Sharky’s sinks its jaws into ‘fresh-mex’ market

Greer Wylder

Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill opened last month at the Newport

Coast Shopping Center in Newport Beach. Merrill Schindler, a local

food critic and an editor of the Zagat Survey, Los Angeles edition,

rated it as the “Best of the fresh-mex grills.”

It joins a list of fast, casual, Mexican-style restaurant chains

in the area that are committed to offering high-quality foods with

fresh ingredients at affordable prices. These consistently flavorful

Mexican eateries are open for lunch and dinner, with dine-in or

take-out choices.

A few of its competitors are Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill, Baja

Fresh Mexican Grill and Chipotle Mexican Grill. All of these

restaurants opened in the early 1990s except Rubio’s Fresh Mexican

Grill on Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, which debuted in 1983 in

San Diego. Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has two locations nearby, on East

17th Street and Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, and at East Coast

Highway in Corona del Mar. Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill is in

the Harbor Center on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa.

These healthy-style restaurants offer similar dishes such as

grilled chicken, steak and fish soft tacos, burritos served in warm

flour tortillas with choice of fillings, fresh guacamole and homemade

salsas. Sharky’s distinction is that it only serves 100% certified

organic and GMO-free (no genetically modified organisms) long-grain

rice, black and pinto beans. It’s also choosy about where its

livestock comes from and how it’s raised.

Chicken breasts are 100% Californian with no added growth hormones

and preservatives. Beef comes from Harris Ranch in Coalinga, Calif.

It’s 100% certified all natural, which means cows are grain-fed, with

no added ingredients, hormones, chemicals and antibiotics. All fish

dishes are made with 100% premium-grade fresh fish without added

phosphates.

Steve Paperno founded Sharky’s in 1992 in Sherman Oaks. After

traveling extensively throughout Latin America, Paperno wanted to

open a restaurant that served the same “killer” Mexican food he had

tasted on his trip, with an emphasis on natural and organic

ingredients. Since he grew up working for his family’s restaurant

business, he had the background to make the concept happen. Now, the

Sharky’s franchise has 14 locations in Southern California.

To further its promise to serve health-conscious foods, Sharky’s

accommodates special requests. Seasoned and grilled organic tofu is

offered for protein alternatives in tacos, burritos and tostadas. Low

fat, whole-wheat tortillas can be substituted for flour tortillas.

Sharky’s open-air kitchen has aromatic mesquite grills and a

stone-fired oven. Its stone-fired Mexican pizzas come with a choice

of toppings such as fire-roasted vegetables, chicken steak or smoked

barbecued chicken ($5.29 to $7.29). Unusual pizza crust choices

include thin jalapeno or a thin chipotle.

Signature items at Sharky’s include its tempura-battered mahi-mahi

tacos with salsa blanco ($2.99). The tacos are served with cabbage,

cheese, pico de gallo, and lime on a flour tortilla. Tempura-battered

mahi-mahi is also available in a burrito ($6.49). Other popular

dishes include the grilled shrimp burritos ($6.59) served with

achiote sauce, a Yucatan-style sauce made from ground annatto seeds,

spices and tomatoes.

All burritos can be oven-baked for an additional $1.79. Before

baking, the burrito is topped with a blend of cheeses and covered

with salsa ranchero, then served with a dollop of sour cream. Other

items to select from include nine burritos ($3.99 to $6.19), nine

tacos ($2.49 to $2.99), taco combo plates ($3.49 to $6.59),

quesadillas ($4.79 to $6.29) and ensaladas and soups ($1.99 to

$6.49). Or select from six of “Sharky Favorite” dishes that range

from Adobe-style nachos, fajita bowls and mesquite-broiled chicken or

steak fire-roasted sandwiches ($5.29 to $7.29).

Sharky’s has a great kids menu, as well as a special party platter

menu for entertaining.

Newport Coast Shopping Center is located at San Joaquin Hills Road

and Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach. The new shopping center is

anchored by Pavilions and has 26 other stores, services and casual

dining restaurants.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

[email protected]; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.