Knife Pleat

On Black Friday of all days, I had just finished eating lunch at Knife Pleat, the 6-month-old French restaurant inside South Coast Plaza, when the lights flickered and then stayed off in the dining room. I watched as servers in neat white button

Mesa mall, including the Penthouse level, where Knife Pleat is located. The outage lasted nearly two hours. In the shadowy open kitchen, normally a well-lighted jewel box of burnished steel counters and state-of-the-art ovens, chef Tony Esnault looked

, maisondanapoint.com Prosciutto and tomato toast at Maison Cafe in Dana Point (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 5. Knife Pleat The long-awaited new culinary anchor of South Coast Plaza, the very francophile Knife Pleat is run by Tony Esnault and

the weekly Sunday afternoon tea is in a league of its own. 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-266-3388, knifepleat.com A view of the dinning room seen through the large open sliding glass doors at Knife Pleat, the new French restaurant in South Coast

Gem    Omakase by Gino    Isla Cuban    Anjappar    Maison Cafe & Market    Knife Pleat    Henry's    CdM    Louie's by the Bay    Fable & Spirit   

“Are we getting caviar?” an old friend asks, so full of hope.  We’re at Knife Pleat, the luxurious French restaurant that opened in June in the penthouse of South Coast Plaza in the space formerly occupied by Marché Moderne.  It’s the second time

an insignificant portion, it takes me 10 wavering nibbles to finish it, which I do more out of respect than pleasure.  “I should have brought you with me,” I say.  Knife Pleat is owned by Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi, a couple best known for their

, highly anticipated French restaurant takes residence in Marche Moderne’s old spot on the highest floor. As with all French restaurants before it, Knife Pleat comes with a pedigreed chef whose training and experience can be traced to other famous French

? Knife Pleat, 3333 S. Bristol St., Costa Mesa, (714) 852-3974; knifepleat.com. Open Tues.-Sat., 5:30-8:30 p.m. Appetizers, $15-$32; entrées, $28-$58. Full bar.

Register/SCNG) Knife Pleat The scene: The penthouse terrace at Knife Pleat is a luxurious respite from the mall, or from life in general really. Settle into one of the feather-cushioned settees, calibrate your mind toward Champagne and envision Paris in the

springtime. What to order: Wild escargot, steak tartare, roasted duck, fig panna cotta, chocolate cremeux. South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., third floor, Costa Mesa, 714-266-3388, knifepleat.com Chocolate hazelnut Louis XV cake at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa

, louiesnewport.com Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Louie’s by the Bay in Newport Beach (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 4. Louis XV cake at Knife Pleat Every single one of pastry chef Germain Biotteau’s desserts at Knife Pleat is extraordinary but

none more so than this chocolate hazelnut cake. South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-266-3388, knifepleat.com Chocolate hazelnut Louis XV cake at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG) 3. Unagi

I dine anonymously, and it’s why I take my own photos whenever possible. Sometimes my food is burned, like the pretzel bread at Knife Pleat in Costa Mesa or the pizza at Big Parm in Tustin. That wouldn’t have happened at an official photo shoot

, Santa Ana, CA 92704 The highly anticipated Knife Pleat has opened in the former location of Marche Moderne in South Coast Plaza. Some featured dishes include crudo with hiramisa and plankton; a “vegetable mosaic” with rye chips; and a lamb rack with

strategy, she sends you to her happy place: Costco. (And holy wow, check out the peppermint-fudgy brownie recipe.) Patricia reviews Knife Pleat, the French restaurant in Costa Mesa by Tony Esnault and Yassmin Sarmadi, who previously ran Church & State and

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third floor. Christian Louboutin, Oscar de la Renta and Canali are all neighbors. Knife Pleat is located in the space formerly occupied by the French restaurant Marché Moderne, which moved to Newport Coast last year. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant is

expected to seat 90. Esnault, who grew up in the Loire Valley and went to culinary school in Lyon, plans to use his last 25 years cooking in French fine dining restaurants as inspiration for the menu at Knife Pleat. Before opening Church & State and Spring