Provenance

Great service, beautiful ambiance and delicious food. Wonderful place to enjoy lunch with the girls, a special evening with your guy or a bite for business meetings. We date on there outdoor patio. Chef Cathy came to the table and explained her menu and concept of the restaurant which was an impressive touch. We were welcomed and checked on by Erin. Both ladies made sure we had a lovely dining experience during our sunny afternoon lunch. Such a hidden gem, only wish was it wasn’t in a weird little plaza. we all will defiantly be back…

If you want to dine on a cold, hard metal chair, then this is the place for you. It was a chilly day when we went, and that metal chair was freezing on my bottom. And of course it was extremely uncomfortable as you would expect from metal.

Dined here with my wife on a busy weekend night. I thought the service was very inconsistent, probably because it was very busy. The food, overall, was good for the most part. I ordered a filet mignon «medium» only because it was one of the two entrée choices on their «prix fixe» menu. The filet was served bloody red, not even «rare». The biscuits were great, desserts are good. All in all, I’ll probably return for lunch next time. By the way, the bistro chairs are extremely uncomfortable for sitting on for almost two hours on a chilly night. Maybe place a cushion on them? Three stars for the ambience & food, two stars for the spotty service & one star for the chairs!

Came here on V-​day with reservations and was seated right away. The ambience was very nice and romantic.
They had a 5 course meal set menu for V-​day and overall the food was fantastic.
The reason for a 3 instead of a 5 was due to the poor service. Be wary if you’re younger (under 30) or a minority (not white). We definitely felt discriminated against as my girlfriend and I sat waiting for long periods of time in between courses; whereas parties that came after were constantly being attended to and wound up with their courses before us. After the 3^rd course the service completely disappeared, as we spent nearly an hour on the last two course, which was cheese and fruits, and desserts for the final course. Most of the time was spent waiting as no one came by until we waved someone down for more water (they had not come by once at that point to refill our water), and they noticed we were just waiting for them to take our plates away. It concluded with them not offering any coffee, as all the other groups previously had been offered with their desserts, until the bill was in their hand.
Overall, if not for the food I would not recommend this place to any of my friends or colleagues.

Disappointing. Wanted to love this place. We came in on a Saturday night for dinner. Our waiter was just kind of odd. He seemed to be trying to rush us out. I ordered the lambchops medium and they were seared past enjoyment. My husband got the duck which was also mostly overcooked. The place is cute but just not worth the price tag.

This review is for NB restaurant week. Food was dismal. Everything was cold or tasted like it had been sitting out for a long time. When I walked by the kitchen to go to the bathroom, I saw a ton of dishes (probably for NB restaurant week) just sitting out — looked very sad.
I would definitely go and eat here for their regular menu. They expedite their food too quickly or can’t seem to cook their food fresh when there’s some sort of special going on here.

Lovely ambiance, delicious food, and absolutely SUPERB SERVICE. We got the lamb chops and short ribs, they were both tender, succulent, flavorful, and complimented with amazing sides. Good food is a given for a successful restaurant, but it always makes my day when the waiter goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome, comfortable, and taken care of. Thank you!

Loved my first experience here. Everything from the food, to the ambiance, to the service was fantastic. Came here for N.B. Restaurant Week and enjoyed their 3 course lunch for $ 20. Had the clipped lettuces salad and the wild sand dabs and finished with the apple pie and brownie decadence. Also enjoyed a cup of coffee with my meal. The servers kept my coffee cup filled and my water glass as well. The salad looked quite uninteresting at first glance, but the ingredients are what made it great. Loved the fennel and artichoke and the dressing! Then for the sand dabs. Didn’t really know what to expect, but was quite pleased. It was basically a knife and fork open face sandwich. The fish portion was quite nice. The flavor combo of the capers, artichoke, spinach, etc was really really enjoyable. My friend thought it felt decadent but I thought it felt appropriate. Not heavy in my opinion.
Then for dessert, the apple was really delicious with golden raisins. The brownie was where it was at though with the homemade toasted marshmallow. So good!
All in all, very pleased. Would like to go back on a nice day and sit outside to enjoy the garden.

Enjoyed dinner friday night at provenance for restaurant week and absolutely loved it. The homemade biscuits alone are worth coming for. all three of my courses were delicious: chipotle yam bisque, sole a la plancha, and apple pie. I also highly recommend the provenance 75 cocktail with house infused lavender gin. I am definitely looking forward to going back and trying more from their fresh seasonal menu! Our server was excellent too, i wish i remembered his name.

Juicy and flavorful burger, homemade fries and homemade ketchup is to die for. Nice and quite environment with little garden in the back.

Neighbor took me here for a birthday lunch & was very impressed! Gorgeous atmosphere, love the farm to table, and the quality of good and flavor is on point. Lots of variety for all lifestyles (vegetarian to carnivore spectrum) emphasis on pure ingredients/​flavor!

My mom had previously ate at Provenance with her friends and loved her experience. She was lucky enough to meet the culinary mastermind, Cathy who is behind this wonderful establishment.
The restaurant itself is a hidden gem. It is tucked away in the corner of a small shopping center. The open layout of the establishment really highlights the garden that is on the patio. They say 100% of the garden makes it into the kitchen but not 100% of the food that comes from the kitchen comes from the garden. I think this is incredibly neat that they grow and use their own vegetables.
The ambience is self proclaimed to be reminiscent of Napa Valley, and I would say it hits the mark. The mix of modern style and rustic charm is so inviting. That coupled with the open transition to the outdoor space, makes this place special.
The Food is fresh a delicious. Anything you Order will be amazing but I have to recommend the duck!

Wonderful ambience I would love to come back for brunch.

Birthday celebrations often call for a fabulous day out with your girls, preferably noshing over a boozy brunch with bottomless mimosas, yummy eats, gossip, and gifts!
I hosted my darling Sophia’s birthday bash this past weekend at Provenance, a cute little local farmhouse style spot perfect for group dining. Featuring a full-​sized patio produce garden where organic veggies are plucked and served right up for their daily menu spread.
Provenance was able to accommodate our large party (13 girls) with a prix-​fixe menu and bottomless bloody mary’s and mimosas at just around
$ 80pp (including tax and tip). But be forewarned, if you are booking a large party reservation, they will charge you according to the amount of guests booked. If someone doesn’t show up on the day of the event, you will still be charged for their seat.
Although we were seated comfortably inside with A/​C on blast, there’s also a super cute alfresco dining space adjacent to the garden. You can see the chefs scouting the perfect ingredients to select since the menu changes seasonally according to the freshest harvest at that time. Loves me some farm-​to-​table action! SoCal living at its finest y’all…
While the brunch fare was light yet flavorful, I’m intrigued to see what the a la carte menu would feature for seasonal eats. Will definitely return for lunch when the weather cools off a bit for a front row seat right next to the garden.
Bön Appétit mes amis!

I had dinner here recently. Unfortunately, I was not very impressed. My entrée IMHO was very average. I ordered the short rib which was advertised to come with a chili, dark chocolate and sherry braise with a purée of roasted cauliflower and celery root, crispy brussel leaves, and baby carrots priced at $ 26.50.
The short rib was served in approximately a 4 inch by 4 inch piece that was coated in the above mentioned braise. The short rib was fairly tender but not very moist. Good short rib is lusciously moist and juicy. Not in this case. The coating tasted like a mole sauce probably because it was made with chili and dark chocolate. The short rib and the braise was a bit bland and could have used more salt. The roasted cauliflower and celery root purée was absent of any flavor and pretty useless to the dish. The brussel leaves were not crispy and were more chewy than anything. The baby carrots ironically had the most flavor of anything in the entire dish. They were cooked perfectly. The presentation with the multi-​colored carrots was pretty cool. But, I did not order the dish for the carrots. The short rib was bland and not very exciting nor memorable.
They serve a complimentary piece of cheese cornbread with honey butter which was pretty good.
Also, typical of most Newport Beach restaurants, the noise in the restaurant was almost deafening with careless and rude locals shouting at the top of their lungs. The inside and patio of the restaurant was nice but spoiled by all of the noise.

I wish I could give Provenance a 3.5, but I am
Very comfortable airing on the high side because the setting is so delightful. The service was a bit slow on a not so busy day, but our waiter was polite and helpful when he was at our table. The presentation was great and the theme of «French country/​farm to table» was present throughout. Tastes were all good and I will go back, because the quality of products used were clearly high grade.
Side note: I have met the owner and she is magnificent. If I were eating the restaurant souly on her, I would give it a 5+++. Her knowledge of food was obvious and the passion for her craft was clearly present.

The ambiance at this place is adorable and the service has ways been great. Portions are small. They’re more focused on the presentation instead of the amount of food you’re getting and the practicality of the meal I think.
Biscuits are amazing. Chicken salad was presented nice but was weird to eat and there was no lettuce.
Smoked trout was very light and small on top of bread! :/​wasn’t a big fan. I’ll try their brunch next time!

This place is tucked away in a corner of a small shopping plaza that has Ralph’s as the anchoring supermarket.
Review: 2015 OC Restaurant Week Lunch Menu $ 15
Clipped garden lettuces: 2 star
Very small portion & vinaigrette salad dressing was very light citrusy but did not add any flavor to the salad.
Carrot Ginger soup: 4 stars
Slight ginger taste but nice carrot base & smooth creamy texture which made this soup yummy.
Fish +puppies: 4 stars
The fish had a very light citrusy flavor
Cabbage Cole slaw did not add any appeal to this dish at all. They should have just made a side of kale salad instead of the cabbage Cole slaw.
Decadent rocky road brownie: 2.5 stars
The marshmallow is house made for this overly rich heavy dessert which would go great with milk. =) this was way too rich for even my chocolate loving tastes.
Old fashioned Strawberry shortcake: 1star
Shortcake was extremely dry & strawberries were frozen & I didn’t not taste any grand mariner in the mousse.
Décor: A
Nice& clean Napa California open airy style.
Service: A–
Hostess was able accommodate our big group in a timely manner.
Service was on the slow side for our table & our dishes took awhile to come out to our table. –1
Waitress was nice & friendly & was very accommodating to our table.
Overall: 3.5 stars for the food presented for lunch menu for OC Restaurant Week because I expected it to be so much better.
I bumped it up to 4 stars due the good service at the end of this lunch experience.
I think that this restaurant had a lot of potential to really shine during its presentation of the lunch menu for OC restaurant week but I think they really need to work on some of the dishes on this menu.
Restaurants should really use these events as a great opportunity to wow customers so they can come back for more good food & a great experience.

Who knew what a delightful gem would this unassuming restaurant be? Tucked away in a corner of a parking lot by Ralphs, this place would probably go unnoticed if it wasn’t for Dine Newport Beach. Thank you for introducing OC residents to some great restaurants, one pre-​fix menu at a time.
The interior of the restaurant itself is beautiful: it has a patio-​garden area for outdoor seating and feels intimate and secluded. It’s a bit reminiscent of a Malibu or Napa Valley Winery… For a moment you can almost forget where you are and briefly escape from everyday life.
On to the menu. The butternut squash bisque was delicious: creamy and smooth. The drizzle of cream fraiche was artful, and added not only to the presentation, but also added to the richness of the soup. The main course, white sand dabs fish with hush puppies was decent. While, I’m not a huge fan of fried cornmeal, the chipotle dipping sauce that it comes with was good.
The carrot cake dessert is surprisingly tasty: it comes with an orange-​lemon drizzle that was strange upon the first bite, but the mix of flavors actually turned out to be a good compliment to each other.
So here’s to embracing new things! Provenance is worth a try!

The last time I was at Provenance was for lunch and the patio was closed for renovations, so I promised myself I would come back for dinner to imbibe their housemade infused spirits and relish in the garden on their outdoor patio. I did just that for Newport Beach Restaurant Week!
For the evening, the outdoor patio is furnished with heat lamps so it was nice to sit outside. Each offering listed a wine pairing for an additional cost, but I decided to go with the Snow Mule. Housemade Cinnamon Stick Bourbon, housemade ginger ale and candied ginger, the cocktail had more of a spicy ginger kick at the forefront. The cinnamon was muted and the bourbon was overwhelmed. Great mule, but I’ll have to get the bourbon on ice or neat to get the full impact next time.
Before our meal began, our server brought out biscuits and butter. Sweet butter combined with a soft, flaky biscuit with a nice, golden crust was so good! I wanted another basket, but our appetizers came right out shortly after.
~ First Course ~
Cauliflower and Quinoa Soup topped with some cilantro-​macadamia nut pesto and a decorative drizzle of tahini-​yogurt. The cauliflower was pureed to create the thick base, the yogurt added some creaminess and the pesto was a pop of flavor. I thought the combination tasted much like a green curry, but much lighter in flavor.
Housemade Duck and Pork Pâté. Bite sized portion with a crostini/​bruschetta topped with arugula, the pâté and fig jam. Housemade pickles, pesto and mustard was spread to the side. A beautiful starter with vibrant colors and flavors. The pâté was more of a terrine instead of a mousse, which I had mistakenly assumed it was, so I was in for a little surprise. The pâté paired perfectly with the dijon and the full bite of everything on the bruschetta makes me excited for more of their housemade charcuterie.
~ Second Course ~
Surf and Surf. Black and Blue Barely Seared Ahi and Salmon on the Plancha, which is a method of cooking where a rectangular flat griddle is placed on a wood-​fired grill. You get the flavor of the wood-​fire without direct heat on the subject. The seafood was paired with green curry rice, wilted heirloom spinach, and baby carrots.
Turf and Turf. It was pretty much a sampling of the Certified Angus Beef Rib Eye (10oz) and Mongolian BBQ Spiced New Zealand Lamb Chops. The All Natural Beef Rib Eye was cooked to medium with grill marks and rested on a bed of crispy, handcut fries with housemade ketchup on the side. On the other side, the lamb chops were served rare and paired with a slaw and a light citrusy dressing.
~ Third Course ~
Dark Chocolate Crème Brulee without the brulee, even though the phrase literally translates to scorched cream. The rich dark chocolate crème was topped with a raspberry coulis and whipped cream. Nonetheless, it was incredibly delicious.
Old Fashioned Carrot Cake topped with lemon mascarpone. The raisins were plump with rum sauce and the oranges were lightly torched. I’m not really sure what makes it old fashioned, but there was a definite twist on this classic.
My return to Provenance was a good one and I’m glad Newport Beach Restaurant Week is two weeks long. More opportunities to try more things!

Provenance brings a simple, clean and decidedly Napa valley styled fare to Newport Beach.
The interior is wide open with the dining area spilling into a huge garden showcasing the greens that will literally end up on your plate. The menu is loaded with dishes featuring ingredients that change by season, all of which beg you to order wine even at lunch. I have dined here several times now and I can’t think of a fresher place for salads in OC. If you are a vegetable fanatic, meet your mecca.
The Clipped Garden Lettuce Salad tastes like sunshine on your plate and boasts an incredibly fresh and vibrant mix of Arugula, Herbs, Radishes, Butternut Squash and Pecans all lightly tossed Vinaigrette. This is a perfect starter or light entrée on a hot summer day. I truly enjoyed every bite.
Their sandwiches are also excellent and you will be hard pressed to find a finer Chimichurri loaded Jidori Chicken Breast in the area. Their Tri Tip sandwich is another selection I can attest to thanks to their wild Rosemary Wasabi aioli and my next trip is guaranteed thanks to the Roasted Leg of Colorado Lamb Sandwich selection I noticed on the menu.
My only criticism of Provenance is with the waitstaff that seems a bit stiff (perhaps just new to the business) and the timing was off at both meals. Nothing that was as anything close to a deal killer and I bet the wrinkles will work themselves out in time.
I am excited to have Provenance in the neighborhood!