Pinkies up, Corona del Mar denizens.
On the heels of 608 Dahlia closing inside Sherman Library & Gardens, a new concept will move into the botanical garden right off Coast Highway: Hazeltine’s, from Damian Orozco, owner of the Tea House on Los Rios in San Juan Capistrano
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But first, the tea.
Beginning in June, Hazeltine’s will host a series of monthly afternoon tea events at Sherman, giving guests an early taste of the full restaurant, which is slated to open in late 2027. Upcoming teas are scheduled for June 14, July 19, Aug. 16, Sept. 13 and Oct. 18.
The tea service will include loose-leaf teas, strawberries and cream, a seasonal scone with preserves, clotted cream and lemon curd, tea sandwiches and petit fours. Tickets cost $79 per adult. Champagne will also be available, including a glass of Veuve Clicquot for $29 or a bottle for $115. A children’s tea menu priced at $49 includes tea service (with juice or Shirley Temple) plus strawberries and cream, a scone, petit fours and a choice of peanut butter and jam, turkey and Swiss, or cucumber and cream cheese tea sandwiches.
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Part of the garden and library’s ongoing $17 million renovation, Hazeltine’s arrives after 608 Dahlia, chef Jessica Roy’s restaurant, closed its doors in October after its lease ended. (Shorty before closing its doors, the restaurant was featured on “Real Housewives of Orange County” season 19.) Roy said she plans to open a new restaurant in Sunset Beach.
For Orozco, Hazeltine’s will not be a Newport Beach duplicate of his family’s San Juan Capistrano tea house, which operates out of a circa-1911 cottage in the Los Rios Historic District. While, yes, afternoon tea will remain part of the menu, Hazeltine’s will eventually expand into brunch, lunch, dinner and a full bar. “We didn’t want it to be like ‘The Tea House in Corona del Mar,’” said Orozco. “It’s not going to be the same concept. While we will be doing afternoon tea, we will be doing much more.”
The eatery’s name is also rooted in Sherman’s history: Hazeltine was the middle name of Moses Hazeltine Sherman, the businessman and land developer whose name lives on through Sherman Library and Gardens and Sherman Oaks. The tycoon also gave the name to his first daughter.
“In order to have that family legacy and that family connection, we decided that Hazeltine’s would be a proper way to honor that,” said Orozco.
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The restaurant will go up in a new building near where Sherman’s gift shop and entrance had been located, giving Hazeltine’s a dedicated entrance right off Coast Highway. Previously, diners had to enter through Sherman Gardens to get to the restaurant. When Hazeltine’s opens, it will be accessible both to garden visitors and to people strolling through Corona del Mar who want a bite, a cocktail or a proper afternoon tea without making a full garden visit.
“It’ll be nice because it’ll be overlooking the gardens,” said Orozco. “But there’s going to be an entrance right off of PCH.”
The full restaurant will also boast a second-floor rooftop deck, according to Orozco, who said it could be used for dining or private events while overlooking the gardens. Meanwhile, the former restaurant space is expected to turn into a community kitchen, with plans for cooking classes, workshops, lecture series and private events.
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The broader menu, Orozco explained, will pull from California and European influences, including French and Mediterranean ideas, while staying tied to the garden-to-table theme. The restaurant’s website describes the upcoming space as being “where Victorian charm meets garden beauty.”
The curious can book one of several afternoon teas prefacing Hazeltine’s opening anticipated for later next year.
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