Fans of musical comedy will probably remember the '50s Broadway hit
"The Pajama Game," in particular the sultry song "Hernando's Hideaway."
The song opens with the lyric, "I know a dark, secluded place, a place
where no one knows your face," and goes on to describes a hidden, trendy
nightspotreminiscent of Prohibition-era speak-easies. The perfect setting
for a romantic romp or illicit assignation, where dim lighting and clouds
of cigarette smoke can obscure faces and intentions.
Today's restaurants favor more open space, brighter lighting, and
bustling atmospheres. But despite these changes in style, there is still
some nostalgia for hidden, romantic retreats. Perhaps the best local
example is La Cave restaurant in Costa Mesa, where it still feels like a
password might be required to gain entrance.
La Cave, which opened in 1962 on Valentine's Day, is accessed through
the lobby of an old office building on the corner of 17th Street and
Irvine Avenue. Here you'll find a nondescript door, which could just as
easily house a broom closet, with a small-stenciled sign bearing the name
of the restaurant.
Pass through this door, and wind your way down a few flights of
stairs, and you'll find La Cave tucked in the basement, quietly serving
locals steaks, seafood and cocktails in a setting of relative anonymity.
The restaurant resembles a cave or, maybe more appropriately, a cellar
in an old French chateau or English castle. The walls are lined in brick
and archways divide the dining room areas. A heavy candelabra provides
what lighting there is in the room; at the far end a stained-glass window
gives a muted glimpse into the restaurant's private dining area.
The bar is a heavy oak affair that runs along the back wall, lined
with intricate wood relief. Overstuffed red leather booths provide cozy
seating for an intimate occasion. The overall effect is secretive and
hushed. The requisite bartender, polishing a glass, is perched behind the
bar looking like he knows more than he tells. The clinking of glasses
often seems louder than the conversations.
La Cave has a well-seasoned following of regulars, but the retro
surroundings have attracted a fair number of the young, trendy crowd, who
often populate the place on the weekends, listing to live jazz while
enjoying a martini and a steak.
The food at La Cave seems almost to be an afterthought. This is not a
criticism, the food is good for the most part; it just doesn't seem to be
the focal point of the experience. Picture yourself seated with a close
