Steph C.
Yelp
We spent a night at the Hyatt Regency in Huntington Beach a few weeks back and had two meals at Watertable. We went for dinner out of sheer convenience, as there were two small children in our party and the restaurant was basically in the lobby. Dinner was much better than it had to be, and we were happy to learn that breakfast, included with our stay, would be in the same place.
We had dinner indoors and breakfast on the patio, and both spaces were quite pleasant, though I'd give an edge to the indirect but still lovely ocean view. The interior was attractive, calm, and comfortable. There was a guy playing guitar as Friday night entertainment. He was good and the kids loved him. The vibe was family-friendly but nice, with alcohol. We had a couple bottles of Duckhorn Chardonnay with dinner, and there was also a tempting cocktail list. Service was great at both meals.
The food was fantastic. Dinner started with soft tear-apart dinner rolls with butter and salt, and we got a few appetizers for the table, all of them sized for sharing. The creamer potato cakes were satisfying, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, served with truffle dip, snipped chives, and cracked pepper. The whipped ricotta and marinated mushrooms made a substantial, savory spread, with rosemary, Aleppo pepper, confit garlic, thyme, and grilled olive bread. Ahi tuna crudo came with leche de tigre, Aleppo crunch, apple slaw, and orange marmalade. My favorite starter might been a salad: the smashed cucumber salad with arugula, purple watercress, watermelon radish, whipped herb feta, dill honey vinaigrette, and candied pistachios. Lots of crunch and flavor.
I shared two entrées with my mom and they were both delicious. The Watertable burger was a definite winner, a juicy beef patty with black garlic aioli, arugula, Emmenthal cheese, crispy pancetta, and tomato jam, served with house cut fries and jalapeño dip. For our second entrée, we went with the "your menu" option, where you pick your own protein, cooking method, sauce, and side. We went with Chilean sea bass sautéed with white butter sauce and a side of roasted golden beats with pistachio romesco, orange gastrique, and beet chips. The kids ate well, too, dining on grilled cheese and chicken tenders. My older boy refused the tomato soup that came with his grilled cheese, which he otherwise devoured. I had some, and it was classic and super tasty.
The boys ate chocolate ice cream for dessert while the adults shared a slice of lemon meringue cheesecake with lemon curd, toasted meringue, macerated berries, almond bark, and mixed berry Grand Marnier coulis. Decadent and tangy.
Breakfast was excellent, with the added benefit of being complimentary, thanks to my mom's Hyatt status. There was a buffet, but we opted to order from the a la carte menu, which had more appealing options. My mom and I shared this meal, too, getting the lox and bagel and the SoCa Benedict. The lox and bagel was serviceable if not a standout, with dill caper cream cheese, heirloom tomato, lemon oil, avocado relish, tossed arugula, and shaved red onion. The Benedict was superb, with fried chicken, maple slaw, poached eggs, and jalapeño bacon Hollandaise on a dense, buttery cornbread waffle. As for my boys, they absolutely loved their chocolate chip pancakes. A sweet start to my big kid's fifth birthday.
We had a lot of fun at the Hyatt Regency and plan to go back for more low-key family trips in the coming years. I'm glad Watertable is such a solid restaurant. It's an easy spot with kid's menus and quality food and drink for grown-ups. I'll bet we hit it a couple times whenever we visit.