| Quell the Guilt Work it Off :: After all this eating, we thought you might want to do some moving (other than your jaws, that is). Coast is here to help. Through Sept. 5, 2011, the first reader to turn in receipts (or other proof of visiting, like photos) from each of the restaurants mentioned in this story will win a year’s membership to The Sports Club/LA in Orange County. Check Facebook for contest details. |
Orange County is known as the land of eternal sunshine and envious surf, but what most people don’t know is that there are more gastronomical delights along our California Riviera than meets the sun-shaded eye. Here are (really, really good) reasons to turn down the heat in the house this summer and experience some of OC’s best food-related perks.
No. {1} Take an abbreviated Euro tour at South Coast Plaza’s Marché Moderne with one of the French bistro’s unbeatable charcuterie plates. Italy, France and Spain feature prominently in the extensive selection of cured meats and cheeses, and the ambiance is classic Parisian. 714.434.7900 :: marchemoderne.net
No. {2} Six words: Pineapple upside down cake at Wildfish. Tip: Patience really is a virtue – make sure you let the rum flambé burn out before digging in, resulting in a perfectly caramelized, buttery crust. 949.720.9925 :: eddiev.com
No. {3} There are French fries, and then there is the crispy perfection that is achieved through SideDoor’s beef fat French fries. Grab one of the gastropub’s microbrews, order up some fried bliss and enjoy the authentic U.K. pub atmosphere. It doesn’t get much better than this, folks. 949.717.4322 :: sidedoorcdm.com
No. {4} Don’t let summer go by without taking a field trip to the beer tasting room at Cismontane Brewing in Rancho Santa Margarita. Delicious, locally made craft brews plus good company equals a fine way to pass a summer afternoon. 949.888.2739 :: cismontanebrewing.com
No. {5} Anyone who appreciates brown gold (a.k.a. chocolate) must visit Christopher Michael Chocolatier, where owner and chef Christopher Michael hand crafts everything from peanut butter-praline truffles to sizzling bacon bars and the best drinking chocolate you’ll ever taste. 949.566.9810 :: chrischocolates.com
No. {6} When headed out for a day at the beach, stop by Champagnes Deli in Newport Beach for the best sandwiches in coastal OC. We particularly love the turkey breast on country French bread with a smear of spicy mustard and avocado. 949.640.5011 :: champagnesdeli.com
No. {7} Mix nostalgia with grown-up taste with the adult milkshakes at 25 Degrees in Huntington Beach. Highly recommended is the Salty Caramel shake with bourbon, vanilla ice cream and caramel, sprinkled with Himalayan sea salt. 714.960.2525 :: 25degreesrestaurant.com
No. {8} Ogle all the beautiful people (and beautiful cocktails) at Charlie Palmer’s happy hour. Add an order of the restaurant’s famous sliders and your post-workday is complete. 714.352.2525 :: charliepalmer.com
No. {9} Pasta is everywhere, but the handmade, toothy kind that evokes images of vacation on the Mediterranean coast can only be found at Cucina Alessá. Try anything on the menu involving housemade pasta and leave content. 949.645.2148 (Newport Beach) :: 714.969.2148 (Huntington Beach) :: 949.497.8222 (Laguna Beach) :: cucinaalessa.com
No. {10} Despite all the ocean view terraces and huevos rancheros that can be found along Pacific Coast Highway, you haven’t really brunched in OC until you’ve been to Break of Dawn. The strictly breakfast- and lunch-only restaurant in Laguna Niguel specializes in chef/owner Dee Nguyen’s signature Vietnamese-inspired cuisine that is rivaled by none. 949.587.9418 :: breakofdawnrestaurant.com
No. {11} Get cocktails at Mesa. The Clash is particularly delicious, with tangerine- and arbol chile-infused vodka, cilantro, lime, and Tuaca. 714.557.6700 :: mesacostamesa.com
No. {12} There may be few good reasons to venture away from the coast, but Lola Gaspar in Santa Ana is one of them. Hobnob with OC’s cerebral foodies in the historic Santora building, located in the center of Santa Ana’s Artists Village, while noshing on Spanish-inspired small plates late into the night. 714.972.1172 :: lolagaspar.com
No. {13} Date Shake at Ruby’s Shake Shack, then take a stroll down Newport Coast. Is there anything more summery to do in OC? We think not. 949.464.0100 :: rubys.com
No. {14} There are bakeries, and then there is 85ºC Bakery Café, where cakes and breads made by top pastry chefs have brought many a carb-o-phile to their knees in gratitude. The bakery’s Taiwanese origins may be unexpected, but there is nothing to question about the vanilla custard-filled sweet bread. 949.553.8585 :: 85cafe.us
No. {15} Chase your baked goods with a scientifically perfect cup of coffee from the Portola Coffee Lab at the OC Mart Mix in Costa Mesa. Made with the “most advanced brewing processes known to man,” you’ll also learn things you never knew you wanted to know, like what a Bunn Trifecta is. 949.713.7318 :: portolacoffeelab.com
No. {16} Spend an afternoon or evening in someone else’s garden – one where they cook for you – at Park Ave.’s new il garage dining oasis, an outdoor space that was recently transformed from a vintage dairy farm. Chef/owner David Slay presides over one of OC’s best off-the-beaten-track restaurants, bringing his homegrown produce and a touch of Italy to dishes such as harvested beets with creamy robiola cheese. 714.901.4400 :: parkavedining.com
No. {17} Still searching for the OC’s best taco? Look no more, for SOL Mexican Cocina’s simple Baja-inspired street tacos (think: carne asada made with Angus beef, pico, avocado sauce, and onions). Wash it down with a raspberry-serrano pepper margarita.
949.675.9800 :: solcocina.com
No. {18} There’s no need to obsess over the perfectly seared outside and pink middle of a home-barbecued burger – OC is home to a number of stellar gourmet burger joints to satisfy your carnivorous appetite. The Counter, Haven Gastropub and the Crow Burger Kitchen (opening soon on Balboa Peninsula) won’t disappoint. The Counter: 949.336.7272 (Irvine) :: 949.642.0700 (Newport Beach) :: thecounterburger.com; Haven Gastropub: 714.221.0680 :: havengastropub.com; Crow Burger Kitchen: crowburgerkitchen.com
No. {19} The quest for OC’s best pizza has ended at Costa Mesa’s Il Dolce Pizzeria, where proprietor Roberto Bignes spins out authentic Naples-style thin crust pizzas topped with everything from prosciutto and arugula to meatballs and ricotta cheese. Stick around for mouthwatering desserts made by Bignes’s wife and co-owner, Fernanda Masuero. 949.200.9107 :: ildolceoc.com
No. {20} Skip the food court at Fashion Island and stop by the Gourmet Hot Dog Cart. All beef hot dogs (plus turkey dogs and tofu dogs) and toppings rarely found on this coast (red relish, deli mustard) make it a destination unto itself.
No. {21} Feast on gourmet pub food at the gastropub that doesn’t want to be known as a gastropub, St. Roy Chef’s Pub Feast in San Clemente. With a name cobbled together from four towns in Napa Valley (St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, and Yountville), dishes like pork schnitzel with forest mushrooms, grainy mustard and cider gravy call for one of the anti-gastropub’s many microbrews on tap. 949.361.2079 :: stroychefspub.com
No. {22} Get a fashion education while watching presentations on a 60-foot catwalk, plus enjoy the best garlic noodles we’ve ever tasted at South Coast Plaza’s AnQi. 714.557.5679 :: anqibistro.com
No. {23} Sip on fresh fruit mojitos, grab some California-inspired small bites and take in the sunset at The Rooftop Lounge above La Casa del Camino Hotel in Laguna Beach. It’s the best OC has to offer, all on one roof deck. 949.497.2446 :: rooftoplagunabeach.com
No. {24} After feasting on pub grub and craft beers at St. Roy’s (see No. 21), head next door to Vine, where the restaurant’s well-thought-out, California-heavy wine list pays tribute to our state’s burgeoning wine country. 949.361.2079 :: vinesanclemente.com
No. {25} Don your best white linen pants, sturdy fedora and cigar-smoking pose for a Cuban-style late night at Habana in Costa Mesa’s The Lab. Drink capirinhas (a muddle of Brazilian cachaca, lime and raw cane sugar) and practice your Spanish while sampling artisanal cheeses like La Leyenda, a brandy-soaked soft sheep milk cheese, into the wee hours. 714.556.0176 :: thelab.com
