DINING GUIDE NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
AS OF PRESS TIME IN EARLY FEBRUARY, RESTAURANTS WERE PERMITTED TO SERVE DINERS OUTDOORS OR OFFER TAKEOUT MEALS. RULES CHANGE OFTEN: PLEASE USE THIS GUIDE AS A STARTING POINT, THEN CALL THE RESTAURANT TO LEARN ABOUT RESTRICTIONS AND RESERVATIONS. DESCRIPTIONS HERE ARE MOSTLY BASED ON DINING BEFORE SOCIAL DISTANCING. AR
CH 20 2 1
M
CORONA DEL MAR
DINING GUIDE ORANGE COUNT Y’S DEFINITIVE SOURCE F O R R E S TAU R A N T N E W S & M I N I R E V I E W S P R I C I N G $$$ $50 and up $$ Less than $50 $ Mostly less than $25 Denotes Critic’s Choice restaurant
ANAHEIM
ANAHEIM HILLS
POKINOMETRY Downtown Anaheim’s build-a-poke-bowl canteen is busy for three reasons: The food is delectable, cheap, and made your way. All the elements of delicious Hawaiian poke are assembled based on what you choose. Pick from cubed raw fish, white or brown rice, fresh onions, cucumber, avocado, mild to incendiary sauces, and vibrant garnishes of smelt roe, sesame seeds, nori, pickled ginger, and wasabi. Parking is problematic, so go off-hours, or pay for a spot in the Wells Fargo garage off West Broadway. 184 S. Harbor Blvd., 657-208-3488. No alcohol. $
ROSINE’S MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT This neighborhood darling includes a 20-seat bar, complete with a full liquor license and a clutch of specialty cocktails. Fragrant rotisserie chickens are always popular, though the menu now offers winebraised lamb shanks, and Pacific ono skewers. A sizable roster of gluten-free choices anchors a spin-off menu. 721 S. Weir Canyon Road, 714-283-5141. $$
THE RANCH RESTAURANT & SALOON Oozing top-notch ambition, The Ranch packs some big guns—executive chef Michael Rossi and his brother David, pastry chef. The large venue also includes an upscale saloon and dance hall, sited in the six-story headquarters of Extron Electronics. The whopping (mostly) seasonal American fare is a mashup of down-home and uptown. 1025 E. Ball Road, 714-817-4200. $$$ URBANA This colorful latecomer to the Anaheim Packing House brings vibrancy and a cool cantina attitude to a food hall that really needed a good taco and mezcal cocktail. Executive chef Ernie Alvarado’s short menu of savvy street food changes often, and you can’t go wrong with his daily specials. Cozy surroundings offer a choice of ambience—festive or sultry. 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., 714-502-0255. $$
BRE A CHA CHA’S L ATIN KITCHEN This cool hang with a wraparound sidewalk patio is Birch Street Promenade’s most enduring dining success. Helmed by industry vets Don Myers and Peter Serantoni, the menu of modern Mexican fare is boosted by a wood-burning oven and new dishes that blur some borders. 110 W. Birch St., 714-255-1040. See Irvine location. $$ OLD BREA CHOP HOUSE Finally, North County’s fine diners can skip the trek south to splurge on old-school steakhouse dinners. Longtime Morton’s veteran Tony Fasulo breaks away, polishing the classy formula to a high sheen. Expect deluxe beef, say a Tomahawk chop or a strapping Delmonico, boosted with first-class seafood and cosseting service. Marinated skirt steak is the sleeper call. Cozy yet utterly contemporary, the venue includes a bar with charcuterie platters and an alluring happy hour. 180 S. Brea Blvd., 714-592-3122. Dinner only. $$$
FARMHOUSE AT ROGER’S GARDENS This beguiling patio is chef-owner Rich Mead’s busiest enterprise yet, an inspired collaboration between a farmer’s dream chef and O.C.’s iconic outdoor lifestyle retailer. The restaurant-gazebo seats 120 with rustic style, making this the fresh favorite for dates and celebrations. Mead’s seasonal menu shifts often to reflect his passion for local family farms and ranches. 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, 949-640-1415. $$$ FIVE CROWNS O.C.’s beloved, vine-covered, fine-dining landmark of 1965 stays current thanks to a refreshed menu by executive chef Alejandra Padilla (formerly with Hillstone and Patina groups). Foodies thrill to foie gras brûlée and roast goose with wild grains, but sumptuous feasts of prime rib retain a hallowed spot on the carte at this Lawry’s-owned institution. As always, service is polished and accommodating. Leave room for the righteous sundae made with C.C. Brown’s hot fudge, an old Hollywood marvel. 3801 E. Coast Highway, 949-760-0331. Dinner only. $$$ PIROZZI With this coast-hugging venue, supreme charmer Alessandro Pirozzi stays close to the fans who keep his restaurants perpetually packed. The expansive menu includes his greatest hits, plus items inspired by an olive-wood-burning Acunto oven from Naples, which at 900 degrees makes his good pizzas even better. Don’t miss the site-specific items: speckwrapped quail, and burrata salad. 2929 E. Coast Highway, 949-675-2932. Dinner only. $$$
COSTA MESA [
SEE ALSO SOUTH COAST METRO
]
2145 Santa Ana native and Pizzeria Ortica veteran Eduardo Salcedo brings an artisan mindset and Japanese aesthetic to this Neapolitan-style pizza joint in a cleverly repurposed auto shop. Aromas of almond-wood fire whet the appetite for his finely crafted pies and imaginative toasts on house-baked shokupan, Japan’s beloved breakfast loaf. Sit under umbrellas on the patio to enjoy bresaola and burrata salad with pickled fennel or hyper-tender octopus with diced potato, charred scallions, and squid ink mayo. At the daily 3 to 6 p.m. happy hour, try wagyu corndogs dipped in honey-vinegar, and select pizzas. 2145 Placentia Ave., 949-873-5853. Beer and wine. Weekend brunch. $$ DESCANSO Descanso’s novel twist is the elevation of the taquero to center stage. Inspired by the dynamic street foods of Mexico City, owner Rob Arellano
OUR CRITERIA Restaurants are reviewed by our dining critics and staff and have no relationship to advertising in Orange Coast. Listings are updated regularly. We do not accept free meals; visits are anonymous. Price classifications are based on a typical three‑course dinner (appetizer, entree, dessert) for one person. Alan Gibbons edits this listing. You can reach her at agibbons@orangecoast.com. 118 O RA NGE C O AST • March 2021
