This was our first time but had heard how good it was. Â We loved it! Â We had read the reviews on Yelp about the faro risotto, and they were all correct. Â It is outstanding in every way! Â
We tried the grilled octopus because our server said it was very popular. Â It was truly fabulous and we will get it again. Â The mussels were great, and the juice great for dipping bread into. Â The only item we were not crazy about was the duck breast, not that much flavor. Â
We did not have dessert but will next time. Â We highly recommend Juliette!
Came for cappuccinos and dessert.
Had the Salted Caramel Pot de Creme and the Profiteroles. The Creme Pot was simply too sweet, maybe if you split it with several people it wouldn't be so bad, but after several bites it was just too much. The Profiteroles have a beautiful presentation, but unfortunately not much else. The creme puffs were alright, but the sauce was a little bitter and the honeycomb was inedible. The best part was the banana ice cream.
The cappuccinos were really nutty. Like. Excessively nutty. My companion loved it, but I did not.
Our service was just plain strange. Our waiter was borderline uncomfortable.
Overall an ok experience, but probably not repeatable.
My husband and I took Mom there to celebrate her birthday. Â We were seated right away in a nice corner table. Â Wow! Â The food was excellent. Â We started with the Kale Salad, Beet Salad, and pork cheeks. Â All were delicious. Â Then we ordered the Branzino fish (very good and flavorful), Seafood stew (good), and Duck breast (Not bad, but not amazing). Â I enjoyed their wine list, and the service was great. Â Boy, was it loud in there.......Poor mom had to scream at us just to carry a normal conversation......That part was annoying. Â Dessert was a carmel creme pot, profiterals (sp?) and some sort of poundcake (this was comped for Mom's birthday; a nice touch). Â We will be back!
Review Source:Dinner with boyfriend for our 3 year anniversary~
Our waiter was very attentive! Great service! Great food!
Risotto: BEST i have EVER had in my LIFE
Hanger Steak: Very flavorful and perfect portion - steak was cooked to perfection
Pork Cheeks: melts in your mouth - DELICIOUS
Salted caramel pot de crème: this is a MUST try!
We'll be back again soon!
Went for a gf's birthday dinner and here's what was on the menu that night:
Farro risotto: I normally hate risotto because I don't like the mushy texture but this one was cooked very al dente so I enjoyed it! Â Reminded me of brown rice. Â Flavor was very good and I loved the spinach in it mmm
Grilled squid: Skip this plate!! Â The squid did not have a crunch and it was soft and weird. Â The curry aioli was NOT the business.
Hanger steak: Â Good flavor! Â Came with tiny fingerling potatoes and tomatoes. Â Wish they had better steak knives though because it was extremely hard to cut through even though the steak wasn't chewy!
Green salad: Â Can't go wrong with a vinaigrette dressing!
Fries with harissa aioli and house made ketchup: Â I love fries and it was disappointing here. Â They were cut very thick and had very little flavor. Â The aioli was tangy and not like typiucal aiolis - not good!
Salted caramel pot de crème: This dessert was good!  The tangy vanilla creme tasted like plain tart yogurt and balanced well with the salty caramel.  Cookies were soft :)
I have been to Juliette's several times with various family and friends. Â Each time, the food has been spectacular, the wine & beer selection outstanding and the ambiance friendly and fun. Â My favorites are the Farro Risotto and the Pork Cheeks. Â You can't beat the Salted Caramel Pot de Creme for dessert. Â
Can't wait to go again and try the Fish Stew!
Where should I start??? Well, the food was good. I recommend the short ribs, lamb chops, and pork belly. Gnocci....not so great. The service.....ehhh. When a friend of mine first got there, she was not really spoken to with respect . Condescending if you may..... One thing that really disappointed me was the fact that I spent over  $400 at the restaurant but when I asked if I could buy a few of the  cookies that come out with the panna cotta(for my wife who was  at home, sick), the chef (owner) said no. He said that he makes the exact amount he needs in the  morning and can't sell any extra....2 cookies, really? $400...and no to 2 cookies. Ridiculous....
Review Source:Juliette Kitchen & Bar has easily replaced many of my number 1 meals and since my dinner yesterday, I can't stop thinking about what I'm going to try next when I come back! Â This place is impeccable in style, quality, price, service, and tastiness! Â I was impressed with every meal that I ordered and was disappointed that my stomach didn't have any more room to try other plates. Â We came on a Thursday evening with reservations and were seated promptly. Â Israel was our server and he was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. Â The atmosphere was casual, but I did notice people with sweaters tied around their shoulders so just expect that kind of crowd here. Â It is connected to a wine store so that is pretty cool. Â The location was a bit hard to find based on google maps, but just know it's located in a brown plaza with a bunch of other random stores like a rehab place, a boutique, and a few bakeries. Â
Based on Yelp reviews, we ordered the famous duck breast gnocchi, farro risotto, hangar steak, and pot de creme. Â It's been a long long time since I've had a meal where EVERYTHING tasted delicious and was cooked perfectly, but Juliette Kitchen really blew me away. Â The gnocchi tasted like soft pillows of cheesy goodness and the duck was tender and moist. Â The farro risotto had the awesome aroma of Parmesan cheese and paired well with the sauteed veggies it came with. Â These two dishes came out first and by the time we were finished with those, we were already really full and didn't know how we would feel finishing the steak. Â When the hangar steak came out, it looked so freakin good that we had to try it. Good thing we did because the steak was amazing!!!!! Â I was a bit reluctant because it looked a little too charred but it was the best piece of steak I've ever had, and adding the chorizo and asparagus made every bite heavenly. Â
Even though we were sooo incredibly full after these plates, we convinced ourselves that it was necessary to try their dessert. Â We ordered the pot de creme which is a custard that almost tastes a little like a light flan. Â It comes with 2 cookies that were also baked to perfection. Â The custard had such a light and fluffy consistency and paired well with the nuts, whipped creme, and a bit of cookie in each spoon. Â
These plates were considered "small plates" but honestly it was a very generous portion in my opinion. Â My only regret is how full I felt afterwards. Â Israel informed me that we ordered mainly "heavy" plates, and he recommended a few popular light plates for my next visit which I am definitely excited to try. Â A few he mentioned were the hamachi, grilled squid, and seared scallops. Â Sounds amazing right? Can't wait to take some friends back here. Â Our bill came out to be $63 which is very reasonable for a meal that ranks at the top of my favorites list at the moment.
I have read a lot about Juliette both in Yelp reviews and in publications as of late. Â Fellow Yelp buds, MiYun and Lica, and I met up for dinner on a Friday night here. Â I would definitely recommend making a reservation. Â It was packed the evening we were here.
This restaurant is located in a nondescript strip mall in Newport close to John Wayne airport.    I decided to order off the small plates and chose the PEI mussels (which I pretty much try every where I go since I am a mussel fiend)  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=N6NDtoxwuqOPjJzPSDTv-g#N6NDtoxwuqOPjJzPSDTv-g">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>  They were prepared with onion, herbs, chorizo and harissa butter and served with slices of bread to dunk in the rich, tasty broth.  I enjoyed these very much and for $12, I thought they were a great deal since the portion was quite ample.  I also order a side of fries to complete my moules frites dinner. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=WVLxN-RrLHGwhqW6-NIRvw#0QGJWVVF91u-aGTKTfnTBA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> They came with homemade ketchup and harissa aioli.  These nicely complimented my mussels. Â
My friends ordered the Grilled Squid <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=L5UHloQB45VDI49VBLHQOQ#L5UHloQB45VDI49VBLHQOQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> and Gnocchi with duck confit. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=K_r7msRxxeLTL4bYSwbV4g#K_r7msRxxeLTL4bYSwbV4g">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> I sampled both of these and thought they were both very good, also.  Mix of flavors and ingredients on all the dishes were unique and very nicely plated. Â
After hearing a lot of about their yummy desserts, we opted to share two.  We ordered the famous Salted Caramel Pot de creme <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=WVLxN-RrLHGwhqW6-NIRvw#WVLxN-RrLHGwhqW6-NIRvw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>  This was served with a side of ginger snap like cookies.  This dessert was tasty but we thought was missing the salt part of the caramel which we would not taste.  We also ordered the Profiteroles which were my favorite.  <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=WVLxN-RrLHGwhqW6-NIRvw#_zAorlPVwejidZlG6r2liQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> The cream puffs were filled with banana ice cream and were topped with fresh banana, caramel, chocolate sauce and whippped cream.  With all those great things coming together, how can it not be awesome?!  I would order this dessert again :)
Our service was very friendly, courteous, helpful and attentive. Â Could not complain about any of it. Â The only negative I would have to say about the restaurant is the noise level. Â Since it was quite busy and has very low ceilings, it is a very loud atmosphere. Â I you want to have intimate conversation, this is definitely not the place. Â
A nice hidden gem in Newport Beach. Â I will definitely be back for those mussels and sample other menu options Juliette has to offer.
This place just cracked my very exclusive Dan's Top 10 Places He's Ever Eaten in the History of the World list! And with good reason, this place is freaking OFF THE CHART! Â
First of all, our waiter was awesome. Beck was friendly, warm, VERY knowledgeable  about the menu and wines. The service was uber prompt, but not overbearing. Always made sure the water was full, and checked in to see how we were doing.
We started out with the Charcuterie meat plate (the duck prosciutto is to DIE for)  and  rogue river blue cheese plates ... brilliant! That, along with two superb cocktails ... I had Zapata's Last Word (a very smokey tequila based drink) and my wife had Strawberry  Fields.
Then we moved into the small plates. We heard the seafood was amazing, so we went with the grilled squid (the curry aioli will change your life) and cured hamachi. Both were phenomenal. Honestly, you could probably make a meal out of the first two courses ... but you won't want to stop.
Then it was time for dinner (I know, were a bunch of hogs, but honestly ... the layers of flavors just kept on building.) I had the kurobuta pork shank which was one of the most amazing meat dishes I have ever had!!!
When all that was said and done, everything was so great, I had to see what the desserts held in store. I was not disappointed .... toasted coconut & thai basil panna cotta and the salted caramel pot de crème literally changed my life.
Yes, I know I'm gushing and sound like a foodie fan boy, but you really have to try this place. It's cozy, and the sound level is just a tad loud, but not that distracting. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other menu items!
RUN do not walk to this place!
Finally stopped in for dinner at this neighborhood gem after driving by for several years. Â What a fantastic spot. Â We opted for 4 small plates which allowed us to sample different things. Â Everything was wonderful, from the grilled squid, to the perfectly cooked scallops, mouthwatering pork cheeks (still dreaming about them) and duck breast gnocchi (melted in your mouth). Â Really enjoyed the inventive, but clean and simple preparations. Â The salted caramel pot de creme is a wonderful finish. Â Service was attentive, but not hovering.
The wine list is very interesting. Â Bottles, and many wines by the glass. Â And they sell all the bottles on the menu in the adjoining wine shop, including the $1,500 Screaming Eagle ! Â if you want, you can BYOB for a $15 corkage fee. Â Juliette is a winner for us and deserving of the continued good press and recommendations of food critics. Â Can't wait to go back
This is a pefect little bistro in a Newport Beach strip mall where Tradition by Pascal used to be. Â Reminds me of something you'd find on Abbott-Kinney.
Nice rustic-chic ambience, friendly and attentive service, charcuterie and small plates, entrees with a twist, inventive wine list. Â I went there for lunch today and had the fresh-roasted turkey sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes and avocado aioli on just-baked french/sourdough bread. Â It was delicious, as were the crisp fries with homemade ketchup.
We needed a place like this around here. Â Informal, fun, great food.
Great food (I ordered the pork shank and it was amazing), large selection of wine, and some good draft beer selections. Their craft cocktails looked very interesting. I will have to go back and try their craft drinks. The food portions aren't very big, but the entrees are still filling and VERY tasty! The ambiance is awesome and the service was spot on. I highly recommend the "affogato" for dessert! Take a date here, go with a group of friends or family, enjoy their American, comfort food.
Review Source:Came in for lunch with my brother. We were among the first to arrive but during lunch it got extremely packed. I ordered the steak salad with a side of fries. My brother had the kale salad with chicken and a grilled chicken sandwich. My steak salad was delicious. Steak was cooked med well. Salad had the right amount of dressing. Fries were light and crispy,I wanted more lol. For dessert we ordered the banana icecream stuffed in a light flaky pastry. We gobbled it up it seconds! Overall: Great Service, my glass was never empty lol. Food Scrumptous and Delectable! Will def be back!!
Review Source:We found Juliette's quite by accident...Hubby got lost trying to find some crazy fly fishing supply store, and I'm getting hungry and crabby, so we drove around, and voila! Â Juliette's. Â Rather unassuming location, but the dinner menu was extensive and challenging.
Of course, we are suckers for the cheese and charcuterie. Â We ordered the five item combination - left it to our server to surprise us. Â Came back with two different cheeses - okay, I didn't take copious notes, and can't recall, but one was a very soft goat cheese, and the other a hearty firm dry cheese. Â We were provided wild boar salame, a prosciutto, and duck. Â Each was wonderful - and unlike many places, they do provide the sweet jam and raisins to balance the savory. Â We balanced this with glasses of Italian sparkling wine. Â Like Tony Bordain, we do eschew the salad and dive right into the major small plates: Â pork cheeks, mussels, and seared scallops. Â As another yelper noted, these 'small' plates are very generous. Â Splurged and went for a bottle of the Fiddleestix pinot noir. Â Were we sated? Â Absolutely! Â The sad part of this is - we really wanted to try some plates, but were full by this time. Â A promise to our friends: Â we will be back with an update to this review.
BTW: Â We never did find that fly-fishing store!
Small plates are not that small! Â We ordered the risotto, mussels, and gnocchi. Â My favorite out of the bunch would be the mussels. Â They were juicy and in a nice, buttery broth. Â Farro risotto was pretty good. Â Gnocchi had tons of duck, but the flavor was lacking. Â
The caramel pot de creme dessert deserves a mention, too. Â It was the perfect end to our meal! Â
Come here with reservations! Â We came on a Tues night and they were packed!
PROS:
1. Decor is fabulous, absolutely loved the wood walls and chairs
2. Great customer service from our waiter
3. Huge drink selection
CONS:
1. My boyfriend and I had to salt EVERYTHING, even the fries!!
2. Food was average. Pork cheeks were cooked to perfection but seriously lacked flavor. Fish stew was OK. Seafood was fresh but it wasn't a memorable dish
Overall, probably wouldn't come back but glad we finally tried it!
I had this place on my radar screen for a while, and finally had a chance to try it with the missus for dinner. Â I am sorry I waited so long.
The two of us started with cocktails, split the cured hamachi, then she had the hanger steak and I had the duck breast and a glass of wine. Â We finished with coffees and the sea salt chocolate chip cookies with ice cream and espresso.
Both of us wanted some slight changes to the food, and the kitchen accommodated us without any fuss at all. Â Now, we did not try and reinvent the dish, but a lot of chef driven restaurants are not too happy about requests from the table. Â The fact that they guys did it without question is a huge plus.
The food is both interesting and really, really tasty. Â The hamachi was a welcome change from the ubiquitous sushi/sashimi appetizers you find all over the place. Â It was well presented, and the pickled peppers and greens added some great color and flavor to the dish.
My duck had a lovely aroma from the star anise, and my wife really liked the parsnips served with the steak, a nice variation on the root vegetables from standard potatoes.
Dinner was around $130 before tip, which is pricey, but not really out of line with the quality and inventiveness of the food, and the really excellent service.
This is a hidden gem in a strip mall near a highway.
The food was excellent. Â I had the swordfish sandwich. Â It was fantastic. Â The fish was cooked perfectly and the cucumber onion relish on it gave it a nice flavor. Â It comes with either fries or salad. Â I opted for the salad, which came covered in dried cherries, nuts, and a nice vinaigrette. Â It was great too.
Another person at my table had the burger, which looked excellent, and given that she didn't share it or offer any of it, I am quite sure that it was good.
Service was fine. Â I will be back.
My gosh my yelp friends have been hard on Juliette!
The service was good, the decor really sophisticated and understated, the see through kitchen was a nice touch. Â
I hate ciopinno but thought even this was good. Â The cheese and charcuterie plate, and French fries were some of the best I've had in a long time.
Will be back to sample more. Â Only complaints were how f-ing loud it was, the acoustics SUCK.
Food 4 star
Ambiance 2.5 star mainly the seating is what sucks ass
Manager/maybe owners wife 1 star speaking of, I don't nor need the dude thats been commenting on some of the non favorable reviews to roll up on me. Seeing some of his answers to the people is appalling and makes him look worse so STFU and take the reviews for what they are and work on the complaints most people have.
0 stars for these uppity old vanilla hags thinking we were going to take there purse when we first were seated -_- Yea because I come to such a random spot like Juliettes  just to take your unknown asses purse and walk out the door psssssh.
Enough of the BS. The waitress was good. We scaled the menu and when you dine with Gigi you're going to order 4 plates at the least LOL. So heres my break down. Oh and the food kind of reminds me of MB post :)
So we had some sort of greek salad. It was fresh and bright. I don't remember the proper name of the dish but it was dressed well with yummy amounts of feta cheese and olives.
Grilled squid: This dish was CRACK!!!!!! So damn good. My mom and Gigi sniffed that up. Next time two of those because I don't want to share! It was cooked perfectly and I can honestly say I never had grillled squid before but I love it now! The sauce that came with it on the side was deeeeeelish!
 Farro risotto: Awesome dish but definitely needed some meat with that. Like shrimp. That would really take the dish up a notch.
Gnocchi: 5 stars!!!!! Some of the best gnocchi I've ever had. It was soft and not to dense. I normally stay away from gnocchi because its so heavy and usually makes me so full after two bites. I can order that again!
Pork cheeks with beets: More beets than cheeks (no pun) hahahaha. Seriously the beets and pork cheeks were such the same color, all I kept getting was beets and that was making me angry. They need an equal amount of both. Makes them look cheap by doing that. The cheek was so damn good. Maybe Gigi stole them all LOL.
Seared scallops: Tasty dish but as im looking back at the description , I don't remember pork belly cubes in that dish! Whatever.
French fries were addicting. Crispy and mushy mix of fries. Seasoned perfectly. So damn good and I can't recall the dipping sauce but it was tasty as well!
Topped the evening with that dessert in a jar and 2 cookies ONLY 2 cookies for 3 people! Someone needs to take math classes :p This dessert was O-mazing and im an instant fan! The cookies were melt in my mouth and damned good. I'd buy those alone!
Overall my meal was satisfying and so were my stiff cocktails, because I left tipsy as hell with my gal pal G. My mom is boycotting and im giving this place a time out until more time goes by. I didn't like how the woman seemed so damn cummy with regulars but ignored every other table of unfamiliar faces!
We had a nice night here, but it wasn't great. They were out of Diet Coke, so I ordered a beer. We also ordered french fries, which were good, but a little cold. Finally, we ordered pork cheeks and the pork shank, which were both amazing. It was ust the right amount of meat, and so flavorful and tender.
It's really loud in there, you can hardly hear the person across from you, so I wouldn't suggest going with a large group.
Visited Juliette Kitchen twice before I was comfortable writing this review. We first came here for lunch first and ordered all three of the small plates to start. When the dishes arrived, they smelled and looked wonderful. The farro risotto was a really great dish using innovative ingredients to present "risotto". I enjoyed the mushrooms and the flavor was well balanced.
Next was the pork cheeks -- very under-seasoned but I liked the use of pumpkin as accoutrement. I added some sea salt to the pork cheek and it was definitely an improvement.
The roasted cauliflower was also devoid of salt. The menu description says "curry" but none of us tasted curry at all. With a touch more salt and curry it would've been perfect!
Our entrees were the hangar steak sandwich -- steak was recommended at medium rare which we agreed was fine, but when it arrived it was raw on the inside and the bread was a soggy mess. We sent it back. They re-fired and returned a much better one to us. The meat was also seasoned properly. Just didn't like the quality of the meat used.
The sea bass was again, under-seasoned and menu description of curry was hardly detectable. I also didn't understand the use of dried cherries in this dish. It absolutely didn't need it and just because it sounds fall-like, it was an unnecessary addition. In fact, it threw the dish off. I don't remember when I last had fish with fruit.
I then returned for dinner with 2 friends. We ordered a bunch of things to share including scallops (the best part of our meal), pork cheeks and hamachi were underseasoned and one dimensional and I just can't get past the over-use of dried cherries.
Juliette Kitchen is not cheap. For these prices, I'd rather spend it somewhere else where I know every dish I order will be a winner, and not "just okay". "Meh I've experienced better" is about right.
O Romeo Romeo, where art thou Romeo? Â Shit, Forget that dude, Juliette got this shit locked down! Â Honestly she did no wrong for us tonight.
Atmosphere
   Came for dinner and this place had such a nice rustic, warm, and classy aurora.  Using my psychic abilities, I had a premonition that tonights meal was going to be over the top special and delicious.  Had reservations for 745 and got seated right away.
Food
  Apps:  Grilled Squid (6 stars!) - See below
        Cured Hamachi (4 stars) - Light w a hint of vinagrette and cured Hamachi
        Pork cheeks (3.8 stars) - Good but nothing REALLY special
  Entree: Fish Stew (6 stars!) -See below
  Dessert: Strawberry & fennel trifle (6 stars) -See below
         Profiteroles- Butter ice cream filled cream puffs. Eh nuttin special
My LOVER" and I LOVED the fish stew, we literally breathed and drooled all over the thing. Â I call it a cross between New England clam chowder + Cioppino. Â Imagine the seafood of Ciopinno mixed with the creamy but LIGHT version of clam chowder base= a light tomatoey/creamy briny broth. The scallops in the dish was o-so-tender and cooked to perfection, the mussels were tender and tastey, the fish was surprisingly NOT stinky, and there were these fresh veggies that compliment the dish quite well. Â Highly Recommended- 6 Stars!
  Â
  The other dish that my lover* and I really enjoyed was the grilled squid.  Served with a curry aioli (WTF? Genius!) + some nice and crispy fingerling potato coins.  The grilled squid was cooked with such a delicate hand because one can tell they were SOOO tender, no chewy-ness what-so-ever, the squid beard had a nice smokey char, and the flavors were so fresh and light but yet comforting at the same time.  The curry aioli and po's went really well with the entire dish. 6 Stars!!
Â
   Dessert-  Strawberry & fennel trifle: chiffon cake, candied fennel, crème fraîche bavarian, pistachio crumble.  "Like a strawberry parfait on crack! In a good way"-Lover*.  You are so right lover*, because it wasn't too sweet of a dessert, the crème fraîche was so light and the pistachio crumble gave such a nice texture that reminded me exactly of a McD's parfait. -6 Stars!
  Â
Service-Nothing to complain about, she was there when we needed her and delivered our food exactly how I like it. Â I explained how I liked my dishes to come out one by one and she catered to every request. Â The bill came out pricey but it was all worth it with this type of quality food. (Yes! I know I didn't pay) - 4 stars
*Names are changed per Lover and Joe P's request.
When it's good for lunch and dinner, the quality of the food is just as wonderful every time I come back, the bathroom is clean, the service is good, it's a solid 5 stars :)
Tip:
for lunch, try the fish sandwich
for dinner, get a few appetizers or small plates to share.
I love the beet salad, gnocchi, and the risotto!
For the past few months, Juliette has been the name on the tip of all my friends' tongues. Â I couldn't go two days without someone recommending I eat there. Â Not being a fancy American fusion type, I balked for awhile, but with a certain amount of hidden excitement building. Â I bookmarked it on Yelp. Â I checked Restaurant Week's restaurant list for it. Â I eyeballed it on my way out of Nana San. Â I perused its menu on breaks from work, trying to see how I could swing a visit.
February 26 was the night. Â OC Restaurant Week's offerings made me rage this year. Â (Like, really? Â The Melting Pot? Â Pirate's Dinner Adventure?? Â Tamarind of London's offering a thali and chickpea salad for $40? Â RA Sushi thinks a California roll represents the pinnacle of its culinary talent? Â Andrei's Conscious Cuisine, which I've been drooling after for years, decides it's going to make chop salad and fettucine to please the masses instead of last year's pomegranate walnut rolled quail? Â COME ON.) Â So I decided to ditch it entirely and go with Juliette.
The first course, charcuterie with wild boar salame, a soft goat cheese, and a sharp sheep's cheese, came with a curious pear jam, olives and almonds, raisins on the stem, and not quite enough crostini for the all the toppings. Â The salame was mild, almost just an afterthought of oil and pepper on the tongue, which made sense with the wildly strong cheeses. Â I'm a cheese and jam person - I eat Brie with guava and fig jams all the time at home - and I mildly enjoyed these cheeses with the pear jam. Â But not more than I enjoy my cheap Trader Joe's cheese and Asian market jam at home, I must admit.
The next two courses came out together: first, a cold salad with a curls of cured hamachi as the centerpiece. Â This was probably the best dish of the night, with the pickled peppers giving it a kind of Korean kick it wouldn't have had otherwise. Â Without them, it might have fallen into the Land of Over-Mayo-ed Salads, population: aioli.
The other, a mix of gnocchi, duck confit, artichokes, mushrooms, and radishes dusted with cheese and herbs, had some hits to it and some misses. Â Biggest hit: gnocchi. Â Super creamy on the inside, like good mashed potatoes, and with a nice striated crunch on the outside, I tried to get a good chunk of gnocchi in every bite. Â Biggest miss: duck 'confit', whose name I put in quotes because the duck in it was so overdone as to chew like tough straw, despite its good flavor.
Our main course, European sea bass, was drowning in a salty dashi. Â The fish itself was nicely cooked, and the turnips, sweet potatoes, and radicchio helped add freshness. Â The whole dish was stewy, in a hotpot-like bowl, and needed to be eaten with all the ingredients at once in my mouth or else it would start leaning saline.
For dessert, we got probably the largest chocolate mousse tart ever to be served in this kind of restaurant. Â It was so rich I couldn't even dream of finishing half - like eating straight cream and butter. Â The candied kumquats helped, but there were only a few peel swirls. Â The olive oil ice cream was surprisingly delicious, especially with the extremely sparing orange caramel (we swept this up with only a few spoonfuls of mousse).
So. Â Worthy of all the buzz (and the hefty price)? Â I didn't think so. Â I think that while the flavors are bold, or try to be, they don't always work together. Â There's a difference, a big one, between salt and umami. Â If the duck needs to be cooked long enough to be strawy in order to infuse the dish with its flavor, something needs to be adjusted. Â A chocolate mousse that rich needs something fresh and fruity - yes, like candied kumquats, but more of them (or less of the mousse, but preferably more of the kumquats). Â But the ideas are at least interesting even when they go askew, and I prefer that any day to somewhere that leans back into 'safe'.
Juliette Kitchen is definitely going on my list of top spots in Orange County. Â This unassuming gem is located in a strip mall near the airport, and from the exterior it's hard to tell how much wonderful is located inside. Â
Half of the establishment boasts an impressive wine selection for purchase, and the other a sizable set of 4 tops and a bar area with some communal high tables. Â We stopped in for a glass of wine and some dinner without reservations, and were lucky to get in within about 25 minutes. Â This place is understandably popular, so I would suggest making reservations in advance. Â It's also quite chatty, so if you're looking for quiet, intimate conversation, you might want to choose elsewhere. Â
In terms of food I ordered the seared scallops (pork belly, parsnips, sunchoke, cara cara oranges, radish). (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/juliette-kitchen-and-bar-newport-beach-3?select=KFN2AsUE0r_eJycEiP6sOw#rLTQdHcsFrJDevpVCDPaQQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>)
For $16 I got 2 scallops and a relatively small plate, but in my mind it was worth every penny. Â The sear on the scallop was perfect, and with the sweetness of the orange and the wallop of the pork belly it was a knockout dish for me. Â I relished every bite and almost stole some from the diner next to me when she wasn't looking. Â
Juliette Kitchen changes their menu frequently, so expect new menu additions on the regular. Â One of the things I enjoyed the most was the fact that given the price range this restaurant could easily throw off the vibe of being pretentious and snotty, yet it totally did not. Â And despite the fact that the clientele was that of folks who had the bucks to spend, the atmosphere felt casual and relaxed. Â I felt as though this was a place where people came to relax who could spend the money, but didn't want the stuffy, quiet cockiness that comes with many high end establishments. Â Not the Orange County vibe I'm used to, and I loved every minute of it.
I can't wait to come back!
5 Stars.
I stumbled upon this place after leaving an event and wanting a quick bite and a snack and was pleasantly surprised! Â The interior is super cute and you wouldn't even guess that you were in a strip mall.
My fiancee and I only got a few glasses of wine and a salad, but it was all quite delicious. Â Looking forward to going back and trying some of their entrees.
Menu does appear to be a bit on the pricey side, but the food that was coming out looked (and smelled) delicious.
I waffle between 3 and 4 stars, but not in the middle. I came with 10 girlfriends for a friday night out. Getting there around 7 on a rainy night was not the problem (plentiful parking in the strip mall where Juliette is located), but others ensued as the night went on.
We were originally to be seated at 2 tables in the front. However, the servers set us up in the back, where we were near some very loud parties and the seating was tight (so couldn't really move). Plus where we were, the kitchen was visible and distracting. But anyways, on to the food!
I know the menu changes enough so I don't know what is considered standard. A few of us ordered different wines. My group of 3 ordered the Dr. Loosen Riesling which our server described as dry, (it was sweet). Our bottle was $30. Others chose a variety of wines, some of which were $25 for a 6 oz glass. Our server didn't ask these ladies which size they wanted (there was a 3 oz pour option for less cost) or if they wanted to get a bottle (Which would have made their cost cheaper). Â Just something to keep in mind.
Both halves of our table got meats and/or cheeses. My side got the 3 cheese option ($15) wihich came with an apricot jam, raisins (on the stem), 3 cheeses, and grilled bread. I liked all three cheeses, with the blue cheese being my favorite.
For the meal, I chose the scallops ($16), which was certainly not enough food. 2 scallops with some accoutrements? Â I did place an order for the fries, but my server forgot to add it and then realized it when our plates were already cleared. She thankfully didn't charge me. The other options I saw ordered were the smoked trout salad (a big hit), roasted cauliflower, and farro risotto which could have fed 2 people easily.
My bill with 18% tip and tax came to $40. Yes, $40 for a $10 glass of wine, 2 scallops and a fifth of a cheese plate. I say come when someone else is paying or you have $$ to spend. I came back home hungry and wished the portions were just a little bigger (even though we all ordered small plates)
It was a coworker's birthday and we wanted to go for lunch, so made reservations a few weeks ahead and reviewed the menu and reviews so we knew what to order ahead of time and could just visit with one another.
The minute we walked through the front door we were greeted with knowledge of EXACTLY who we were and our table was set up and ready for a party of 6. Â The atmosphere is great, very lodge, au naturelle feel, lots of wood, kind of on the cold side, wear a sweater.
It was not that busy so we were kind of surprised it took a half hour to get our order from the time the waitress took it, BUT the food was VERY tasty! Â We ordered:
Roasted Beet Salads- Excellent mix with the grapefruit, but it was the size of a side salad, our boss ordered this and was very disappointed it was only about 5 bites and it was from the salad menu, not sides...
White Fish sandwiches- Also excellent, but fries with one were soggy and too oily, and the other girl said she did not expect arugula, but both loved the sandwiches!
Turkey Sandwich-Super yummy on cold grilled bread, fries reported salty, but great tasting sandwich.
Smoked trout, super delish, no complaints.
Our food was pretty tasty all in all, but we gave our rating only three stars since the service was below par for this type of restaurant. Â First off, our lovely waitress wore blue worn off fingernail polish, a great put off. Â Second, when asked about where the goat cheese was on the beet salad, she leaned over the salad to look closely, then said that "if you look closely, you can see the crumbles"........ when he requested more cheese, was charged for it. Â But had they told us more about the menu and portion size from the beginning to familiarize us with the selections, I think we would have been more satisfied.
Our waitress never checked on water refills, didn't really check on us at all really and she was told straight up the occasion was for a birthday, you would have though a complimentary ice cream or something, but nothing. Â NOT even a thank you for our patronage, just brought the check, waited for the card, processed it and set the reciepts back on the table. Â And there was about 5 of them, just hanging out at the bar chatting with each other! Â So it wasn't like they were busy with other customers and slammed. Â At least that would have been an excuse.
So all in all, the food is 4/5 star, it's really great, the service is LACKING, actually horrible and a 2/3 star! Â Won't be back for a birthday that's for sure, and probably won't be eagerly going back soon!
I chose this place for my birthday dinner and it didn't disappoint. Great wine and food. The service was lackluster though - hardly came to our table to check on us and it was clearly my birthday but there was no candle or birthday wishes from the staff. It's the little things that really make you want to come back to an establishment.
Must try:
Salted Caramel Pot de Creme!! SO GOOD!
Overall, I enjoyed my meal there but don't know if I will be back anytime soon.
Let it be known that, after having been an Angeleno for over a year now, I have garnered somewhat of a distaste for Orange County. Sure, it's safe. Sure, it's a great place to raise your kids. But something about the food has always struck me as... soulless.
Juliette Kitchen & Bar may come the closest to an Orange County restaurant with some sort of a soul. Don't get me wrong -- it's still a foo-foo kind of restaurant with mink-wearing octogenarians recklessly swinging half-empty wine glasses around and bratty children demanding every dessert dish from the menu.
But, hey, the food is good, which makes the tipsy seniors and the tantrum-throwing toddlers a bit more bearable.
Anyway, it is recommended that you make a reservation. We came here on a Friday at 7 pm and it was pretty packed, but thankfully we called ahead of time and were able to snag a couple of seats.
Since Juliette emphasizes tapas, we decided to get a number of things: Farro Risotto, Pork Cheeks, Roasted Beets, Gnocchi, Â Hanger Steak. We topped the meal off with some basil panna cotta.
Farro Risotto
Some of the greatest risotto I've ever had. Baby squash, trumpet mushrooms, swiss chard, tomatoes, herbs... YUM. So fresh, so savory and so tasty.
Pork Cheeks
These cheeks were so tender that they melted in your mouth as soon as you took a bite. Thrown into a wonderful mix of squash, shallots, cashews, mint, cilantro and honey, these cheeks proved to be quite the small dish.
Roasted Beets
This dish of roasted beets and goat cheese is becoming more and more of a popular American cuisine type of dish. But I don't think many restaurants do it as well as Juliette. In addition to the key aforementioned ingredients, this dish also has watercress, pistachios, dried cherries and grapefruit vinaigrette. A burst of harmonious flavors. I'm salivating as I type this out.
Gnocchi
I've had my share of bad gnocchi experiences. There was this one time when the gnocchi was just too chewy and there was so much of it that I was getting nauseous from eating it... it was not pleasant at all. But this gnocchi was completely different - the best gnocchi I've ever had. And it wasn't just gnocchi. There were also radishes, dried tomatoes, pickled celery and - get this - BRAISED OX TAIL. Fantastic.
Hanger Steak
Hanger Steak can be very, VERY good when done well. Let's just say it was very, VERY good.
And last but not least....
Basil Panna Cotta
It sounds kind of gross at first, conjuring up a concoction of pesto and greek yogurt. But all doubt washed away with the first bite of this dessert -- a HINT of basil in the light and creamy panna cotta with a side of strawberry sorbet. A lovely end to an equally lovely dinner.
Now the moment of truth... why 4 stars? To be honest, I don't really know. Juliette Kitchen & Bar is a solid four stars without a doubt. However, it is not five stars because there was nothing unexpected about this restaurant. If you pay this much for such small portions, you are expecting this level of food. And though some of the menu items were a tad exotic -- braised ox tail gnocchi and basil panna cotta - they still, for the most part, colored inside the lines. Let me see something outrageous and delicious come out of the Juliette's kitchen and maybe I'll add another star.
From the former owners (husband and wife) of Filling Station in Downtown Orange, we have Juliette's Kitchen & Bar. Â I read that Juliette is the English name of the wife and co-owner. Â I recently read a couple of yfs reviews: Â Christina K.'s and Vanessa H.'s. Â So I said forget the normal NB places for biz lunches, and let's hit this place. Â Too bad I was disappointed...
I started off with the cucumber mint soda ($4). Â I was expecting something similar to the parsley water at Church & State in LA. Â However, the drink did not have any panache. Â It was OK, but nothing special: Â 3 Stars.
For my entree, I ordered the ocean trout w/ swiss chard, shimeji mushrooms, artichoke, maple, red wine ($23).  My business associate ordered the grilled white fish sandwich w/ wild arugula, tomato basil relish, tapenade aïoli ($17).  My fish was OK.  It was prepared medium rare as it should be.  However, the sides were more memorable than the fish.  The server initially said it was salmon (it looks like salmon).  However, the waitress corrected her and said that ocean trout comes from the same family and looks similar.  I did some research afterwards and she was absolutely correct.  I also read that ocean trout is healthier because it is not farm raised like most salmon.  My business associate liked his white fish sandwich.  Nonetheless, from my viewpoint it seemed kinda small for the price:  2.5 Stars
The ambiance is very nice: Â Kinda wine bar; Kinda gastropub. Â I could see this place being transplanted to Europe or some trendy areas in the US: Â 4 Stars.
The waitress Tiffany was nice. Â However, she had a few strikes against her. Â She asked me if I wanted another soda. Â When I responded no, she cleared my glass before I finished the drink. Â Hey girl!!! Â That was $4 - I wanted to finish the thang!!! Â In addition, my business associate's credit card was rejected initially. Â Rather than swipe it a second time and save him the embarrassment of having to check his card for availability, my business associate had to ask her to do so. Â In addition, she was kinda pressing him in terms of settling his bill. Â Surprise, surprise: Â It worked the second time:X Â 2 Stars.
My overall rating is 2.5 Stars - Meaning that I was not that pleased with the visit, but I will return (most likely for dinner) and spend my own money here. Â I thought the entrees were kinda pricey for the value received. Â They have cheeses, charcuterie, beer braised octopus and of course a pork belly sandwich and burger that I would like to try. Â But I will have to find a date, because this place is a definitely a place to take a someone hot in the evening - LOL!
An adorable, cozy, casual, spot to dine at but beware the noise level is a bit up there. Well during dinner time it was. Perhaps it also depends where you're seated at - for you may have to lean in quite a bit towards the center of the dining table just to converse with your foodie bud(s). Â
:: FOOD ::
Great selections on the cheese & charcuterie - paired nicely with various nuts, olives dried fruit, jam & toasties. Â IMO I enjoyed this part of the meal more than the small plates we had ordered. The only negative I have on the small plates was that the Pork Cheeks & the Roasted Caulifowers were a tad bit oily. But I am still willing to come back and try out their other dishes.
Cheeses: glacier, big woods blue, san adreas
Charcuterie: la quercia & angles duck prosciutto, creminelli salame
Small Plates:
1) Gnocchi, duck confit, radicchio, yellow wax beans, toasted pecans, arugula basil pesto (4/5)
  - - MmMmmm flavorful!
2) Pork cheeks, roasted peaches, hazelnut, sage  (4/5)
  - - huge tender cheeks
3) Roasted cauliflowers  (3.5/5)
 - - nicely roasted
4) Salted caramel pot de crème  (5/5)
  - - OoOooh super Yum yUm yuM!
:: NOTES ::
1) Located in the Plaza Newport where CoCo's Restaurant
2) Plenty of parking
3) Right off the 73 freeway
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
