Glory in the Garden: Chef Amy Lebrun’s Ode to Earth at Lido Bottle Works

Lido Bottle Works Chef Amy Lebrun

Despite making the jaunt to Newport’s Lido Marina Village for lunch and brunch, evening service is where Chef Amy Lebrun shines brightest, as she achieves refined, comforting flavor profiles. This is owed in part to her established supplier network, contributing a breadth of comestibles she showcases at Lido Bottle Works.

“Sourcing at this level provides the right quality of what I want to serve,” Lebrun says. “Why not showcase all of the best resources we have available, at the peak of each season, and even within the micro changes that happen in between? If you can get those ingredients from those purveyors who specialize in it at the right time … it just doesn’t get any better than that.”

Additionally, chef personally tends to a trio of gardens, the first based along the perimeter of LBW’s patio; her second is found in a Costa Mesa backyard. A partnership with Mercy House (A non-profit providing supportive housing opportunities to displaced persons.) is how a converted motel becomes Lebrun’s final patch of land to cultivate. 

We left the selections up to chef, respecting sound recommendations versus overanalyzing the menu. Our dinner commenced with a Burrata offering layers of personality. Grounded in a velvety butternut squash puree, crisp fruits such as Yali pears from Sunny Cal Farms in Reedley and curly greens peeked beneath a pool of creamy Italian dairy. Walnuts spiced with cardamom lent a distinct flavor, while pomegranate vinaigrette’s juicy arils complemented tastes built on a cracker bread canvas. 

Buratta in a butternut squash puree with fruits and greens, cardamom walnuts and pomegranate vinaigrette

Receiving Lido’s seasonal vegetables is a bespoke pleasure. Their best dressed in appearance, its mélange of cruciferous, root and marrow ingredients is decided by Lebrun’s local farmer’s markets trips. Her decision to live on a vegan diet for three weeks while planning for next season resulted in a reimagined point-of-view when plating vegetables. Green heirloom tomatoes, purple broccoli, watermelon radish and more are courtesy San Juan Capistrano’s Ecology Center. From here, they are treated with varying preparations (grilling, pickling, marinating, etc.) to showcase their appetizing qualities. Pistachio butter accents are the umami-rich dressing to this generous crudite spread.

Assorted vegetables with pistachio butter dressing

Speaking of generous, Chef Amy’s Duck Breast serving can be shared by a pair of patrons, enabling diners to explore the menu further— perhaps allowing room for dessert, if one so chooses. Echoing our burrata base, pureed squash proves its versatility by equalizing the richness of this waterbird. Mushrooms and tart lingonberries further coax out the flavors of our dinner. However, our final entrée truly epitomized comforting cuisine. 

Duck Breast in pureed squash with mushrooms and lingonberries

At first glance, we received a curious mound of noodles blanketed in a pale mint-hued sauce. After thoroughly incorporating the chive cream in our Filet Beef Stroganoff, we were rewarded with unexpected depth. Pan-seared mignon morsels and seasonal mushrooms met their match in a tangle of housemade egg pasta. Our deceptively delicious course was difficult to share, due to the fact that we didn’t want to. 

Filet Beef Stronganoff with seasonal mushrooms and housemade egg pasta

Thoughtful in person as she is behind the knife, Chef Lebrun pulled up a chair from a neighboring table, sharing anecdotes and elaborating on our dinner while we took our remaining bites.

“I want to educate people about what they could be eating; what they should be eating. I want to nurture people through healthy food. There are so many amazing foods out there and so many bad foods out there. I want to emphasize what’s good, and I want to share the resources with people so they have an easier time making the right choices.”

Lido Bottle Works is located at 3408 Via Oporto, Suite 103, in Newport Beach. 949.529.2784 LidoBottleWorks.com