Heartlander invades NewPort Beach

[elfin]

Going to Newport Beach next week-will have wheels. Any recs for a place to eat for a Chicagoan who has been in the cold since October? Dining solo thus ultra trendy/fancy is out. Thanks.

[Maison Rustique]

You could meet jschyun and me for a Chicago-style hotdog in Irvine. We had them yesterday and they are great!!! And hopefully it won't rain!

[Carolyn Tillie]

I miss Newport Beach -- it is an absolutely lovely destination and if you are coming from the cold midwest, you should have a delightful visit.

Here are some old favorites of mine:

FIVE CROWNS

3801 Coast Hwy E

Corona del Mar, CA 92625

949-760-0331

Old world prime rib in a stunning, vine-covered Tudor. It has been there for at least 35 years and while I haven't eaten there in over 20, I can't imagine it has changed much.

QUIET WOMAN

3224 Coast Hwy E

Corona del Mar, CA 92625

949-640-7440

Another restaurant that has been around for ages -- I remember wanting to go there when I was a kid because their sign was a picture of a woman, circa 1700, holding two buckets, with no head... An expensive restaurant, but interesting.

AUBERGINE

508 - 29th Street

Newport Beach, CA 92663

949-723-4150

Expensive French. Very good.

CRAB COOKER

2200 Newport Boulevard

Newport Beach, CA 92660

949-673-0100

Relatively inexpensive must! Another restaurant I've been dining at for 30+ years that ALWAYS has a line to get in. Absolutely the freshest, best-prepared fish on the coastline. Don't be put off by the fact that everything is served on paper plates - it is part of the charm.

Sage Restaurant

2531 Eastbluff Dr ,

Newport Beach

I've only heard good things about this place - never eaten there.

It is driving me nuts that I can't think of the high-falutin Mexican/Seafood restaurant that lies right on the coastline. Very expensive, but quite a treat. I hope the others are helpful.

949-718-9650

[jschyun]

Was the highfalutin place Las Brisas? Great view, I've never really gone there for the food, but yeah there's seafood and it's Mexican. Did I mention great view?

A lot of people have their wedding receptions here. You can see the entire coastline, and it's absolutely a great place to take a pic for use in bragging to friends at home.

--it's not so expensive at lunch, and the parking is not so bad. The parking lot is a steep incline from the street, so be careful.

Edited March 4, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[jschyun]

You can drive down the Pacific Coast Highway (preferably on a sunny day with the top down) and stop by the Date Shack, which I think is between Newport and Laguna, but I forget. On the way down from Newport, you'll pass by Crystal Cove, where Beaches was filmed long ago (ooh ahh). I'm sure other things have been filmed too. You might see some little bungalows close to the water, or not, I think they've been kicked out. Pac Coast Highway is a really nice drive on a sunny day.

You definitely want a lot of shots of you on the beach, preferably smiling and in shorts. I checked the weather and unfortunately, it's going to be partially cloudy next week for the most part. Oh well.

What kind of seafood are you interested in? I think Laguna has better views, somehow the restaurants there have the view thing down.

If you want a dining partner for some lunches, Newport Beach is right next to me. Maison Rustique and others might be in the area as well. Of course, sometimes solitude is the best way to appreciate that lush view. On the other hand, you need someone to take pics.

[tejon]

FIVE CROWNS

3801 Coast Hwy E

Corona del Mar, CA 92625

949-760-0331

Old world prime rib in a stunning, vine-covered Tudor. It has been there for at least 35 years and while I haven't eaten there in over 20, I can't imagine it has changed much.

Nope - hasn't changed much at all. I had my 16th birthday party there (in one of the upstairs rooms) 20 years ago and remembered how tasty the prime rib was. Got married there 6 years ago, and the catering and experience was wonderful. We went back last year on our anniversary and had a very enjoyable and delicious dinner. It's a beautiful building, tucked surprisingly close to the beach (Little Corona beach is blocks away).

[Carolyn Tillie]

Was the highfalutin place Las Brisas? Great view, I've never really gone there for the food, but yeah there's seafood and it's Mexican. Did I mention great view?

A lot of people have their wedding receptions here. You can see the entire coastline, and it's absolutely a great place to take a pic for use in bragging to friends at home.

--it's not so expensive at lunch, and the parking is not so bad. The parking lot is a steep incline from the street, so be careful.

YES, thank you! (It drives me NUTS when I can't think of things like that...)

Fabulous view and pretty good food.

Nice drinks, too.

[Carolyn Tillie]

FIVE CROWNS

3801 Coast Hwy E

Corona del Mar, CA 92625

949-760-0331 

Old world prime rib in a stunning, vine-covered Tudor. It has been there for at least 35 years and while I haven't eaten there in over 20, I can't imagine it has changed much.

Nope - hasn't changed much at all. I had my 16th birthday party there (in one of the upstairs rooms) 20 years ago and remembered how tasty the prime rib was. Got married there 6 years ago, and the catering and experience was wonderful. We went back last year on our anniversary and had a very enjoyable and delicious dinner. It's a beautiful building, tucked surprisingly close to the beach (Little Corona beach is blocks away).

Gee, that is so niced to know... It was one of the places I wanted to eat in SoCal before moving north and regretted not going back to.

I have childhood memories of my grandmother (passed away some 20 years ago now), swiping some little, pewter butter dish or something. She was one of those.

It is where I discovered and fell in love with Yorkshire pudding.