Barbara’s Bits & Bites: They’re dog-friendly at Boathouse, Cucina Enoteca

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is a good time to get out and try some local dining spots with family and friends, including the furry kind.

While Newport Beach and Costa Mesa have many dog-friendly restaurants, that’s not always the case if you’re traveling around California.

But starting Jan. 1, a new state law goes on the books that will take doggy dining to a whole new level.

In August, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that will allow dog owners to take their furry friends with them to restaurants throughout California, provided the facilities allow it. Pets must be on a leash and not in the same area where food is prepared.

And it’s no surprise the governor signed this bill — he has a 7-year-old Welsh corgi, Sutter.

As a fellow dog lover, I applaud him.

My little rescue dog, Stasha, and I make it a practice of patronizing eateries that are dog-friendly.

Catering to pet owners is good business, said Susan Sims, publisher of Fido Friendly magazine. She explained that folks who travel with their dogs generally spend more money and stay longer.

But before you take your four-legged friend out for a bite, use some common sense.

Stasha is well-trained and has been socialized since she was a pup. But if your animal isn’t like Stasha, placing it in a situation like this is not only unfair to the dog, but also to fellow diners.

Just because you can now legally take your pet with you doesn’t mean you should.

Recently Stasha and I enjoyed dining at two places we’ve just discovered, the Boathouse Collective, 1640 Pomona Ave., Costa Mesa, and Cucina Enoteca, in Newport’s Fashion Island.

Both were welcoming and the food was yummy.

The Boathouse Collective is in an industrial area of Costa Mesa. We stopped in for lunch.

The driveway entrance off Pomona takes you up and around the building to an ample parking area and the restaurant’s entrance.

Enter the steel and wood compound to find recycled shipping containers creating a cozy yet large courtyard with planters, tables and chairs for outside dining.

Owner Clayton Peterson, a Newport-Mesa native, stopped by the table to chat and take a selfie with us.

He explained the space was built using reclaimed materials and vintage objects.

The Boathouse Collective, open for lunch, dinner and happy hour, has an artsy and whimsical feel. T

he inside dining area includes a stage and a full bar.

The lunch menu offers an arugula salad, $9, with picked red onions, cucumbers, cashews and parmesan with rice vinaigrette.

The chop salad, $12, consists of grilled veggies, lardons, mozzarella and poached egg. It’s served with an avocado vinaigrette dressing, which was quite good.

I also tried the grilled cheese sandwich, $9, served on levain bread with burrata, Brie, Gruyere and romesco cheeses. It was delicious.

I suggest sharing the roasted fingerlings, $5, heirloom potatoes with a lemon aioli, and the side order of mac and cheese, $9, pasta with burrata, Brie, Gruyere and romesco cheeses.

The dinner menu includes short ribs, filet mignon, braised pork belly, grilled scallops and chicken katsu, just to name a few, all priced from $10 to $18.

Cucina Enoteca, Fashion Island

Next on our list to try was Cucina Enoteca in Fashion Island. It also has locations in the Irvine Spectrum and in San Diego.

From the antipasti menu, try the stuffed squash blossoms, $12, herb ricotta, opal basil pesto, lemon aioli.

At first glance this didn’t thrill me, but our server convinced me it was worth a try, and she was right.

It was quite tasty, as was the kale Caesar salad, $12, with shaved Brussels sprouts, orange cognac raises, Parmesan frico and Meyer lemon anchovy emulsion.

I’m not much of a beet fan, but the roasted beet, $12, with butternut squash, currant, pepitas, yogurt and tatsoi was really good.

The pizza menu consists of interesting combos such as smoked salmon, lemon crème fraiche, buffalo mozzarella, red onion and basil, $16, as well as pear, gorgonzola, caramelized onion, pecan, arugula and aged balsamic, $15.

The restaurant also offers more traditional pizzas like Margherita, $14, and pepperoni with sausage, $16.

Enoteca Cucina will prepare gluten-free pasta dishes upon request.

Items on the pasta menu include cacio e pepe tagliatelle, $17.50, made with broccoli, Parmesan fonduta and cracked pepper, as well as the spicy shrimp angel hair puttanesca with olive, caper and tomato, $24.

Complete menus for both restaurants can be found online at Cucina Enoteca and The Boathouse Collective.

Happy holidays from Stasha and me!