Need help in Newport Beach, CA
 

Hi, I'm going to a seminar in Newport Beach, CA and thought it would be nice to spend the weekend with my husband there since I'll be gone all week.
Has anyone stayed at Doryman's Inn or Balboa Bay Club? Balboa BC seems pretty expensive. Both of these are close to the Holiday Inn where I need to be for my seminar. Can anyone suggest good places to eat in that area? Has anyone been on the gondola rides there? Thanks a lot for your help.

A restaurant we love at Newport Beach is The Crab Cooker. Its fish is grilled, its menu and atmosphere very simple. Lobster tails are my favorite there. You get two of them for a very reasonable price (low $20s, I think). It is funky southern Cal, not fashionable by any stretch. It gets very busy at dinnertime, so be early if you can. Otherwise, get in line, order clam chowder from the counter and enjoy it outside while you wait.
Sorry, I don't know of hotels in the area.

Thanks, The Crab Cooker sounds right up our alley, especially the "casual" for my husband : )

Yes, casual is an understatement at The Crab Cooker! My husband loves it, too. He only travels with shorts, jeans and khakis.

Here's their website
http://www.crabcooker.com/

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. If you go, get the potatoes with your meal. Kind of a twice-baked potatoe that's heated on the grill with paprika. Sounds weird, tastes great.

oh oh oh...spend the extra $$ and stay at the BBClub...worth every penny. The hotel is a little snobby but the bed is to die for. Its a soft down topper and it makes you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. So many people inquire about it that they have a xerox paper to hand out to explain how to buy your own.
The Doryman is near the pier...very noisy and you can't open the windows without subjecting yourself to all night noise.

And take some time to stroll on Balboa Island and look at the houses on the bayfront...so much fun! We have rented a vacation home there for over 20 years and absolutely love it!

If you are in the mood for a boat ride take the Harbor tour - you get to see the entire island for less than 12 dollars. And if you want a great burger go to Ruby's on the Balboa Pier...order a cherry coke too. Let me know if you need other suggestions...

Thank you, this is great info. I'm so glad you mentioned the Doryman's Inn is by the pier and noisy. The reason I was considering it was that it seemed more intimate than Balboa BC. Harbor tour sounds fun. Just need a couple of days together to decompress.

Balboa Bay club looks very nice ... I've only driven by, but it'd be a great choice. Check out the Orange County restaurant section here at Fodors...lots of great choices!

Balboa Bay Club is very upscale, on the bay. We love to stay at the Inn at Balboa when we visit in the fall. It's small, funky, not at all upscale and at the Balboa Pier. You can walk to the Fun Zone and the Ferry. A great place to enjoy the ocean view and relax. We've stayed over Thanksgiving and noise has never been a problem.