Chef Paige Riordan has introduced a new seasonal menu at her restaurant Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge in Rancho Mission Viejo. The new menu showcases vibrant, flavorful spring and summer ingredients, like delicate spring pea shoots and pea tendrils, sweet summer corn, and California-grown citrus.
Since its opening in January of 2020, Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge has delighted the community with its menu of classic East Coast dishes brought to life with the finesse and flair of West Coast farm-to-table cuisine. Chef Riordan’s new menu continues to strike the perfect bi-coastal balance that put her restaurant on the map.
“My new menu is a celebration of the vibrant ingredients of spring and summer. I’m always inspired by the produce that becomes available during this season. Allowing nature’s jewels to be the star of the show allows me to lean into my roots of plant-based cooking,” comments Chef-Owner Paige Riordan, who attended culinary school at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York City. “My objective with this menu is for guests to be able to savor and experience unique textures and flavors found in each ingredient.’”
Seasonal new additions to the dinner menu at Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge include:
Jewels of Spring Burrata Salad – Burrata, grapefruit, cucumber, radish, arugula, rose vinaigrette, spicy volcanic Hawaiian sea salt
Calamari – tartar sauce, remoulade sauce, shishito peppers
Spring Beet Salad – roasted beets, goat cheese, red onion, pesto, couscous, basil, balsamic reduction, maple mustard vinaigrette
Blackened Fish Tacos – grilled seasonal fish, avocado cilantro sauce, tomatoes, coleslaw, choice of corn or flour tortilla
Chicken & Corn Risotto – pan-seared chicken breast, creamy corn risotto, corn puree, sautéed spinach, chimichurri sauce
In addition to its new summer menu, Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge debuts a variety of seasonal cocktails served in elegant vintage glassware crafted by bartender Jackie Pember. Libations like the Strawberry Fields bursts with fresh locally-grown strawberries and basil picked from the restaurant’s herb garden, while the Triple T offers an escape to the Mexican Riviera with tequila, tamarindo, and a touch of Tajín. During Happy Hour, offered Tuesday – Thursday from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., guests can enjoy specially priced bar bites and libations.
Scarlet Kitchen & Lounge is located in Rancho Mission Viejo’s Sendero Marketplace (30865 Gateway Place). The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. with live music outdoors Thursday – Saturday, and brunch on Sundays from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
