BLOOM

HOW FITTING THAT BLOSSOMS ARE THE TOP - SELLING APPETIZER AT BLOOM, A WELCOME 2022 ARRIVAL IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO. Crispy zucchini flowers ooze Manchego cream under green frisée with a rosette of pickled red onion. Bloom is ready to pack its 90-seat house with followers of its siblings (Olea, Vine, Ironwood, and Sapphire) and fans of wine country cuisine by Jared Cook, craft cocktails by Gabe Whorely, and expert hospitality by owner Russ Bendel. Cook frontloads the dinner-only menu with irresistible starters such as barbecue quail o set by celery leaf slaw and tart chow chow; endive salad with sweet Charentais melon and intense duck prosciutto; and bourbonscented pâté with apricot preserves and singed rustic bread. Entrees earn extra points for not being a la carte. Herb-marinated pork porterhouse includes fromage blanc grits and seasonal vegetables. Cippolini onions and bacon-braised kale accompany the terrific Jidori half chicken. California wines dominate the list, so apropos given Father Junipero Serra reportedly planted the state’s first vineyard in 1779. Not as historic but divine all the same—the popular tequila cocktail Ortega, with Aperol, lime, and Tajín. Bloom is purposely petite, having been retrofitted into its landmark 1930 brick structure, the town’s fi rst city hall. It couldn’t be more visible, just steps from the treasured Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Around the Corner

Neighborhood spots have a sneaky way of opening when your head is turned. Be on the lookout for these promising new places.

4

Number of beef pa ies you can order on the retro house burger at The Backyard, a newbie on Seal Beach’s Main Street

11

Number of bubblies on the wine list at Brightwaters Wine Bar and Restaurant in downtown Huntington Beach

$34

Cost of three-course Saturday prix fixe dinner at Santa Ana’s charming Roque e Cafe & Bistro

9

Number of Smørrebrøds—signature Danish open-face rye sandwiches—on o er at Copenhagen Corner in Laguna Niguel

40

Ounces of the Prime porterhouse that lavishly feed two at north Irvine’s slick Marble Steakhouse & Grille