Foodies: Recommendations in Orange County

[whatmeworry]

We are going to be in Newport Beach next month. Looking for some restaurant recommendations for a romantic evening. Things that are highly rated by Zagat, James Beard Foundation, etc. Thanks.

 

[JulieN]

go to chowhound and gayot.

there used to be a zip code search on James Beard...too bad. and Troquet has been closed for a long time.

OC is generallly a chow wasteland, save for the ethnic stuff. Newport is not so bad for the foodies, though.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Hi Whatmeworry-- Hopefully some locals will offer a broader variety of options, but the running joke about Orange County is that every restaurant is part of a chain. That simply isn''t true; I''d put it at 97, 98%, tops.

In all seriousness, a few options came to mind. As a child, my family would go to The Ritz (restaurant), located in the outskirts of Fashion Island for special occasions or when my grandparents flew in from the East Coast. It''s a bit of an OC institution and an anamoly as well: jackets and ties are required, the waiters wear serving tuxedos, and the chandeliers are crystal. It''s old school, but the service is extraordinary.

A bit further down the coast, there are a few good options in Laguna Beach. First, either of the restaurants at the Montage Resort (Studio and The Loft, if memory serves) are tops. The resort itself is beautiful, and if you can convince your husband that visiting the spa beforehand is a capital idea, all the better.

A friend who lives in LB recently suggested Sapphire, but I haven''t been myself. Going in the other direction, there''s a Joachim Splichal "Pinot" restaurant at the Westin South Coast Plaza, branch of the LA powerhouse.

... Oh, and definitely eat at In-n-Out Burger while you''re there. Before you underestimate their $3 double-double, I will point out that it''s among the highest rated food in Zagat for all of Orange County.

 

[whatmeworry]

Thanks Julie and Fleur. That blurb about In-n-Out double doubles brought back some great San Diego memories. Mmmmm....

 

[Jaders731]

If you are up for sweets... Sprinkles Cupcakes is in the Corona Del Mar Plaza on Avocado Way in the Fashion Island area... they cupcakes are to die for... I would suggest the dark chocolate cupcake.. mmmm.. my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

 

[surfgirl]

Date: 8/3/2007 8:38:32 AM
Author: Jaders731
If you are up for sweets... Sprinkles Cupcakes is in the Corona Del Mar Plaza on Avocado Way in the Fashion Island area... they cupcakes are to die for... I would suggest the dark chocolate cupcake.. mmmm.. my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Yes! But dont listen to Jaders! She doesn''t know a good cupcake if it jumped into her lovely mouth! Get the lemon/coconut...those are the best!

Well, okay, get one of each and tell us which you prefer...

I second the Montage. And if you can afford the bank, stay there, it''s incredible! There''s also a very good breakfast place in Laguna Beach along the Coast Hwy. I cant remember its exact name but its right next to another rest. called The Cottage and it''s located in a garden store. They have a good breakfast/lunch going there.

 

[door knob solitaire]

This isn''t a white tie and tails place...but while in OC I hang in San Clemente...and the restaurant on the pier is so incredible*. It could be that serving me cardboard on the pier~ would taste incredible to me. But for this inland...state...land locked resident...I find dinner under the stars...over the lapping waves...smelling the ocean air to be the tastiest experience ever.

I think it is called fisherman''s...or Fisherman''s Wharf. They offer outside dining, inside dining, and then a pub type menu at the bar area which is seperate and across from the restaurant. SC is like a little Monaco...and it has a quaint feeling I don''t get in the commercial feeling of the rest of OC. Sunset light washes the white stucco and red clay roofs in such a romantic luminosity...it is divine.

Oh, hubby never eats in a stuffy place...so I can''t help you with a tablecloth wine list restaurant. You need carryout...and a beach blanket...I can direct you on that sort of stuff. A local who doesnt'' eat like a tourist may help you decipher the quality here...but to me...5 stars. Of course while on vacation everything is fabulous. Even traffic!

DKS

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Date: 8/5/2007 11:42:31 AM
Author: door knob solitaire
This isn''t a white tie and tails place...but while in OC I hang in San Clemente...and the restaurant on the pier is so incredible*. It could be that serving me cardboard on the pier~ would taste incredible to me. But for this inland...state...land locked resident...I find dinner under the stars...over the lapping waves...smelling the ocean air to be the tastiest experience ever.

I think it is called fisherman''s...or Fisherman''s Wharf. They offer outside dining, inside dining, and then a pub type menu at the bar area which is seperate and across from the restaurant. SC is like a little Monaco...and it has a quaint feeling I don''t get in the commercial feeling of the rest of OC. Sunset light washes the white stucco and red clay roofs in such a romantic luminosity...it is divine.

Oh, hubby never eats in a stuffy place...so I can''t help you with a tablecloth wine list restaurant. You need carryout...and a beach blanket...I can direct you on that sort of stuff. A local who doesnt'' eat like a tourist may help you decipher the quality here...but to me...5 stars. Of course while on vacation everything is fabulous. Even traffic!

DKS

DoorKnobSolitaire-- This is so weird; FH and I just returned from going to his folks'' beach house for the weekend and I think we had lunch at the place you mentioned! Casual menu, actually on the pier itself, The Fisherman?

Whatmeworry-- If San Clemente isn''t too far down the coast for you, there''s also a hidden gem of a restaurant not too far from the one DKS mentioned. It''s definitely a foodie''s restaurant right across from the San Clemente Pier, and it''s called White Horses (website http://www.whitehorses.us/dinnermenu.html ). The food at White Horses is excellent, and though it sounds weird to phrase it this way, but you can tell that the courses were prepared by a chef rather than off a recipe card because of the subtle little variations. (We try to eat there every time we go down, but I hesitated to mention it here because it''s a good 20+ miles down the road from Newport. It has, however, topped quite a few "Best of Orange County" lists.) There are little surprises in each course, so the food is pretty innovative and creative. You can tell from before the first course arrives, when you dip the bread in the common EVOO/balsamic dip and when you place it in your mouth, there''s this unexpected yet subtle infusion of... lime! Ah, and then it just gets better from there. For the food, I would also add this the short list, though the decor is nice yet not necessarily over-the-top romantic-- I think they bill themselves as "Casual Fine Dining". (So Yes to, as DKS put it, "white linens and wine list", but No to "woman in a long gown plinking away on a harp", lol.) We always eat on the patio overlooking the pier to see the sunsets and the trains, so perhaps the surroundings of surf shops and tired looking burnt beachgoers dragging their beachchairs and overtired kids back to their cars have clouded my thoughts about the "luxe v. entertainment" factor, but I''d recommend it highly if you''re in the area.

DKS, do you go to SC often?

 

[Miranda]

Since we are talking about San Clemente

I can add quite a bit! I second White Horses http://www.whitehorses.us/ The food there is beyond fantastic. The three layer potatoes (white, blue and sweet) Ahhhhh, I could die! Iva Lee''s is another Zagat recommended restaurant with an interesting menu http://www.ivalees.com/ If you want a perfect steak that is better than at any other steak house I''ve ever been to (and I like steak) there is Gordon James http://www.gordonjamesgrill.com/ Fisherman''s is always great for seafood or lobster http://www.fishermansrestaurant.com/ And have the carrot cake if you (or anyone) go!

I don''t know much about Newport, sorry! I''ve heard the Montage is fab, though, it''s in Laguna.