Commonwealth Lounge

A couple years ago, when downtown Fullerton began its metamorphosis from a traditional Old-Town style setting into a hip and trendy hangout, my wife and I vehemently scoffed at the idea. Not that we don’t have an appreciation for the chic, of course. It’s just that we feared that the region’s quest for newfound excitement and fun would come at the expense at the region’s vintage-tinted soul, and it would ultimately end up being too ordinary for us to trek northward from our Fountain Valley abode like we had in the past. In fact, we had used this personal concern as an excuse to more or less cease going there.


Thankfully, an evening at The Commonwealth Lounge managed to expose this cynical and unfair impression that we bestowed on the region as nothing short of flimsy. To be sure, The Commonwealth Lounge does adhere to the rules of Fullerton’s new modern downtown look. However, it has managed to do so while capturing its own intriguing spin on the area’s old-school vibe. In other words, its hipness is utterly organic and on its own terms. For example, there are TVs that glow above the rotating spectrum of color that emanates from the bar, but the majority of them on will be turned to an classic film or two – when we went, the tubes were unapologetically beaming a double-feature of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “The Graduate.” The deep dark color scheme, the peppering of plant life in the space, the ornate patina of the ceiling, and the Vargasesque artwork on the walls all lent an authentic feeling of sleek style without resorting to any of the boring, cliched ideas that would have forsook the area’s roots. The jazz combo that breezily played through most of our visit also provided quite the strong enhancement to this already terrific ambience, not to mention that the band received bonus points from me for cunningly slipping in a Beastie Boys instrumental into their first set.


Even though the ambience has a definitive look toward the past, the cuisine at The Commonwealth Lounge is a decided mixture of the current and the forward thinking that works quite well. This type of culinary progression is evident in the signature appetizer we enjoyed, the immensely popular Tuna Tower. This impeccable cylinder of ahi and cucumber had a beautifully refreshing flavor that was perfect antidote for the warmth of the weather, while its avocado base and daikon radish sprouts gave the treat a well-rounded texture and creamy finish. The thai calamari we also enjoyed was a tad sweet on its own; however, it worked in fantastic concert when paired with the rich smokiness of the accompanying chipotle aioli.


It was during our appetizer when we found out that the executive chef, Nick Phelps, was originally from the greater Boston area. Armed with that knowledge, we had no choice but to order a crock of his Cape Cod Chowdah (yes, it is indeed spelled like that on the menu). The thickness of the chowder was something to behold; it was a consistency that rivaled the best country gravy, and it easily passed the “make the spoon stand straight up” test normally reserved for a good chili. Each bite was incredibly dense, filled with bold, perfectly luscious notes of clam and potatoes. I’ve never been to Boston, but this is exactly how I have always pictured the chowder there. We didn’t attempt any silverware parlor tricks with the Gonzo Salad that we split, mostly because we were too busy savoring the journey of tastes and textures it created. The dates, avocado, goat cheese, tomatoes, almonds and cranberries combined to create an exciting mélange that practically ensured that no two bites tasted alike, and the lemon Dijon vinaigrette that topped the salad had just the right bite to it without being the least bit intrusive of all the other components.


The allure of Audrey Hepburn glowing on the television and the silky jazz sounds enveloping our booth pretty much compelled me to indulge in an entrée that I’ve long felt contained the essence of cool – the filet. The Commonwealth Lounge offers this regal cut with three distinctive accoutrements; on this night, I opted for the version topped with blue crab, gorgonzola, and shallot demi glace. The steak was beautifully tender and juicy, and paired brilliantly with the peppery glass of Layer Cake malbec that I enjoyed. Additionally, the crab, cheese, and sauce joined a lovely bond with the meat to give each bite notes of subtle complexity. The succulent juices from the filet were especially sublime when it mingled with the perfectly prepared garlic Romano mashed potatoes that accompanied the dish. The Pan Seared Salmon that my wife ordered was a dissertation in the combination of the sweet and the savory, as it was prepared in a brown sugar soy marinade and served with cranberry couscous. The salmon itself was prepared to an ideal shade and had a nice flavor, although the sweetness from the marinade did have a tendency to dominate it a bit. There were no such quibbles about the dynamite cranberry couscous, which I could see working well with any fish or chicken dish.
As we perused the dessert menu to finish the evening, we spotted a treat called a Cherry Bomb! The exclamation point is not a typo; it’s there on the menu on purpose (you have to love a place that is not afraid to be playful with their menu, no?) Now, my wife and I are not big cherry fans, but we just could not resist the siren call of the punctuation mark. Within one bite, we figured out exactly why the dish reads on the menu like an interjection. The syrup-free cherries barely contained by the delicate puff pastry that shrouded them was sumptuously tart, and the additional scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate drizzles made it wildly decadent. If you love cherries, then you should absolutely try it; if you do not care for them, this dessert may convert your taste buds.


In addition to providing us with a fabulous meal, The Commonwealth Lounge taught my wife and me a valuable lesson regarding the venerable downtown Fullerton area. Namely, the unique spirit that made the area so much fun to visit back in the day is still indeed there, it’s just manifested itself in a different way than it had. And because The Commonwealth Lounge was so on point in capturing that paradigm shift in both ambience and cuisine, we now have a rock-solid reason to go back to downtown Fullerton time and time again.

Commonwealth Lounge
by Rich Manning