NBindy_7.5.24 | Page 5

This legendary musical will be the hottest ticket of the summer . Get yours today .
newportbeachindy . com JULY 5 , 2024 5

OFF THE MENU

My Quest for the Best Burgers in Newport Beach

By Christopher Trela | NB Indy I have been on a quest to find the best hamburgers – or cheeseburgers – in Newport Beach .
I do have my favorites , but I solicited burger suggestions from friends . The result was a lengthy list that I am eating my way through . Here are several of my favorites so far .
A Restaurant
I was invited to A Restaurant to sample a new Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon from winemaker Andrew Jones and blended by Jordan Otterbein , managing partner of River Jetty Restaurant Group ( owner of A Restaurant ), Steven Ackad ( A Restaurant ’ s manager and
A Restaurant cheeseburger and fries with the new A cabernet in the background . Photo by Chris Trela beverage director ,) and others from A Restaurant .
“ We went through several incarnations and finally settled on the one that is in the bottle ,” explained Ackad . “ We were not trying to make a Bordeaux , we were trying to make a good reserve Paso cab , and that ’ s what we came up with . It is roughly 85 percent cabernet from a couple of different vineyards , five percent merlot , five percent petite verdot , and five percent petit sirah . Because it is a 2022 vintage , it ’ s a little young so we added the petit sirah to give it more structure and body . It is blended to make it more approachable early . I think it is drinking pretty well .”
I thought the cab would pair well with a hamburger , but the A Restaurant menu does not list one .
“ It ’ s an off-menu item made with a lot of love ,” said Ackad . “ It ’ s an amazing burger .”
According to Ackad , the restaurant does its own butchering , and the beef used in the burger comes from the filet and ribeye scraps . That ’ s why only 10 burgers are available each night .
In addition to the beef patties , the A burger adds arugula , caramelized onions , applewood-smoked bacon , your choice of bleu cheese or four-year aged cheddar , proprietary secret sauce , and a brioche bun . It comes with twice-fried skin on fries . I opted for cheddar cheese and was happy with the result . This is a damn fine cheeseburger . Ordered just under medium , the meat was slightly pink and juicy , the thick bacon paired well with the other burger ingredients , and the bun held up well .
The wine was a perfect pairing with the burger . This is an easydrinking wine that would go well with a variety of beef and poultry dishes .
Visit www . riverjettyrg . com / a-restaurant .
Olea
Olea in Newport Beach has plenty of excellent menu options , yet every time I grab a seat at the bar I tend to order the same thing : the American Wagyu Burger with extra sharp white cheddar , applewood bacon , pickled
BURGERS Page 10

Legendary music , enchantment , & romance

BOOK & LYRICS BY
Alan Jay Lerner
MUSIC BY
Frederick Loewe
ORIGINAL PRODUCTION DIRECTED AND STAGED BY
Moss Hart
BASED ON “ THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING ” BY
T . H . White
NEW ORCHESTRATIONS BY
Steve Orich
DIRECTED BY
Jeffrey B . Moss

July 24 – August 11

This legendary musical will be the hottest ticket of the summer . Get yours today .

949.497.2787 EXT . 1 | LAGUNAPLAYHOUSE . COM 606 Laguna Canyon Blvd , Laguna Beach
Brian Krinsky , Jared McLenigan , and Lauren Weinberg . Photo by Aaron Rumley .