The Gossiping Gourmet:

There is certainly no shortage of places to eat in Huntington Beach, but there are very few, if any, that represent the newest dining craze — small plates. From New York to L.A. and points in between, “Food and Wine” magazine has named the small-plate phenomenon the hottest trend of the past year.

The new wave has finally crashed onto the Huntington Beach restaurant scene in the form of Flight, a hip new dining spot and social lounge. Surrounded by elegant, towering palms, lit from below, encircled by stuccoed walls that enclose the front and back patios, you enter a contemporary oasis off the busy boulevards of Beach and Adams.

High ceilings, glazed cement floors, airy draperies and comfortable pillows on the banquettes that line the room create a stylish ambience in this spacious restaurant.

The taupe color scheme accented with black is set off by a motif of leafless trees, twisting in planters and silhouetted along the walls. A large bar dominates the room. There are also two attractive outdoor dining patios and a banquet room for parties.

As we sat down, we noticed the fresh baby roses on the table, a lovely touch. The casual dining menu with Italian and Asian influences features cheese and charcuterie plates, starters, salads, flatbreads, paninis, burgers and entrées — familiar selections for this type of menu, but the execution here at Flight is superior.

You can make a meal out of several of the smaller plates. We began with the crispy rock shrimp accompanied by sambal (chili sauce) aioli dip. The shrimp were juicy, plump little morsels, fried to crispy perfection in a delicate spicy coat with nary a trace of grease. The creamy mayonnaise dip was bursting with heat and garlic. The chef is not afraid to be assertive.

A different take on sushi was the seared hamachi. The barely grilled fresh fish was wrapped around an inventive take on guacamole. The chunky avocado was mixed with grapefruit salsa, adding a surprising touch of sweet tartness to the creamy avocado. Served with ponzu sauce and a sprinkling of micro-greens, the flavors were sublime.

A few of the other starters include: a Napoleon portabello mushroom with layers of mushroom, mozzarella, heirloom tomato, pine nuts and a drizzle of basil oil; Kobe-style beef picks with sweet soy and scallions or shrimp ceviche with cilantro, cucumber, sweet pepper and corn chips.