Javier’s at
Crystal Cove
By:
Erika De La Parra
Galina Nitaeva
As we drove south on Pacific Coast
Highway on our way to Javier’s restaurant on Crystal Cove, we were in awe of the
beautiful costal setting that this popular, high-end Mexican restaurant is
situated on. In addition to an exquisite
menu, the atmosphere and ambiance is well worth the drive. Thanks to the kind managers at the Crystal
Cove location, Susie Sosa and Adan Serratos, we were able to tour the
restaurant one Saturday morning to inspect materials, furniture and décor
up-close and personal.
Javier’s at Crystal Cove is the second
restaurant that opened about 5 years ago as part of a holistic development of a
newly branded expansion. Javier Sousa,
owner, and his family have been in the restaurant business for over 30
years. About six years ago, with a new
venture partner, he joined forces with designer Dodd Mitchell of Dodd Mitchell
Designs (DMD) to create an elevated brand of Javier’s restaurants. As we write this blog, the doors to the newly
inaugurated Las Vegas location inside Aria Hotel and Casino have just
opened.
As we walked through the arch entrance,
the first thing one notices are the big, round black metal pendants. To the right and left are lounge areas with
an open-flame fireplace. The use of
light is a big component of the design at Javier’s, and its no surprise since
Dodd Mitchell has received several awards for his use of lighting. At Javier’s this includes big candles,
backlighting, filigree metal pendants and big fire burning pipes that represent
pipe organs used inside churches – an area of intrigue for Mitchell.
We know this because we had the opportunity to speak to Mitchell himself over the phone to ask him about his design inspiration and use of materials. Mitchell let us know first that Mother Nature is his primary inspiration and being able to use natural materials is important to him. Secondly, he continues to use many of his “camera tricks” that he learned during his years as a stage and film art director to create theatrical spaces that play with human curiosity.
And curios we were; wanting to know all
about the materials chosen starting with the stingray leather wall covering
used for one of the fireplaces.
Surprisingly, this product is very strong, fire resistant and easy to
clean. But the texture and luster of the
leather is truly what makes it irresistible to the touch.
[Lighting_Image.001]
[Picture of
Mother-of-Pearl Walls: Image.002]
The Spanish-Moorish décor that defines
Javier’s “makes you want to reach for your passport” as described by Forbes
Travel Guide correspondent Cindy Pearlman. In part its due to the materials
used that include dark leather drapery, traditional Mexican furniture, chunky
wood beams and banquettes, large black slate tiles and hardwood floor that were
specially cut into short tile-size. All these
materials are original and seem to be faring well, although Serratos told us
that they have needed to replace several of the hardwood planks due to
wear-and-tear and possibly due to weathering from being close to the ocean, so
weekly maintenance is required to keep floors clean and buffed. Yet, Mitchell let us know that they did not
let the issue of weathering deter his vision, so several of the material have
been treated with a semi-gloss sealants and fire-retardant treatments.
As for the ceiling inside the dining area,
they are covered with wood sticks to allow dapple lighting to stream through
from the MR-16 lights, to give the impression of being outdoors while being
indoors. When you are looking at the
ceiling, one cannot miss the enormous ceiling fans that do work, on
occasion.
[Ceiling: Image.004]
The walls throughout the building were
either stucco with a thick swirl coarse finish or smooth concrete wall that
matched the floors, primarily in the outdoor areas. Both materials are fire resistant and the concrete
is easy to maintain. The stucco walls
originally had a glittering treatment that made them sparkle at night with the
light, but it has lost some of that with the years, according to Serratos.
With so many hard surfaces throughout
the space, acoustics was a topic we discussed with Mitchell and he said that
there was no attempt to bring down the noise factor (although he confessed that
he personally dislikes it a lot). The
reason is that the owner prefer to keep the energy levels high, which seems to
suite the “on the go” clientele of Newport Beach. Normally, Mitchell said he would have added
waffle foam underneath the tables and above the ceiling to keep the noise
emission down.
The energy is kept high as well with
one of most interesting pieces in the place:
the huge metal sculpture that covers the entire back wall of the bar
called the “Tequila Tree.” When asked
about it, Mitchell said the concept for this sculpture grew from two points of
inspiration: One, he does not like to
use shelves; and two, it’s a tribute to one of his favorite children’s book The Giving Tree.
[Tequila Tree:
Image.005]
And Javier’s will continue to keep on
giving...delicious Mexican cuisine, beautiful ocean vistas, and an enchanting
space for people to enjoy good times with family and friends. Staying true to Mitchell’s priority when
referring to his designs, “my job is to make people feel better.”
Written by Erika De La Parra and Galina Nitaeva on October 31, 2013
Photographs by Erika De La Parra and Galina Nitaeva
BLOG REFERENCES:
INTERVIEWS
Designer Dodd Mitchell; phone interview on November 1, 2013On-Site Tour by Manager Adan Serratos on October
ARTICLES AND BLOGS
“What is the interior design of Javier’s?” by
Cindy Pearlman, www.forbestravelguide.com“Elevating Mexican Cuisine” by Larry Thomas, July 09, 2013,www.coastmagazine.com/articles/javiersosa
“Cover Story: Meet Dodd Mitchell”, www.doddmitchell.com/press/articles/04.01.08_Boutique_Design
MATERIALS RESOURCES (Similar or exact products
as those mentioned in the blog):
Black Slate Tiles:
Otile, www.otile.com
Stucco:
Central Virginia Stucco, www.centralvirginiastucco.com
Concrete:
Stingray Leather:
Tom Barrington Exotic Leather Accessories, www.tombarrington.com
Rojo Leather, www.rojeleather.com
Black Mother-of-Pearl Mosaic Tiles:
Foshan Connfly Decoration Materials Co.,
Limited, www.connflymosaic.cn
13 comments:
Javier’s really is a beautifully designed restaurant. With rich dark colors in the design it allows for a fun, exciting and rich experience, deliciously stimulating to the eyes and the mouth. Whenever I visit this restaurant I enjoy the atmosphere. It is really fun to learn what the actual materials are that are in the space. The fire burning “organ” pipes are so intriguing and unique. The black chip and mother-of-pearl mosaic tile creates a great and durable wall covering choice for a restaurant and definitely adds drama.
I love the insight of Mitchell's "camera tricks". the stingray leather piqued my curiosity. I must look into that more and I want to see more of this ceiling twig/lighting effect. Finally, a tequila tree? Pretty stellar.
Such a nice restaurant!! The interior of this restaurant is so calming and welcoming... This interior gives a feeling of organic taste and eco-friendly through the building itself. I can imagine myself being here and read a book while having a lunch on my vacation! Love this space!
It is not special with the exterior! But inside is unexpected! From the tree to their floor and wall and furniture, they are great
It is a great concept for the restaurant, I like how they use the tree in in bar area, the tone color is very comparative to the furniture and lighting, it create a mysteriuos feeling..for me
This is a pleasure to read. I go to Javier's all the time with my girlfriends and it is cool to know the history behind it. I will never look at it the same. Thank you!
I love Javier's and I like how the dark materials and colors allow for privacy even though there is no noise control. I would love to see that tequila tree, awesome alternative to shelves.
This space is great! I love the walls and the tree! I also really like the windows in the back.
I have always drove past this place and now i need to eat here!! ASAP! love the interior with the bar tree sculpture holding the Tequila.
Stingray leather wall covering for a fireplace and mosaic tile in the private room---WOW!
The entrance is beautiful, love the fireplace and the big mirror next to it. Also love Mitchell uses of "camera tricks" to create theatrical spaces throughout the space and how he incorporate the nature feeling into the design.
I love going to this restaurant not only for the dining but for the I credible design. It is fun to read about the concept behind his designs. I love the story behind the bar sculpture! I never would have known!
Absolutely gorgeous mother of pearl walls. Love all the materials used in that space. Also, beautiful tequila tree! How clever! Choosing a sculpture with personal meaning to bring character to the space and happiness for the owner, who doesn't like shelves! I thought that was sneaky.
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