steaks -- a 34-ounce ribeye, a 40-ounce double porterhouse and a blackened 34-ounce prime rib are just a few that your server will tell you about.

I tried a number of the house specialties including the "Ritz Egg" appetizer, a beautifully presented egg shell filled with a scramble of egg, smoked salmon and chives topped with Russian sevruga caviar. A delicious twist on the Paul Bocuse creation. Maryland lump crab cakes were excellent, filled with big lumps of crab meat, lightly bound together.

The menu is extensive and includes a selection of fresh fish and seafood, rotisserie-roasted duck, succulent rack of Colorado lamb and tender grilled calves liver served over wilted Spoonleaf spinach that was outstanding.

We shared the roasted hazelnut souffle, sauced tableside with Frangelico creme Anglaise (Freddie's favorite). It was more than enough for two.

After dinner I toured the busy kitchens where Executive Chef Lupe Camarena was up to his elbows in steaks and chops. It was amazing to watch as he removed huge trays from the broiler without wearing gloves. This jovial chef appeared to be immune from the heat.

According to Ritz General Manager Beccy Rogers, who has worked with Camarena for many years, he's a tireless and fearless master of the kitchen.

The Ritz offers lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lunch menu includes a number of starters, cold and hot entrees, a few choice sandwiches and desserts.

The Ritz also offers casual fare in the bar and garden from 3 p.m. until closing, and small lunch plates with "Leon at the bar."

Wine choices and prices are wonderful.

Dinner is served nightly: Monday through Thursday, 6 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 5 to 9 p.m. Call (949) 720-1800.

There are no surprizes at the Ritz. The food is timeless, the preparation the best, the service is impeccable and the ambiance is serene and elegant. Who could ask for anything more?

Red Pearl Kitchen rocks: Liza and Tim Goodell are two of the most creative restaurateurs in California. Their lovely Aubergine in Newport Beach captivates with Liza's decor and Tim's sensational food. Troquet, a French bistro at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, is another winner for the Goodells. Then came Red Pearl Kitchen in Huntington Beach, just a short ride from Newport. Having already dined at the first two, it was time to dine at Red Pearl.

Red Pearl is the Goodells' version of a Shanghai eatery in the '30s. It's a funky 60-seater (two bars offer additional seating) with terrific Asian "street food." Located at 412 Walnut Street, the small eatery is surprisingly easy to find. It's right off the main drag.

Our friendly server set down a number of plates in the center of the small table, answered our questions and took our order. Faithful to Asian style, dishes arrive as soon as they are cooked. We ordered too much food, but we couldn't resist and when the Goodells arrived to have their own dinner, they added dishes they wanted us to taste.

All of the dishes are meant to be shared. Small plates are priced from $7 to $10.50; large plates from $14 to $17. There wasn't a dish we ate that I wouldn't order again. Marvelous flavors and seasonings. The level of heat was perfect, tingly, yet not searing.

And, spicy or not, each dish was distinctive. Street food is simple food, but there's nothing simple about the way the Red Pearl's flavors meld and marry with titillating results.

Here's what we ate: Little Dragon pork-and-shrimp dumplings; Vietnamese egg roll with nuoc cham, mint and basil; Chinese five-spice pork spareribs with Thai basil and garlic; minced chicken and vegetables in picture-perfect lettuce cups; beef filet with wide rice noodles, black beans and oyster mushrooms; crispy pork belly with mustard greens and chili caramel; and steamed fresh fish of the day in an aromatic ginger broth; Szechwan long beans and coconut and jasmine rice.

Desserts were our undoing. Pastry chef Shelly Register creates the desserts for all of the Goodell properties (there are more new ones, including a bakery).

The cardamom pots de creme accompanied with homemade ginger cookies was irresistible. A caramelized banana tart -- coconut custard, whipped cream and caramel; warm Valrhona chocolate souffle cake with espresso Anglaise and a Register original pineapple upside down cake were almost decimated by my dining companions while I chatted with Liza and Tim. Sated and happy, we vowed to try the latest Goodell restaurants next time.

No reservations, but there's a free parking lot. For more information call (714) 969-0224.

Short orders

Dining olio: While I was on vacation the new Cannery, with a host of restaurants, opened; Arnauld Briand and Carmine Vento opened their handsome rustic Italian restaurant Ventano.

The view is awesome and is theirs forever -- they bought the air space to assure it; Tony Marnell opened Panevino, with an elegant dining room and an equally elegant deli for eating in or taking out.

And there's more cooking that's still hush-hush. All will be reported here in weeks to come.

Not a secret -- the wine dinner taking place at Wolfgang Puck's Postrio at The Venetian on Wednesday. Chefs from Puck's four Las Vegas properties and his Palo Alto eatery will each contribute a course. Barnett Vineyard wines, multicourses and dessert created by Spago corporate pastry chef, Christophe Ithurritze for $125, all inclusive. Space is limited. For reservations or additional info call Madeline Benito at 369-0360.

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