New Vegan Fine Dining Restaurant Opens Today in So Cal

New fine-dining vegan restaurant Gratitude—a 4,300-square-foot iteration of iconic sister vegan restaurant Café Gratitude—opens today in Newport Beach, CA. The upscale menu will be prepared by chef Dreux Ellis and includes dishes such as Brussels Sprouts Sliders, Baked Eggplant Polpette, and Handcrafted Truffle Ravioli made with braised mushrooms. As part of its bar program, bar program director Jason Eisner will prepare cocktails with pressed juice and organic spirits, substitute aquafaba (or chickpea brine) for his vegan egg white-based whiskey sour, serve a cherry wood-smoke old fashioned and dirty martini with vegan bleu cheese-stuffed olives, and offer a range of absinthe. Additionally, the restaurant will feature Café Gratitude’s classic bowls, along with new items such as a double cheeseburger, sweet and savory scones, and a tempeh Reuben on its more casual “All Day” menu available in the dining area and adjacent Gratitude To-Go space. Lisa Bonbright, CEO of Love Serve Remember—the parent company of Café Gratitude, Gratitude, and Gracias Madre—says she is excited to introduce the first Gratitude to the vibrant community in Orange County: “We look forward to shaking things up with dishes and cocktails crafted specifically for our new neighbors in Newport.”