Restaurants
The Cellar
305 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA, 92835
714-525-5682
Downtown Fullerton’s abiding choice for classy, old-school French dining is a North County staple for romantic meals…
Website: http://www.cellardining.com
Neighborhood: Fullerton
Category: French, Restaurants
The Golden Truffle
1767 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626
949-645-9858
Classic cocktails are fresh news at maverick chef Alan Greeley’s 32-year-old bastion of improvisation…
Website: http://www.goldentruffle.com
Neighborhood: Costa Mesa, South Coast Metro
Category: Fusion/Eclectic/Global, Restaurants
The Hobbit
2932 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA, 92867
714-997-1972
Gustatory delights worthy of Gatsby attract special-occasion diners to this gracious hacienda, where dinners are seven-course pageants…
Website: http://www.hobbitrestaurant.com
Neighborhood: Orange
Category: Continental, French, Restaurants
The Loft
30801 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651
949-715-6420
Dining at the posh Montage Laguna Beach demands a wide ocean view, and this comfy aerie delivers with style…
Website: http://www.montagelagunabeach.com
Neighborhood: Laguna Beach, Waterfront
Category: New American, Restaurants
The Mayors Table Pacific Pub & Kitchen
3300 Newport Boulevard, Newport Beach, CA, 92663
949-524-6160
Located on the site of the original Newport Beach City Hall, Mayor’s Table Pacific Pub & Kitchen is Lido House’s signature dining venue. Executive Chef Partner Riley Huddleston brings a decade of culinary power as a chef, mixologist, pastry chef and restaurateur to the Mayor’s Table with seafood and vegetable-forward cuisine. Menu highlights include a […]
Neighborhood: Newport Beach
Category: American, Restaurants, Seafood
The Ranch Restaurant and Saloon
1025 E. Ball Road, Anaheim, CA, 92805
714-817-4200
Oozing top-notch ambition, The Ranch rides into town packing big guns—executive chef Michael Rossi, and his brother, pastry chef David…
Website: http://theranch.com
Neighborhood: Anaheim
Category: American, Restaurants
The Wild Artichoke
4973 Yorba Ranch Road, Yorba Linda, CA, 92885
714-777-9646
Chef-owner James D’Aquila and his winsome crew raise the culinary bar at this teensy, modest storefront…
Website: http://www.thewildartichoke.com
Neighborhood: Yorba Linda
Category: Californian, Fusion/Eclectic/Global, Italian, Restaurants
The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar
2647 Park Ave., Tustin, CA, 92782
714-258-7600
The O.C. power crowd doesn’t care that The Winery isn’t a winery, but a huge, handsome restaurant crafted to attract disciples of steak, wine, and cigars.
Website: http://www.thewineryrestaurant.net
Neighborhood: Tustin
Category: Californian, Restaurants
Three Seventy Common
370 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach, CA, 92651
949-494-8686
Confident chef-owner Ryan Adams reboots the former Sorrento Grille into a straightforward bistro with rich, hearty eats prepared with local goods…
Website: http://www.370common.com
Neighborhood: Laguna Beach
Category: Fusion/Eclectic/Global, Restaurants
Tommy Bahama’s Bar & Grill
400 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651
949-376-6886
The nifty retool of the Heisler Building on Coast Highway lends a local vibe to the newest outpost of this beachy lifestyle boutique-bar-bistro mashup…
Website: http://www.tommybahama.com
Neighborhood: Laguna Beach
Category: American, Restaurants
Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille
854 Avocado Ave., Corona del Mar, CA, 92660
949-760-8686
Ongoing nips and tucks keep this perennial favorite fresh. The fare remains reliably coastal and fresh: sole with yuzu-lilikoi butter…
Website: http://www.tommybahama.com
Neighborhood: Corona del Mar
Category: Californian, Fusion/Eclectic/Global, Restaurants
Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse
20782 Trabuco Oaks Drive, Trabuco Canyon, CA, 92679
949-586-0722
This favorite of Nixon’s, where they will cut off your tie and keep it as part of the decor, is 100 percent serious when it comes to steaks…
Website: http://www.trabucooakssteakhouse.com/
Neighborhood: Trabuco Canyon
Category: Restaurants, Steakhouse
True Food Kitchen
Fashion Island, 451 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA, 92660
949-644-2400
Dr. Andrew Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid is translated into a globally varied parade of healthful starters, salads, sandwiches, and entrees…
Website: http://www.truefoodkitchen.com
Neighborhood: Fashion Island, Newport Beach
Category: Fusion/Eclectic/Global, Organic, Restaurants
TusCa
Hyatt Regency Orange County, 11999 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove, CA, 92840
714-750-1234
The Hyatt’s 17-story atrium lobby is home to this stylish, sinuous ristorante that’s fairly unknown. Chef Sayed Moalemi presides over a menu that starts with morning fritattas, moves to pizzas, antipasto platters, and fresh pastas for dinner…
Website: http://www.orangecounty.hyatt.com
Neighborhood: Garden Grove
Category: Italian, Restaurants
Vine
211 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA, 92672
949-361-2079
Take a wine country detour at this top choice for poised California cuisine supported by an enlightened wine selection…
Website: http://www.vinesanclemente.com
Neighborhood: San Clemente
Category: Californian, Restaurants
Walt’s Wharf
201 Main St., Seal Beach, CA, 90740
562-598-4433
Beloved for fresh seafood expertly grilled over oak embers, this beach-village fixture attracts hordes of locals and visitors…
Website: http://www.waltswharf.com
Neighborhood: Seal Beach
Category: Restaurants, Seafood
Wasa Sushi
The Bluffs, 1346 Bison Ave., Newport Coast, CA, 92657
949-760-1511
James Hamamori cemented his stardom here, but now Kozo Perajima is the chef at this striking shopping-center…
Website: http://www.wasasushi.com
Neighborhood: Newport Coast
Category: Japanese, Restaurants
Wasa Sushi
The Marketplace, 13124 Jamboree Road, Irvine, CA, 92602
714-665-3338
James Hamamori attained stardom at this striking sushi salon in The Markeplace, and though he has moved on, scrupulously fresh fish…
Website: http://www.wasasushi.com
Neighborhood: Irvine
Category: Japanese, Restaurants
