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Javier’s Cantina & Grill recently opened at Crystal Cove Promenade in Newport Coast, offering the same well-loved gourmet regional Mexican cuisine and grilled seafood, steak and chicken dishes as the Irvine and former Laguna Beach locations. New items on the Newport Coast menu include spare ribs, osso bucco and Cabo azul, a large seafood entrée with an assortment of shrimp tacos, Maine lobster enchiladas and grilled chile rellenos with fresh shrimp and crab. Javier’s also is known for its large selection of premium tequilas and made-to-order margaritas. This spring, Javier’s plans to add breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 8-11:00 a.m. Javier’s Cantina & Grill, Crystal Cove Promenade, 7832 E Pacific Coast Hwy Newport Coast, 949-494-1239. Buon Giorno, an authentic Italian coffee shop, has opened in Costa Mesa. Located in the original Diedrich’s coffeehouse on 17th Street, Buon Giorno offers Costadora of Torino coffee, teas, fresh juices and a menu of light Italian café cuisine. There’s also free WiFi and a rather nice patio. On the weekends, owner Athos Fiori brings in European-style musicians. Buon Giorno Café, 474 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, 949-645-3900. The Counter, a gourmet make-it-your-way burger concept, has opened in Irvine at Woodbury Town Center. The restaurant promises more than 312,000 ways to build your burger, with variables including three kinds of meats, a veggie burger, three patty sizes, 10 cheeses, 26 toppings, 17 sauces and three bun varieties. The Counter, Woodbury Town Center, 6416 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, 949-336-7272, www.thecounterburger.com. The Beach Pit BBQ, which is owned by ex-minor league ball player and Newport real estate developer Tim DeCinces, opened a second location in late January. Located in quaint Old Town Tustin, this Beach Pit BBQ post is a real historical site, the location of California's first mechanic's garage. "The pit," as it is known in Newport-Mesa, serves up authentic Southern barbecue favorites, including smoked ribs, tri tip and chicken. You'll also find hearty entrée salads, smoky baked beans, you-can't-eat-just-one sweet potato fries and homemade banana pudding. They even smoke whole turkeys for the holidays and other special occasions. Like the Newport-Mesa restaurant, this family-friendly spot also has an upscale yet down home dine-and-play area for the kids out back. Beach Pit BBQ at The Tustin Garage, 560 El Camino Real, Old Town Tustin. The eagerly anticipated Hamamori Restaurant-Lounge has opened. Located in the former Bangkok Four space inside South Coast Plaza's home store wing, the restaurant is owner James Hamamori's crowning achievement. Hamamori has collaborated with chef Takumi Murase, who is known for his kaiseki style of cooking and was previously associated with Megu in New York. The decor is clean and modern, with a distinct Asian sensibility. The menu features many of Hamamori's fusion creations from his Wasa Sushi restaurants. The lunch menu consists of small plates, lunch sets, sushi and sashimi platters and an ozen platter similar to a bento box. Lunch dishes range from $6 to $28. Dinner prices stretch from $6 to $39, with a high of $70 for a Kobe filet steak. An omakase menu is available for $80, and that meal can be accompanied by a wine and saké pairing for an additional $40. Hamamori Restaurant-Lounge, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa, 714-850-0880. Taps Fish House & Brewery will open at The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona. Like the original Taps in Brea, the second Corona restaurant features a full brewery, a large open dining room, an exhibition kitchen, an oyster bar, a lounge and three patios with fire pits. Taps is known as a lively upscale lunch and dinner spot serving large portions of New Orleans-themed American classics and fresh contemporary seafood dishes. You'll also find hand-thrown pizzas and sandwiches at lunch. TAPS Fish House & Brewery, The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos, 2745 Lakeshore Dr., Corona, 951-277-5800, www.tapsfishhouse.com. Pelican Grill has opened at the famed Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast. While the adjacent resort won’t open until next year, the golf club’s Pelican Grill has garnered chef Thomas Ryan to oversee the kitchens at this oceanview resort restaurant. Chef Ryan’s menu has some traditional favorites, such as steaks and seafood as well as pasta dishes, salads and soups, prepared with fresh ingredients in season. The restaurant’s grand interior is reflected in the Palladian-style architecture and arching windows that overlook the golf greens and ocean blues just outside. Guests can also dine on the outdoor terrace or in the lively lounge. Pelican Grill, Pelican Hill Golf Club, 22800 Pelican Hill Road South, Newport Coast, www.pelicanhill.com. Yard House has opened its fourth OC location in Fashion Island. Adjacent to Bloomingdale’s, this Fashion Island Yard House features 100 beers on tap as well as the American and Pacific Rim fusion cuisine of chef-partner Carlito Jocson. The restaurant’s interior is highlighted by a contrasting mix of warm woods, stainless steel, art by local painters and an oval bar with a fleet of 100 handles. We are ready to saddle up to this serious beer bar while watching sports on two dozen plasma TVs and listening to a library of over 5,000 digital titles of classic rock tunes, ‘70s disco hits and ‘80s new wave sounds. Yard House, Fashion Island, 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, 949-640-9273, www.yardhouse.com. The Arches has reopened in a new space at 508 29th Street in Newport Beach’s Cannery Row Village. We’ve heard owner Dan Marcheano has created another instant OC classic with his Texas-style barbecue dishes, along with steaks, chops and seafood. The Arches, 508 29th St., Newport Beach, 949-645-7077. Flight Bistro & Social Lounge is now set to open in mid October. This Asian-inspired small plates concept is located in the ever-so-unsuccessful space (Blue Agave, Scorpion Steakhouse, AKA) at the corner of Adams Avenue and Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. Entrepreneur Stephen Chu blew us away with his seasonal small plates menus filled with organic, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, which were conceived by LA-based consulting chef Mark Mittleman (Republic, WEST Restaurant & Lounge, Polo Lounge). Chu says his “extensive wine list” changes seasonally. The decor will be a fusion of contemporary and antique styles in navy blues and grays with a highly modern lounge. Flight Bistro & Social Lounge, Huntington Beach, 714-374-8300, www.flightoc.com. Izakaya Zero, located in downtown Huntington's former Red Pearl Kitchen, has opened. This new Takashi Abe spot is a departure from his upscale Bluefin in Newport Coast's Crystal Cove Promenade. The word "izakaya" is used in Japan as a general term for working-class taverns that serve shared small plates in a casual environment. Sometimes called "Japanese tapas," the cuisine at Izakaya has been interpreted by chef Abe as "Japanese classics with fusion touches." Some menu items include crab "cigars" (hand-rolled and deep-fried crab, shrimp, and scallops served with spicy mango salsa), yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls), popcorn shrimp in a truffle butter-ponzu sauce, mixed sashimi ceviche, seared halibut carpaccio, Mexican-style lobster gratin and marinated lamb chops. Decorated with strong colors and geometric patterns, Izakaya Zero also features a full bar, a specialty sake menu and a good selection of wines, mostly from California, by the glass. Izakaya Zero, 412 Walnut Ave., Huntington Beach, 714-960-1278. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar opens August 27 at The District in Tustin. The anticipation for this latest OC wine country restaurant owes to the presence of chef Yvon Goetz (The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, Culinary Adventures, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel). The interior promises to be hip, lively and sophisticated, with dark woods, leather and velvet bar stools. The restaurant claims its state-of-the-art 5,000 bottle cellar will be one of the largest in Orange County. Open daily for lunch and dinner, The Winery also features a wine tasting bar with a full bar menu. Two private rooms feature handmade doors from Spain, presentation equipment for corporate meetings and one room even has a waterfall and fireplace. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar, The District (Jamboree Road & Barranca Parkway), 2647 Park Ave., Tustin, 714-258-7600, www.thewineryrestaurant.net.
Whole Foods Market, a natural and organic foods supermarket chain, has relocated its downtown Tustin store on Holt Avenue to The District at Tustin Legacy. Opening in late August, Whole Foods Market will offer 60,000 square feet of shopping space, including a wine and tapas bar, tea bar, butter bar, chocolate island, bakery, hand-cut cheese department, smokehouse and seafood grill, taqueria, churrascaria and Asian-style eateries. There’s also free wireless internet access at this location. Whole Foods Market, The District at Tustin Legacy, Jamboree Road & Barranca Parkway, Tustin, www.wholefoods.com. Huntington’s Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort has completely renovated its signature restaurant, bestowing the new name Shades on its oft-overlooked restaurant (formerly Palm Court). While the inside was made more stylish about a year ago, the biggest change is outside, where there’s now a hip patio with an eclectic mix of classy shades. Chef Jeff Littlefield thankfully continues the restaurant’s tradition of market-fresh ingredients and tasty contemporary Euro-Cal cuisine. Shades serves breakfast, Sunday brunch, lunch, dinner and is also adding late-night live entertainment on the weekends at its “Shades PM” lounge scene. Shades, Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, 714-854-8444. Silvera Steakhouse & Lounge, sister restaurant to Tuna Town in downtown Huntington Beach, has officially opened. Chef Sabre Kennedy, who was most recently the chef at Landmark Steakhouse in Corona del Mar, heads up the kitchen. Silvera Steakhouse & Lounge, 126 Main St., Huntington Beach, 714-969-9000, www.silverasteakhouse.com. Marche Moderne, the new South Coast Plaza bistro owned and run by former Pinot Provence chef Florent Marneau, has opened for both lunch and dinner. Located in the former Troquet location, the restaurant also features Marneau's pastry chef wife, Amelia. 3333 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, 714-434-7900. In another hotel restaurant remake, former longtime Pavilions restaurant at The Island Hotel Newport Beach has been renamed Palm Terrace Restaurant & Lounge and redecorated with a Beverly Hills Hotel-style bold tropical print as well as re-engineering the restaurant into more of an indoor-outdoor space. Chef Bill Bracken is still at the kitchen’s helm and has devised some new menu items, a customizable tasting menu and more savory small bites well suited to the lounge. The Palm Terrace Lounge still hosts sold-out intimate jam sessions Wednesday through Saturday evenings with versatile singer Jimmy Hopper. Palm Terrace Restaurant & Lounge, The Island Hotel Newport Beach, 690 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach. Z Mario, which features traditional Italian fare, has opened for lunch and dinner in the former Chanteclair space across from John Wayne Airport. 18912 Macarthur Blvd., Irvine, 949-833-1900. Two new restaurants have opened at The Camp in Costa Mesa’s SoBeCa district. 118 Degrees, created by the restaurateur behind Naked Apples in Laguna Beach, brings the raw food movement to The Camp. The restaurant, which showcases natural and organic cuisine in which nothing is heated above the namesake temperature, also features a beverage lounge, live music, organic wine and a smoothie and elixir bar. 118 Degrees, The Camp, 2981 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-754-0718. And Old Vine Café, located in the former Village Bakery space, offers a full breakfast every day from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch and dinner feature tapas-style dishes as well as homemade soups and creative salads. There’s also a weekly wine pairing menu with a four- or five-course prix-fixe feast. An adjacent gourmet store sells wines, olive oils and other specialty food items from around the world. Old Vine Café, The Camp, 2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Commonwealth Lounge recently opened in Fullerton with chef Nick Phelps at the kitchen’s helm. Phelps worked most recently at the company’s sister restaurant, 320 Main in Seal Beach. This new upscale lounge in downtown Fullerton has a nostalgic concept in both food and décor. Commonwealth Lounge, 112 Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, 714-525-8888, www.commonwealthlounge.com. Lazy Dog Café, a fine dining meets down home American restaurant concept, will open its third restaurant in April. Located in the Stadium Promenade Shopping Center, this Lazy Dog Café will serve a large variety of American, Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and South American fare by chef Gabriel Caliendo. Lazy Dog Café, 1623 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim, 714-769-7020. Panini Bistro in Newport Beach has reopened with a new menu. Panini Bistro, 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, 949-660-1010, www.tenrestaurantgroup.com. The Ghoukassian family, owners of the Dining as Art Catering Company as well as the acclaimed Bayside and Bistango restaurants, has opened Kimera Restaurant Lounge. Located near the intersection of Jamboree Road and MacArthur Boulevard in Newport Beach, Kimera offers a menu of contemporary global cuisine utilizing fresh local ingredients for lunch and dinner in an ultra-modern setting. Kimera Restaurant Lounge, 19530 Jamboree Rd., Newport Beach.
ENO, a wine, cheese and chocolate boutique, has opened at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. ENO fulfills every gourmand’s dream for the world’s three most decadent indulgences: fine wine, artisinal cheese and gourmet chocolate. The décor complete with a floor-to-ceiling wine tower, feels more like a casual wine tasting room rather than a typical store. ENO, The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, One Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point, 949-240-2000, www.ENOwinerooms.com.
VUE opened at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort in June. The redesigned restaurant serves contemporary California cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood to complement its bluff-top ocean views. Open daily from 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and offers a special Sunday brunch. VUE, Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort, 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, 949-661-5000. The newly-remodeled Fairmont Newport Beach opened bambú restaurant, replacing Accents. The new restaurant offers seasonal California cuisine in the same atrium-like setting, but now with palms, orchids and 20-foot bamboo trees. Luckily, bambú follows its predecessor in offering one of the region’s best buffet brunches every Sunday starting at 10 a.m. bambú, 4500 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach, 949-476-2001.
Celebrated chef Michael Mina has teamed up with world-renowned designer Tony Chi to create the new Stonehill Tavern, a one-of-a-kind dining experience at the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach. Mina's Modern American menu, featuring his signature small plate trios, allows guests to enjoy their favorite menu items in three distinct preparations. Chi has created a contemporary, sophisticated dining room that is the perfect setting for Mina’s artful interpretations of classic American Tavern fare. In addition to the handsomely appointed dining room, Stonehill Tavern also offers an outdoor terrace for dinner or cocktails while enjoying a Pacific Ocean sunset; a warm and inviting bar and lounge; and a private, fireside dining room well-suited for larger groups or business dinners requiring more privacy. Park Ave. serves interpretations of classic American cuisine in a distinctive setting that exudes a retro-chic ambience. The restaurant’s combination of swanky old-Hollywood décor and dishes such as horseradish hanger steak, scallop-stuffed mushrooms and peanut-butter-and-banana french toast transforms dining out into the special occasion it used to be. Park Ave. serves lunch, dinner, dessert, cocktails and weekend breakfast. To make a reservation or to place an order for take-out, call 714-901-4400 or visit www.parkavedining.com. Centered on the cuisine of the country of the same name, Mozambique offers unique dishes using Peri-Peri, a traditional spice. Meats are cooked in an aromatic wood fire, and selections such as fava bean and wild mushroom minestrone, sweet potato gnocchi and Mozambique oyster and fish chowder aren’t too intimidating, but offer just enough variety and authenticity to be exotic. Mozambique, 1740 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949-715-7100, www.mozambiqueoc.com. Dock and dine at the new Kantina on the Newport Beach waterfront. The “Nuevo Mexican” cuisine blends Mexican flavors with influences from Asian and other Latin cultures. Executive chef Robert Herrera, formerly of the Loft Restaurant at the Montage Resort and Spa, prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner. Park your boat in one of the multiple slips, then choose from indoor, outdoor patio or lounge seating. Open seven days a week, 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Kantina 2406 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, 949-673-1400. A former Hooters in Newport Beach is taking a turn towards sophistication by being transformed into Kantina by new owner Doug McAllister (also owner of the popular Sutra Lounge in Costa Mesa). Slated to open in early January 2006, the restaurant will be able to accommodate 200 people, who will enjoy a Latin-inspired menu from executive chef Stéphane Beaucamp's (also of Sutra). Expect dishes such as sugarcane-marinated chicken skewers in tortilla soup and mango-glazed pork ribs with Peruvian potato salad. Hours will be 7 a.m.-2 a.m. Kantina, 2406 Newport Blvd., Newport Beach, 949-673-1400.
Huntington Beach can now add an Italian-French fusion restaurant to its roster. Opened by chef/owner Stef Serafin, Ciao Brasserie offers many standard Italian favorites such as stone baked pizzas and chicken picatta but also some dishes with a French twist such as jumbo scallops wrapped with New York steak in a Dijon Pommery sauce and filet mignon with gorganzola cream sauce. Très bon e buono! 7568 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, 714-848-9385, www.ciaobrasserie.com. Residents of Lake Forest now have one more choice for casual upscale dining: the Corner Broiler. This cozy yet classy restaurant and bar opened very recently, and is still ironing out a few final kinks, but happy to welcome customers nonetheless. Corner Broiler, 24301 Muirlands Blvd., Lake Forest. A splashy new Italian restaurant with an elegant dining room, an extensive menu and an adjacent nightclub, Bellagio is out to woo North County palates—and wallets. Definitely worth checking out, even if only for a drink and a look around. Bellagio, 12361 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove, 714-971-8250. Takashi Abe fans have waited a while to get a taste of the former Matsuhisa chef’s cuisine. After Restaurant Abe was sold, people were told that Bluefin by Abe would open in May in the Crystal Cove Promenade. That month has come and gone, and we still hear rumors that the elegant Asian fusion restaurant will soon open. Stay tuned. Arizona restaurant group Mastro’s is set to open Mastro’s Ocean Club Fish House in Newport Beach in August. This upscale seafood restaurant will be the first of three Mastro’s restaurants to open in Southern California in 2005, though not the first ever—there’s already a Mastro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills. Mastro’s Ocean Club Fish House, 8112 E. Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, 949-376-6990.
Mozambique, offering steaks and seafood without the soupçon of danger found in its namesake African island nation, is set to open in the historic Tortilla Flats building this summer. Mozambique, 1740 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, 949-715-7777. Wine
buffs have a lot to be happy about these days. Yet another wine
shop and tasting bar is opening up in OC—this time, in the
small community of Ladera Ranch. The Reserve Wine Bar and
Shop is committed to offering the best prices and the friendliest
environment. The Reserve Wines, 25642 Crown Valley Pkwy, Suite E5,
Ladera Ranch, 949-276-5688. Score another for San Clemente. White Horses Restaurant & Bar, an unpretentious Continental bistro with a very eclectic menu and a lovely dining room, quietly opened this spring. The contemporary cuisine is delectable and the overall experience quite poetic. White Horses, 610 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, 949-429-1800 Ten Restaurant Group debuted its latest hot spot in early January, and you could hear the oohs and ahhs of appreciation from miles away. This place epitomizes the glamorous, more-is-more, worldly but never edgy style that Orange County loves so much. Ten is actually three places in one: elegant Ten Asian Bistro, club-alicious Ten Ultra Lounge, and comfy little Café Panini, where you can go get real food if the nouveau Asian nibbles don’t satisfy you. 4647 MacArthur Blvd. Newport Beach, 949-660-1010. Chakra Indian Cuisine has opened at the University Center. This place is groovy as can be and if you show up after dinner’s over, you’ll be “chak’d” to find that it has turned into a nightspot. Chakra Indian Cuisine, 4143 Campus Dr., Irvine, 949-854-0009, www.chakracuisine.com.
For some reason, the space at Beach Boulevard and Adams Avenue in Huntington Beach cannot keep a permanent resident. Stung by the oft-abandoned location is Scorpion Steakhouse, which closed this spring. Alas, someone always seems to try, try again. This summer, the Aka Japanese Cuisine & Lounge opened its doors. The smoldering modern interior harkens hipsters to enjoy its cocktails, sushi bar and tempting dessert menu. Aka Japanese Cuisine & Lounge, 8082 Adams Ave., Huntington Beach, 714-374-9600, akarestaurant.com.
Re-invented yet again is the space in Fashion Island formerly known as Rouge Bistro. Now re-named French 75 by David Wilhelm’s Culinary Adventures group, the “new” restaurant is now part of the French 75 brand, which includes the original restaurant in Laguna Beach as well as outposts in The Marketplace (Irvine), Burbank and Century City. French 75, 327 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-640-2700. The newly opened Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge at the John Wayne Airport, from Culinary Adventures' David Wilhelm, features a Jetsons-themed décor with bright orange booths, futuristic light fixtures, and American fare for breakfast and lunch. Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge, John Wayne Airport, 949-252-6125.
The Wyndham Orange County Hotel, located across the street from the new Cesar Pelli-designed Orange County Performing Arts Center, has revamped its TerraNova Dining Room. Former St. Regis chef Azmin Ghahreman helped create the brasserie-style breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. At lunch, there’s an all-you-can-eat pasta bar. For dinner, choose from grilled meats, fresh seafood or seasonal specialties. TerraNova Dining Room, The Wyndham Orange County Hotel, 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa, 714-751-5100. Sapphire
Laguna, once slated for an August opening, will finally
open in December. Located in The Old Pottery Place, this new ocean-view
complex sits on the landmark site of Laguna Beach’s historic
Pottery Shack. Owner/chef Azmin Ghahreman, who most recently manned
the kitchens as executive chef at the St.
Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa in Dana Point, plans to
serve food inspired by cuisines from around the world, including
grilled Moroccan-style Baja jumbo shrimp, wok-fried baby snapper
with Thai chili-lemongrass sauce, braised prime short ribs and chicken
pot pie. The main dining room will seat 60, the outdoor bi-level
terrace will welcome another 38 guests, and walk-in wine cellars
will hold up to 700 bottles. Adjoining the restaurant will be a
930-square-foot gourmet shop. The restaurant will serve lunch Mon.-Fri.,
dinner nightly and brunch Sat.-Sun. Sapphire Laguna, 1200 S. Coast
Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949-715-9888. Sapphire Laguna has begun accepting reservations. Located in The Old Pottery Place, this new ocean-view complex sits on the landmark site of Laguna Beach’s historic Pottery Shack. Owner-chef Azmin Ghahreman, who most recently manned the kitchens as executive chef at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa, plans to serve food inspired by cuisines from around the world, including such specialties as grilled Moroccan-style baja jumbo shrimp, wok-fried baby snapper with Thai chili-lemongrass sauce, braised prime short ribs and chicken pot pie. The main dining room will seat 60, the outdoor bi-level terrace will welcome another 38 guests and walk-in wine cellars will hold up to 700 bottles. Adjoining the restaurant will be a 930-square-foot gourmet shop. Most of the other shops (an art gallery, chocolate shop, shoe salon and a lovely book store) in The Old Pottery Place are already open for business. The restaurant will serve lunch Mon.-Fri., dinner nightly and brunch Sat.-Sun. Sapphire Laguna, 1200 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, 949-715-9888. Chris and Dennis Overstreet of Le Quai and The Wine Merchant of Beverly Hills recently re-opened the restaurant formerly known as Aubergine. Now called 50829, the eatery serves more casual European and contemporary fare in the modern cottage on a quiet street in Newport’s Cannery Village district. The restaurant is open Tues.-Sat. starting at 5 p.m. 50829, 508 29th St., Newport Beach, 949-723-4150. The Melting Pot opened its second Orange County location in San Clemente. Mother-daughter restaurateurs Mira Selbo and Dana Tanner opened their first Melting Pot location in Irvine. They plan to open a third location this spring in Downtown Brea. The Melting Pot, 647 Camino de los Mares, San Clemente, 949-661-1966, www.meltingpot.com. Joshua Nudd, previously of Hoku’s in Honolulu, has been named chef de cuisine at Pavilion, the fine dining establishment at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. So far, there are no changes to executive chef Bill Bracken’s menu. Pavilion, 690 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-760-4920. Restaurateurs Tim and Liza Goodell (Troquet, Red Pearl Kitchen, Dakota) have sold The Lodge in Costa Mesa to Michael Bassler and Troy Furuto, who plan on reopening it under a different name. The Goodells plan on opening another Red Pearl Kitchen in San Diego in January 2006. It’s been a tumultuous time for casino restaurants. Morongo Casino in Indio Valley abruptly bid adieu to its erstwhile culinary partner N9NE Group in late May, reopening each of the former N9NE-managed venues under a different name, similar concept and tribal management almost immediately thereafter. Morongo Casino, 49500 Seminole Dr., Cabazon, 888-MORONGO. A new chef has arrived at Great Oak Steakhouse in Pechanga Casino. Brian Johnston has revamped the menu, introducing some new main courses featuring buffalo and venison. Great Oak Steakhouse, Pechanga Casino, 45000 Pechanga Pkwy., Temecula, 909-719-8594.
Check out chef Yves Fournier’s summer menu at the Hyatt Regency Irvine’s 6ix Park Grille. It features a warm seafood salad, seafood fettuccini, wood-grilled antelope chop and various delectable desserts. 6ix Park Grille, 17900 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, 949-225-6666. Over
in Fullerton, neighborhood fave Il Ghiotto changed
its name to the more abbreviated and New World-glamorous Spadra.
The cuisine remains the same. Spadra, 136 E. Commonwealth, Fullerton,
714-447-0775. After months of renovation, the Disneyland Resort has completely redesigned the décor and menu offerings at two of its restaurants. Yamabuki, in the Paradise Pier Hotel, features fresh sushi and Japanese fare and now offers a four-course "imperial menu.” The kitchen is headed by chef Katsuhiko Sato. Yamabuki, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, 1717 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, 714-999-0990. The former Granville's at the Disneyland Hotel is now Steakhouse 55 and Lounge at Steakhouse 55. The décor evokes a Hollywood glamour feel, and the menu features steakhouse fare like herb-crusted rack of lamb and a dry-rubbed grilled rib eye. The kitchen is helmed by chef Jason Martin. The sumptuous Lounge at Steakhouse 55 has velvet and leather chaise lounges, heavy drapery and black marble tables, and features a menu with crab cakes, smoked ahi, pizzetta and artisan cheeses. Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel 1150 Magic Way, 714-778-6600. Longtime Pinot Provence chef and Patina Group protégée Florent Marneau is moving across the street this spring to open his own bistro in the former Troquet location, once a Goodell OC icon. Marneau and his wife are calling the restaurant Marché Moderne. Marché Moderne, Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol Street, Third Level near Nordstrom. Morton’s The Steakhouse opened its second Orange County location in Anaheim. The menu and décor approximate the classic steakhouse vibe from its other restaurants. There’s also a large bar with plasma TVs and a private dining room, which can seat up to 72 guests. Morton’s The Steakhouse, 1895 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, 714-621-0101. The Yard House, an award-winning brewery and California cuisine spot popular with singles, is opening this summer at Fashion Island. The Fashion Island location is set to feature 100 taps of beer. Fashion Island, 401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-721-2000.
Carl Schroeder, the award-winning chef behind Bradley Ogden’s celebrated Arterra restaurant at the Del Mar Marriott, has opened Market Restaurant + Bar. Known for his farm-to-table fare, Schroeder cooks up fresh ingredients from local farms and ranches for his “California modern” cuisine. Market Restaurant + Bar, 3702 Via de la Valle, Del Mar, 858-523-0007. The Club Grill & Bar, a famed dining and dancing spot at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, has closed. Red Pearl Kitchen in Huntington Beach, owned by the Goodell duo of Tim and Liza, sold the restaurant to the owners of Takashi Abe's Bluefin sushi restaurant. Bluefin co-owner Ted Lee says the former Red Pearl Kitchen will re-opened with minimal décor changes but with a new concept–as a Japanese tavern known as Izakaya Zero. Hamburger Mary’s in Newport Beach recently closed. It seems owner Stan Sax, who has five other burger joints across the country, was made a sizable offer by unnamed OC restaurateurs for this desirable location. Longtime Fashion Island restaurant Tutto Mare closed recently. Ciao Brasserie, located across from Huntington Beach’s Bella Terra shopping mall, closed in January. Chef-owner Stef Serafin hopes to re-open the restaurant this summer somewhere in Aliso Viejo. The Island Hotel Newport Beach’s restaurant Pavilion, and adjacent Gardens Lounge, will close in mid-April to undergo a renovation and name change. The new restaurant and lounge, called “The Palm Terrace Restaurant & Lounge,” is slated for a June 10 opening and will remain under the direction of executive chef Bill Bracken. Longtime Pinot Provence chef and Patina Group protégée Florent Marneau is moving across the street this spring to open his own bistro in the former Troquet location, once a Goodell Orange County icon. Marneau and his pastry chef wife, Amelia, are calling the restaurant Marché Moderne. Proprietors Tim and Liza Goodell have closed Aubergine (508 29th St.), their noted Balboa Peninsula restaurant. Surprisingly, Hard Rock Café in Newport’s Fashion
Island shut its doors at the end of June, with no word as to when
or where it would open another Orange County location. Much to the chagrin of local golfers, the Irvine Company recently announced that Pelican Hill Golf Club will close for two years so that developers can build the highly anticipated Pelican Hill Resort next door. Pelican Hill Golf Club, 22651 Pelican Hill Rd., Newport Beach, 949-760-0707. Two
popular restaurant/live music venues, Kikuya and Crazy Horse, bid farewell to Orange County this
summer, much to the dismay of music fans. Longtime downtown Laguna Beach restaurant, The Jolly Roger, closed in October after more than 50 years at this historic Pacific Coast Highway location. As reported by the "Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot," the restaurant closed after losing its liquor license and businessman Sam Goldstein subsequently bought the building for more than $11 million. Another Tim and Liza Goodell landmark, South Coast Plaza’s Troquet, has closed its doors “indefinitely,” says our sources, leaving Red Pearl Kitchen in Huntington Beach the only Goodell-run restaurant in OC. Wilhelm Launches Economic Stimulus Package New Sommelier and Cheesemonger Team Up at ENO NYC in the OC Bluewater Grill on the Move Champagne Brunch at Flight Bistro & Social Lounge Sunday Brunch at Lucca Café Culinary Coach Comes to the OC Yard House’s Happy Hour Mina Meets Arizona No More Noir
In a bold move, Chat Noir has become Savannah Steak & Chop House. Perhaps David Wilhelm and his Culinary Adventures see an opportunity to compete better with neighboring Mastro’s Steakhouse. Culinary Adventures’ original Savannah Steak & Chop House is a Laguna Niguel institution with lively regulars, over-the-top service and Southern-themed contemporary cuisine with a California twist. And in yet more news, it seems Culinary Adventures’ four French 75 locations (Laguna Beach, Fashion Island, Burbank, Century City) will soon be renamed Bistro 75. Bootleggers Come to Crystal Cove Dean & DeLuca to Arrive in Fashion Island First Class Wine Flights at Economy Prices Get Happy at Opah Infusion Nation Splashes Gets a Facelift On-The-Go Lifestyle Cooks in Your Kitchen Rendezvous for Lunch
Sapphire Adds Starr Power Crist Joins Palm Terrace |
Openings
The
owner of 
There’s
a new Panera Bread Bakery-Café location
in Irvine at the Crossroads Shopping Center. This is the chain’s
third Orange County branch, and we’re betting it’s far
from the last. Panera Bread Bakery-Café, 3988 Barranca Pkwy.,
Irvine, 949-786-8800.
