Bayside Restaurant turned 25 last year and remains as popular as ever. There are three important reasons for that, says Marc Ghoukassian, whose family owns Bayside and sister eatery Bistango in Irvine: exceptional cuisine, friendly, experienced staff and classy upbeat ambiance with live music seven days a week.
Ghoukassian also tries to keep the menu fresh.
He recently added several new menu items and revised the preparation of a few dishes. For example, the seared wild diver scallops with lemon caper beurre blanc, broccolini and sweet potato risotto now feature four scallops; they were formerly on the appetizer menu served solo. The Alaskan halibut with salsa verde, lemon sauce, asparagus, shaved fennel and potato puree is a new preparation of an always popular fish dish.
New items on the appetizer menu include Italian artichoke hearts dusted with parmesan then lightly fried and served with lemon-garlic aioli, and prime steak tartare with mustard emulsion, capers, petite greens and quail egg, served with toasted baguette.
Several Bayside favorites are not on the current menu, but Ghoukassian alluded to a secret menu where long-time diners may still order their special dishes.
The bar menu lists the Italian artichoke hearts as well as three new flatbreads. The regular dinner menu is also available at the bar. And every Friday is $10 martini night, so order one shaken not stirred and pretend you’re James Bond for the evening.
And about that bar—two years ago Ghoukassian removed a steel wall behind the bar and built a continuation of the bar while adding high top tables.
“Our bar was always full. People would walk in and then walk out because there was no place to sit, so we doubled the space and now people can sit on both sides,” said Ghoukassian. “It opens everything up and you can see the band better because we moved them up a few feet.”
Like Bistango, Bayside offers live music nightly, from jazz to solo musicians.
Bistango is known for its business lunch crowd, but Bayside is only open for dinner (plus Sunday brunch). No problem said Ghoukassian.
“They go to Bistango for lunch, and they come here for dinner,” he said with a smile.
Another unique aspect of Bayside occurs every summer when the nearby Hyatt Regency holds its Summer Concert Series featuring renowned jazz and pops artists every Friday. Bayside offers a free VIP shuttle to the Hyatt Regency for ticket holders who dine at the restaurant. Leave your vehicle at Bayside, take the shuttle to the concert, and have the shuttle return you to Bayside to retrieve your car—you may even have time for a nightcap.
Bayside, 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach, (949) 721-1222, baysiderestaurant.com.
Trela’s Hot Take
Fellow food writer Malena Gordon, foodie Della Lisi and I went to Bayside Restaurant on a recent Saturday evening to dine with co-owner Marc Ghoukassian. Our mission was to try new menu items as well as several classics.
We began with the Italian artichoke hearts and the prime steak tartare. The tartare was excellent, but we all swooned over the fried artichoke hearts. With the dusting of parmesan and lemon-garlic aioli for dipping, this is a satisfying starter I’d order every time.
For entrees, we had the Alaskan halibut, the new preparation of Ōra King salmon with asparagus risotto and saffron soubise, and Cedar River prime New York strip with parsley fries and peppercorn sauce. The preparations and presentations were perfect.
“The staff here is extraordinary, and so well educated on the menu and cuisine,” stated Lisi.
“They are so friendly and ready to bring you into the Bayside family.”