Best PLACES TO EAT - BRAD A. JOHNSON'S - Southern California News Group
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S
75
best
PLACES TO EAT
May 2019
SUMMER
IS CALLING
MARGARITAS AT SUNSET,
FRESH SEAFOOD, BAJA TACOS
TAKE A TRIP TO SOL TONIGHT.
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 3
75
Hana re • Costa Mesa BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 2145 Pizza • Costa Mesa
Bourbon Steak • Dana Point Chaak • Tustin
Marché Moderne • Newport Mr. G’s • Newport Beach
Beach PAGE 17
Taco Maria • Costa Mesa
Arc • Costa Mesa Mayor’s TablevNewport Beach
PAGE 6 Cdm • Corona del Mar
Selanne Steak Tavern • Laguna
Vaca • Costa Mesa Beach
best
Brick • San Clemente Lido Bottle Works • Newport
Mastro’s Steakhouse • Costa Beach
Mesa Meizhou Dongpo • Irvine
Broadway • Laguna Beach PAGE 18
Water Grill • Costa Mesa
PAGE 7 Ocean at Main • Laguna Beach
Irenia • Santa Ana PLACES TO EAT Chada Thai • Garden Grove
Harvest • Laguna Beach
Javier’s at Crystal Cove •
The Ranch Restaurant •
Anaheim THIS IS THE FIFTH EDITION of this guide — a Newport Beach
A Restaurant • Newport Beach roadmap to Orange County’s wildly diverse dining Peking Restaurant •
Solita • Huntington Beach scene. Narrowing this list to 75 recommendations Westminster
Vine • San Clemente gets harder each year. PAGE 19
PAGE 8 How do I compare an intimate, 10-seat oasis
like Hana re in Costa Mesa with, say, the chaotic, Tacos la Calle • Buena Park
EnoSteak • Dana Point smoky, steamy, non-air-conditioned El Coyotito Garlic & Chives • Garden Grove
The Capital Grille • Costa Mesa in San Juan Capistrano? When you call to make a Davio’s Northern Italian
LSXO • Huntington Beach reservation at Hana re — reservations are essential Steakhouse • Irvine
Pizzeria Mozza • Newport Beach and available only by phone — the soft voice on Tupelo Junction • Newport
The Cannery • Newport Beach the other end will ask, “You are aware that we Beach
PAGE 10 offer only a chef’s tasting menu, right?” Hana re Thai Avenue • Garden Grove
takes you on an extraordinary journey through PAGE 20
Shunka Sushi • Costa Mesa the nuances of Japanese cuisine and hospitality.
North Italia • Irvine If you’ve been here before, the chef/owner likely Del Frisco’s Grille • Irvine
Kyung Bok Kung • Buena Park remembers exactly what you ate, even if it was two Brussels Bistro • San Clemente
Craft House • Dana Point years ago. Sapori Ristorante • Newport
Louie’s by the Bay • Newport At El Coyotito, you push through a squeaky Beach
Beach screen door and seat yourself. The staff is too El Coyotito • San Juan Capistrano
PAGE 12 busy pressing tortillas or flipping shrimp on the Manpuku • Costa Mesa
grill to greet you at the door, but they see you and PAGE 21
Pho 101 • Westminster wave. The restaurants on this list represent every
Olea • Newport Beach stratum of the dining spectrum, yet they all share Southern Spice • Irvine
Maro Wood Grill • Laguna Beach the same goals: great food and service, on their Suski Roku • Newport Beach
Din Tai Fung • Costa Mesa own terms. Zait & Zaatar • Anaheim
TJ’s Woodfire Pizza • San The price of dinner is not what makes one more Eddie V’s Wildfish • Newport
Clemente important than another, but when organizing this Beach
PAGE 14 list it’s impossible not to consider the amount of The Dock • Newport Beach
PAGE 22
joy received for the price paid. That’s why Studio
Farmhouse at Roger’s fell off the list, and it’s why Pho 101 debuted so
Gardens • Corona del Mar J Zhou Oriental Cuisine • Tustin
high. A luxury Korean feast at Kyung Bok Kung
Anepalco on Chapman • Orange El Farolito • Placentia
might cost $200 while three blocks away at Tacos
HiroNori • Irvine Kang Ho-Dong Baekjeong • Brea
la Calle a taco sells for $3. Both are places I adore.
Ruth’s Chris Steak House • East Borough • Costa Mesa
Yes, this list is highly personal and subjective
Irvine Ciao Pasta • San Juan Capistrano
but also methodical. Every year I sample hundreds PAGE 23
Reunion Kitchen • Anaheim of restaurants in every corner of the county,
PAGE 15 accumulating a wealth of dining experiences that I Who’s in, who’s out • PAGE 23
mentally compare with the countless memories of
Omakase by Gino • Santa Ana meals past, both locally and around the world. Tacos • PAGE 24
Hendrix • Laguna Niguel I continue to find flashes of perfection all over
Playa Mesa • Costa Mesa the place: the tom yum at Thai Avenue in Garden
Oliver’s Osteria • Laguna Beach Grove, the sangrita at Solita in Huntington Beach,
Juliette Kitchen + Bar • the cacio e pepe at Oliver’s Osteria in Laguna STAFF
Newport Beach Beach … Brad A. Johnson •
PAGE 16 Here’s where, and what, to eat right now. RESTAUR ANT CRITIC
Saline • Laguna Beach Vanessa Franko • EDITOR
Hanna’s • Rancho Santa ON THE COVER • Hana re’s steamed tilefish Pam Marshak • DESIGNER
Margarita with mochi rice, cherry leaf and cherry blossom. Mark Rightmire • COVER PHOTO
4 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT
SPECIALTY
TACOS.
CRAFT
MARGARITAS.
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 5
Hana re
2018 RANKING: 5
1 Atsushi Yokoyama welcomes 10
to 12 diners a night to a chef’s
counter hidden behind The Lab
in Costa Mesa in what appears at
first glance to be an abandoned tool
shed with corrugated siding and one
small window. From the moment
you walk through the door, the
Japanese hospitality is warm and
personal, verging on clairvoyant.
Loosely based on the Japanese
concept of kaiseki, each menu weaves
a tale of textures, temperatures,
techniques and flavors that usually
starts with something cold and
slippery — a chilled, viscous broth
made from squash, for example, or a
salad of translucent baby eels. This is MARK RIGHTMIRE - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
often followed with something even HANA RE • An assortment of delicacies from Atsushi Yokoyama’s
more exotic and warm, like steamed Chef’s Omakase: baby squid, sea urchin, lobster, crab flan and salmon roe.
baby conch and goose barnacles, fried
hairy crab or poached cod milt. Each
Sit at the counter and watch how
unique journey culminates with a
spectacular parade of sushi: snow
Marché Modern the cooks obsess over something
2018 RANKING: 4 as simple as the enfrijolada.
crab, grunt fish, wild sea bream, blue
3
snapper, belt fish, barracuda, gizzard The best French restaurant Watch them roast fresh scallops
shad … in California? This is it. Two in their shells. Feel the heat of the
years after moving their wood-fueled grill as the arrachera
• MUST ORDER: Go for the top-tier
glamorous French bistro from practically catches fire. Beans are
“Chef’s Omakase,” which starts
South Coast Plaza to the Shops at never just beans. And tacos are
around $180. never just tacos.
• 2930 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA Crystal Cove, Florent and Amelia
714-545-2800, HANARESUSHI.COM Marneau’s Marché Moderne is still • MUST ORDER: The smoked sturgeon
one of the toughest reservations in taco with salsa de chile morita is
the county. The steak au poivre, the one of the greatest fish tacos ever
moules frites, the stewed rabbit, conceived.
the escargot… this is quintessential • 3313 HYLAND AVE., COSTA MESA
714-538-8444, TACOMARIA.COM
Bourbon Steak French cuisine. And the desserts
are always a special treat here.
2
2018 RANKING: 1
• MUST ORDER: Amelia’s Napoleon
Last year, celebrity chef dessert, served on Fridays and
Michael Mina flipped his Saturdays only. Also, the ever-changing
one-of-a-kind Stonehill
Tavern into yet another branch
house wines served by the carafe are Arc
always an incredible bargain. 2018 RANKING: 3
5
of his Bourbon Steak chain, but • 7862 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY,
don’t for a second think of this as Across America right now,
NEWPORT BEACH, 714-434-7900
a chain restaurant. This branch of MARCHEMODERNE.NET
wood-fire kitchens are all the
Bourbon Steak is still very much its rage. Chef Noah Blom’s Arc
own thing. Yes, there’s an emphasis in Costa Mesa was ground zero for
on steak now — including a truly that trend. Arc’s kitchen is fueled
massive five-pound ribeye carved 100 percent by wood. No gas. No
tableside — but regulars will electric appliances. Under the
recognize the same whole duck-fat- Taco Maria dim glow of crystal chandeliers,
everything on the menu here is
fried chicken and lobster pot pie 2018 RANKING: 10
4
that were Stonehill staples from touched by fire and smoke: inch-
Six years into Carlos Salgado’s thick-and-foot-long slabs of bacon,
the beginning. This is probably rediscovery of Mexican
the only place in the region with chicken and broccoli casserole
cuisine, Taco María is (seriously, try it), crab cakes,
a roving martini cart. Service is approaching culinary parity with
superb. So, too, the sunset views. meatballs and whole fish. Calamari
the likes of Pujol or Quintonil in is cooked on red-hot cast-iron,
•MUST ORDER: When it comes to Mexico City. Forget everything you sending flames to the ceiling1
seafood platters in steakhouses, the think you know about Mexican
cast iron-broiled crab legs and lobster • MUST ORDER: The sirloin steak with
food and come here for the four-
duck-fat potatoes is easily the best
here are in a league of their own. course prix fixe dinner and splurge
for the wine pairings. (Tuesday steak you will find for $25.
• 1 MONARCH BEACH RESORT
DANA POINT, 949-234-3900 nights and weekday lunches are à • 3321 HYLAND AVE., COSTA MESA
BOURBONSTEAK.COM 49-500-5561, ARCRESTAURANT.COM
la carte.) They fret the details here.
6 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT
even the small ones. The martinis
seem bigger than life. Wine prices
are through the roof but you won’t
lack for choices from the best cult
cabernets or legendary Bordeaux.
You might have to skip a mortgage
payment or two to dine here, but
there’s no denying the quality of
beef that’s being served.
• MUST ORDER: The chef’s cut ribeye is
one of the best, thickest and juiciest
steaks you will ever eat.
• 633 ANTON BLVD., COSTA MESA, 714-
546-7405, MASTROSRESTAURANTS.COM
Broadway
2018 RANKING: 16
9 This is the best restaurant
in Laguna Beach. This is
the original joint venture
from the same team that operates
Vaca: chef Amar Santana and
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF frontman Ahmed Labbate. If you’ve
VACA • Dry-aged lamb chops are cooked over the wood-burning grill at followed Santana’s many television
this tapas bar in Costa Mesa. appearances, you already know that
this chef likes big flavors, whether
it’s the tamarind glaze on seared
Vaca of sourcing everything as locally
as possible and making literally sweetbreads or the black olive
2018 RANKING: 2 everything from scratch. He yogurt and pickled peppers served
6
with the grilled octopus.
On the one hand, Amar breaks down whole hogs to make
sausages and meatballs. He cures • MUST ORDER: The smoked pork
Santana and Ahmed Labbate’s chop and a bottle of pinot noir. You’ll
Vaca is the best Spanish tapas bacon in a smoker beneath the
wood-fired grill. Pizzas are cooked be hard-pressed to find a better,
bar in Southern California. On
the other hand, it’s also a great in a wood-fired hearth, just as they more comprehensive collection of
steakhouse. That’s weird, right? would be in Naples. The menu is pinot noir than what Labbate has
Those two things shouldn’t go hand kept fairly short and laser-focused. assembled here.
in hand, but miraculously they do, If you see wood-grilled lamb chops • 328 GLENNEYRE ST., LAGUNA BEACH
949-715-8234
especially if you wash it all down on the menu, grab them — they BROADWAYBYAMARSANTANA.COM
with a frozen gin and tonic. The might not be there tomorrow. The
house specialty is the 50-day dry- Italian wine list is so affordably
aged rib-eyes that weigh upwards priced, you would be stupid to not
of two pounds. The Spanish nab a full bottle.
hams are superb, too. If you opt
for paella, the best version is the
• MUST ORDER: Once you try the
pasta carbonara with house-cured
Water Grill
“carne” made with blood sausage, 2018 RANKING: 6
10
bacon, you’ll never eat it anywhere
chorizo, pork belly and duck leg If you want lobster or crab,
else again.
confit. The Spanish wine list is check out the massive fish
• 216 N. EL CAMINO REAL
extraordinary. SAN CLEMENTE, 949-429-1199 tanks behind the raw bar
• MUST ORDER: The bikini sandwich BRICKPIZZERIA.COM at Water Grill. These are the best
(tapa of Iberico ham and black truffles) lobsters and crabs money can buy.
delivers the most flavor per cubic inch If you like oysters, Water Grill offers
of any dish in Orange County. a better selection than anywhere
• 695 TOWN CENTER DRIVE, COSTA MESA else. This Los Angeles-based
714-463-6060, VACARESTAURANT.COM seafood palace across the street
from South Coast Plaza is the best
Mastro’s place in OC for seafood, period. The
Steakhouse whole, wild-caught Dover sole is
simply perfection, bathed in butter
2018 RANKING: 13
Brick
8
and filleted table-side.
There’s nothing meek about • MUST ORDER: Giant appetite?
2018 RANKING: 7
7
Mastro’s. This old-school Order a tower of seafood. Need just
More than any other Italian steakhouse revels in gluttony a nibble? Start with the uni toast.
restaurant chef in the region, and excess. Dining here isn’t just • 3300 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
David Pratt strictly adheres a meal, it’s an occasion. It’s a 949-208-7060, WATERGRILL.COM
to the Italian concept of slow food, statement. The steaks are massive,
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 7
Irenia
2018 RANKING: 11
11 Chef Ryan Garlitos put
Filipino food in the spotlight
when he opened his
scrappy but ambitious fine-dining
restaurant and bar a few years
ago in downtown Santa Ana. He’s
elevated the likes of pork adobo
(using pork belly), sinigang (with
black cod) and chicken sa Gata.
The latter, traditionally served
in the Philippines as a homestyle
stew, is instead cooked here like
duck confit (crisped in its own fat)
and served in an ethereal sauce of
lemongrass, coconut milk and chile
oil. FYI, the restaurant no longer
serves lunch.
• MUST ORDER: Bigas mais, which is
corn grits with coconut milk, black-
eyed peas and bitter greens.
• 400 N. BROADWAY, SANTA ANA, 657-
245-3466, IRENIARESTAURANT.COM
The Ranch
Restaurant BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
SOLITA • Whole chickens are roasted on the wood-fire rotisserie at
12
2018 RANKING: 8 this Mexican restaurant in Huntington Beach.
You don’t have to wear a
cowboy hat and ropers to
dine here, but this is one
where you’ll find one of the best
burgers and fries in town. Vine
place where you won’t stand out 2018 RANKING: 15
• MUST ORDER: Block-cut Akaushi
15
if that’s your chosen outfit. The
Ranch is part country music dance New York strip steak. Sit in the front bar area
• 3334 W. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY if you like it loud. Or
hall, part fine dining chophouse. NEWPORT BEACH, 949-650-6505
Brothers Michael and David Rossi ask for a table in the
ARESTAURANTNB.COM dining room if you want to have
head up the kitchen, turning out
massive bone-on rib-eyes, secret a civilized conversation during
off-menu prime rib and some of the dinner. The latter space is a
fanciest desserts in north county. welcome throwback, complete with
The bar pours more than 60 wines tablecloths and candles. Chef Jared
by the glass. Solita Cook serves more or less the same
wine country-inspired menu here
• MUST ORDER: Grilled lamb chops 2018 RANKING: 18
14
as he does at sister concepts Olea
with cannellini bean puree. Chef Deborah Schneider and Ironwood, but this is where it
• 1025 E. BALL ROAD, ANAHEIM is a master of Baja-style all began and the kitchen here still
714-817-4200, THERANCH.COM Mexican food. It’s the feels like it is one step ahead of
mesquite-fired grill and rotisserie the others. The housemade ravioli
that set this kitchen apart from are always excellent, as is the
the chef’s fancier restaurant in chicken schnitzel. The burger and
Newport Beach. Those wood fries are superb, especially when
A Restaurant fires produce incredible rotisserie
chicken and grilled skirt steak,
paired with a bottle of Mollydooker
Shiraz. The best thing, however,
2018 RANKING: 20
13
served with some of the best is often the chef’s ever-changing
The red leatherette booths, charro beans outside of Mexico. daily meat selection, which could
polished wood paneling The margaritas are superb, but be anything from pork shank to
and series of black-and- true tequila aficionados drink their veal neck.
white photographs pay homage añejos neat, with a sangrita chaser. • MUST ORDER: The bone-in ribeye
to the 1920s, when this place first • MUST ORDER: Mexican-style street is hugely satisfying, but you might
opened. Yes, this is one of the oldest corn comes hot off the wood-fire want to ask for the sauce on the
restaurants in the region, and the grill and doesn’t get any better than
menu respects that heritage with side.
this. • 211 N. EL CAMINO REAL,
no-fuss, ice-cold martinis and • 7631 EDINGER AVE., HUNTINGTON SAN CLEMENTE, 949-361-2079
classic steaks served on cast-iron BEACH, 714-894-2792 VINESANCLEMENTE.COM
skillets. Ask for a bar menu; that’s SOLITATACOS.COM
8 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT
RSM’s Premier Spot for Great Food,
Awesome Craft Cocktails, Live Music & Fun!
Coming soon to the new
Yorba Linda Town Center!
31431 Santa Margarita Pkwy
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
(949) 888-0072
www.TheBlindPigOC.com
RUSTIC BRICK OVEN CUISINE INSPIRED
SAN CLEMENTE BY SEASONAL LOCAL HARVEST!
Thank You Orange County Register!
-David Pratt
“I invite you to join us at Brick”.
HOURS LOCATION
Monday CLOSED 216 N. El Camino Real,
Tuesday thru Friday 11:30 AM til 10 PM San Clemente, CA 92672
Saturday 11 AM til 10 PM (949) 429-1199
Sunday 11 AM til 9 PM www.brickrestaurantgroup.com
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 9
EnoSteak
2018 RANKING: 17
16 Years after opening,
EnoSteak still feels like
the best-kept secret in
OC. A mixture of romance and
hedonism, Eno is a tiny steakhouse
carved out of a closet-sized space
that used to serve as the Ritz-
Carlton’s wine cellar/bar. Pull some
strings if you have to in order to
reserve the coveted table next to
the fireplace. Your date will thank
you. The steaks and the wine are
consistently superb.
• MUST ORDER: Coffee-rubbed wagyu
New York strip.
• 1 RITZ-CARLTON DRIVE, DANA POINT
949-240-2000, ENOSTEAK.COM
The Capital
Grille
2018 RANKING: 9
17 Of all the old-school
steakhouse brands, The
Capital Grille is still one
of the poshest. Certainly no other
steakhouse can match the Grille’s
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
LSXO • Imperial rolls at this Vietnamese speakeasy hidden inside
Bluegold at Pacific City in Huntington Beach are better than anything
you’ll find in OC’s Little Saigon.
over-the-top country-club aesthetic.
Ascend the stairs into what looks
like Ralph Lauren’s mansion, with
• MUST ORDER: Imperial rolls and
lamb satay noodles.
The Cannery
2018 RANKING: 25
20
oil paintings hanging heavily on • 21016 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY,
the walls. The steaks are big and HUNTINGTON BEACH, 714-374-0038 By day, The Cannery is
always perfectly grilled. Save room DINEBLUEGOLD.COM/LSXO the ultimate power lunch
for coconut cream pie. for movers and shakers
in the medical community. By
• MUST ORDER: Steak au poivre.
night, it’s a popular destination for
• 3333 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
714-432-1140, THECAPITALGRILLE.COM professional hockey players and
Pizzeria Mozza multigenerational family suppers.
Although this upscale seafood
2018 RANKING: 27
19
house occupies one of the oldest
Maybe it’s because they’ve buildings on the harbor (an old
scrubbed all references to tuna cannery), the interiors have
ousted co-founder Mario recently been thoroughly refreshed.
LSXO Batali, or maybe the local crew Most diners are here for fish, but
2018 RANKING: 24 genuinely stepped it up. Either don’t underestimate the wood-
18
way, Pizzeria Mozza feels fresh grilled steaks.
LSXO is a speak-easy- and more inspired than ever.
style restaurant-within- • MUST ORDER: The crispy rainbow
Nancy Silverton’s pizzas, with her trout in tomato broth with
a-restaurant hidden unique sourdough-inspired crusts,
inside of Bluegold at Pacific City. gnocchetti sardi and cotechino
are superb and truly unlike any sausage might be the best thing you
This “secret” 28-seat parlor is a others. The fennel sausage pizza
throwback to colonial Saigon, with eat this year.
is rightfully legendary, as is the
mismatched rattan and leather • 3010 LAFAYETTE AVE., NEWPORT
chopped salad. The pastas are BEACH, 949-566-0060
chairs, area rugs and vintage terrific, as are the Italian wines.
photographs. The southeast Asian CANNERYNEWPORT.COM
menu from chef Tin Vuong includes • MUST ORDER: Roasted caprese salad
better Vietnamese Imperial rolls and cavatelli with pork neck ragu.
than anything you’ll find in OC’s • 800 W. COAST HIGHWAY, NEWPORT
BEACH, 949-945-1126
Little Saigon. His Thai-style green PIZZERIAMOZZA.COM
papaya salad with beef jerky and
chilies is similarly pitch-perfect.
10 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATVOTE FOR US FOR BEST PIZZA
Thank you
to our guests
who made
this possible
VOTED
# COME TASTE FOR YOURSELF
57899 ALTON PKWY • IRVINE • 949
949.451.1750
451 1750 • SQ1PIZZA
SQ1PIZZA.COM
C
VOTE FOR WHO’S THE BEST
IN ORANGE COUNTY &
YOU COULD WIN $100!
Vote today for your favorite
places to shop, dine and
play in Orange County!
Vote online now until May 31 at
ocregister.com/voteocbest
For complete rules and information, go to ocregister.com/voteocbest
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 11Shunka Sushi
2018 RANKING: 26
21 Sit at the bar. Order
omakase (in other words,
let the chef choose).
You’ll be treated to an education
in Japanese fish: ishidai, kinmei,
hobo, umeiro, tachiuo, akamutsu,
tobiuo, mejina, higesori … No
other sushi bar in Orange County
offers such a vast selection of fish
as what’s regularly available at
Shunka.
• MUST ORDER: Japanese medai
topped with red chili sauce.
• 369 E. 17TH ST., COSTA MESA
949-631-9854
North Italia
22
2018 RANKING: 22
This is consistently one
of the toughest same-
day reservations in the
county. And that’s not surprising.
North is one of the best Italian
restaurants around. The design is
beautiful — a big glass box with
high ceilings, hardwood floors and
a wraparound bar that opens onto
the patio. The pig pizza is loaded LEONARD ORTIZ - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
with crumbled fennel sausage, KYUNG BOK KUNG • The cold sashimi salad is one of the offerings
soppressata and spicy pepperoni. at the Buena Park restaurant, the first U.S. location of a luxury South
The spaghetti and meatballs put Korean chain.
the competition to shame.
• MUST ORDER: Strozzapreti, a
sort of loosely twisted macaroni,
• MUST ORDER: Get the Signature
Grill Course, an elaborate 12-course Louie’s by
tossed with grilled chicken and extravaganza capped with extra- the Bay
mushrooms. thick slices of Wagyu, starting at NEW FOR 2019
• 2957 MICHELSON DRIVE, IRVINE
949-629-7060
NORTHITALIARESTAURANT.COM
$149 per person.
• 7801 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK
714-888-4948
KYUNGBOKKUNGUSA.COM
25 After closing his
legendary Valentino
restaurant in Santa
Monica, restaurateur Piero
Selvaggio brought his kitchen team
to OC and joined forces with Ron
Salisbury (El Cholo, The Cannery)
Kyung Bok Kung Craft House to open this glamorous Italian
steakhouse overlooking some of
NEW FOR 2019 2018 RANKING: 38 the biggest yachts in Newport
23 Korean barbecue just
went next-level. This is
the first U.S. outpost of
a luxury South Korean chain, and
it is hands down the best (and
24 Here’s something for your
bucket list: meatloaf.
Seriously, chef Blake
Mellgren makes the world’s best
meatloaf. He also makes terrific
Harbor. The food is quintessential
California Italian with a nod to the
famous steakhouses of Florence.
Consider the clams in white wine
or the handkerchief pasta in
swankiest) Korean restaurant in pork ragu with housemade pasta pesto, either of which would be
SoCal. The service is superb. The and an insanely delicious fried a great prelude to a grilled steak
beef is extraordinary. And the chicken sandwich. Ask about the Fiorentina for two.
tabletop grills are fueled by buckets daily toast, especially if it’s peach • MUST ORDER: A bottle of Italian
of smokeless charcoal. Seriously, season. wine. Selvaggio is widely regarded
there’s not a whiff of smoke in the as the foremost Italian wine expert
• MUST ORDER: The meatloaf is grilled
air, just the dizzying scent of A5 and served with hominy grits. Also, in the United States.
Miyazaki Wagyu sizzling under • 2801 W. COAST HIGHWAY, NEWPORT
the best fries for miles.
your nose. Don’t miss the seafood BEACH, 949-720-1800
• 34094 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY, DANA
sashimi, which is surprisingly, POINT, 949-481-7734 LOUIESNEWPORT.COM
astoundingly good. EATATCRAFTHOUSE.COM
12 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATJoin us in honoring
Orange County’s Top
Athletes and Coaches!
Say congratulations
and support this
year’s top athletes
and coaches at a
special dinner on June
12th at the Marconi
Automotive Museum.
Look for the OC
Varsity Athlete of the
Year special section
on June 14th.
-PRESENTED BY-
Advertising and event sponsorship opportunities available.
For more information contact your account
representative or Katie Ziino at kziino@scng.com.
Event tickets and tables
available at: ocregister.com/aoty
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 13Pho 101
NEW FOR 2019
26 This no-frills Vietnamese
soup shop across the
street from Huntington
Beach’s Bella Terra is even better
than the legendary cafe from
which it was spun, Pho 79 in Little
Saigon. This is hands down the
best Vietnamese noodle soup in a
county filled with great Vietnamese
noodle soups.
• MUST ORDER: Oxtail pho, but it’s
not on the menu, exactly. Here’s how
it works. First, order a bowl of pho
without meat. Next, order a side of
oxtail. Voila, oxtail pho.
• 8031 EDINGER AVE., WESTMINSTER
714-375-3330
TRANFAMILYKITCHEN.COM
Olea
2018 RANKING: 28
27 The biggest difference
between sister restaurants
Olea and Vine is the noise
level. Olea can get extremely loud,
as the bar tends to get rowdy.
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
OLEA • Roasted sea bass with toasted almonds, green beans, fingerling
Maybe the drinks are a little too potatoes and charred citrus vinaigrette.
good? Ask for a table in the back
of the dining room or, weather
permitting, the patio. Much of chef • MUST ORDER: Grass-fed rib-eye cap,
with a side of grilled okra. TJ’s Woodfire
Jared Cook’s menu is lifted directly
from Vine: the same sticky- • 1915 S. COAST HIGHWAY, Pizza
LAGUNA BEACH, 949-793-4044 2018 RANKING: 33
delicious duck wings, the same
30
MAROWOODGRILL.COM
wonderful chicken schnitzel, the Wood-fired pizza and local
same great burger and fries. craft beer. What’s not
• MUST ORDER: A big hunk of sea to love? The Neapolitan
bass is a sly update to classic fish pizzas are as good as it gets. That
amandine. said, the New York style pizza
• 2001 WESTCLIFF DRIVE, Din Tai Fung holds its own. And who knew there
NEWPORT BEACH, 949-287-6807 2018 RANKING: 30 was such a thing as cracker-thin
29
OLEANEWPORTBEACH.COM Chicago style? It’s hard to go wrong
Although many have with anything here.
tried, no other Chinese
restaurant has come • MUST ORDER: Neapolitan-style
close to replicating Din Tai Fung’s Margherita pizza with prosciutto
famous xiao long bao, also known added.
Maro Wood Grill as Shanghai-style soup dumplings.
The wait for tables can stretch
• 641 CAMINO DE LOS MARES,
SAN CLEMENTE, 949-243-6433
2018 RANKING: 34 TJWOODFIREPIZZA.COM
upwards of two hours, so put your
28 The dining room, if
you can call it that,
of this tiny Argentine
steakhouse seats only about
eight people, max, with most of
name down and go shopping.
They’ll text you when your table is
almost ready.
• MUST ORDER: Shrimp and Kurobuta
pork potstickers.
those seats at the kitchen counter • SOUTH COAST PLAZA, 3333 BRISTOL
overlooking the wood-fired grill ST., COSTA MESA, 714-549-3388
and rotisserie. A small outside deck DINTAIFUNGUSA.COM
accommodates about 20 more.
The basic premise here is steak:
simple, uncomplicated, grass-fed,
wood-grilled steak. The burger is
incredible
14 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATFarmhouse at
Roger’s Gardens
2018 RANKING: 36
31 The entire dining room is
outdoors, so you’ll be at the
mercy of Mother Nature
when you dine here. They do
provide blankets in winter, though,
which is nice. The restaurant is
hidden amid the lush grounds
of Roger’s Gardens, a sprawling
luxury plant nursery near Fashion
Island. The kitchen serves farm-
fresh salads, house-cured salmon
and steak frites.
• MUST ORDER: House-cured salmon
and a bloody mary.
• 2301 SAN JOAQUIN HILLS ROAD,
CORONA DEL MAR, 949-640-1415
FARMHOUSERG.COM
Anepalco
on Chapman
32
2018 RANKING: 43
Daniel Godinez is one
of the region’s best
chefs of Mexican food.
He channels Mexico City via the
Southern California barrio. His
modern riffs on pork al pastor, beef
barbacoa and cochinita pibil break BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
all the rules. Fans drive for miles HIRONORI • This small Irvine restaurant serves up some of the best
on weekends to eat chilaquiles here tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork in the county.
for brunch.
• MUST ORDER: Chicken tinga
enchiladas with mole coloradito and
cotija cheese. Ruth’s Chris Reunion Kitchen
• 3737 W. CHAPMAN AVE., ORANGE
714-456-9642, ANEPALCO.COM
Steak House Anaheim
NEW FOR 2019 2018 RANKING: 37
HiroNori
34 Ruth’s Chris in Irvine
recently emerged from
what must have been the
longest, slowest remodel in the
history of restaurant remodels.
35 Day or night, this is the
best restaurant in the
hills. The burgers are
spectacularly messy, but you’ll be
given a warm finger towel so you
2018 RANKING: 60 It stayed open throughout the can take a much-needed sponge
33 Good luck getting in. entire ordeal, but it’s finally done bath after your conquest. Saturday
The wait for a table at and there’s no looking back. The and Sunday nights are particularly
this 35-seat craft ramen restaurant is lighter and brighter popular thanks to terrific
joint routinely runs beyond two yet still very quaint, dimly lit weekends-only prime rib.
hours. But if you stick it out your and romantic. This feels like a • MUST ORDER: Rosemary’s chicken
patience will be rewarded with completely new restaurant. The and biscuits is a Southern-style
the best ramen in Orange County. steaks are better than ever, the triumph.
The pork-bone tonkotsu broth is plates still sizzling with butter. • 5775 E. SANTA ANA CANYON ROAD,
infused with so much pork knuckle • MUST ORDER: Bone-in cowboy rib- ANAHEIM HILLS, 714-283-1062
collagen that the soup is almost eye. REUNIONKITCHEN.NET
white, like cream. And the chashu • 2961 MICHELSON DRIVE, IRVINE
(slow-roasted pork belly) melts on 949-252-8848, RUTHSCHRIS.COM
the tongue like marshmallows.
• MUST ORDER: Tonkotsu ramen. Eat
fast and get out of the way.
• 2222 MICHELSON DRIVE, IRVINE, 949-
536-5800, HIRONORICRAFTRAMEN.COM
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 15Omakase
by Gino
NEW FOR 2019
36 Chef/owner, Gino Choi
runs this charming,
shoebox-sized sushi joint
that seats only 10 people at a time.
The menu is strictly omakase,
with a set menu that features a
couple of “appetizers” followed by
a board of assorted sashimi, then
a delirium-inducing succession of
nigiri that culminates with a bite of
something sweet, like panna cotta.
Expect about 20 dishes in all. And
while the variety of fish is ordinary,
the quality is pristine.
• MUST ORDER: You are strictly at the
whim of the chef.
• 304 N. MAIN ST., SANTA ANA
657-231-6008
INSTAGRAM.COM/OMAKASEBYGINO
Hendrix BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
2018 RANKING: 42
OLIVER’S OSTERIA • Pastas, like squid-ink cappellacci, are
37 The first thing you’ll
notice as you enter
Hendrix is the massive
rotisserie oven in the front window.
Chef Rainer Schwarz cooks all
handmade daily at this Laguna Beach Italian restaurant.
is wet and creamy and sweet in all
the right places. Juliette Kitchen
manner of meat on those spits:
whole chickens, legs of lamb, rolled
• MUST ORDER: The torta Milanesa + Bar
is epic. 2018 RANKING: 21
40
pork roasts, pork chops, prime • 428 E. 17TH ST., COSTA MESA
rib — all of it dripping onto a pile 949-287-5292, PLAYAMESA.COM Have you ever just wanted
of fingerling potatoes roasting a plate of charcuterie and
underneath. a glass of wine? This little
• MUST ORDER: Anything from the American bistro is a great place
rotisserie, obviously. Perhaps less for that. But it’s also a good place
obvious is the zucchini cornbread, to be a glutton. Stay away from
the scales after eating the massive
which is incredible.
• 32431 STREET OF THE GOLDEN
Oliver’s Osteria braised pork shank. Once you start
NEW FOR 2019 eating it, there’s no way to stop. It
39
LANTERN, LAGUNA NIGUEL
949-248-1912 HENDRIXOC.COM Quaint, casual and will surely add five pounds. Fair
charming, few Italian warning: Meats here are heavily
restaurants capture the sauced. Save room for salted
true spirit of Italy as effortlessly caramel pudding.
as this new cafe in Laguna Beach. • MUST ORDER: Grilled prawns with
The well-edited menu offers only a lemon chili butter.
Playa Mesa handful of options, all of which are
good: blissfully simple spaghetti,
• 1000 BRISTOL ST., NEWPORT BEACH
949-752-5854, JULIETTENB.COM
NEW FOR 2019
38
braised octopus so tender you can
This is one of the best cut it with a spoon, grilled lamb
Mexican restaurants to chops dressed with little more
open in years, with a than olive oil or heirloom tomatoes
breezy indoor/outdoor vibe and a with burrata and burnt cucumber
serious bar. The chef came from gazpacho.
Taco María. He makes a salsa with • MUST ORDER: The cacio e pepe isn’t
morita chilies that’s hotter than always on the menu but is usually
the Earth’s core. Start with the available if you ask.
totopos en mole (fried tortilla chips • 853 LAGUNA CANYON ROAD, LAGUNA
drenched in mole poblano). The BEACH, 949-715-0261
menudo is fantastic. The tres leches OLIVERSOSTERIA.COM
16 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATstyle dough around. Most of the
dining room is actually outside in
the backyard. The oven is fueled
by wood. The marinara pizza
is perfection. So, too, the pizza
topped with blue cheese and honey.
The wine selection is limited, so
you might consider BYOB.
• MUST ORDER: Spicy salami pizza
with ricotta, smoked mozzarella,
green olives and pickled chilies.
• 2145 PLACENTIA AVE., COSTA MESA
949-873-5853, 2145EAT.COM
Chaak
NEW FOR 2019
44 The team behind
Gabbi’s has opened one
of the most original
Mexican restaurants to come
along in years. The ceiling slides
away to let the stars shine in. The
rustic kitchen draws inspiration
from the Yucatán. The cochinita
pibil (smoked, pulled pork) is
luscious and aphrodisiacal. So is
the almond-wood-roasted whole
fish. The wine list offers several
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF excellent Mexican wines, too.
SALINE • Oysters are served with absinthe jelly and mignonette at this • MUST ORDER: Whole branzino
restaurant tucked inside the Hotel Joaquin. rubbed with achiote paste and
roasted in the wood-fired hearth.
• 215 EL CAMINO REAL, TUSTIN, 657-
Saline Hanna’s 699-3019, CHAAKKITCHEN.COM.
NEW FOR 2019 2018 RANKING: 45
41 In order to eat at Saline,
you’ll first need to book
a room. The restaurant
is open only to overnight guests
of the Hotel Joaquin. The dining
42 Unequivocally the best
restaurant in Rancho
Santa Margarita and
surrounding communities, Hanna’s
is one part serious steakhouse, one
Mr. G’S
2018 RANKING:47
45
room is confined to a narrow part neighborhood sports bar. The
outdoor terrace with fewer than 30 bar here is always packed on game The G stands for
seats overlooking a small courtyard days, and it’s always date night in Giuseppe Accardi, the
with views of the ocean. Breakfast, the dining room. The steaks are dapper owner of this
lunch, dinner, you’ll want to take USDA Prime. The fries are real. Italianesque bistro, which is easily
advantage of every meal possible The wine list, deep. the most glamorous place to
before checking out. Slurp oysters • MUST ORDER: Aside from the steaks, dine on Balboa Island. The vibe
at sunset. Enjoy octopus carpaccio the only true requisite is the wedge is chic but casual. The kitchen
and house-cured salmon for a salad, a towering beauty meant to excels at pasta. The cacio e pepe is
candlelit supper. Wake up to be shared. everything a Roman would hope
the perfect croque-monsieur at • 22195 EL PASEO, RANCHO SANTA
it to be. The rigatoni bolognese
breakfast. MARGARITA, 949-709-2300 will make you think there’s an
• MUST ORDER: Seared scallops in HANNASPRIMESTEAK.COM Italian granny in the kitchen.
coconut cream with forbidden rice. Great pastas might sound like
• 985 N. COAST HIGHWAY., LAGUNA strange bedfellows for a big, fat
BEACH, 949-494-5294 hamburger, but if you go the latter
HOTELJOAQUIN.COM route you’ll be just as happy.
2145 Pizza • MUST ORDER: The pasta carbonara
2018 RANKING: 56 is surprisingly light and elegant.
43
• 305 MARINE AVE., NEWPORT BEACH
A vintage auto garage 949-675-6193, MRGSBISTRO.COM
has been recycled into an
indoor/outdoor pizzeria
with some of the finest Neapolitan-
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 17Mayor’s Table
NEW FOR 2019
46 The paradigm-shifting
cheeseburger that’s
served at lunchtime (or
on the bar menu at night) at this
upscale diner inside the Lido House
hotel forever settles the eternal
lettuce vs. no lettuce burger debate.
It’s a perfect mound of freshly
ground beef, cheddar cheese and
a sesame seed bun with very
little else. Want something more
elaborate? The beet salad and the
charbroiled crab demand attention.
Steaks are very good, too.
• MUST ORDER: Clearly the burger,
which is served with perfect hand-cut,
twice-cooked fries.
• 3300 NEWPORT BLVD.,
NEWPORT BEACH, 949-524-8500
LIDOHOUSEHOTEL.COM
CdM BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
NEW FOR 2019
47
MAYOR’S TABLE • A cheeseburger and fries are a study in simplicity
Leather lounge chairs and at this Newport Beach restaurant in the Lido House hotel.
plush velvet banquettes
create a comfy country
club vibe for artisanal cocktails upstairs instead. The small upstairs • MUST ORDER: The Iberico pork
and modern American tavern dining room is elegant and tranquil secreto is like a cross between steak
food — raw oysters, fried ham, and the service is exponentially and bacon.
mushrooms and peas, dry-aged better as well. Either way, the • 3408 VIA OPORTO, SUITE 103,
steaks — from the same team steaks are always excellent. NEWPORT BEACH, 949-529-2784
behind A Restaurant. Start with • MUST ORDER: The Lord Stanley cut LIDOBOTTLEWORKS.COM
the bread and butter. That might AA5 Wagyu tomahawk rib-eye is one
sound obvious, but the bread isn’t of the best steaks money can buy.
free. Listed among the appetizers, • 1464 S. COAST HIGHWAY,
the Parker House rolls are baked to LAGUNA BEACH, 949-715-9881
order and served piping hot from SELANNESTEAKTAVERN.COM
the oven with whipped beef tallow. Meizhou
• MUST ORDER: Pork (two ways) and
beans. Dongpo
2018 RANKING: 39
• 2325 E. COAST HIGHWAY, CORONA DEL
50
MAR, 949-287-6600
As this upscale Chinese
CDMRESTAURANT.COM
Lido Bottle chain settles into a
Works groove, it has lost some
of its original luster. Service has
NEW FOR 2019
49
gotten a little sloppy but the (mostly
Lido Bottle Works Sichuan) food is as good as ever:
overlooks the boardwalk green chili-laden country style
Selanne Steak at Lido Marina Village pork, spicy wontons, crispy Peking
Tavern on Newport Harbor. The windows
are always pushed open to let the
duck and the best dandan noodles
in OC.
2018 RANKING: 55
48
salty air blow through, so you’ll • MUST ORDER: Royal hot pot, a boiling
The highly competitive want to bring a jacket. Lunch and cauldron of radioactive uranium filled
singles scene in the brunch are relaxed and leisurely with shrimp, beef, mushrooms, quail
bar of this steakhouse while dinner is romantic. Chef Amy eggs, lotus root and Spam.
is always festive and the many Lebrun makes a masterful beet • 15363 CULVER DRIVE, IRVINE
televisions there are always tuned salad and does incredible things 949-433-5686
to sports. That’s where the hostess with chorizo and eggs at brunch.
will attempt to seat you, but pull The bar pours interesting wines
whatever strings you can to sit and beers.
18 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATroasted branzino, braised short
ribs. If you eat avocado toast only
once this year, do it here.
• MUST ORDER: The apple pie is better
than your grandmother’s.
• 1106 S. COAST HIGHWAY., LAGUNA
BEACH, 800-223-3309
THERANCHLB.COM
Javier’s
Crystal Cove
2019 RANKING: 14
54 Perched above the
highway at the Crystal
Cove Promenade, Javier’s
conveys the breezy elegance and
laid-back luxury of a five-star
Mexican resort. Lunch is relaxing
while dinner is a scene. The tequila
selection is encyclopedic, and the
margaritas always strong. You
can’t go wrong with any of the
enchiladas, the crispy beef taco,
LEONARD ORTIZ - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER shrimp quesadilla, octopus ceviche
OCEAN AT MAIN • Prawn and potato soup is assembled at the table or Acapulco-style shrimp cocktail.
at this Laguna Beach restaurant. • MUST ORDER: Carnitas are exquisite,
a mound of tender, fat-laden meat
topped with a single, hulking pork rib.
Ocean at Main beef salad, crab fried rice, papaya
salad, pad thai, pad see ew, rad • 7832 E. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
NEW FOR 2019 nah, nam salad… all of it excellent. NEWPORT BEACH, 949-494-1239
51
JAVIERS-CANTINA.COM
Chef Craig Strong left his When they say spicy, they mean
longtime post at the ultra- it. Everything here tastes just like
posh Studio at the Montage it does in Thailand, and their tom
Laguna Beach to open his own kha gai (hot sour coconut chicken
place in the heart of downtown. soup) is the best of its genre locally.
The indoor/outdoor vibe is laid-
back yet glamorous. The chef
• MUST ORDER: The insanely Peking
has always excelled at fancy fish
delicious fishcakes are soft and
supple and fragrant of freshly Restaurant
dishes, and now he’s learned to 2018 RANKING: 67
55
pounded red curry paste.
make a pretty good pizza, too. • 9872 WESTMINSTER AVE. (BACKSIDE The Beijing-inspired
The restaurant came with a pizza OF MALL OF FORTUNE), GARDEN GROVE, menu is vast at this
oven, so why not? The Dungeness 714-858-1693, CHADATHAIGG.COM decades-old restaurant,
crab cavatelli is ethereal. So, too, much of it scribbled only in
the oxtail risotto. And they’ve Chinese. Don’t stress when
curated the perfect wine list for owner Lili Shen takes control
millionaires. and changes your order because
• MUST ORDER: The delicious beet she knows better than you. Do
salad with an egg yolk playfully
mimics beef tartare. Harvest what she says. She’ll probably
recommend the beef-and-scallion
• 222 OCEAN AVE., LAGUNA BEACH 2018 RANKING: 54 pancake, country-style chicken
53
949-715-3870, OCEANATMAIN.COM The Ranch resort is one and walnut shrimp. If you’re lucky
of Laguna Beach’s best- she’ll slip in some mustard greens
kept secrets, a charming with pork.
boutique hotel and nine-hole • MUST ORDER: Pan-fried dumplings.
golf course discreetly nestled in • 8566 WESTMINSTER BLVD.,
Chada Thai a picturesque canyon across the
street from the beach. The hilltop
WESTMINSTER, 714-893-3020
52
2018 RANKING: 61
dining room is as beautiful as
A television on the back it is comfortable, with a roaring
wall plays a slideshow of fireplace, lots of leather and velvet
every dish on the menu. and a stunning view. If there’s a
Watch it too long and you’ll end up theme to the menu, it’s familiarity:
ordering one of everything: spicy steak tartare, steamed mussels,
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 19Tacos la Calle
NEW FOR 2019
56 This is one of the best
new taquerias to come
along in years. The tacos
are truly fantastic, especially the
suadero. But so are the mulitas,
which are like quesadillas made
with corn tortillas. You’ll need
extra napkins because the food
here can be really greasy, but it’s
the sort of grease that you’ll be
happy to lick from your fingers.
And as long as you’re getting your
hands and face messy, the street
corn on the cob is delicious, too.
• MUST ORDER: Start with the suadero
tacos. Everything else is just a
bonus.
• 8600 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK
714-236-5211, TACOSLACALLE.COM
Garlic & Chives
2018 RANKING: 63
57 A single order of garlic
crab contains at least two
large fistfuls of garlic,
which will trail you everywhere for
the next couple of days. This wildly
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
GARLIC & CHIVES • Pomelo salad with shrimp and garlic is a
signature dish at this restaurant at Garden Grove’s Mall of Fortune.
service rarely found anymore. The
popular pan-Asian-but-mostly-
Vietnamese restaurant is always steaks are good, though, especially Thai Avenue
packed. On weekends the wait for the simple steak frites. NEW FOR 2019
60
a table can stretch toward two • MUST ORDER: Maryland-style crab This kitchen focuses
hours, and the dining room teeters cake (dinner only) formed with big on the regional seafood
on the verge of riot. The garlic chunks of crab and barely breaded. of the Gulf of Thailand,
noodles with prawns, the sticky • 18420 VON KARMAN AVE., IRVINE and nowhere does that come into
chili chicken wings, the crispy rice 949-477-4810, DAVIOS.COM/IRV sharper focus than when the chefs
in stone pot, the Sichuan-inspired do something, anything, with
cumin lamb, the Thai-style papaya freshwater prawns. Simply grilled,
salad … it’s all worth the wait. the prawns are incredible. Served
• MUST ORDER: Pomelo salad with atop citrusy pad thai, the prawns
pork belly, shrimp and bird’s eye are a revelation. Bobbing in a
chilies. Tupelo Junction cauldron of tom yum, they will
• 9892 WESTMINSTER AVE., GARDEN 2018 RANKING: 57 blow your mind. Also great is the
59
GROVE, 714-591-5196 charred pork jowl (kor moo yang)
GARLICANDCHIVES.COM
In a neighborhood where and grilled Thai sausages.
brunch is a competitive
sport, Tupelo Junction • MUST ORDER: Tom yum goong
scores a lot of points. A crab with freshwater prawns. Seriously,
claw protrudes from the bloody you won’t be able to eat tom yum
mary. The waffles are made from anywhere else after this.
• 10130 GARDEN GROVE BLVD., GARDEN
Davio’s Northern pumpkins and oatmeal and topped
with caramelized bananas. Fresh- GROVE, 657-233-5859
Italian from-the-oven biscuits come with
Steakhouse homemade jam. At dinnertime, it’s
all about the trout.
NEW FOR 2019
58
• MUST ORDER: Fried chicken and
What sets this new cornbread salad.
Italian steakhouse • 508 29TH ST., NEWPORT BEACH
apart from all the other 49-877-0280, TUPELOJUNCTION.COM
steakhouses and trattorias is not
their steaks or their pastas but a
level of old-fashioned customer
20 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EATpatio, and you’ll find yourself in
a romantic Old World trattoria
serving linguine and clams and
veal Milanese. Inside, the two
spaces are connected by a central
bar.
• MUST ORDER: Ask about the off-
menu veal chop, always available but
in limited supply.
• 1080 BAYSIDE DRIVE, NEWPORT
BEACH, 949-644-4220, SAPORINB.COM
El Coyotito
NEW FOR 2019
64 With a squeaky
screen door, scant air-
conditioning and only
about 20 seats, this Mexican
cafe has been flying under the
radar for years. The menu is vast:
tacos, sopes, gorditas, tostadas,
huaraches, tortas, burritos,
enchiladas, ceviches and five-pound
stone molcajetes overflowing with
all kinds of meat.
• MUST ORDER: Langoustines a la
plancha and a scratch Michelada.
• 32141 ALIPAZ ST., SAN JUAN
CINDY YAMANAKA - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER CAPISTRANO, 949-496-9439
DEL FRISCO’S GRILLE • Prime rib is served only on Friday and ELCOYOTITOMEXICANRESTAURANT.COM
Saturday nights at Del Frisco’s Grille at the Irvine Spectrum.
Del Frisco’s the same as the original — fresh
oysters, steamed mussels, hand-cut
Grille pomme frites, beef tartare, three Manpuku
2018 RANKING: 46 dozen Belgium beers — the kitchen 2018 RANKING: 19
61 65
is clearly more aroused. The retro The one thing above all
This restaurant serves design of the indoor/outdoor
prime rib on Friday and else that used to separate
atmosphere feels fresh and vibrant, this Japanese barbecue
Saturday nights only, so a new anchor for San Clemente’s
you’ll want to mark the calendar house from all the others was its
Avenida Del Mar. use of charcoal instead of gas.
for that. The steaks are top-notch,
• MUST ORDER: Large pot of mussels That changed last year. No more
too, and the double cheeseburger is
steamed with Hoegaarden beer and charcoal. The tabletop grills are
what an In-N-Out burger dreams of
being when it grows up. Save room cream, with a side of frites. now fueled exclusively by gas. The
for coconut cream pie. • 218 AVENIDA DEL MAR, SAN meat quality here is still higher
CLEMENTE, 949-218-8489 than most of the competition,
• MUST ORDER: The prime New York BRUSSELSBISTRO.COM
strip never disappoints. though. And the atmosphere still
• 772 SPECTRUM CENTER the most romantic.
DRIVE, IRVINE, 949-341-0376 • MUST ORDER: Prime outside skirt
DELFRISCOSGRILLE.COM steak with spicy miso glaze.
• 891 BAKER ST., COSTA MESA
Sapori 714-708-3290, MANPUKUUS.COM
Ristorante
Brussels 2018 RANKING: 53
Bistro
63 Sapori is actually two
restaurants in one. Enter
62
NEW FOR 2019
through the door on
This new offshoot of the left, and you’ll find a modern
the 15-year-old Brussels Neapolitan-style pizzeria and
Bistro in Laguna Beach one of the best marinara pizzas
exudes the excitement of youth. outside of Naples. Enter to the
While the menu reads more or less right, via the bougainvillea-covered
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 21Southern Spice
NEW FOR 2019
66 Maddeningly chaotic,
this no-frills counter-
service cafe captures the
spirit and taste of India better than
any other restaurant in Orange
County. All the familiar classics
— tandoori chicken, tikka masala,
lamb vindaloo, butter chicken,
etc. — are better here than what
you’ve been eating elsewhere. And
all those other dishes that you’ve
never heard of, like gutti vankaya
(stuffed eggplant) and Chettinad
chicken pepper fry are even better
than that.
• MUST ORDER: Chettinad lamb curry.
• 3850 BARRANCA PARKWAY, IRVINE
949-679-6914
SOUTHERNSPICEIRVINE.COM
Sushi Roku
2018 RANKING: 44
67 This is the sixth branch
of a luxury sushi chain
that started in L.A. more
than a decade ago. For American-
style sushi rolls, it doesn’t get any
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF
ZAIT & ZAATAR • This Lebanese restaurant in Anaheim serves
outstanding sheesh tawook — garlicky chicken skewers.
better than the tuna-jalapeño roll
here. If straight-up raw fish is more
• MUST ORDER: Sheesh tawook,
grilled chicken skewers marinated
The Dock
your thing, you’ll love the new- NEW FOR 2019
in garlic and yogurt.
70
style sashimi. Start with a round • 510 N. BROOKHURST ST., ANAHEIM The Dock has endured
of miso-glazed shrimp tempura for 714-991-9996, ZAITANDZAATAR.COM ups and downs over the
the table. years, and it is currently
• MUST ORDER: Fluke sashimi with riding another high. This charming
kumquats and yuzu vinaigrette. outdoor restaurant overlooks a
• FASHION ISLAND, 327 NEWPORT small channel on Newport Harbor.
CENTER DRIVE, NEWPORT BEACH Regulars arrive by Duffy and enter
949-706-3622, INNOVATIVEDINING.COM Eddie V’s the dining room directly from the
Wildfish dock. If you don’t have a boat, you
can use the front door instead.
NEW FOR 2019
69
Brunch is the best time to see and
The name recently be seen here, which is when the
changed from Wildfish kitchen excels at eggs Benedict and
Zait & Zaatar Grille to Eddie V’s
Wildfish, but this is still the same
brioche French toast. The wine list
NEW FOR 2O19 is deep and worthy of exploration,
steak and seafood house it’s always even at 11 a.m.
68
The air inside Zait been, serving classic lobster bisque,
• MUST ORDER: House-cured gravlax
& Zaatar smells crab chowder, roasted branzino and with crispy latkes and chive cream.
magnificent. It smells a terrific USDA Prime rib-eye. The
• 2816 LAFAYETTE AVE., NEWPORT
of Lebanese flatbreads bar can get rowdy if there’s a game BEACH, 949-673-3625
baking in the old brick oven. on TV, so ask for a table in the back DINEATTHEDOCK.COM
It smells of beef and chicken corner.
shawarma slowly roasting on the • MUST ORDER: The Maryland-style
vertical spits and of kafta kabobs crab cake is as good as it gets.
sizzling on the circular griddle. It’s • 370 BISON AVE., NEWPORT BEACH
always hard to find a seat inside 949-720-9925, EDDIEV.COM
because the dining room holds no
more than about 12 people at a
time, but there’s usually an open
spot on the patio.
22 • BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT• MUST ORDER: Marinated boneless
short rib and the premium pork
jowl.
• 5171 BEACH BLVD., BUENA PARK
714-739-9678
East Borough
NEW FOR 2019
74 Believe it or not, you
won’t find Orange
County’s best banh mi
sandwich in Little Saigon. It’s in
Costa Mesa at The Camp’s East
Borough, an outdoor food shack
with fewer than 20 seats tucked
beneath what looks like an old shed
BRAD A. JOHNSON - STAFF overtaken by wisteria. The tables
EAST BOROUGH • You’ll find this restaurant, which serves the best are stocked with fresh bird’s eye
Vietnames banh mi sandwiches in the county, tucked into The Camp in chilies. There’s no air-conditioning,
Costa Mesa. but the beer is cold. If you like
sweet breakfasts, consider the kaya
J Zhou Oriental 40 years. Crispy tacos are stuffed
with ground- beef. The enchiladas toast.
Cuisine are covered with yellow cheese. And • MUST ORDER: Banh mi with star
anise-braised pork belly.
2018 RANKING: 69 the frozen margaritas are always
71
strong. Warning: If the waitress • 2937 BRISTOL ST., COSTA MESA
This dizzyingly splashy says your plate is hot, don’t touch it. 714-641-5010, EAST-BOROUGH.COM
Chinese restaurant puts the • MUST ORDER: : Enchiladas rancheras
glamor in dim sum. All the with carnitas.
usual stuff is here: shrimp shumai, • 201 S. BRADFORD AVE., PLACENTIA
barbecue pork bao, chicken feet, 714-993-7880, ELFAROLITOMEX.COM
sticky rice in lotus leaves, etc. At
dinnertime, the menu shifts into Ciao Pasta
ultra-luxe banquet mode, offering NEW FOR 2019
whole barbecued pigs or whole
black chickens or Peking ducks,
some of which must be ordered
days in advance.
• MUST ORDER: The beef cheong fun
Kang Ho-Dong
Baekjeong
75 A sleek, modern
makeover has
transformed this formerly
frumpy old trattoria into one of
the sexiest restaurants in South
(steamed rice paper roll) is superb. 2018 RANKING:49 County. The diavola pizza is
• 2601 PARK AVE., TUSTIN, 714-258-
8833, JZHOUORIENTALCUISINE.COM
73 The parent company
that owns this Korean
barbecue house is the
same company that supplies most
other Korean barbecue restaurants
excellent. The roasted halibut is a
lesson in simplicity. But the real
stars are the pastas: bubbling-hot
lasagna, tagliatelle with lemon
and artichokes, pappardelle with
with their meat, so you can porcini mushrooms, baked rotelle
El Farolito imagine who gets first dibs on the
good stuff. And while there are
stuffed with ham.
• MUST ORDER: Squid ink tagliolini
2018 RANKING: 68
72
other branches of this chain, the with fresh clams and cherry
El Farolito has been the Buena Park outpost is consistently tomatoes.
reigning king of Cal-Mex the best. Although everyone’s here • 31661 CAMINO CAPISTRANO, SAN
combination plates — the for barbecue, shouldn’t overlook the JUAN CAPISTRANO, 949-496-5002
sloppier the better — for more than bibimbap. CIAOPASTA.NET
WHO’S IN, WHO’S OUT • Ruth’s Chris OUT • Hue Oi • Ramos House Café
IN • El Coyotito Steak House • 370 Common • Ironwood • Studio
• Brussels Bistro • Kyung Bok Kung • Saline • Adya • Jimmy’s Famous • The Blind Pig
• CdM • Lido Bottle Works • Southern Spice • American Dream American Tavern • The Cellar
• Chaak • Louie’s by the Bay • Tacos la Calle • Bandera • Kabob Republic • The Loft
• Ciao Pasta • Ocean at Main • Thai Avenue • Bangkok Avenue • Leatherby’s Cafe • The Quiet Woman
• Davio’s Northern • Oliver’s Osteria • The Dock • Cha Cha’s Latin Rouge • Watermarc
Italian Steakhouse • Omakase by Gino • The Mayor’s Table Kitchen • Los Sanchez • Wreckless
• East Borough • Pho 101 • Zait & Zaitar • Fleming’s • Ootoro Sushi
• Eddie V’s Wildfish • Playa Mesa • Haidilao Hot Pot • Pour Vida
BRAD A. JOHNSON’S 75 BEST PLACES TO EAT • 23You can also read
