Dinner at Fable & Spirit in Newport Beach was a last-minute decision, so the only table available on short notice is outside on the sidewalk. Although the day was warm and sunny, things have suddenly taken a turn as a chill rolls in from the harbor. Clouds gather out of nowhere, obscuring the sun’s descent, creating a spectacular kaleidoscope over the rooftops of the peninsula. It’s the last hurrah of winter, and it’s still colder outside at dinnertime than I was expecting. It must be 60 degrees. Pedestrians saunter past our table wearing shorts and flip-flops, not the least bit bothered, and I’m wondering “What’s wrong with these people?” 

“How’s that?” asks the waiter as he adjusts the portable heat lamp. “A little more,” I say. 

Ricotta-filled ravioli with assorted mushrooms and mushroom broth at Fable & Spirit in Newport Beach (Photo by Brad A. Johnson, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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I reach for my strong whisky cocktail and pull it close to my face, holding it there, my senses conflicted between the frosty glass I feel in my hand and the burn trickling down my throat. “Ah, that’s better.”

The soup arrives, bringing more relief. Or maybe it’s not really a soup. It’s a steaming bowl of ravioli en brodo. There are just four of them, bobbing in a fragrant broth that’s been decorated with mushrooms—woodsy varieties impervious to the vernal equinox. They take on different shapes and sizes, some fresh and soft, others roasted, shriveled and chewy. A few, it appears, might even be pickled. The bowl, and now the air surrounding our table, smells of forest musk after a rain. 

The ravioli are stuffed with ricotta and flecked with lemon zest, so light and refreshing. It tastes like a bridge between winter and spring. I rush to eat it before the broth turns cold. 

This is not a dish that screams for attention, but it grabs it anyway. And it will probably be gone soon. 

Fable & Spirit

Where: 3441 Via Lido, Newport Beach

When: Currently served at dinner, Tuesday-Sunday

Cost: $21

Phone: 949-409-9913

Online: fableandspirit.com

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