They’re back!
When word came this week that the regional stay-at-home order had been lifted, restaurants wasted no time letting their clientele know that they were once again welcome back to the restaurant for al fresco dining.
“We are thrilled to be back doing what we love: serving the best guests in Newport Beach!” announced Bayside Restaurant. “Beginning Friday, we’ll be open for dinner and live music nightly, plus champagne brunch every Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live music begins at 11:30.”
Call Bayside at (949) 721-1222 or visit https://www.baysiderestaurant.com.
“Thank you all so much for your patience — we have appreciated all the calls and emails,” wrote Marche Moderne on its Facebook page. “We’re elated to share that we will be resuming outdoor dining and curbside takeout beginning Friday, February 5! Reservations will be taken over the phone beginning next Wednesday, Feb. 3, at noon by calling (714) 434-7900. Limited reservations will be also be available via opentable next Wednesday. Stay tuned for a special 4-course Valentine’s Day weekend menu, too! On behalf of chefs Amelia, Florent and the entire team, we can’t wait to welcome you all back to Marché Moderne!”
Visit https://www.marchemoderne.net.
Farmhouse
On its Facebook page, Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens stated “We’re thrilled to welcome you back to our open-air dining room to enjoy a meal with us beginning Tuesday, January 26. With more than 4,000 square feet of outside dining equipped with a large tent and heaters, our al fresco dining room offers a comfortable and safe place for you to relax while enjoying an award-winning cocktail and a nourishing, sustainably-sourced meal. The health and safety of our guests and staff remain our utmost priority. Take a look at the extensive protocols we have in place.”
The Farmhouse website does indeed have a lengthy list of safety measures. Among them:
- Large groups are limited to 10 max (must all be from the same household or arrive together). These larger parties have a larger distancing policy of 15-20 ft from other tables. We have one table that seats up to 10 guests and one table that seats up to 8.
- Guests are no longer allowed to gather in the waiting area prior to being seated; instead, we offer a call ahead check-in and encourage guests to wait in their car until their table is ready.
- All high touch point surfaces are sanitized frequently.
- HEPA filter air purifiers have been installed in our restrooms with a UV light to help kill viruses. We have installed automatic, no-touch soap dispensers in guest restrooms and all 5 staff-accessible hand sinks.
- Automatic hand sanitizer stations have been placed strategically throughout the restaurant for guest and staff access.
- Upon check presentation, guests will get sanitizer disposable wipes and single-use pens. Check presenters are cleaned and sanitized after each shift.
- Water is offered upon request with a sealed, single-use capping to ensure no contamination. Single-use, paper menus will be utilized.
- Tables will not be preset; silverware comes rolled in a napkin.
For those still not comfortable dining at a restaurant (even on the patio), the Farmhouse takeout offerings remain in place including a Curbside Market with local ingredients and pantry staples, nourishing Family Meals, weekly Farmers Market Produce Boxes, cocktails and bottles of wine.
The All Day Menu is available for both dine-in and takeout. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
The menu includes classic dishes from Chef Rich Mead, including salads, short ribs, cured salmon, a terrific burger, Icelandic cod and other seafoods, steaks, and a variety of sides.
Dine Newport Beach, hosted by Visit Newport Beach, recently interviewed Chef Mead. Asked for his favorite menu items , Mead replied the roast Jidori Half Chicken, as well as the Asian Chicken Salad. “Anything that includes protein from our friends at Autonomy Farms, who specialize in raising wonderful grass-fed proteins in Bakersfield.”
Like most restaurants the pandemic had an impact on Farmhouse.
“Our dishes have changed somewhat since the pandemic—things are simpler as we emphasize takeout,” explained Chef Mead. “From very early on, we realized we had to get creative with our takeout offerings to not only attract a new demographic of customers, but to keep more staff employed and keep supporting our local farmer friends who rely on weekly orders from us. We quickly introduced our Farmers Market Produce Boxes, started a Curbside Market with pantry items and house made goods, offered our cocktails to-go and weekly Family Meal specials including Taco Tuesday and Sunday Brunch.”
Despite those efforts, Chef Mead noted that he had to lay off a lot of his staff.
“I felt horrible,” stated Mead. “But the support we have received from our community with our efforts to raise money for those who aren’t working has been so generous. In the beginning, we had a GoFundMe page setup, and we received such great support through takeout gratuity, which we have been able to share with our staff who were not able to return to work.”
For 2021, Mead hopes that “we are able to come back to a little semblance of normal and people will remember to respect others. I hope that those of us in the restaurant industry will be able to resurrect ourselves in a viable way — we are a resilient group, and with creativity and drive we will all come out of this better than before.”
Visit https://farmhouse.rogersgardens.com or call (949) 640-1415.
The Bungalow Restaurant
Jim Walker and Louie Feinstein, proprietors of The Bungalow Restaurant in Corona del Mar, sent an email to their customers stating “We are thrilled to welcome you back to The Bungalow Newport Beach! We are currently welcoming a limited number of outdoor dining reservations. We expect these spaces to fill quickly; reserve now by calling (949) 673-6585. We will continue to offer online ordering and delicious takeout for curbside pickup as well. We want to assure you the health and safety of our guests and employees is our primary focus, and we will adhere to all state dine-in restaurant guidelines to ensure we’re operating in a safe manner. Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you in person soon!”
Temporary hours at The Bungalow are Tuesday through Sunday, 3 to 9 p.m.
Like Farmhouse, The Bungalow has a lengthy list of safety protocols in place. These include:
- Our entire restaurant is constantly cleaned and sanitized throughout the day. This includes cleaning of all surfaces and menus following proper hand washing procedures, and an extremely thorough cleaning overnight.
- Requiring all managers and associates to wear face coverings
- Heightening protocol on all sanitation efforts, including additional hand sanitizing stations.
- Educating our team on preventative measures provided by the CDC.
- Ensuring proper social distancing is maintained in our restaurants when required per local ordinances.
- Cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces and pens after each use.
- Transitioning to wrapped utensils and straws and using fresh glassware for all beverage refills.
- Using single-use disposable menus or digital menus.
Visit https://www.thebungalowrestaurant.com.
Billy’s at the Beach
Waterfront Hawaiian eatery Billy’s at the Beach is reopening patio dining on Saturday, Jan. 30. Billy’s patio features scenic views, aloha vibes and heating.
Billy’s at the Beach has two upcoming promos valid for patio dining and takeout.
On Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7), cheer on your favorite team with a Mai Tai in hand. Reserve a table on Billy’s patio or pick up a Super Bowl Survival Pack to enjoy at home.
Halftime Survival Pack ($150) has four entrees and eight Mai Tais. The Touchdown Survival Pack ($250) has six entrees, 12 pulled pork sliders, and 12 Mai Tais.
For Valentine’s Weekend (Feb. 12-14), enjoy a romantic dinner overlooking Newport Harbor. For just $150, enjoy an extravagant three-course meal for two people including a Pupu Platter, Filet Mignon and Lobster Surf & Turf, and Chocolate Rum Cake. Add a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for just $75. Offer available for patio dining and takeout.
Visit https://billysatthebeach.net.
