Kantina Opens On The Newport Beach, Ca Shore Serving Mexican Cuisine

KANTINA SPECIALIZES IN MEXICAN CUISINE WITH EXOTIC LATIN FLAVORS AND A SUBTLE ASIAN FLAIR

Ocean views compliment this chic bayside restaurant and lounge serving
innovative Mexican cuisine

(NEWPORT BEACH, CA) - Kantina is a sleek, cosmopolitan restaurant and lounge located, which opened on April 27, 2006 on Newport Harbor, where the yachts of a thousand seafaring souls create the quintessential Southern California scene. This harborside venue represents a unique dining concept, featuring several boat slips for guests who prefer to sail, rather than drive, to brunch, lunch and dinner. As a compliment to this lifestyle, the friendly, refined staff is prepared to host a meal at a comfortable table inside Kantina or on a guest's boat docked at one of the restaurant's slips. Kantina offers guests a distinctive waterfront dining experience throughout the day combining a stunning setting with alluring innovative Mexican cuisine, which incorporates the ingredients and cooking techniques of cultures from around the world, including Asia and Latin America.
Kantina is a venture of restaurateur Douglas McAllister, whose sultry Sztra Lounge in neighboring Costa Mesa is a striking, sensual supper-club in Orange County. With Kantina, the visionary entrepreneur brings a spirited Mexican concept to one of Southern California's premier coastal cities pairing striking harbor views with a modern architectural design. Corporate Executive Chef Stiphane Beaucamp's inventive cooking is a perfect compliment to the restaurant's notable design and seaside atmosphere. "Kantina is destined to become an essential dining destination in Newport Beach and a new benchmark for Nuevo Mexican cuisine," says McAllister.
The entire building capitalizes on its strategic bayside location, with floor-to-ceiling mahogany framed windows and sliding glass doors, which invite gentle breezes into both levels of the restaurant. Kantina's main dining room on the first floor offers panoramic views from contemporary mahogany tables surrounded by an impressive limestone wall. A mahogany staircase lined with mirrored panels reflects flickering candles and leads guests to an upstairs loft and open-air lounge adjacent to the bar. The soft earthy palette imparts a quiet, casual elegance throughout Kantina in which diners can enjoy a meal from sunrise to twilight.
French-born Chef Stiphane Beaucamp, who is also corporate executive chef at Sztra Lounge, has extensive experience in a number of international cuisines. His multifaceted career includes stints at celebrated hot spots Barfly and Buddha Bar in Paris, as well as acclaimed Hollywood restaurants Bouchon and Vermont. In 2004, Chef Beaucamp introduced an eclectic array of small plate specialties at Sztra Lounge. With Kantina, Chef Beaucamp conquers yet another territory on the culinary globe by creating a menu featuring contemporary themes laced with diverse Latin ingredients. "I am anxious to showcase simple yet new and imaginative dishes. By integrating unexpected flavors with traditional Latin recipes we have created a menu featuring original cuisine and time-honored favorites," explains Beaucamp, who continuously pushes the envelope in the Orange County dining scene. The menu is influenced by Latin cultures spanning the globe including Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Spain.
The versatile Kantina can be enjoyed throughout the entire day, beginning with an early morning brunch and continuing well into the night with fresh seasonal cocktails. Brunch begins with Shaved Serrano Ham and Eggs Benedict topped with Chipotle Hollandaise ($9); Untraditional Huevos Rancheros with Tomatillo-Red Onion Relish ($9); Kantina Chilaquiles with Ranchero Cheese ($9.50); Specialty Omelets ($10.50-$13.50); a variety of Salads ($9-$14) and sides including Kantina Cheese Hash Browns and Cilantro Chicken Sausage ($2.50-$3.50).
Lunch offers sta