FIFI’S BEST

t’s hard to believe, but here we are with the last Fifi’s Best for the year. Before we delve into this Fifi’s Best, a note on an upcoming event.

You all know Lucca,that charming, friendly, cosmopolitan restaurant that serves such interesting, quality-laden food in Irvine’s Quail Hill Village Center.

It opened a year ago, which now brings us to the One Year Lucca Anniversary Bash, a gala epicurean fund-raiser on Friday, Oct. 13.

Plan on an evening of truly fine dining, superb wines and dancing to one of Southern California’s best jazz groups, the Mark Smith quartet.

Remember when we could understand the lyrics to songs, swoon to the likes of Sinatra and mix up a little romantic and smooth dancing with some energetic swing on the dance floor? It will happen again at this event.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Families Forward, a group dedicated to addressing a family’s needs during a crisis through a spectrum of services, including housing, counseling, food, education, case management, life-skills training and rent or utility assistance.

A selection of Lucca’s favorite appetizers will start out the evening, along with a glass of Heidsick’s Monopole Champagne.

Butter-poached Australian lobster medallion and shrimp wrapped in guanciale (custom-cured pork) comes next, served atop a savory seafood risotto and accompanied by Comte Lafond 2004 Sancerre from France.

The third course of the dinner will be wine-poached Bosc pear with arugula, Oregon smoked blue cheese and pecan brittle and Nivole 2005 Moscato D’Asti from Italy.

Then, there’s roasted boneless quail stuffed with butternut squash and wild mushrooms alongside a small filet mignon with mustard/Cognac/b & #233;arnaise sauce. Two stellar wines will be poured with this main course: one of California’s premier red wines, Au Bon Climat 2004 Central Coast Pinot Noir and the highly acclaimed Italian Amarone, 2004 Masi Costasera.

Just to be sure we are cosseted even more, a selection of Lucca’s signature pastries and artisanal cheeses will be presented with another special Italian wine, the Donna Fugata 2003 Ben Rye Passito.

After all this food, the patio will be cleared for dancing. As the music plays and dancing ensues, more wine and chocolate truffles will entice us.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. The date is Friday, Oct. 13. Tickets are $155, all-inclusive. Because it is a sit-down dinner, the number of attendees is limited. Call (949) 725-1773 for your reservation. Lucca is located at 6507 Quail Hill Parkway in Irvine.

Fifi’s Best

Now back to Fifi’s Best. This one’s a recap of columns that I’ve written in the past 12 months.

I hope that in presenting one more look at what I found fascinating throughout the year, as I worked my way through menus and soaked up the ambiance, it will reignite your dining anticipation.

Always there’s the caveat that I can only write about a limited number of restaurants in each Fifi’s Best.

There are so many good restaurants in Orange County now and I can only cover a finite number of them in any one year.

The county is faring well and changing for the better as more and more restaurants find that OC is a great place, with an ever more curious and energetic dining public.

One certainty is that dining out has become a serious part of our social fabric. We all chat about the latest buzz that yet another restaurant will be opening. We discuss endlessly where we just ate, where we’ve made a reservation, which restaurant has a terrific wine list or unique food.

Two changes that were prominent here in the past year happened at major resorts.

At the St. Regis Monarch Beach, Stonehill Tavern,an absolutely outstanding restaurant,took over where Aqua had failed. Aqua restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas are so beautiful and their heavily seafood-canted menus work well. But Aqua missed the mark in what we wanted here.

The changeover to Stonehill Tavern involved the same chef/partner, Michael Mina, but he opted out of the Aqua relationship and came up with his own beautiful concept in decor and food that sings with his personality.

In the second resort change, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel gave up its rather staid and windowless main dining room and did a complete lobby and dining renovation, knocking out the wall facing the ocean and introducing a happier, more stunning decor.

It now pays tribute to those priceless views of the ocean at the foot of the resort’s cliff side perch and local diners have a further connection to our love of our priceless habitat. The views are free and the food is just clever enough and quite delicious at Restaurant 162′ (so named because of it’s height above sea level).

As this year winds down and the new year unfolds, several new restaurants are set to open. Among them will be Sapphire Laguna, the signature restaurant of former St. Regis executive chef, Azmin Ghahreman, a fantastic chef if ever I met one.

Zov Karamardian of Zov’s in Tustin will expand her successful concept by opening two new Zov’s restaurants.

Panera Bakery-Caf & #233;s are opening in several locations (it’s no secret that I love this concept and I love their food). The old Tustin Marine base with the historic hangars will host a few new eateries in the coming year. Javier Sosa will open another Javier’s at Crystal Cove Promenade,keeping the Javier’s in Irvine’s Spectrum and closing the Laguna location.

The reviews for Fifi’s Best have been edited for space and appear in order of when they were first published in the Business Journal. If you’d like to read the full reviews, please contact the Business Journal’s circulation department,the original publication date is given with each entry.

Now enjoy!

YEN SUSHI & ROLL

Address: 5365 Alton Parkway,

Irvine

Phone: (949) 551-3599

Published Oct. 17, 2005

Japanese fusion restaurant Yen Sushi & Roll, which opened in Irvine about a year ago, is a casual and friendly place.

It features black tables and hefty wood chairs, with about 40 seats inside and a few tables outside, plus 12 sushi bar seats. On one wall is a plasma screen TV, perfect for watching sports or other programs.

Yen evokes Japanese simplicity with a restful golden yellow and sage green color scheme that accommodates raw wood shelves as the back wall of the sushi bar. Attractively shaped and colorful sake bottles and small teapots decorate the shelves.

The already modern d & #233;cor and the Japanese serenity are punctuated with hip and trendy little lights hanging over the sushi bar.

Yen is part of a restaurant corporation that began in Los Angeles five years ago and includes others as well. This is the third Yen restaurant in Southern California. The other two are in Studio City and Long Beach’s Belmont Shore. The company is working on a second Orange County location for next year.

The four sushi chefs wave, say a cheery hello or give a slight bow as we arrive, making us feel welcome.

A printed menu lists several dishes: crunch dragon roll, snow cone roll, gyoza appetizers (pleated and crisped potstickers), salads, noodle dishes and such.

We’ve tried quite a bit of the food and have been impressed. The service staff has been helpful and gracious, and prices here are certainly right. General manager and partner Mike Yun cheerfully visits with everyone, giving a feeling that it’s going to be a nice time of culinary discovery.

Try out the food at lunch or dinner. Salads make for especially interesting midday dining. We had a sashimi salad that combined several kinds of raw fish atop mixed greens with a swirl of avocado adding grace. An array of greens and hand-cut vegetables (tossed in a sesame oil, rice vinegar and spice mix) is stacked on the plate and topped with the chunks of seafood that also have been tossed in the same dressing. Chicken salad, tofu salad, salmon skin salad,there’s so much to choose from.

I suggest the sliced, seared tuna sashimi splayed like a giant starburst on the plate. Pure and elegant food. For the tempura shrimp and vegetables, the batter is very light, delivering an extra crunchy exterior. Green mussels are baked in their shells with a house special gratin-like topping. Soft shell crab and baked yellowtail collar are things that lean toward the divine side of Japanese dining.

There are 48 kinds of “rolls.” Names like Vegas Roll, Alaska Roll, Philadelphia Roll and Hawaiian Tempura Roll take you on a journey through cities and states with something in each of those dishes to remind you of the namesake place.

Shrimp tempura, crab and avocado make up one wonderful roll called the super crunch. Do try the popcorn lobster roll. It has one tempura-fried piece of lobster atop each slice of your spicy tuna roll. Tornado, eel and cucumber, volcano and ichiban are but a few of the other names sprinkled in the long, long list of rolls with rice on the outside and inside out rolls too.

Combo plates of sushi and sushi orders a la carte join bento boxes with lots of goodies plus soup, rice and salad. I happen to love the thick noodles called udon. Have a bowl of them with beef, chicken or tempura adding its flavor.

One doesn’t ordinarily think of Japanese restaurants as being serious about desserts. Yen offers several kinds of exotic ice cream, a banana/ice cream “surprise” and the clever one called tempura ice cream. It comes in a prodigious portion and is one of those oxymorons of culinaria.

Green tea ice cream is frozen into a hard block, surrounded by thinly sliced pound cake, then dipped in a thin film of tempura batter and deep fried momentarily to provide hot crunch on the outside. It’s served in an extra caloric version via the added mound of whipped cream and the chocolate ribbons upon which it sits.

Is it delicious? Certainly.

MOZAMBIQUE

Address: 1740 South Coast Highway,

Laguna Beach

Phone: (949) 715-7777

Mozambique in Laguna Beach seems to have settled in well.

We’ve tried several of the dishes and like this casual exotica that takes our palate through a culinary tour of South Africa, influenced mostly by the Portuguese.

This restaurant is the dream of two boyhood pals from South Africa whose families took yearly vacations to Mozambique. The taste of the foods flavored with peri-peri have remained culinary cravings for Tony Shill (the managing partner) and Ivan Spiers ever since.

Tony and Ivan knew that Southern California and Laguna Beach in particular fulfilled the seaside community aspect of a Mozambique restaurant. And they saw promise in the former Tortilla Flats building.

The entrance takes you into a realm of palm trees, exotic birds in huge cages, an open kitchen exuding enticing aromas and the Shebeen Lounge where colorful libations sit before patrons.

Highly polished dark wood and red woven leather booths accent the main dining room.

I happen to love sitting on the patio. It’s surrounded by brick and rock walls, palms in large cement pots, with a corner fountain in a raised garden area. Marble-topped tables in a rosy orange hue sit beneath lazy ceiling fans. You can smell the ocean air.

Mozambique’s executive chef, Alfonso Contrisciani, was part of the Culinary Olympics team that competed in Berlin in 1996. He also was captain of the 2000 team and was a coach to the team last year.

He’s well traveled and brings a background from some cosmopolitan kitchens.

In describing Alfonso’s food, you’ve got to start by focusing on the peri-peri spice. Peri-peri is a blend of dried spices with a background of lime juice, chiles and garlic, which the chef makes himself.

No bottled stuff allowed. Alfonso also makes his own steak sauce, a meat enhancer that outshines the commercial sauces.

Meals begin with Portuguese hot rolls that are barely sweet and feathery light from the oven. They are absolutely addictive, especially when slathered with the chef’s maple-pecan butter.

Skewered prawn appetizer finds the peri-peri seasoning mingling with the seared flavor from the grill. It’s served with a mango salsa.

Chicken livers are fabulous with that seasoning, a side of caramelized onions, a bit of pomegranate glaze and toasted crostini upon which we can pile it all. A shrimp cocktail brings smiles when it arrives with large prawns ready to be dipped into Ketel One sauce or a house signature sauce.

A grilled vegetable Napoleon is stacked atop crostini, along with spinach and mozzarella.

The avocado soup is a cool puree garnished with spiced crabmeat and coconut. Oyster and fish chowder also has leeks and roasted corn in it. Fava beans and wild mushrooms are partners in yet another potage.

Salads are more California than Mozambique, but they’re very interesting.

The chicken salad finds sliced apples, chick peas, greens and curried yogurt dressing in the mix. A seasonal salad of beets and goat cheese is my choice. The duet is served over arugula.

Entrees include rotisserie chicken, wood-grilled prawns or a combo of the two, all done peri-peri fashion.

Lamb curry is Durban-style with a unique blend of spices in the mix.

Braised short ribs are marinated for 48 hours, then slow-cooked with apples, onions, carrots and celery root. The result is beautifully tender meat and lots of country flavor.

Three steaks are offered and Portuguese lamb also is in a steak presentation with garlic and rosemary perfuming it.

A double cut pork chop is moist due to its cider brining and quick roasting. A portion of beef, lamb steak and Portuguese sausage form a mixed grill: always a good way to taste several things at one sitting.

Three desserts have made my fine choices list.

One is the lemon tart with some unexpected br & #369;l & #233;e on the side. Another is white chocolate and banana bread pudding.

Out of the ordinary and thus convincing is a clever concoction called banana silk. It’s a scoop of toasted almond ice cream with a warm stew of strawberry and mint and warm banana fritters adding presence.

I like that Mozambique’s wine list is divided into light, medium and full-bodied wines.

Wineries in California, Oregon, South Africa, Australia and France are represented.

TRI-VILLAGE

Address: 14121 Jeffrey Road,

Phone: (949) 857-8833

Published Oct. 31, 2005

The new Tri-Village in Irvine has some dishes that will spark memories of home cooking for Asians and are a must-try for the rest of us.

Start with the green scallion pancakes. When I go to Monterey Park, Alhambra or San Gabriel to dine at any of the hundreds of Chinese restaurants, I bring home some of these delicious pancakes.

At Tri-Village, the chef mixes the wheat flour, boiling water and sesame oil by hand, kneads it energetically and then kneads in finely chopped scallions. The dough is then rolled out into very thin discs and pan fried, where it remains thin but also turns into a gently layered affair, sort of a savory cousin to puff pastry.

From the category called Northern Dim Sum, Noodles and Rice, try the wok-fried pork chops. They are seasoned with garlic, salt and a dash of Chinese spices, served with seasoned steamed rice. If you like spicy food, wonton in spicy red chile oil is the go-to dish. Everywhere in China and Hong Kong the natives are scooping up wontons like this. There’s no broth, just a bowl full of wontons over which the chile oil has been poured.

The beef noodle soup can be ordered with machine cut or homemade hand cut noodles,choose the latter as they give a toothsome, hearty quality to the dish,and the beef has been flavored with ginger and star anise.

Jing dong meat pie is similar to a European pierogi. These are delicious pan-fried turnovers with seasoned ground pork embedded in the dough.

I recommend the winter melon soup (lots of melon and meat chunks) and the Westlake ground beef chowder, a soup most of you probably never have had. Good appetizers include drunken chicken, which is marinated in wine and spices and steamed.

Another good starter is the subtly smoked fish. For this dish, a dry wok is lined with aluminum foil and a handful of green tea, a handful of raw rice and a handful of brown sugar is put in the bottom. The wok goes over very high heat and the dry mixture begins to cook together and make smoke. Raw, white-fleshed fish that has been marinated in soy sauce and sherry is quickly deep fried, placed on a steamer tray, covered and placed above the dry smoke coming from the wok.

Sauteed shrimp is marinated in wine and ginger and quickly stir-fried with some scallions. The combination meat, seafood and vegetable m & #233;lange cooked in a clay pot is perhaps the ultimate in delectable comfort food.

Tri-Village serves lunch and dinner daily.

Don’t expect much in the way of decor. Tri-Village is one of those spaces tucked along the walkway of a strip mall. Still, it does have touches of bamboo, lots of light flooding in during the day, soft lighting by night and straightforward, clean-lined styling.

JAVIER’S CANTINA & GRILL

Irvine Spectrum

Address: 45 Fortune Drive,

Irvine

Phone: (949) 872-2101

Published Nov. 14, 2005

Javier Sosa left a long career at the former Tortilla Flats location in Laguna Beach to give us Javier’s Cantina & Grill a decade ago.

It’s a unique Mexican dining experience. The food overrides everything, but it is a breezy, lively and friendly place adequately decorated with tropical plants and beachside style.

Javier knew long before he opened this restaurant that he wanted to have a duality in the menu. While giving us the best of old, traditional Mexican favorites, he also created his own Mexican specialties made with the freshest of local ingredients, fine quality meats and fresh seasonal seafood. And don’t forget his signature margaritas, up there with the best in Orange County.

Now, Javier has added Javier’s Cantina in the Irvine Spectrum. This restaurant doesn’t remind you of its Laguna Beach sibling. It has its own style that’s driven by an entirely different kind of d & #233;cor.

You enter at the side of the bar and lounge, where seats meet a central bar and a wall of rustic rock. It certainly makes you want to look at your watch to see if you have time for a margarita or cocktail before your meal. Or, like us, you might want to stay in the bar to eat from time to time.

In the dining rooms, booths are covered in rich, dark brown leather with handmade yellow glass lights over them. Tables are surrounded by surprisingly comfortable chairs. In the center of one dining room is a massive tree strung with micro-miniature white lights. Hand-tooled metal artifacts from Mexico add interest.

We’ll approach the food in two facets: modern signature dishes and traditional Mexican classics.

When Javier first began this personal restaurant journey a decade ago, he wanted to make the best use of pristinely fresh seafood and white prawns. He wanted to use fresh local ingredients too. He also had a vision of making every dish as visually appealing as plates at flashier places.

That’s how we came to have Dungeness crab inside the hefty crab enchiladas that are topped with quite a refined tomatillo sauce.

I’m jumping ahead though,let’s talk a bit about the appetizers.

In a trendy shrimp cocktail, fat prawns are treated to a wave of tomato chunks and avocado and snippets of cilantro, rather than drowning in the tomato-based cocktail sauce that most restaurants serve.

The fish ceviche is perfectly cured with lime juice and the hints of scallion peeking through are just the right intensity level.

The queso fundido is traditional with onions and mushrooms drowning in melted jack cheese, but it’s oh so good. Nachos also can be had with various toppings, melding old with new.

Javier’s modern dishes include tender Mexican white prawns quickly with butter and garlic, or with pasilla chiles and onions or served burrito style.

A “must have” meat dish from Javier’s creative repertoire is the Lomo Azteca: medallions of tender pork loin baked in a chipotle chile cream sauce.

Another dish to rave about is the Maine lobster tail strewn with the flavors of mild pasilla chiles and garlic and an 8-ounce center cut prime filet mignon. It’s some of the best surf and turf.

Just behind that would be the prawns with a poblano chile sauce and the same steak accompaniment. New York steak also is an alternative.

Now for the old classics. Tacos filled with free-range chicken, or natural beef ,have them soft-style please,deliver plenty of satisfaction.

I’m a nut for carnitas and there are just a few restaurants I’ve found in OC that serve them in the very old Michoacan style. Most restaurants won’t take the time to do them in this heavenly, but labor-intensive way. Fresh pork roast is cut into manageable chunks, deep fried and then given a glaze of orange juice and a sprinkle of salt before going into the oven to slowly roast until it’s fork tender. Then, it’s hand-shredded and served to us with all the carnitas trimmings to tuck into warm tortillas.

Steak picado (beef sauteed with tomatoes, onions, pasillas and cilantro) is classic. So is chicken mole with its rich sauce romanced with chocolate.

Have the perfectly executed flan for dessert.

PINOT PROVENCE

Westin South Coast Plaza

Address: 686 Anton Blvd.,

Costa Mesa

Phone: (714) 428-0814

Published Nov. 28, 2005

Pinot Provence in Costa Mesa always ranks high on my list of fine dining restaurants.

It’s a blessing for Orange County to have an extraordinary chef, Florent Marneau, who has kept the French menu authentic while managing to make his dishes jump off the menu.

Pinot Provence’s menu offers dish after dish that is truly French and sounds so good.

The restaurant’s founders, well-known chef and restaurateur Joachim Splichal and his wife Christine, also wandered through France selecting chandeliers, the old barn boards that became Pinot Provence’s ceiling, the utterly tall and stately doors that mark entrances to separate, private dining spaces, and even a ton or so of limestone blocks that outline the grand arch to the main dining room.

Appetizers on a recent dinner menu included a plate of mixed olives,a staple that offers an assortment of cured olives from around the Mediterranean. They are best enjoyed with a before-dinner drink.

Right up there on the sophistication scale was the tuna tartare, marinated in truffle essence. However, the biggest tuna intrigue turned out to be a dish called Tahitian Poisson Cru.

This was a fantastic dish, comprised of raw sashimi of tuna, shaved shreds of fresh coconut, a spritz of lime juice and sprigs of cilantro, all piled into a small salad-like presentation. The blend was exotic and a new realization of bright tastes to keep me coming back for more.

Foie gras is ever present; recently it came seared with a mango salsa on the side. A variety of oysters on the half-shell make any beginning auspicious.

Fresh seafood is treated with great respect.

Frogs legs aren’t always on the menu, but they turned up one evening. This dish always beckons to me. Pinot Provence’s frogs legs always are fresh (frozen ones lose flavor and texture and that would never do here) and in this instance their gentle taste was touched with hints of basil and garlic.

Many desserts come as a trio of tastes in the same flavor family. Like the rest of the menu, all the desserts beg to be ordered.

One recent evening I had a lemon tart that came as a small round of non sugary lemon cr & #269;me in a flaky crust with cubes of lemon gelatin on one corner of the plate and a small scoop of fresh lemon ice cream on another.

A chocolate dessert was served to a friend as a dacquoise, a rich little rectangle of stacked meringue crisps layered with chocolate ganache, with a scoop of bittersweet chocolate ice cream and a little wedge of fudge intensity gateau on the plate for extra good measure.

Wines are given the respect they deserve at Pinot Provence. The list is not overbearing, but it is a good read and a palate pleasing taste of wines from Europe, Australia, South America and the U.S.

CAPRICCIO ITALIANO RISTORANTE

Address: 25380 Marguerite Parkway,

Mission Viejo

Phone: (949) 855-6866

Published Dec. 5, 2005

Capriccio Italiano Ristorante in Mission Viejo has earned top kudos for a long time.

We lived in Mission Viejo 20 years ago, when Capriccio was known as a very casual, family-style place with Formica tables and delicious Italian dishes that you’d find on the table in homes in Italy.

There never has been any sign of pretentiousness. What has changed during the past few decades is that it now is a white tablecloth restaurant with a very lovely and welcoming updated interior. Food, service and wine are carefully tended to by brothers and co-owners Ciacone and Valentino Marciano.

The Marcianos started the restaurant and remain its backbone.

The minestrone and “soup” of steamed mussels in wine broth are jumping with good taste.

If the cream of wild mushrooms soup is offered as soup of the day, order it. This is a silky blend of several varieties of fresh wild mushrooms with just the right hint of herbs. It’s so popular that there’s a list of customers who are on the “call me” list whenever it’s served. One of the best soups in recent memory for us is the cream of broccoli soup.

For starters, calamari saut & #233;ed with capers and black olives and fresh marinara sauce trumps the humdrum fried calamari strips that restaurants normally serve. I love the scampi Riviera style with bits of tomato and just the right amount of garlic and the fresh artichokes topped with mushrooms and melted mozzarella.

Antipasto plates, beef carpaccio and other popular Italian first courses also are well represented.

Pasta naturally is tremendously important here. The almost two dozen choices aren’t drowned in sauce, but dressed by it.

Pastas are cooked al dente with a toothsome bite allowed to add to the texture. Each pasta dish is richly endowed with classic flavors that belong with the given pasta and the chef is generous in the meat or seafood ingredients that mingle with the pasta in various preparations.

Linguine with homemade country sausage, penne with Italian bacon and vodka cream sauce, bow tie pasta with prosciutto and smoked salmon in a tomato-cream sauce, traditional lasagna, spaghetti with garlic-olive-anchovy puttanesca sauce and capellini with chunky marinara-basil sauce are a few of the pastas that ring true to my palate from past experiences in Italy.

Shellfish, seafood, meat and poultry entrees come with a choice of pasta, for which I give them a high five because, as already noted, their pastas are so delicious and I can’t imagine going to Capriccio without a pasta fix.

Four tender, very pink lamb chops as I ordered them come on a triangular plate arched over a julienne of mixed vegetables. There are mounds of spinach and saut & #233;ed mushrooms in two corners of the plate.

Breast of chicken is layered with wild mushrooms and caramelized onions. Garlic and lemon join sun-dried tomato in another chicken entree.

There are five veal dishes, with a not-to-miss thick veal chop among them. Several beef dishes also will entice meat lovers, including a pan-roasted filet mignon in a garlic-wild mushroom-rosemary sauce.

Capriccio’s osso buco is Milanese-style, laced with a bit of cognac and red wine. It’s fork tender.

House scampi finds the crustaceans dredged in sesame seeds and sitting on ribbons of a slightly feisty red pimiento sauce. Tender, steamy salmon pops out of its paper envelope in which it has been roasted with vegetables.

A great filet of sole is dotted with a nice saffron sauce and sided with roasted artichokes. There always is salmon and another fish of the day offered.

The lunch menu is a smaller version of the evening one. It has some nice entree salads and Italian sandwiches on it, making for efficient use of time. A good selection of pastas and protein entrees fills out the format.

The wine list is fabulous. One night found us drinking a super Tuscan wine, another occasion had us enjoying an amarone wine.

Every Tuesday, the restaurant offers 40% off on some wines. The designated driver is given free non-alcoholic drinks.

Capriccio may be based out of a rather nondescript local shopping center, but that doesn’t stop it from being worthy of making it a destination stop.

WILDFISH SEAFOOD GRILLE

Address: 1370 Bison Ave.,

Newport Beach

Phone: (949) 720-9925

Published Jan. 9

Wildfish Seafood Grille in Newport Beach’s Bluffs Center seems to have caught on nicely with locals.

The Wildfish concept is a tweaked spinoff of the Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille in Austin, Texas, and Scottsdale.

Wildfish is attractive in many ways and we’ve had some really good food. Besides that, we have found the waiters greeting many customers with a “nice to see you again” comment,a very good sign that repeat business is hitting its stride.

The front of the restaurant as you enter is centered with a very hospitable bar,a complete oval with nothing blocking the view. It already has made it onto my list of bars to sit and eat.

Walk beyond the bar and there’s an elevated dining area. To the left of the bar is a most attractive dining room with two rows of booths and tables in the middle.

Naturally, seafood has the edge on the menu, but there are four specially aged center-cut steaks: two sizes of filet, a New York strip and a hefty 22-ounce bone-in rib eye. There’s also a veal chop and a roasted double breast of chicken for variety.

Oysters are hand-harvested from federally inspected beds in the North Pacific and North Atlantic regions and may come from only one of those areas on any given evening, or from both, depending on availability. The oysters come on a bed of ice in the requisite presentation with lemon and cocktail sauce.

Large shrimp are featured as stand-alone dishes or in combination entrees. One appetizer has them with a duo of sauces, melon and jicama slaw. On one of our evenings, a chef’s special found them with a spicy sauce as an alternative.

Jonah crab,one of the largest species of coldwater crabs from the East Coast,is available in cracked and peeled claws, in a salad, as the awesome and almost only ingredient in the crab cake, and as a stuffing inside grilled shrimp. This crab is exceedingly tasty.

There’s only one soup, but it’s a marvelously rich Maine lobster bisque. Our friends reported that they liked the hot goat cheese and wild mushroom salad, but again we haven’t gotten to everything on this menu.

We did try the salad of avocado, baby greens, dates, grapes and more with shrimp and crab and champagne vinaigrette. It was a delightful juxtaposition of flavors.

Tuna is indulged in tartare and seared versions. Playing the fusion card, calamari is cooked in a wok with vegetables and cashews. Ahi tuna meets soba noodles and mushrooms in another wok entree.

Crispy shrimp mingle with a salt and pepper crunchiness and red chiles in yet another Oriental-influenced dish.

Seafood entrees (all of them, like the steaks, are a la carte) include snapper, Chilean sea bass, tuna, swordfish, Georges Bank jumbo scallops or filet of sole, lightly smoked King salmon and lobster tails.

You will find the seafood in sauces like Hong Kong style broth with spinach, with roasted macadamia nuts and wasabi-lime vinaigrette, sided by Napa cabbage and crab coleslaw and with a few very classic sauces.

At the top of our must have entree list is the Parmesan-crusted lemon sole with lemon-garlic-butter sauce. At the top of our must have entree list is the Parmesan-crusted lemon sole with lemon-garlic-butter sauce. It’s quite fabulous.

Side orders come a la carte. Like many steak and seafood houses, they range from very generous portions of vegetables (snap peas, asparagus with hollandaise, Asian green beans, mushrooms and spinach) to truffled macaroni and cheese, three kinds of potatoes and crab fried rice.

Desserts to request at the time your entree is served: cinnamon-raisin bread pudding souffl & #233;, molten Godiva chocolate cake and apple cobbler, each baked to order.

Lemon meringue pie with strawberries and coconut torte particularly attract my sweet tooth.

You will find a pretty distinguished wine list here. The wines are mostly American with a slight sprinkle of Italian and French labels.

If you are that rare wine drinker who gravitates toward the mystic and the cultish labels, there’s a connoisseur’s list of higher end wines that will surely pique your interest.

MOLLIES COUNTRY KITCHEN

Address: 27932 La Paz Road,

Laguna Niguel

Phone: (949) 643-9174

Published Jan. 16

We talk a lot about Orange County’s big budget restaurants because they serve great food and have the moneyed presence to make their personalities known.

But if you’re as invested in good food as I am, you occasionally come across a small hometown-style restaurant that’s doing all the right things. If you’re lucky, the restaurant becomes a favorite.

That’s the case for Mollies Country Kitchen in Laguna Niguel.

We were introduced to this sweet oasis of friendliness and terrific food by our friends from Nellie Gail, Judy and Richard Maggio, who accompanied us, along with 12 others, on a trip to China a year ago.

One day, when we were heading to the Great Wall, the conversation turned to OC’s less expensive eateries that serve good food.

The Maggios proved a wealth of information. Almost as soon as we got home from the trip and unpacked our suitcases, my husband Patrick and I were in Mollies, investigating for ourselves one of the Maggios’ recommendations.

First you have to find Mollies,not necessarily the easiest task on the first try. It’s on La Paz, half a block from Aliso Creek Road.

The restaurant is tucked at the end of a nondescript line of storefronts. You’ll see by the facade that there’s a cuteness factor here. It’s not a place for pretentiousness.

There aren’t too many restaurants around with pink, white and teal color schemes and flowered wallpaper as their backdrop decor. Inside, Mollies’ homey atmosphere makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

There are several booths upholstered in teal vinyl with gray marbled Formica tabletops. A separate part of the room has white tables and chairs. Ceiling fans twirl at slow speed, further creating a relaxing mood.

We first went to Mollies for dinner and discovered a big menu of American and Mexican specialties. During several visits, we’ve worked our way backward and discovered that there’s equal reason to have a wonderful breakfast or lunch here as well.

We’d already been told that Olivia and Antonio Jiminez were the founders of the restaurant, now 20 years old. Tony, their son, and his wife now largely run the restaurant, carrying on the tradition of good food and gracious service.

We found that the Mexican food was famous with Mollies’ regulars. Everything is prepared fresh every day and made from old family recipes.

Two pages of the menu are devoted to the Mexican theme and most of the entrees come with fresh guacamole and sour cream (request some of the homemade salsa, too).

Huevos rancheros, scrambled beef and egg machaca, chorizo and egg as is or in a burrito make good breakfast choices, although there are 17 Mexican breakfast plates to taunt you.

Lunch and dinner Mexican-style include almost every kind of enchilada, taco, burrito, relleno and tamale. Cravings for carne asada, carnitas, steak, fish or camarones (shrimp) can be happily sated at Mollies.

Breakfasts also are serious business. Freshly squeezed juice joins fresh fruit and all kinds of cereal. Hot cakes come in many styles and French toast and crispy waffles shouldn’t be missed.

Add to that plenty of egg dishes and combos that keep us happy. Incidentally, the coffee to perk you up is very good and I managed several refills.

If you opt for American-style specialties for lunch, another load of choices is on hand.

Generous burgers, a long list of cold and grilled sandwiches and many salads are presented nicely. There’s also a nice list of hot lunch specialties, including meatloaf, steak, pork chops, chicken, fish and roasted turkey.

There also are complete dinners where the fish and chips are worthy of jolly old England. The fried chicken satisfies my Southern longing. Liver and onions are near divine. Pork chops and tenderloin remind me of mid-America, while a full roasted turkey dinner is just delicious at any time.

It took a long time for me to hear about Mollies, but I’m making up for it now.

Mollies is giving us more good food than we would ever expect in this type of eatery.

There’s lovely pricing, very generous portions and delightful service that that makes Mollies a homespun cafe worth knowing.

PORTILLO’S

Buena Park Mall

Address: 8390 La Palma Ave.,

Buena Park

Phone: (714) 220-6400

Published Feb. 13

Chicagoans living in Southern California are in heaven now that they’ve got their own Portillo’s restaurant, a bastion of hot dogs, Italian beef, burgers and salads.

Chicago natives are proud of their heritage. It certainly was the hot city during the 1920s and 1930s.

Portillo’s has cashed in on this era, creating a speakeasy feel for its decor.

There are a slew of Portillo’s restaurants in and around Chicago. The Buena Park restaurant is its first foray far from that area.

There are various design themes for the restaurant chain, with a diner style being popular. For the Orange County location, it’s an ultracasual food theme.

Seating is in wooden booths and on wood chairs, which are perked up slightly with padding on the seats. Tables are covered in checkered plastic cloths.

Trestle-like beams and support systems crisscross the exposed industrial-looking ceilings and join faux brick walls where almost every ounce of space is covered in kitschy signs and photographs.

What to drink with the dogs, burgers, soups or salads? There’s a small wine list and some beers joining soft drinks, bottled juices and teas.

There are essentially just five dogs on the menu. They are joined by 13 sandwiches, a couple of which are actually served on croissants that work outside the borders of what I consider a Chicago sandwich in this particular atmosphere. Did they have croissants back in the day?

Roy and Barbara Freeman are food-loving friends of ours from Newport Beach. They are so good at keeping me apprised of what’s happening here and elsewhere. In this case, the couple tried Portillo’s before I did.

They tuned in to the hot dogs that “popped in your mouth,” a phrase that has since been invoked by others. They also loved the atmosphere.

I can add more smiles from the Business Journal’s executive editor, Rick Reiff. Having come from Chicago, Rick treated his visiting mom and dad recently to this Portillo’s outpost. They all felt the full force of homestyle Chicago casual dining here.

Salads mostly give a little nod to the trendy. There’s one with chicken and pecans, an Asian take for another, spinach with strawberries in yet one more. There also is a pasta salad, chopped salad, gourmet salad with lots of goodies and a signature Garbage Salad.

The latter is billed as having “a bunch of junk in it.” Translate that to salami, provolone and parmesan cheeses, radishes, onions, cherry tomatoes, olives, celery, roasted red peppers and parsley that they top with “a trashy sweet vinaigrette dressing.” Hey, they gave us the descriptive phrases, I just ate the salad.

While all beef hot dogs come with several choices of accompaniments, my choice on a recent visit was the Polish sausage sandwich with mustard and grilled onions.

I suppose the most popular sandwich beyond the dogs for anyone hailing from Chicago is the Italian beef sandwich of thinly shaved beef that they dip or drizzle with as much gravy as you like.

Portillo’s sells accompaniments as side orders and I’d suggest you order your beef sandwich with some Italian sweet peppers and mozzarella cheese, which ups the price by just 79 cents.

On my “to do” list for another time is the chargrilled Italian sausage sandwich. For those who prefer seafood, a filet of cod is deep-fried in vegetable oil and put on a bun with homemade tartar sauce.

Nowadays, every restaurant seems compelled to have a vegetarian sandwich: Portillo’s version has grilled mixed vegetables, portabello mushroom and fresh mozzarella on focaccia bread.

In another tip to modern thinking, one side order is for a tamale (straight or with chili, cheese and onions). Chicken strips also are offered.

Every casual side order befitting a mostly salad and sandwich menu is offered: fries, onion rings, home cooked hot or sweet peppers, shakes, malts and such.

Desserts are chocolate cake, strawberry shortcake and Malibu rum cake (another non-Chicago entry).

MASTRO’S STEAKHOUSE

Address: 633 Anton Blvd.,

Phone: (714) 546-7405

Published Feb. 20

The Mastro Cos. has been busy in OC. In October last year, it opened Mastro’s Ocean Club in a new building at Crystal Cove Promenade on Pacific Coast Highway.

In February, it opened yet another ultra-glamorous Orange County restaurant, Mastro’s Steakhouse.

Both restaurants have landed on OC’s top dining circuit.

A long, sleek granite facade gives a hint that something modern is to be found inside. You enter through heavy glass doors textured to resemble flowing water. More of that wavy, flowing element makes up walls of the foyer.

Overhead is a huge commissioned chandelier in bright red glass. Some walls are made of stacked ledge stone, others are comprised of marching rows of rectangular pillars that combine dark wood and illuminated amber-colored glass panels. Black granite floors are speckled with gold.

This is one of those places where I’d advise you to arrive in plenty of time to have a before-dinner cocktail in the chic bar and lounge area.

Mastro’s Steakhouse doesn’t serve lunch,it’s a dinner destination.

The restaurant offers a true menu of steakhouse food.

Portions are very generous. One could fill up on appetizers alone. Add to that a basket of hot breads and paper thin, crispy slices of garlic bread that are way too tasty and you’re already in trouble.

Cocktails of shrimp or lobster are joined by suggestions of oysters, mushrooms’ caps stuffed with crab, sea scallops, crab claws and sauteed shrimp slightly reminiscent of Italian scampi.

Soup is French onion. The steak appetizer is listed as sashimi style. Ravioli is the Chicago cheese filled and toasted kind.

The stamp of seriousness is profound in the prime meats. Steaks range from 12 ounces to a 48-ounce double-cut porterhouse.

There are bone-in and boneless strip steaks, filets and rib eyes. A pork chop is a hefty double-cut portion. There’s prime rib, rack of lamb and a veal chop, too.

I lucked out and had an incredible entree: lamb porterhouse. It came as three porterhouse chops, 22 ounces of meat, each almost 3 inches thick. They were as succulent as any lamb could be.

My husband, Patrick, had a tender Kansas City strip steak, also showing off its prime quality.

All meats are sprinkled with a house blend of spices before grilling, giving them a signature flavor.

Another appreciated aspect: Throughout the meal, we could not find an item that needed extra seasoning. In a culinary world that seems intent on under-seasoning food, it’s a joy to find a chef who does it right and is proud of it.

Big eye tuna, sea bass, swordfish and farm-raised salmon are choices for seafood eaters. Crustaceans include lobster and crab legs. We managed only to have some meaty crab claws from that category.

One outrageously good side order that was presented as a special of the evening was mashed potatoes with lobster bits.

A long list of side orders takes you about anywhere you’d want to be with starches and vegetables. Go for the Lyonnaise or au gratin potatoes unless you must have a definitive baked potato.

Dessert choices include pies, cakes, fresh berries, br & #369;l & #233;es, ice creams and even bread pudding.

And here comes a leather folder, this one somewhat smaller than the wine list. Tucked inside is a long list of port wines, various international dessert wines and cordials.

Dinner wines can be ordered from the regular menu or from a separate black folder that showcases high-end choices from the wine tower.

If you want to try a lighter, lovelier white with your seafood,appetizer or entree,have a Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling from Germany.

The softness and floral character with the bare essence of sweetness is a happy match with white-fleshed fish or any shellfish.

On the red side, we ordered a glass of Robert Craig’s Affinity, a blend of 77% cabernet and 20% merlot, with a miniscule amount of cabernet franc and petit verdot. It has a deep aubergine color, rich berry aromas and just a hint of spice and cinnamon sneaking into the taste.

In a nice touch, executive chef Matt Briggs came to the tables to say hello to customers. He was a bundle of enthusiasm about this restaurant, his job and what he hoped Mastro’s steakhouse would bring to OC diners.

AMBROSIA

OC Pavilion theater

Address: 801 N. Main St.,

Santa Ana

Phone: (714) 550-0880

Published March 20

Certain names carry weight in Orange County.

That is the case with the new Ambrosia restaurant and OC Pavilion in Santa Ana. It’s a showplace reminiscent of a beautiful restaurant that carried that same name in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Costa Mesa.

The gentleman who owned that Ambrosia, developer Mike Harrah, closed it almost 20 years ago but kept the dream simmering.

The new Ambrosia is more for the eye, the soul and the palate than I ever envisioned from first hearing about it.

And I certainly did not expect to encounter this chic upstairs restaurant that shares a sisterly spirit with the first class theater on the first level of the building at 8th and Main streets in Santa Ana.

Seating is on levels, allowing all 500 guests prime views of the artists. Pavilion seating is in the most modern and comfortable theater-type chairs. Two intimate balconies overlook the action from either side.

From the royal appointments such as fine velvet drapes, gold leaf touches added to the decor and the legroom given for your comfort, this is a fantastic place for an evening of entertainment.

We had dinner upstairs the first time and then came back down to see Kool & the Gang, a two-hour, nonstop show of nostalgic tunes and absolutely delightful music. Performers from Kenny G to crooners, rock ‘n’ rollers to pop artists, even flamenco and comedians are booked.

Also in the downstairs part of the building is The Vault, an actual vault from the days when it served as a bank. Now it offers upholstered comfort and grand looks.

What a place for a private gathering or for having a sublime cocktail. It partners with the Wine Cellar, doubling as the cocktail lounge.

Take the elevator upstairs and step into an inspirational setting of real yesteryear mealtime pampering.

Ambrosia is a room of big, rounded, black leather upholstered booths, the kind we never see anymore.

Expensive dark woods meet walls of beveled mirrors. In keeping with this dreamy environment, there’s a raised section at one end of the room to accommodate the quartet that serenades with soft music during dinner.

We were halfway through the meal when Mike came to the table. I told him I was rather astounded at the high level of the food, ultra-good looking presentations and certainly fine tastes, and I asked about the chef.

Mike said the quality was due to consulting chef Jean-Marie Josselin. That got my attention. Jean-Marie is admired for his restaurant in Lahaina on Maui, and Restaurant 808 in La Jolla and at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He also has at least one cookbook in print that I’m familiar with.

The beautiful plates of food with Pacific Rim and French-tinged food began to make perfect sense. This is the reason for every coastal and inland OC resident to dine in downtown Santa Ana.

The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner. One can dine in the evening and end it at that, or attend the musical concert in the Pavilion after dinner. A separate ticket is needed for the performance

Every accoutrement at the table denotes class. The plates are emblazoned with the Ambrosia name. Sparkling wine glasses are ready.

There’s a comprehensive lunch menu. Appetizers of note: poached scallop ravioli, baby lobster cocktail, steamed mussels in riesling wine, crispy calamari and flank steak with avocado and a marvelous grilled asparagus salad.

Entrees that are seriously memorable: potato-crusted sea bass with white truffle mashed potatoes, miso-marinated salmon with coconut sticky rice and lobster tarragon broth, grilled NY steak with a blue cheese souffl & #233;, grilled baby back ribs with smoked passion fruit barbecue sauce and rock shrimp risotto with eggplant in a moat of light Thai-style broth.

Dinner is made up of specials of the day, a full a la carte menu and prix fixe menus that change regularly. You will find similar quality and choices as the lunch menu.

Typical of a serious restaurant, desserts are treated with equal respect. The Meyer lemon custard cake with fresh fruit and the creamy br & #369;l & #233;e with assorted homemade cookies were desserts that seemed to disappear even though we professed to be quite full before they arrived.

THE GROVE

Address: 2200 E. Katella Ave.,

Anaheim

Phone: (714) 712-2700

Published March 27

Concerts come in all styles and sizes and Orange County is fortunate to have many venues that bring in famous artists.

One of the more casual and friendly ones, which also is impressive on the dining front, is The Grove of Anaheim.

We saw Willie Nelson at the Grove. We were excited to take a trip down memory lane with the old troubadour and his band.

The Grove opened in 1998 under a different name and different management. Back then, I wasn’t fond at all of the concept that hyped pretend red carpet, faux celebrity treatment of guests with hooting teenagers and make-believe paparazzi as we arrived and then continued the farce inside as if one were attending an awards ceremony.

Thankfully Nederlander Organization Inc. came on the scene and turned the venue into what it is today: a well-run, sensible place where you have a pre-concert meal and then see top-notch entertainment.

Nederlander books, promotes and produces live entertainment for many of Southern California’s most important venues, including the Honda Center, Staples Center, Bakersfield Centennial Garden, Santa Barbara Bowl, San Diego Civic Theatre and Greek Theatre in Griffith Park.

The Grove has been outfitted with the latest sound and lighting technology and the room has super acoustics.

We arrived for the Willie Nelson concert in time for a leisurely dinner before the show. Guests are ushered to their seats for dinner and the show.

Seating is at long tables for about 12 that are situated showroom style, a bit reminiscent of the old Las Vegas days. (You can buy a ticket for the show alone,dining before the performance isn’t required, though it’s a nice addition to the evening. Also keep in mind that dining is for certain shows only, so be sure to ask when you buy tickets.)

Executive chef Alfredo Rodriguez of Aventura Catering Co., which cooks the meals, gave us something to talk about. We truly enjoyed our food.

It’s superb but unpretentious food that satisfies the American spirit.

The menu is a one-page a la carte affair. It changes regularly. Our choices included a trio of appetizers, two salads, five entrees and two desserts.

I loved the three mini grilled mahi mahi tacos for my appetizer. The fish had been perfumed with tequila and stuffed into little soft corn tortillas. On the side were some pico de gallo and chipotle mayonnaise.

My husband, Patrick, ordered the chicken wings that took a vacation from the Buffalo tradition to instead mingle nicely with a cucumber and mint salad. Very tasty.

We almost ordered a Caesar salad to share, but the Greek salad won out. I enjoy olives, feta cheese and cucumbers, so combined with greens, tomato wedges and an oregano vinaigrette,it sufficed nicely.

The hot bread that came at the beginning of the meal was good, but the corn bread that was tucked into the basket was downright Southern delicious, especially so when slathered with the accompanying pecan butter.

I didn’t expect to find a fork-tender rib-eye steak with a whiskey sauce, fresh asparagus spears and ethereally light mashed potatoes hinting of garlic. It was very tasty.

Patrick ordered the glazed baby back ribs. It came as a full rack with a Texas-style barbecue sauce.

I know Texas barbecue and these ribs were proudly Texan. To make their barbecue sauce, Texans blend some vinegar or lemon juice with a tomato base, a little sugar and several spices and zestful enhancements like chile peppers.

It should be a finely tuned balance of sweet and sour, salt and spice that turns pork into a roasted nirvana. The Grove’s chef certainly knew how to make an authentic sauce.

Also on the menu that evening was a roasted half chicken that came with a swell three-cheese macaroni bake. There also was a blackened salmon and a vegetarian dish of pappardelle (wide noodles) with asparagus, tomatoes and chunks of fresh mozzarella.

Desserts were a cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e with chocolate biscotti and fresh berries on the side and a fudge-like chocolate brownie topped with rich caramel ice cream, plenty of semi-sweet chocolate sauce and a topknot of whipped cream.

Like the menu, the wine list also is one page long. It is entirely made up of American choices except for three sparkling wines from France.

But in this setting, it’s nice to have a cocktail, too.

The best way to check out who’s coming to the Grove is to go to its Web site, thegroveofanaheim.com.

PAVILION

Address: 690 Newport Center Drive,

Phone: (949) 760-4932

Published April 3

There’s been a lot of conversation about the changes at The Island Hotel Newport Beach since owner The Irvine Company took back management of it.

I always had appreciated the luxurious but friendly ambiance of the hotel under the Four Seasons, its former management company. The food generally has ranked high on the local gourmet dining scene.

So I, too, was cautious about the changes under way at the hotel and restaurant.

Pavilion, the attractive restaurant with gardens outside a wall of windows, will get a renovation, probably a different name and a new theme in tune with The Island’s updated concept.

Executive chef Bill Bracken was hired from the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel, where he was executive chef for several years. He is an Orange County guy,Bill was the chef at The Island when the hotel first was built.

Bill’s added a Rodeo Drive kind of elegance with each course.

It quickly becomes apparent that Pavilion is upping the artistic ante.

The menu is not overblown. It is, though, a compilation of small and large plates that plays nicely to those who prefer smaller portions or want to taste or share a variety of dishes.

The larger portions are for those who want a full-blown entree. Vegetarians are given consideration at Pavilion.

Delicious starters begin with a small square plate with a tartar of tuna sitting in a plump stack just off center and small portions of pickled onion, Alae Hawaiian sea salt, crisp nori (seaweed) tidbits and lotus chips sitting around the edges like tiny hills.

The crab cake is intensive with meaty chunks and nicely crisped on the outside. This comes with a black bean r & #233;moulade, pickled ginger and mango aioli.

As rich as it is, foie gras almost always is a must for me when it’s offered. Smooth and silky and the very essence of an epicurean’s dream describes this pan-seared version with delicate little enhancements that make the experience all the more sensual, two of those being lemon-rhubarb gelee and mac-nut brittle.

I smiled when I saw that this upscale dining room served macaroni and cheese. Naturally, there’s a twist that makes it a fashion statement. The de rigueur elbow pasta is laced with taleggio cheese and crushed truffles and gets added texture from the Parmesan crisp. It’s a fantastic combination of comfort food and elegant taste.

A cup of suave chowder is made with lightly smoked clams. Ours came with a mini gruyere cheese panini sandwich.

Salmon is smoked in-house and the slices get an unusual flavor marriage from the scallion pancake and tendrils of cr & #269;me fra & #238;che topped with American caviar.

Larger plates embrace a dozen fashionable dishes with their own creative accompaniments. Colorado lamb rack comes with fava beans, pancetta and a caramelized onion and olive gratin.

The chef turns Kurobuta pork, the finest available, and veal rib eye into meats with chic personalities. The specialty pork chop takes on a country like homage with its siblings of cabbage, figs and apples alongside, albeit still a superb artwork of presentation.

The lamb and veal have dashes of integrated flavor via highlights on the side. Duck is treated to a fusion-style presentation.

This duck breast, cooked medium-rare unless otherwise requested, is wonderfully tender and nicely complemented by organic rainbow chard. The zinger that transforms it is the tangerine-Szechuan pepper glaze that the kitchen whips up.

John dory has a crunchy pistachio crust and is sided with roasted beets and celery root. There’s sea bass and a splendid Thai snapper is pan-roasted and happily complemented by English pea agnolotti.

When it comes time for dessert, we thank pastry chef Michael Owens, who also came from the Peninsula.

There’s a chocolate pyramid with cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e center instead of the trendy molten chocolate center featured everywhere else. We had a banana cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e. The vanilla ice cream with an absolutely immoral peanut butter-fudge sauce went on everyone’s favorite list.

I’m fascinated with Pavilion’s wine list. It’s 13 pages long and quite a read. I like that there are so many half bottles of French, Italian, American and Canadian wines.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

TANNINS RESTAURANT WINE BAR & LOUNGE

Address: 27211 Ortega Highway,

San Juan Capistrano

Phone: (949) 218-3560

Published April 10

South County is growing up,in the culinary sense.

As always, there’s joy for me in discovering a really affordable, friendly restaurant that’s without pretense. All the more so when the owners have a surprising passion for wine that makes the dining even more interesting.

Such is the case with Tannins Restaurant Wine Bar & Lounge in San Juan Capistrano.

It opened as a wine, deli and liquor store a few years ago. But then came the aha! moment when the principals realized that deli delights were fine, but a more encompassing, casual style menu in a restaurant setting and a place to sip good wines was what the area needed.

And, gauging from the 10 minute to half hour wait you sometimes encounter in the evenings, the revamped concept was what the public wanted.

Most of the restaurant and wine bar have a totally relaxed look. Just as you pass the cooking area, a large space reveals stacked cases of wines.

These are wines,more than 700 labels,that can be purchased at just a little over retail. Take the wine home or have it with your meal. Corkage for wines brought in from outside is $20.

There’s a highly attractive and comfortable upstairs lounge that was added a few months ago. This offers sink-in friendliness and live music on some nights.

Menus are presented along with a fascinating wine list. As we were studying the wine list, Tannins’ general manager and wine director, Kijou Morris, came to ask if he could be of help.

He explained the philosophy of their wine selections and why they have become known for their wine flights.

This gets us back to that passion for wine that I mentioned. Here is a list of superb wines from California, Washington, Oregon, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Italy and Portugal.

And, it’s not only these many labels of terribly interesting wines that is fascinating us, it’s the 45 wines by the glass offered downstairs, 25 wines by the glass in the upstairs Tannins Lounge and, most of all, the 10 flights of wines that are way beyond what one would expect in a casual restaurant like this.

A wine flight consists of three or four 3-ounce pours that share a common theme. They are served together,a great way to learn about more wines and a great experience in comparing one against the other. The flights vary in price from $15 to $26.50.

A Zesty Whites Flight takes you through tastes from California, New Zealand, France and Germany.

The similarly broad flights of chardonnay, Italian reds, merlot, Australian, cabernet and red blends can keep you busy through many meals or several hours at the wine bar. Wines also can be purchased in 6-ounce pours, as well as by the bottle.

Meals here begin with a basket of good bread and a terrific olive tapenade to spread on it. I give them high marks for suggesting a couple of wines that would match each appetizer and entree on the dinner menu.

The food at dinner is Italian with both Northern and Southern specialties. In addition to those dishes, the lunch menu is quite full with above the ordinary sandwiches, and salads made with the best quality ingredients.

The dinner menu begins with familiar items like bruschetta, fried calamari, sauteed shrimp (scampi) and an appealing antipasto platter of various Italian cold cuts and vegetables.

The chef takes just a few liberties that add a bit more panache. That would be by way of a fine crab cake and a cheese platter with fresh fruit and crusty bread.

The sauces here are fresh and brightly flavored. There are several styles of pasta,different shapes and many sporting additions of fresh seafood and meats in red or creamy white sauces.

I highly recommend penne with sausage and peppers, rigatoni with mushrooms and angel hair with fresh tomato/basil/garlic sauce.

Also notable is the creamy risotto with shellfish and the gnocchi with aurora sauce (a version of b & #233;chamel with tomato puree added). They also make lasagna, manicotti and a fine version of eggplant parmesan.

Before Tannins became a full-fledged restaurant, it already had a reputation as a place for great pizza. That continues with lots of choices that come on a thin-style crust and they work well as an entree any time of day or as an appetizer for sharing.

When thinking of sweets, the fudge tart on that night was blue ribbon quality for its rich creaminess and very dense chocolate flavor.

STONEHILL TAVERN

St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort

Address: One Monarch Beach Resort,

Dana Point

Phone: (949) 234-3318

Published April 17

The St. Regis Resort & Spa has had so many things going on that have piqued my curiosity, that I have spent several long evenings over food and wine at this beautiful resort.

Remember the name Stonehill Tavern. It’s sure to change your perception of fine dining and it will redefine your mental image of what a “tavern” is.

We have to set the stage. Michael Mina was named as Best Chef in California in 2002 by the James Beard Foundation. He’s been racking up awards since then.

Michael was born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Ellensburg, Wash. He had a love affair with cooking from his teen years. When he was 15, he was cooking in a small French restaurant. A few years later, he graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

In 1991, he launched San Francisco’s Aqua. Through a partnership that lasted a decade, other restaurants were opened.

In 2002, Michael forged a partnership with tennis star Andre Agassi called Mina Group. He’s only 37 and Stonehill Tavern is one of his six restaurants.

On the design side of this elegantly appointed place,this probably is the most luxurious “tavern” you are ever likely to see,is designer Tony Chi. He’s responsible for the modern design of many hotels and restaurants and has delivered a bouquet of sensory appeal as the stage for Michael’s magnificently structured food.

Michael has made a reputation as a master of presenting an ingredient in a trio of ways on a plate. He works with his executive chef for Stonehill, Joshua Skenes, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York and, like Michael, alumnus of some very renowned kitchens.

The first part of the current menu has five possibilities for trio tastings. Any of the items also can be ordered a la carte. This has turned out to be a divine tasting adventure for us.

How can one not love Maine lobster three ways? Envision a rectangular plate holding a portion of lobster carpaccio with a little serving of hearts of palm and a drizzle of grapefruit oil, lobster fritter wrapped in shiso leaf and a small bowl of rich bisque.

Love the Liberty Farms duck threesome: rare breast with chanterelles and quince, crispy thigh with green apple and foie gras,ours came with roasted pineapple one evening, with an Asian pear salad another.

Tuna gets its staging as Ni & #231;oise-influenced with greens, toro sashimi with caviar and as tartare with pear and chile-infused sesame oil.

Sea scallops are luscious almost any way they are done. Here, the offering is poached with shaved fennel, crudo with crispy rice and seared with speck ham in a dab of creamy broth. The salad trio showing diverse ways with greens, cheeses, figs and unique house dressings makes previously known salads seem pretty dull.

While the above can make for a complete tasting meal, there are about a dozen plates that fit the real entree mode. We kept sighing happily one evening as a prime filet of beef sat atop an oxtail rago & #369;t studded with c & #269;pe mushrooms and a serving of Tasmanian ocean trout (salmon-pink flesh and more subtle than salmon) played the ultimate texture game with the crispiest skin ever and a side of silky cauliflower pur & #233;e.

Berkshire pigs are like Kobe beef, specially raised in natural settings for prime flavor. This kitchen sends it out two ways on the same plate: pork belly braised until it shreds at the touch of a fork and as a tenderloin. Dribble it with truffle sauce and it sings even more. Black bass is one of my favorite species of fish. I never expected to find it with tiny tortellini in a shellfish broth seasoned with sea urchin. Lamb is from Colorado and given a garden vegetable and Ni & #231;oise olive jus marriage.

There’s a section of the menu called Modern American Tavern Fare. The whole lobster is baked in a salt crust and served with fennel chowder. There’s also shellfish stew. Prime short ribs constitute more fork-tender meat. A whole free-range chicken is fried (for two) in some greaseless and almost ethereal manner and comes with mascarpone polenta. Then, just in case someone really wants a burger in real tavern fashion, there’s one offered, albeit with Kobe beef and truffle cheese, pickled onions and watercress. I already have three reports of it being the best burger that ever graced a plate.

There are two wine lists. One is a multi-page affair inside a leather cover. The other is a stunning page of 18 wines by the glass and a slew of cocktails that are as interesting as the food and atmosphere.

FIRST CABIN RESTAURANT

Balboa Bay Club

Address: 1221 W. Coast Highway,

Newport Beach

Phone: (949) 645-5000

Published May 22

I’d like to chat with you about Balboa Bay Club’s public dining room, First Cabin Restaurant, and its chef Josef Lageder.

Since this resort destination opened three years ago, Josef and Dieter Hissin, the food and beverage director as well as executive assistant manager, have given us insight into the blend of artistically presented food and sophisticated, layered tastes.

Before the addition of the hotel to this property, Balboa Bay Club was a facility for members only.

Now for all of us there’s dining in the First Cabin restaurant, the relaxing charms of Duke’s Place Lounge and some of OC’s most attractive ballroom space,all with bay views.

I previously have noted in a couple of columns that the food and service at Balboa Bay Club banquets is as good as at some of our best restaurants.

Dieter is a native of Germany. He has a graduate degree from the highly acclaimed School of Hotel Administration in Heidelberg, Germany.

He worked as the chef for a Michelin-starred restaurant and was chef saucier for another Michelin-starred place, both in Germany.

Before coming to the U.S., Dieter ran his family’s hotel and restaurant in his hometown. I first met him when he was employed by the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. He also went to Hong Kong to oversee the opening of the Ritz-Carlton there before joining the Balboa Bay Club team.

I’ve had so much eye-opening food from Josef during the years. Meals from his kitchen continue to satisfy and enlighten me.

Josef is from Austria. After professional training and working in top name kitchens in Europe, he arrived in America and quickly began making his culinary mark as an executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton company, which included the celebrated corporate hotel in Atlanta-Buckhead.

He’s noted for his inspired blending of French and California cuisines, with just the right amount of touches from other international places to add even more panache to his culinary canvas. His artistic presentations always draw raves.

The wine list boasts more than 500 labels and 35 wines by the glass. The Balboa Bay Club gets extra doses of appreciation for keeping wine prices reasonable.

Some of the wines we had with our recent meals were matched for us by Dieter. With the tartare dish we had the 2004 Yalumba “Y Series” Viognier.

Viogniers are fresh and fruit driven and typically go very well with Pacific Rim food. Dieter thought it would go nicely with the richness and spices of the tartare since viogniers don’t show too much of citrus as some other white grape varietals.

The winery is run by the Hill Smith family, who has made wine in Australia for the past 150 years,the oldest winemaking family in Australia.

With the Vichyssoise, we had Turnbull 2004 Napa Sauvignon Blanc, which is 89% sauvignon blanc, 6% viognier and 5% semillon.

The addition of the viognier and semillon to the sauvignon blanc softens the fresh and sometimes citrus taste that you typically expect from a sauvignon blanc, making it richer and more elegant.

The wine spends only a very short time in oak and some of it is fermented in stainless steel, making it a great pairing with the delicate taste of the Vichyssoise, yet it holds up to the bacon bits that should be sprinkled on the soup.

Our tuna was matched with 2003 Rene Barth Muscat (Alsace, France). It was nice with the multi-flavors of the dish and both Dieter and the chef like it because of the way it goes with the ginger and soy component, yet it does not overpower the delicate flavor of the Ahi.

The Alsatian muscats are dry and very different from the sweet muscats from the south of France. Dieter said he hasn’t come across many of the dry muscats from the Alsace here in the U.S., which is unfortunate since they are very food-friendly as well as quite enjoyable by themselves.

Selecting more European wine from their global list, a 2004 Mommessin Pouilly-Fuiss & #233; from Burgundy, France, accompanied that North Atlantic cod we ordered.

This 100% chardonnay wine is stainless steel fermented, then allowed to go through natural malolactic fermentation.

I’m not a fan of chardonnays from California, as many of you know. And this wine is the reason why I like them from elsewhere.

The Mommessin Pouilly-Fuiss & #233; is a truly elegant chardonnay that is smoother than silk on the palate with no jarring notes. I had two glasses because everything from its apple and pear flavors, rich mouth feel, creamy texture and genteel, long finish does what I think a chardonnay should.

The schnitzel dish and the 2002 Montes Alpha Syrah from Chile’s Colchagua Valley make a pairing that I’ve put on our future “do it again” list.

The Montes Alpha Syrah is 90% syrah and 10% cabernet, with 12 months of aging in French oak. It is fragrant with floral and residual tobacco and leathery notes and is full-bodied with soft tannins. I sipped a lot of this wine on its own too.

I urge you to take advantage of the lovely European wines that make up about one third of the wine list. They’ll give you a whole new perspective and so many of the wines they’ve found are true gems to be savored.

ARROYO TRABUCO GOLF CLUB

O’Neill’s Bar and Grill

Address: 26772 Avery Parkway,

Phone: (949) 305-5100

Published June 5

I don’t play golf but I sure do like being at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo.

The overall philosophy of the Arroyo Trabuco is to provide a memorable experience on par with other high-end golf clubs at affordable prices. Zagat Survey Golf Edition says it is “The absolute best deal in Orange County.”

The golf club blends into the woodsy greenery with an upscale casual comfort that dominates the facilities. More stone and wood permeates the d & #233;cor.

Trestle-like ceilings soar above and the front of all rooms feature walls of glass or plenty of windows overlooking the course, hills and Trabuco Creek.

O’Neill’s Bar and Grill is where you’ll most likely find me.

O’Neill’s serves food all day, every day, beginning with breakfast from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Breakfast includes just about every pastry, cereal and egg combo plate you can think of.

Menus change seasonally, but I can share some items we’ve had recently.

Lunch and dinner salads range from relatively simple mixes of baby greens with some cucumber and tomato to more profound offerings.

The Napa Valley Wine Salad, for instance, begins with a bed of baby greens sprinkled with crispy won ton strips, a generous amount of candied pecans, some citrus segments and brie cheese and is then topped with a very tasty herb-encrusted chicken breast.

A baby spinach salad goes metropolitan with the addition of duck confit, grilled Portobello mushrooms, fried artichoke, ricotta salata and roasted peppers.

The same casually comfortable menu carries through lunch and dinner entrees. There’s true signature status centering on the barbecue items.

Tri-tip roast, slow smoked ribs and genuine “pulled” pork (slowly roasted and then hand-pulled into shreds and mixed with their own lovely barbecue sauce) are the contenders.

Pulled pork comes on a sandwich that will have you craving a return visit. Falling-off-the-bones ribs slathered in that tasty barbecue sauce wander across a platter with fries, ranch beans, slaw and a corn bread muffin as accompaniments.

Muffins seem like such an afterthought but I must emphasize that these corn muffins are quite the stars of taste and texture,they are the best and might end up in a bread basket at your table. Don’t ignore them.

Wide pappardelle pasta is freshly made and served as a toothsome entree with a bit of citrus in the sauce. Every evening there is a fresh fish entree and sometimes pork and steak dishes also appear.

There are a couple of appetizers that I could make a meal of, perhaps sided by one of the simpler salads. I love having mini sliders anywhere. Here, I get six of them, the little puffy buns stuffed with my choice of that marvelous pulled pork or tri-tip, or a combo of both.

A jumbo shrimp cocktail features five prawns in a very classic sauce that I like. Sashimi of tuna is another good possibility and the Dungeness crab cakes are really terrific. They are very crab-intensive and come with watercress, mango butter and a coulis of fire-roasted red peppers.

All day there are several sandwiches on the menu. More inventive ones are the fresh grilled salmon, the Yard Bird featuring a Cajun-style breast of chicken and the fresh Hawaiian albacore tuna melt.

The chicken salad sandwich is a tasty m & #233;lange of smoked chicken, Gala apple, sliced almonds, baby fris & #233;e and melted brie. Reubens and burgers, clubs and French dips join a good grilled vegetable sandwich and that famed pulled barbecue pork.

Are you a Sunday brunch person?

O’Neill’s brunch is a well-furnished affair where casual and relaxing hours can be spent while trying all the different foods. A fine bonus is the soul music that melds so well.

There’s also live jazz on Friday evenings, so that might be your choice of nights to try O’Neill’s. The golf club’s wine list also is well considered. From light whites to heavy reds, they’ve tucked in a very good array of medium-bodied wines.

A quartet of sparkling wines turns any gathering into a special occasion and if you’re in the market for one of California’s trendy babes, then order the Nickel & Nickel Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

There’s a special treat for beer drinkers: The club has installed an oversized motor in the beer fridge to keep the ales really cold.

A cold beer promo is geared to golfers,”Your First Draft is Your Score.” If you shoot an 87, your first draft is 87 cents, if you shoot 108, your first draft is $1.08. Needless to say, this is very popular with the golfers.

THE LOFT

Montage Resort & Spa

Address: 30801 S. Coast Highway,

Phone: (949) 715-6420

Published July 24

I’ve never been star struck. But I am forever in awe of Orange County’s beautiful dining settings.

Recently, restaurant aficionado and public relations maven par excellence Lee Healy joined me for lunch at The Loft at the Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach.

The Loft was a perfect place to eat with just the right amount of chic surroundings, interesting food and terrific service. It has more casual notes than the ultra sophisticated and high end Studio, the hotel’s signature restaurant.

With white cloth service, lovely furnishings in a modernized Craftsman-style, signature table amenities and even a bistro-style bar in one section, The Loft is a stylish enclave adequate for real relaxation.

Because it is a place that also is serious about wine, I never tire of studying the wine list that’s stocked with California, Oregon, Washington and New York state goodies.

It’s noteworthy that the Montage boasts about 35,000 bottles of wine that are cellared, so both Studio and The Loft have their own lists.

Cooking at The Loft takes advantage of a copper-hooded, wood-burning rotisserie from which emerge some main dishes of the seasonal American cuisine. The food is focused on the highest caliber ingredients from the Americas prepared in attractive presentations but with a straightforward understanding of the centerpiece ingredient of each dish.

I’ve only had breakfast here one time, but it is a fine way, of course, to begin a day with coffee and muffins (these freshly made ones are truly delicious), a full combo breakfast or anything in between.

The lunch and dinner menus feature many of the same items. There always will be a few appetizer and main course specialties of the day based on some prime meat, fish or other ingredient that’s just arrived from the chef’s purveyors,the hotel chefs work extensively with local and regional purveyors to obtain premier quality products.

On the current menu is suave lobster bisque. It’s the sophisticate of soups that can set a rich mood for me anytime. There’s a cheeky heirloom tomato bisque, creamy textured and so appealingly seasoned, and the perfect partner for the grilled Irish cheddar cheese sandwich on fresh sourdough that accompanies it.

It’s a bit decadent, but deliciously so to have the warm spinach and crab dip to start things off.

This is the kind of restaurant where salads are popular and choices are interesting. One incorporates many kinds of organic vegetables in chopped fashion with a very tasty buttermilk vinaigrette.

In the most lovable category for me is the coconut chicken and pineapple salad atop fris & #233;e, with a sprinkling of roasted cashews and a lime-passion fruit dressing. It’s such a summery tasting salad.

Fish and chips go upscale with the fish being halibut in a delicate and crispy tempura style coating and the potatoes being chips made from sweet, Peruvian and Yukon Gold varieties.

Sandwiches also hold their own at The Loft. The meatloaf is a refined version atop potato panini style bread with a mingling of Point Reyes blue cheese and signature barbecue sauce singing gourmet notes.

From the rotisserie comes chicken with avocado puree, spicy cheese and smoked bacon strips on Italian slipper bread. Even a hoagie of charcuterie cuts and Italian cheese sneaks into the upscale realms.

The sandwich I insist you try is the BLT on toasted brioche. Not your ordinary bacon, lettuce and tomato thing but rather an imperial version made with lobster and layered atop the delicate bread with a slather of Spanish paprika a & #271;oli. Connoisseurs of pastrami should probably try the grilled version of the meat used here.

Don’t leave without a sampling of cheese since one of this hotel’s strong points is its vast selection.

Chosen by resident expert Starr Cornwall, almost two dozen international cheeses are displayed at the big cheese gallery marble counter at the rear of The Loft.

For those with a sweet tooth comparable to mine, let’s talk desserts.

Who else is giving you a Meyer lemon and chocolate tasting of cakes, custards and ice creams incorporating the two ingredients?

Molten chocolate cake with the melted interior has become a common dessert. But The Loft’s version brings bananas to the party, along with a thick milk jam. Only a fine pastry chef could turn a piece of toast into a silk purse candied affair dolloped with pistachio butter and chocolate.

VUE

Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa

Address: 25135 Park Lantern,

Phone: (949) 661-5000

Published Aug. 7

Even hotels, spas and restaurants with the most glorious views have to reinvent themselves from time to time.

It happened with the recent grand opening of Vue restaurant in Dana Point’s Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa. We had enjoyed many good lunches and dinners in the resort’s former Regatta Grill.

Vue is so much more than just a remake of an old and proven restaurant. It has a very modern edge with just the right amount of sophistication befitting a cliff top getaway. Local architect Wes Litzinger readapted the space with a feeling of much comfort and dignity.

There’s a giant fireplace facing the seafront wall of French windows. Sleek black granite tables are set with upscale amenities and surrounded by maple and leather chairs.

The mood of the room goes from beautifully bright and airy by day to romantic in the evening when the candlelight flickers. Artwork from local artisans fits the psyche and the style of the whole space.

The culinary team here is strong. At the top of the list is the resort’s general manager, Jim Samuels, whose career has been forged in some elegant resorts.

Executive chef is David Scalise, who began working in a restaurant at the age of 15, went to work as a cook and ended up as executive sous chef at a Four Seasons resort, and ventured through the kitchens of two other large hotel operations before this job.

The chef de cuisine for Vue is Anton Cossi. He loves discussing the menu with guests and exudes enthusiasm for the top-of-the-line cooking equipment and presentation plates they’ve bought.

The food is described as California coastal cuisine. It incorporates a distinctly creative California style of cooking built upon premium products and ample use of fresh seafood. Adequate attention also is splurged on red meats and free-range poultry.

Food presentations offer a nice dose of drama. Each of the menu items comes on an asymmetrical or geometric shaped dish deemed the best match.

Breakfast is served every day. All the elements of the first meal of the day are honored so one can eat as heartily or as lightly as desired.

For lunch, seafood becomes part of an interesting salad. It has sun-dried cherries, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese and spinach gilded with a mango-cilantro vinaigrette and topped with ahi tuna.

I love the healthier take on the lunch taco: grilled wild salmon with guacamole, tomato, sour cream and cilantro wrapped in romaine lettuce leaves.

Sandwiches that look like art hold up in the taste department, too, and if you are looking for an absolutely outstanding burger, the half pound sirloin burger (especially the one with blue cheese for me) is memorable.

Dinner items on the new menu are pretty chic. There’s a lettuce wrap appetizer that has jumbo lumps of crab meat and papaya tucked inside bibb lettuce leaves.

I can’t imagine anyone not loving the wild salmon glazed with the chef’s orange barbecue sauce,it’s a delightful match. Linguine does a balancing act of flavors with the Hawaiian prawns, tomatoes and a bit of garlic and cilantro afloat in a chardonnay broth.

Rack of lamb has risotto on the side that’s studded with cambozola cheese flavor. Pan-seared diver scallops in a ruby Port reduction, Kobe-style braised short ribs with wild mushrooms and chicken with a ragout of vegetables also sing with flavor.

Thank goodness more restaurants are tuning in to the importance of cheese as an alternative course for a meal. Here, the chef makes up a plate of either three or five California artisanal cheeses and sides them with a fragrant sauce, some tomato jam and a fig compote, plus organic flat bread wedges.

Dessert anyone? A fried banana split certainly takes the American classic into the mod age with the creamiest and sweetest banana cuddling freshly made ice cream. Rich chocolate permeates the lava cake, almost like a semi-dense chocolate brownie.

When cr & #269;me br & #369;l & #233;e is perfumed with Starbuck’s coffee, it’s on the trendy road, too. A very fashionable sundae is constructed with the help of freshly baked Tollhouse cookies.

If you are around on a Sunday, there’s an a la carte breakfast till 11 a.m. and then a full-fledged brunch. The way the food’s presented is far more attractive than usual and the diversity is very appealing.

The wine list is really well conceived. They’ve arranged it in the most consumer-friendly way by categorizing wines from lighter through advanced intensity within each varietal.

On Thursdays, a majority of the wines are half-price,lower than you might pay at the wine shop. The aficionados already are showing up regularly on Thursdays.

CANNERY, SEAFOOD OF THE PACIFIC

Address: 3010 Lafayette Road,

Phone: (949) 566-0060

Published Aug. 14

The handsome Cannery, Seafood of the Pacific restaurant in Newport Beach indulges the diner.

Besides the various styles of dining within one building, there’s lots of ongoing excitement: Renowned chefs come down from Los Angeles to guest chef for an evening, celebrated authors sign books, sports legends join proprietor Ron Salisbury to raise money for special community causes and dining adventures take place aboard boats.

The Cannery has a deep history that continues to be honored.

The restaurant dates back to 1921 as the first commercial fish cannery on the Rhine Channel in Newport’s fabled old Cannery Village between 30th Street and Lido Park Drive.

By 1960, the era of the fish cannery was ending, and the building was closed in 1966. It remained empty until Bill Hamilton (owner of Newport’s Malarkey’s that I long ago dubbed “The pub with great food”) acquired it and turned it into the Cannery restaurant in 1973.

Even then, the restaurant’s reputation for serving freshly caught seafood was a punctuation point.

In the fall of 1999, Bill sold the property to a developer and it almost became a few waterside homes. Thankfully, local resident Jack Croul purchased the property, seeking to preserve it.

This is when Ron Salisbury, his son Creed and executive chef Felix Salcedo entered the picture. Mr. Croul entrusted the restaurant venture to them and thus was created the Cannery, Seafood of the Pacific.

Ron’s family of restaurants already included several El Cholo caf & #233;s, the Original Sonora Caf & #233; and Cat & The Custard Cup.

What has transpired under Ron’s direction is a fantastic looking building that still has traces of its cannery beginnings but also is replete with custom architecture and furnishings.

There’s now a wall of water that first greets us at the front desk. The waterfall wall adjoins the stairway going up to the Japanese setting at the sushi bar and the piano lounge.

Big chandeliers throughout the space are of custom blown glass representing whimsical kinds of fish. In the street/water level grill room, booths join tables, all with water views. An open kitchen allows observation of the fast paced cooking scene.

Baseball fans of all ages will enjoy the museum-quality baseball memorabilia on display in the lobby. There’s a Cy Young autograph and checks signed by Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb.

Electric Duffy boats, owned by the restaurant, sit at the dock where they can be rented (a whole menu of boat-ready dishes or meals is available). If you happen to have your own boat ahem, yacht … the Cannery is known for its catering aboard.

Jellyfish Bar has become one of Newport’s hottest night spots, a great place to feel the flow of energy. Order one of their famous margaritas or your favorite cocktail and just enjoy the scene.

The kitchen uses only the freshest produce, delivered fresh daily, to prepare interesting fare.

All the seafood also is delivered daily. It’s flown in from all over the country, as well as secured from local fishing boats. The Cannery serves corn fed, certified Angus beef from the Midwest.

And I certainly like that there’s only a small freezer at the Cannery. The means everything’s fresh and made in the kitchen daily, except bread and ice cream.

Felix is lucky to have sous chef Jo Dijamco at his side. Together they collaborate and their teamwork gives us a whole new seafood and meat adventure.

For lunch Monday through Friday and on Tuesday evenings, there are 50 wines from the wine list that are 50% off their regular price.

A serious seafood restaurant gives ample attention to a raw seafood bar. Here, cold briny oysters always beckon to me. The sushi bar, sitting on that upper level perch, has become such a popular part of this seafood place.

One of the dining temptations featured on a monthly schedule of late is the enticement of some of L.A.’s most celebrated chefs to guest chef for an evening.

We recently attended the evening with Joe Miller, chef and owner of Joe’s in Venice, the most talked about restaurant of that well known boardwalk area.

That night’s menu was full of Joe’s signature dishes. They did not disappoint.

We paraded through his watermelon gel & #233;e with lobster and mango, plus caviar and then the soft-shell crab tingling the palate with rhubarb, avocado and fennel accompaniments.

Joe does Kobe beef tips and braised short ribs together with a summer succotash in an appealing and comforting dish.

We ate his halibut with morels and finished with the stilton cheesecake with candied walnuts and buckwheat honey drizzle.

This is such a friendly restaurant with a wide appeal that one meal will probably turn you into a loyal customer.

BLUE CORAL SEAFOOD & SPIRITS

Address: 451 Newport Center Drive,

Newport Beach

Phone: (949) 856-2583

Published Sept. 11

Blue Coral Seafood & Spirits is the new restaurant in Fashion Island that is dazzling diners.

It completes a trio of restaurants housed in one complex: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Roy’s are the other two.

Blue Coral is where Hard Rock Cafe was. It’s already a tough reservation.

Paul Fleming and Bill Allen (Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar founders) are the men behind Blue Coral, a concept they honed for a few years before breaking ground.

Edna Morris is the president of this brand name. She recently served as president of the James Beard Foundation. Before that she was president of a large seafood chain operation.

The restaurant is named for the natural beauty and nurturing role that coral plays for the ocean. Blue coral is the rarest of all. Its distinctive color and beauty sets the dramatic theme.

The front door opens to reveal theatrical swaths of blue, all enhanced to ethereal levels through lighting.

The focal point at the entry is a dramatic hand-blown glass sculpture of blue coral created by artist Ben Coombs of Maine.

Behind that is a massive custom chandelier, again in blue and is a sculptural statement. The 16-seat bar visible on the right side of the room is surely vying for the most beautiful award. Its entire back wall consists of shelves of glass etched in a wave motif holding vodka bottles, which are all bathed in blue light.

Look first at the cocktail list because the restaurant’s spirits specialty is vodka, with more than 60 brands from five countries. This is the place to take advantage of flights of vodka, which are three one-ounce shots served in a signature ice rack with accompaniments.

Since the food preparations and presentations are somewhat different here, you will want time to seriously look at the menu and discuss specials of the day with your server.

The wine list is a pleasurable one that starts with the sweeter and very mild in taste, progressing to wines that are drier and stronger in taste.

Of a dozen hot and chilled starters, we’ve already managed seven.

A Nicoise style appetizer finds delicate carpaccio slices of No. 1 grade ahi tuna as part of the Mediterranean forte.

In another take on carpaccio, spice-rubbed filet mignon is seared, thinly sliced and served with pickled red onions that are an unexpected rave for the palate as an accompaniment.

Yellowtail crudo will continue to be on my order. The sushi grade fish sits on a film of blood orange vinaigrette and is sprinkled with Hawaiian sea salt. Most refreshing.

The word prawns means something here. The huge shrimp can be ordered as a prawn cocktail. Sometimes they come atop fish as they were on our recent sturgeon entree and they are featured among the shellfish entrees saut & #233;ed with garlic, basil and lemon butter in a more refined version of shrimp scampi.

Blue crab,and lots of it,are the driving force in the crab cakes. I love that they are pan-seared and not deep fried. They come with an alluring tomato aioli and a mound of fennel salad. The light, tempura-like buttermilk batter does nice things for the calamari, complemented further with a lemon-laced sauce and the chef’s light vinaigrette.

Leaves and Bowls is where you’ll find salads and soups.

Dungeness crab enhances a bibb lettuce and hearts of palm m & #233;lange. Lobster cobb salad, as you can imagine, is quite the chic version of the old classic. Clam chowder is hearty and of the East Coast persuasion, while Maine lobster bisque is rich and silky.

Move on to the entrees. Shells are one option. How appealing it is to find the king crab legs already shelled and served in a little pool of broth scented with fresh herbs. High on my delicious list right now.

The absolute must-not-miss entree is the Maine lobster en fuego. It’s smilingly dubbed the “lounging lobster” since it is served in the shell, lying on its back.

This is a very generous entree, the likes of which you will not encounter outside of Blue Coral. They take the big lobster out of the shell, cut it into bite-size pieces, toss it with their creative fuego chile aioli sauce, put it back into the shell and bake it. Trust me, it’s addictive.

By now, you must be thinking that this also is an expensive dish. Not so at all. It is the most expensive thing on the menu, but only $36, a hands-down bargain.

Several accompaniments to entrees also have caught my fancy.

Can’t help but love the lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. The mashed potatoes are ethereally light and wonderfully flavored. I won’t be having any meals without a side order of the Fuji apple and blue cheese slaw.

As for desserts, what you won’t find elsewhere is the chocolate peanut butter goodness. It’s a tart made with three kinds of chocolate, peanut butter, fresh banana, vanilla ice cream and raspberry coulis. Yes, it’s quite delicious and can qualify as a comfort food, despite its richness, because it corrals all those favorite childhood tastes on one plate.

PANERA BREAD BAKERY-CAFE

Locations: Crossroads Center, Irvine, (949) 786-8800; The Village at Orange, Orange, (714) 685-0505; Bluffs Shopping Center, Newport Beach, (949) 721-8800

Published Sept. 25

Proving that they are a corporation remaining vigilant of what the public enjoys eating, the Panera Bread Bakery-Cafe group has added some handcrafted pizzas called Crispani, which might have some Italian eateries hanging their heads over what they serve up as true pizza.

We need to delve into this a bit to understand my stance and that of Panera. For anyone who has traveled to Italy, thick and doughy crust is an aberration over there. Pizza in the Italian home and in the mainstream of that culture comes on a crisp and thin base with a few pristine ingredients atop it. That’s it.

The idea is to be able to taste the full goodness of each of the ingredients and to relish the textural diversity that the crisp platform, softly melting cheese and explosion of flavor provided overall.

Before introducing a new item like this, the Panera research team worked for months refining it. This being a company based in St. Louis, Mo., a few times a year the test kitchen people, top management and franchisees from across the nation gather. They discuss what’s new on the food horizon, brainstorm ideas and taste some items that are in the testing stage.

In this case, Panera has come to the rescue big time. They’ve just introduced half a dozen Crispani whose flavors and textures absolutely sing.

They already have all that fine bread dough in the kitchen from the baking operation. So, they roll out the dough to a rectangular, slightly off-skew artisanal form, take all natural toppings and turn out culinary winners.

I am in love with the sweet sausage and apple crispani that combines all-natural Niman Ranch sausage, thin slices of fresh apples, caramelized onions and roasted tomatoes, along with the requisite flavorful cheese in just the right amount so as not to overwhelm the crispy dough. Another finds the clean taste of organic tomatoes, fresh basil and a sprinkling of three kinds of cheese.

Roasted wild mushrooms top yet another in a marvelous step up from the button mushroom variety of yesterday’s mushroom pizza making.

All natural chicken is roasted with peppercorns and mustard, dazzled with a touch of fresh rosemary and ends up as still one more choice. If you cannot imagine life without pepperoni on such fare, that too is in the offing.

A whole list of superb cafe style sandwiches,cold, hot and grilled panini style,on the homemade breads (every loaf and every pastry is made fresh daily as are all the soups and salads). They join five soups every day, which I feel you should have served in a hollowed out sourdough soup bowl. And they have some of the best salads to be found anywhere.

I would surely be remiss not to mention the popular egg souffl & #233;s served at breakfast. Then, how can one depart without a bagel or a few or some of the bread,many varieties made every day,or a finite pastry?

This is simply food that is made with the best intentions, with the best ingredients and with a vision toward making eating really interesting again without any of the pomp and circumstance of haute d & #233;cor or cuisine. Simplicity never came across better and be assured that the streamlined d & #233;cor has quite enough panache to keep me, and lots of others you will notice, lingering at the table for breakfast, lunch or dinner with broad smiles.

The local franchisees are Ted and Sheri Hoover, who already have given the most intensive restaurant region in the county four locations. The fourth Panera just opened last week at 235 E. 17th Street in Costa Mesa (next to Mother’s Market), phone (949) 642-9500.

There’s a Panera at The Bluffs Center. One at The Village at Orange, and one in the Crossroads Center.

The next two Panera Bakery-Caf & #233;s are just starting construction: Woodbury Town Center (Irvine Boulevard & Sand Canyon), Irvine, is scheduled to open in December.

Lake Forest (Rockfield and Lake Forest) is scheduled for a January opening. After that, there are four more planned to open in 2007.