Best of Dining Out
The restaurant experiences and menu items we crave
$10 Popsicle
Michael J. Owens, head pastry chef at Palm Terrace Restaurant and Lounge at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach, offers a three-part, $10 dessert called “Lemon, Lemon, Lemon” that includes a creamy lemon bar, a sweet lemony pudding cake, and a “tangy popsicle.” Everything is good, but the frozen concoction—with the juice of three lemons in each treat—tastes like something tart and frozen exploded on your tongue. He’s offering it for spring and summer, but says he’ll keep it on the menu into fall if there’s enough demand. 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. 949-759-0808. www.theislandhotel.com.
Breakfast with Airs
Pacific Whey Café’s locations have a steakhouse vibe, but they’re where to see and be seen for the first meal of the day. The California fare includes Spinach & Feta Scramble, Filet Mignon & Eggs—Any Style, and Country French Omelette (with sautéed eggplant, leeks, and goat cheese). Crystal Cove Promenade, 949-715-2200; Mercantile West Shopping Center, 949-542-7744; Newport Hills Shopping Center, 949-644-0303; and South Coast Plaza, 714-641-9911. www.pacificwhey.com.
Dining Value
Thrifty O.C. foodies-in-the-know flock to 50 Forks, which offers fine dining at fast-food prices. High-end items such as roasted quail, seared monkfish, and braised short ribs with polenta grace the weekday lunch menu prepared by students at the Art Institute of California–Orange County’s culinary program. Call for reservations, lunch hours, and menu, as they vary by semester. 3601 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. 714-429-0918.
Grilled Salad
Don’t leave Savannah at the Beach at the foot of the Huntington Beach Pier until you’ve scarfed down the Grilled Caesar salad—heart of romaine, grilled and ever-so-slightly charred, then cooled in a bath of tomato-corn relish, creamy cilantro Caesar dressing, and a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds ($13). With a view of the sunlit Pacific, white curls of surf, and that famous pier, what more could a body want? 315 Pacific Coast Highway. 714-374-7273. www.culinary adventures.com.
Chopped Salad
The traditional chopped salad survives at Finbars Italian Kitchen, where it’s a tart, salty, and satisfying mound of chopped salami, provolone, roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, red onions, Roma tomatoes, iceberg, and romaine tossed with vinaigrette and served with chunks of bread. The half-order ($8) feeds two; with the whole ($11), invite the family. 620 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach, 562-430-4303; 901-C S. Coast Drive, Costa Mesa. 714-641-3000. www.finbars.com.
Breakfast Without Airs
Sugar Shack Café stands in the heart of Surf City, and owner Michele Turner and crew still turn out some of the best breakfasts around (try the hash browns!), and at prices that seem improbable considering the gentrification of the neighborhood. Plus, it remains the best place to hear authentic dudespeak and ogle the passing parade of beach-ready bods. Be prepared to wait. 213 1/2 Main St., Huntington Beach. 714-536-0355.
Place to See a Pro Surfer With Wet Hair
Pedro’s Tacos in San Clemente. Cheap, spicy, filling, and fast, with drive-through service for anyone who needs to dash back to work after a lunch-break session at Trestles. Two locations in San Clemente:
2313 S. El Camino Real. 949-498-5904; 550 N. El Camino Real. 949-498-5908.
Creative Menu
Fish in a Bottle takes Japanese fusion to the extreme with bold unions of Pan-Asian and Japanese cuisine. Nontraditional makizushi rolls with names such as the Cowboy Roll (prime rib, baby field greens, and gorgonzola cheese) and the Blue Mountain Roll (bits of crab, avocado, and mozzarella topped with blueberry jam) are at least twice the size of normal rolls. Getting the best of both worlds has never been easier. 1205 E. Imperial Highway, Placentia. 714-528-4000.