FOOD & DRINK Masterful cooking from Pascal Olhats at Café Jardin in Sherman Library & Gardens

FOOD DRINK

GRILLED OCTOPUS

THE DISH This seafood entree is served with Spanish sa ron rice and romesco sauce. THE DETAILS Inspired by Spanish paella, the plate also includes sa ron aioli, black garlic puree, and edible owers from the grounds at Sherman Library & Gardens. THE PRICE $25 THE PLACE Café Jardin TURN THE PAGE for our review.

MAIN COURSE CAFÉ JARDIN

Delight in masterful food by Pascal Olhats in a bucolic spot. by Gretchen Kurz

Ifeel like a million bucks. Call it health or wellness, I’m doing this again soon. And so I do, the following Sunday with similar results. My secret? Leisurely weekly lunches at Café Jardin inside Corona Del Mar’s spectacular Sherman Library & Gardens.

All the elements are present: water, sunshine, birdsong, exquisite plantings, and French bistro cooking by the inimitable Pascal Olhats. It is impossible to leave here not feeling better than when you arrived. A textbook example of a walled garden, historic Sherman Gardens hides its glorious gifts in plain sight—thousands drive past it daily, but many know little more than its tasteful sign on busy Coast Highway.

As with any inspired garden, Sherman Gardens is at its best in every season. Last year’s pandemic provisos only served to make this botanical gem more attractive—it’s all outdoors, it’s rarely crowded, its coastal breeze is lush with oxygenated, purified air thanks to all that photosynthesis. Waiting for your patio table is a welcome annoyance here, with vibrant blooms just steps away that beg for a quick stroll. Flame-orange ranunculus, bright-gold dahlias, and fluttery Icelandic poppies are picture perfect against a hypnotic shimmering fountain. It takes a long look at the short menu to finally break the spell. I suggest a glass of rosé while you linger longer over your options. If you’re a wine snob, the spotty list likely will make you want to bring your own and pay the $18 corkage.

LEFT From top: Greco lamb salad, scampi Provençal, salmon crepe roll RIGHT Trout almondine

The cuisine is better than ever given this plein-air treasure is Olhats’ sole enterprise. Over the 20 years he has helmed this spot, he has juggled other restaurants in conjunction; but now he’s fully devoted to Café Jardin’s unfussy French fare. Don’t expect cocktails, posh desserts, or even dinner service. Do expect dishes that honor the season—no French onion soup midsummer. To have a chef of Olhats’ caliber overseeing your alfresco lunch is a rare treat. For the past two years, he has been happily mentoring chef de cuisine Jessica Roy, previously of Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel. She’s the latest in a long line of chefs trained in Olhats kitchens, many of whom are now top toques at the county’s finest restaurants. Roy says working inside the garden “completely transformed” the way she sees the world and her perspective as a chef. Walking the garden every day supplies inspiration and sharpens her eye for peak

½ 2647 E. Coast Hwy Corona del Mar 949-673-0033

5 BEST DISHES ’Scampi Provençal ’Grilled octopus ’Greco lamb salad ’Quiche Lorraine ’Trout almondine

PRICE RANGE Starters, $10 to $20 Entrees, $18 to $26

FYI Sherman Library & Gardens opened to the public in 1966.

freshness. Herbs and greens grown for the kitchen are snipped as needed, adding liveliness unmatched by any market.

Chilled openers include fat slices of crepe roll revealing a mosaic of lightly smoked salmon and remoulade with dill crème. Frisée, cucumber ovals, chives, and glossy orange tobiko bring contrasting color and crunch. Beet salad with goat cheese, a composed tower beneath a shower of chopped walnuts, is terrifi c, naturellement. Shrimp scampi Provençal is my favorite fi rst course— four sweet, grilled shrimp and tiny fresh tomatoes are irresistible in their pool of Pernod-spiked garlicky butter sauce. Warm croustades stand ready to sop up any remaining dribbles.

I confess a lifelong weakness for quiche Lorraine, and it’s never better than when it comes from a French kitchen. No surprise the classic wedge and petite side salad here is très popular. I didn’t imagine trout almondine

Lemon tart

as a top seller (grilled salmon is close behind) but it’s so, so worthy of acclaim. The mild white fl esh under crispy skin napped with sizzling browned butter and toasty sliced almonds is splendid beside piped potatoes and whole fresh green beans. Chunks of grilled octopus have a gentle texture and faint smoky notes amid a vibrant parade of piquant olives, pickled caulifl ower, fresh chervil, and rich romesco sauce. Sa ron rice makes a superb partner. “Greco” lamb salad is a hot/cold hybrid of tender grilled slices of meat atop a cool mix of veggies and greens, all animated by tangy tzatziki to build that timeless Greek fl avor profi le.

Look for the occasional special, say heirloom summer tomatoes with warm goat cheese, to appear depending on season and demand. Beyond that, the daytime menu o erings are a consistent lot, shifting notably in the spring and again in fall. The di erence between lunch and brunch? Little, except Sunday brunch has a two-course minimum.

Café Jardin is living its golden era right now, with Olhats and Roy in the kitchen. You’ll never regret the $5 entry fee. Maybe it was the rosé talking, but before leaving Sherman Gardens on my last visit, I splashed out for an annual membership. At $60, it’s an investment in wellness and defi nitely cheaper than that gym membership I’ll never use.

Rustic, modern, California comfort food with an ocean view.

Call (949) 940-3010 for reservations.

Just steps away from Oak Street Beach.

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