Restaurant Review:

Two surfer dudes, Matt Baumayr and Rich Howland, in love with Baja and its simple fresh street food, wanted to open a taco stand in Newport Beach and fortuitously partnered with chef Deborah Schneider, a James Beard Award nominee and cookbook author, and the result was SOL Cocina, which is a far cry from a taco stand, although they do serve dynamite Baja-style tacos.

Taking over the space vacated by Mama Gina’s on East Coast Highway, they have transformed it into a contemporary Mexican eatery, more Mexico City than Baja Beach.

White stucco walls, dark wood beams, huge wrought iron chandeliers, a circular fireplace in the large bar, faux candles everywhere, an open kitchen and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on the bay all combine to create a casual and attractive place to dine.

Surfers and gourmets alike will appreciate this excellent cuisine featuring the highest quality ingredients.

Replacing the mandatory bowl of chips are lovely baked corn tortillas, lightly dusted with chili powder, accompanied by garlicky salsa and a terrific black bean dip.

A nice touch is the small condiment tray with lime wedges, hot sauce and salt for seasoning your food to taste.

With so many appealing appetizers, it’s hard to make a decision, but everyone should try the fabulous white corn soup, which can be ordered in a generous tasting portion for only $2. Full of corn flavor with a silky rich taste and a perfect texture, plus a touch of heat from poblanos, garnished with crema and pepitas, it’s a must.

There are three guacamole preparations: classic, classic with mango, tequila, goat cheese, pine nuts and cilantro, or the extravagant guac with shrimp, bacon, apple, chili and pico de gallo, served with jicama for dipping.

We found the ensalada del sol to be one of the best house salads we’ve encountered lately, with a nice mixture of bitter and peppery greens, mint, cilantro and napa cabbage. Crunchy elements came from cucumber, red onion, toasted pepitas and the slightly under-ripe mango that also lent a touch of sweetness, as did the tequila vinaigrette; creamy avocado slices added richness.

Tacos come in grande or street (mini) size. The carnitas street tacos are made from Kurobuta pork, the finest you can buy. It’s slow cooked until meltingly tender and full of flavor, including lots of garlic. The meaty little tacos had a garnish of tomatillo salsa, avocado and chicharron.

The lemon garlic Mezcal chicken tacos had chunks of moist dark meat with two salsas but were not as flavorful as the pork.

Our only disappointment of the evening was the ceviche. The fish was soft. The pico de gallo had lost its perkiness, and the only real flavor was the unbalanced acidity of lime juice. It was somewhat improved by the addition of salt and hot sauce from the condiment tray.

The fish pibil of the day was excellent, thick-cut sea bass, rubbed with adobo and grilled to a nice char on the outside, moist on the inside and topped with refreshing pineapple salsa. There is a choice of smoky, spicy diabla sauce or a bland, creamy cilantro tequila sauce. We liked the complex diabla sauce that had just the right amount of heat to complement the fish. Black beans and quinoa cranberry salad made tasty accompaniments.

We resisted the nachos dulces with warm tortilla chips, sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with chocolate and dulce de leche sauces, topped with whipped cream, shaved Mexican beverage chocolate and toasted almonds, because it sounded like a dessert for a party of 10. Happily, the toffee cake was delicious, reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding, with delicate, tender cake and deep intense caramel flavor enhanced by a lavish amount of butterscotch sauce and mellowed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

SOL Cocina

Where: 251 E. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach

When: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily

Food: Appetizers and salads $2 to $12.50; tacos and mariscos $3.75 to $15; entrées $17 to $26; desserts $7 to $8

Wine: Bottles $29 to $220; by the glass $8 to $16.50; corkage fee $15

Information: (949) 675-9800 or www.solcocina.com

ELLE HARROW and TERRY MARKOWITZ owned A La Carte for 20 years and can be reached at [email protected].