Thursday was the official opening date of the new joint former On the Line subject Peter Petro would helm. With nary a gastropub or tavern in its name, I knew from the comfortably modern menu and extensive whiskey list that this was similarly conceptualized.
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Situated down the street from John Wayne Airport, Bosscat is connected to Ten Asian Bistro via a small hallway. As I stated in a previous post, they are not lacking in square footage inside or out. Bathed in natural lighting, aquarium view of the kitchen and 18+ year premium whiskey tasting room– it is a space meant to be admired.
Petro's take on hearty pub fare is exactly the reason why I joined a gym. Take the Duroc pork belly poutine with cheddar cheese curds ($11). The fries win for crispiest wedges ever. He drops a duck fat fried egg on top to almost push the limit on my egg obsession. A simple burger ($10) isn't so basic, with snack-worthy housemade pickles lining the bottom bun. For desserts, there were only two. We made the obvious choice: red velvet churros ($7) served alongside a double-dipping cream cheese ganache. If I had to critique, more curds and extra cinnamon sugar on my red velvet would've been better. I mean, if you're gonna get liquored up, bring on the extra calories!
Seeking other items to try? Parmesan crusted, deep fried meatloaf squares plus a side of whiskey scorched okra and Chinese sausage are my mental notes for next time— with a specialty cocktail, naturally.
Bosscat Kitchen & Libations is located at 4747 MacArthur Blvd, Newport Beach, (949) 333-0917; www.bosscatkitchen.com.
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.