Dining Reviews

The city’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods have been sprucing themselves up for more than a decade. The county seat has once again become a magnet for the hip and the hungry, and choices abound. 
One of the latest marquee restaurants to call Santa Ana home is McCormick & Schmick’s, part of the celebrated national chain of elegant fresh seafood restaurants. For years, the Irvine location was the only OC outpost, but now Central and North County seafood lovers can use the money they’ll save on gas to cover a memorable meal.



If you’ve eaten at the Irvine store, you’re going to like the Santa Ana location. Directly across from the Main Place Mall, the restaurant evokes a clubbiness that’s both comforting and grand. 

Rich wood paneling is everywhere. The high ceiling is supported by central pillars, and photos and artwork of early California scenes and fishing prints are placed strategically on the walls. Polished brass coat hooks surmount cozy booths; the bar is resplendent with large panes of cut and etched glass. 



The menu contains familiar M&S fare; it’s printed daily to update the “fresh list” – more than 30 fresh fish are offered each day. On the back is a fine and complete wine list, with many vintages by the glass. 



The servers wear ties, black vests and long white aprons; they’re traditional and efficient in dress and manner. Cocktail culture reigns here. As with all M&S locations, the drinks are made from squeezed juices and other fresh ingredients; you see quite a few martini glasses filled with colorful potations. These guys don’t sling drinks – they build them. Evidence: my excellent, and quite traditional, whiskey sour.

 

I began with a surprisingly potent appetizer, the rare-seared yellowfin tuna. So close to being sashimi that it’s served with a dollop of wasabi, soy sauce and a clump of pickled ginger, it was cool, smooth and substantial in flavor. 



The accompanying Asian cucumber salad was a revelation – cucumbers, julienned carrots and red onions in a fiery dressing. It was one of those dishes that opens up your sinuses and makes you gasp a bit, but somehow you can’t stop eating it. 

My entrée was a small masterpiece: the tilapia encrusted with cashews and served with Jamaican rum butter and winter vegetables, with a side of jasmine rice.



Tilapia is becoming ubiquitous in restaurants and kitchens throughout the country because of its versatility, mild taste and availability. In this case, it made a fine palette from which to show off a symphony of flavors. The filet was thin, which allowed it to be cooked to a lovely brown while leaving the interior moist and flaky. The cashews added texture and taste; the rum butter evoked memories of a hot buttered rum on a cold night.


The filets were topped with a delightful salsa of bell peppers, onions and pineapple. The combinations creates a superb all-season fish dish. 



You don’t have to dress smartly to come to M&S, but you’ll feel better if you do. It’s that kind of place. OCM 



McCormick & Schmick’s 
N. Main St., Santa Ana 714.558.1963