Ocean Brewing Company spells dining and entertainment

Glori Fickling

Celebrating a phenomenal 10 year anniversary on Dec. 9, Ocean Brewing

Company is one of the most inspirational restaurant success stories

on the Orange County scene.

Now a bustling night club, the popular place is the creation of

Jonathan and Maria Thomas whose dream as newlyweds was to coordinate

Maria’s creative cooking talents with Jonathan’s knowledge gleaned

through the study of beer and ale brewing techniques. Thus the pair

launched a popular little storefront establishment which boasts its

own charming sidewalk seating and is embellished with gigantic

brewing tanks which rise behind the bar. It was not long before this

energetic duo gained a reputation for fine Italian cuisine, heady

brews, California, Italian and French wines.

Within less than a year the enterprising Thomas’ doubled their

dining space when an adjoining shop was vacated. This presented an

opportunity for Laguna artists to display original paintings, giving

exposure to their talents while dramatizing a bare burnt orange wall.

Five years later, after this overwhelming success and the blessing of

a beautiful baby daughter, the Thomas’ trained a general manager in

the guise of Scott Brecznock to handle the basic business and

imported a five-star chef from Italy to further the family recipes.

Precisely in time to celebrate the new millennium a cocktail

license was acquired. Then a dance permit was issued and a bustling

night club came full circle. The delicious recipes of Maria’s

homeland continue to grace the menu along with her fine Italian

decorating skills which continually set a varying and scintillating

ambience to the room.

Jonathan now controls the evening entertainment front promoting

varying styles of live music Tuesday through Saturday nights.

Eighties hits are on tap Tuesday while Wednesday music caters to a

more mature crowd with jazz and blues. Thursday brings spirited Latin

tunes, currently with a group called Latin Groove. Taking the reins

on weekends is a D.J. who showcases hip hop stylings Friday and ‘80s

tunes Saturday. Chalk this up as a spicy nightly attraction luring

some of the snappiest young denizens who enthusiastically invade the

place, many standing knee deep at the bar, others inundating the

parquet floor as soon as tables are pushed aside to expedite space

for their dancing feet.

Lunch and dinner menus are identical, save for a slightly lower

price structure daytimes. The bill of fare refers to “Beginnings,

Greens, Sandwiches, Pizzas and Sautes.” Especially enticing are

starters, half a dozen priced from $4 for such soups du jour as

garbanzos with smoked trout and lobster to $12 for black and green

mussels steamed in a broth au jus laced with sweet vermouth and

crowning crisp shoestring fries. Simply superlative for $9 are

calamari legs and rings flash fried to delicately tender perfection

and served with cilantro aioli dipping sauce. Salad selections

commence at $5 for organic greens alternated with fresh vegetables in

balsamic vinaigrette; add $3 or $4 with grilled chicken or shrimp. A

top tab of $14 garners grilled tiger shrimp or calamari tossed with

arugula, radicchio and Boston lettuce.

Beyond nine pizzas averaging $12 and a quartet of sandwiches at $9

and $10, entrees, termed Sautes, add up to seven enticements priced

from $13 to $18. There is penne pasta starring shrimp and scallops

sauteed with broccoli in creamy chardonnay sauce. There is linguine

sauteed with eggplant, tomato and mozzarella. Rigatoni comes with

pancetta, chicken, tomato, onion and basil. And penne pasta coated

with creamy parmigiana sauce features wild mushrooms, portabello,

oyster and cremini mushrooms. Raviolis, when available, are stuffed

with an interesting variety of ingredients. Roasted vegetables are

one favorite varied with sauces of garlic cream or roasted garlic

marinara.

One final note is for martini aficionados who will be delighted to

know that those served here are premium king size potables elegantly

presented in capacious birdbath size stems. Buono Appetito!

* GLORI FICKLING is a longtime Laguna Beach resident who has

written restaurant news and views columns since 1966. She may be reached at (949) 494-4710 or by e-mail at [email protected].