The “New” Calla Is Not Supposed to Be the “Old” Calla by Joe Lyons Calla, the little door in the lobby at the Ontario Airport Hilton that leads to an intimate dining room, is back. But if you’re looking for the old five-star elegance, it’s not there. I remember the original Calla, with “old” John, the maitre d’. He was tall, distinguished and had a slightly European accent. He was later replaced by “young” John. John Hanson was a surfer dude from Newport Beach by day. By night, he was the perfect, tuxedoed maitre d’. He knew your drink, even after a year. He organized monthly wine dinners. He could prepare Caesar salad, Chateaubriand and Banana’s Foster, tableside, and still keep the room content. Of course, the room has only five booths and about eight tables. He even kept a fine liquor cabinet with the best Remy Martin cognac, and Napoleon brandy. When John left, things wound down. Eventually the little room off of the lobby became no more than storage. Now it is back...kind of. The corporate people had sent down an order that only one restaurant could be open at any one time, so it was decided to close the Cafe Catalina sandwich shop in the evening, and reopen Calla. Of course, that means that it now has a “casual dining” portion on the menu, with burgers and a club sandwich, and very few people who come in have dressed for dinner. Still, many of the old touches are still there. The lobster bisque ($5.25) is still rich and tasty and almost buttery. You can still get your Caesar ($4.75) or spinach salad ($4.50) prepared tableside. For entrées, I went with steak and shrimp ($18.50) and while the New York steak was good and the veggies were exactly al dente, the shrimp could have been spicier. The halibut steak New Orleans ($14.25) was nicely grilled, not too dry and covered with Paul Prudhomme Cajun herbs. Spicy, but not too hot. I am sure if you wanted it hotter you could get it that way. Desserts came off the cart, but we were told that if we really wanted something fancy it could be done in about 10 minutes. Although a lot of the people who made the Ontario Hilton great are gone, Chef Seys is still in the kitchen. This must account for why the quality remains, even if the standards have changed. Also, a young man named Rico must be saluted here. He is not yet ready to wear the tuxedo of a Calla maitre d’, but he has a lot of talent, and if the facility swings back toward the old days, he should fit the bill. Don’t expect the “new” Calla to be just what the “old” Calla was, but for the Inland Empire, it still makes for a very pleasant getaway. Calla is in the lobby of the Ontario Airport Hilton, 700 North Haven Avenue in Ontario. Phone (909) 980-0400.

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