A new Orange County restaurant comes to town on Friday, Feb. 8 as ARC, an American eatery, plans its opening at the South Coast Collection, 3321 Hyland Ave., Costa Mesa. The restaurant focuses on scratch cooking, a hands-on approach to preparing all food and bar items.
Opening hours for ARC will be daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Beginning Saturday, Feb. 9 ARC will open for lunch and its normal business hours from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Items range from $10 to $15 and sides from $5 to $8.
Owners Marin Howarth and Noah Blom will bring homemade foods with a hearty, rustic, oven-to-table style to the restaurant. ARC also will use only locally sourced fresh ingredients and artisan-crafted products. The restaurant also will feature innovative cocktails that make use of bitters, syrups and infusions. “Our libations recall a simpler era when the sip replaced the slurp,” said Howarth.
Bar chef is Koire Rogers. Among the creations are Grappa Sour, Punch (Pimms #1 with ginger beer and cucumber) and Missing Link (gin, blueberry and spearmint). Cocktail prices range from $12 to $16.
Chef/Partner Blom said, “ARC’s culinary focus is on flame, flavor and finesse – every item is crafted over an open fire in a kitchen where there is nowhere to hide. Our goal is to embrace the lost love of simplicity, while satiating the guest with classic dishes that focus on fresh, farmed and vibrant ingredients.”
The idea behind Blom's open kitchen is to demystify the culinary process. Ingredients will focus on simple, fresh and global flavors. Dishes include savory meatballs with garlic and whiskey, served with toast; a hearty chicken casserole with broccoli and cheddar; and steak and potatoes with citrus and cream.
Attention to details is given to the serving dishes as well. Cast iron, wood and black clay make up all the serving dishes to further emphasize the natural appeal and nuance of the items.
The 2,000-square-foot location currently features 30 booth seats and 15 barstools indoors. There are plans to grow to feature two perimeter patios, a 20-guest front social patio and a 10-guest seated back patio.
The design is reminiscent of an American apothecary in the golden age. The visual focus follows the theme of weathered wood, open flame and broken brick.
Comments