With a sophisticated vibe, contemporary design, and distinct Coastal cuisine, WATERTABLE makes its debut at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach, California, as the property’s new restaurant and gastro bar.
Following the closing of The Californian, the resort’s signature AAA Four-Diamond rated restaurant, last November, Hyatt set out to shake up the resort’s dining scene with a stunning new look and modernized culinary concept. Inspired by the restaurant’s concept of essential pairings, WATERTABLE breeds the union of rustic and refined, old and new, in both design and cuisine, to appeal to guests’ evolving palates.
The new menu features contemporary American fare paired with a distinguished selection of vintage world-class wines, artisanal cocktails, local brews, and naturally infused spiced and spiked waters, in a nod to its name.
Keeping with Executive Chef Manfred Lassahn and director of food and beverage Jon Benson’s innovative culinary vision, WATERTABLE will capitalize on the region’s local produce through a menu of comfort food with attitude. Sunday nights at WATERTABLE will feature the classic Southern, family-style Meat + Three supper. It will be done California-style with Roasted Salmon as one of the protein options, served alongside roasted vegetables, cheddar sage biscuits, and apple butter.
Other highly anticipated signature dinner items include Honey Lavender Berkshire Pork and Seared Jumbo Scallops with a Citrus Reduction and Cold Smoked Heirloom Tomatoes.
Dinner will commence at the bar with a variety of small plates paying homage to the resort’s Spanish heritage. Bar Jars, filled with house-made pates, cheeses, and other delights, will be served directly from sharable mason jars; selections include Oven-Cured Tomatoes with Sherry, Artichoke and Manchego Cheese Spread, and Iberico and Spicy Tomato Jam.
Additional Spanish-influenced hot bar appetizers include Charred Prawns in Romesco, Potato and Corn Empanadas, and Lamb Meatballs with Mojo Verde. Hand-crafted cocktails will compose the restaurant’s beverage program. These include WATERTABLE’s signature beer-tails; craft beers; a robust wine program; and a menu of fruit, syrup, herb, and spice-infused waters.
Breakfast will include gourmet grab-and-go specialties, including Chef Lassahn’s Avacana Bread Jars—healthy banana bread made with avocado in lieu of butter—baked in a portable glass jar, housemade granolas, fresh pressed juices, Grilled French toast, and savory egg dishes. The lunch menu will be split into three categories—Bites, Greens, and Liquids—for quick, simple and nutritious options, along with rotating daily specials and pressed artisan sandwiches.
“After celebrating the resort’s 10-year anniversary in 2013, we’re eager to unveil WATERTABLE this spring,” says Paul Devitt, general manager of Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. “Our talented culinary staff and prestigious design team have placed their thoughtful stamp on the restaurant, creating a lively dining destination for Orange County residents and hotel guests alike.”
Designed to showcase the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, the reimagined WATERTABLE restaurant will loosely reflect the resort’s Andalusian architecture in a modern way with one-of-a-kind furniture pieces, hand-painted tiles, communal Farmhouse tables, and intimate alcoves that adorn the expansive dining space. Resembling a modern and rustic residential space, WATERTABLE encompasses a variety of different spaces within the restaurant, including a gastro pantry and bar that serves breakfast by day and cocktails by night, a living room with a firewall feature and small tables for lounging, a family kitchen with live shareable food stations perfect for an interactive Sunday brunch, and an outdoor patio with expansive ocean views.
