Mckenna's on the Bay...in Long Beach

The years have quietly slipped by much as the boats now do past the windows of McKenna’s on the Bay. McKenna’s is not a new name to Long Beach. It was in the early 70’s and late 80’s that the original McKenna’s was making friends in what is now the Claim Jumper.

John Faber, a Long Beach native, (Wilson class of ’56) was/is the past and present owner. McKenna’s Creek, as it was known back then, was the crowning jewel in a chain of restaurants under the now defunct Fiddler’s 3 banner. Several years ago, BanCorp, owners of the Alamitos Bay Landing, approached the semi-retired Mr. Faber to discuss building a restaurant at the former site of Moose McGillicudy’s. Fire had destroyed the original structure, which had also been the home of Hungry Jose’s, way back when. Fortunately, John said “yes”.

McKenna’s on the Bay takes full advantage of this prime piece of Long Beach real estate. The light off shimmering water reflects through the windows and warms the Cherry Wood interior. Flames from the wood fired grills in the very open kitchen flashes off stainless steel and etched glass.

I visited this stylish eatery on a Thursday night. Normally, I would have, as a dinner companion, a member of the fairer sex. Not this night. It was my youngest son’s 13th birthday and I wanted him to experience fine dining. We have eaten thousands of meals together, but we have rarely “dined” together.

How I go about crafting a perfect dining out experience is to first, peruse the wine list. There are many occasions when the evening’s wine is chosen first and the food is then matched after. My eyes poured over the listings, which include nearly 30 wines by the glass. This is an enlightened way to market pedigreed wine. (Sadly, I saw no dessert wines listed).

I had in mind a meal beginning with freshly shucked oysters. McKenna’s even proclaims a small counter seating space as an “Oyster Bar”. Here a diner may sit and watch skilled hands open the delectable bivalves for immediate enjoyment. There were three varieties available this evening. There were Fanny Bay’s from British Columbia, plump, well formed and slightly sea-salty, Malpec’s, a mild and delicate type and Kumamoto’s, renowned in these parts. My plate consisted of a sampling of all three ($17.50 per dozen) and I pronounced the Fanny Bay’s to be this night’s winner.

Our server, Michael, was in confident control of the experience. He was in total synch with what I had envisioned for the evening. I had already internally selected the Frogs Leap Sauvignon Blanc ($8.50 per glass) as my first course wine. When I placed the order for the oysters, he promptly suggested a Sauvignon Blanc. Had he read my thoughts or did this personable young man posses superior product knowledge? It was the latter. The Frog’s Leap had the right balance of crisp acidity and fruitiness to balance out the seductive textures of the oysters.

I have another peculiar way of selecting a main course. I like to put my server to the test. I give basic parameters as to type of entrée and ask that the server and the kitchen collaborate on what my meal will be. There is pressure on both the front and the back-of-the-house personnel to step up to the plate, so to speak. I am absolutely trusting the staff to select the type of preparation and style of presentation for my meal. I want them to “sign their work”. Deep down, professionals love this challenge.

Michael and the Boys in the Kitchen certainly rose to the occasion. He brought me a beautiful piece of apple wood grilled Wild Salmon ($28). If you have had Salmon before but all you’ve ever had was farm-raised fish, then you really haven’t ever had Salmon. No joke. It’s like the difference between powdered milk and whole milk. They both have the word “milk” in the name, but the comparison stops there.

My Salmon was plated in the modern fashion, meaning vertically. The base was Vodka, Basil Cream Sauce that had a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar “spider-webbed” through it. Resting on the base was a bed of a pan-fried, crusted Risotto. The Salmon was next, topped with sautéed Spinach. The entire dish was garnished with a slice of heirloom tomato and a basil/tomato chiffonade.

Again, Michael and I were on the same page. I was intrigued from the beginning with the La Crema Pinot Noir ($12 per glass) and was hoping that I would have some excuse for ordering it. Salmon is perhaps the only fish where a light bodied red, such as Pinot Noir, might be a suitable companion. Michael had immediately suggested this varietal and I once again was impressed by his product knowledge. The velvet sheen smokiness of the La Crema played in perfect harmony with the wood fire inspired Salmon.

My son has still not developed the adventuresome palate that his old man has, so he was content to have the mesquite-grilled top sirloin and jumbo battered prawns as his entrée ($38). Professional kitchens tend to use a simple color system for identifying meat preparation. The Top Sirloin came out the precise shade of pink that says, “medium rare”. The prawns were enormous and the batter was “tempura-like” not quite as light, but surely not heavy, “pancake-like” either. Both entrée’s came with a salad and I ordered the house Caesar salad to be served AFTER the main-course. This old habit dies hard.

I must stop for a moment to talk about subtle touches that speaks volumes about a restaurant. Upon walking in to any restaurant, I can immediately spot those operations that take the little stuff seriously. If they fail to take care of the smallest details, what makes me think they are up to the bigger, more important stuff? What is the tip off? “Sidework”. If the staff isn’t energized to clean and refill the salt and peppershakers after each shift, for example, that’s a bad sign. If the tables all have a different way of being set up, that’s a bad sign. Are the bathrooms a mess early in the shift? Not good. Long wait between the time you sit down and the time SOMEONE comes to your table? Uh oh.

McKenna’s is old school when it comes to the small touches. Everything points to a combined staff that takes pride in their work and leaves nothing to chance. I love the fact the when ketchup came to the table for my son’s shoestring fries, it wasn’t in some crusty half-filled bottle. It was in what is called a “monkey dish” in the trade, meaning a small wide bowl. Nice touch. Your water glasses are smallish “milk” glasses and the water “pitcher” is actually a glass milk jug…remember those? I liked the presentation.

John Faber has another winner on his hands. This is not by accident. He knows what he is doing and has the right people doing the right jobs for him. He also has the good fortune to be located in a spot most restrautuers would gladly make a deal with the devil to have. But as good as the view is, the best view is that of the plate.

McKenna’s on the Bay is open 7 days a week for dinner. Lunch is served Monday thru Friday. They have a full bar and live acoustic entertainment on occasion. All major credit cards are accepted. Reservations are always suggested but not required. Valet and Self Parking are also available and there are proper moorings if you come by boat. The phone number is (562) 342-9411. They are located in the Alamitos Bay Landing restaurant/shopping complex overlooking the Long Beach Marina, near the back road bridge to Seal Beach.

-Gordonn Blue

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