1JAR

DH has a business mtg this Friday in Newport Bch & we are staying the weekend for my Birthday at Marriott Newport Coast Villas.
Hoping for some moderate dinner rec from someone familiar. We like casual environment (jeans) but good food.
Also like some good rec for breakfast near as Marriott Vilas does not offer. or a nearby bakery or grocery store w/prepared foods we can heat in microwave.

stumpworks73

Oysters is my favorite, straight down the hill on PCH. Seafood with some Asian influence. Jazz combo most nights. Excellent quality and always a great atmosphere. Frequent celeb sitings.

Bandera is a rotisserie with really good food. Further south on PCH.

Two chains nearby that are reliable: Dukes in Huntington Beach. Great pier view and Hawaiian fish preparations. Catercorner from Oysters is Houstons.

FrankS

Oysters closed, which was fine by me as I was unimpressed w/it. Crystal Cove plaza area will have everything you want including the popular(and good) Javiars Restaraunt. Within 30 minutes you have every imaginable place to eat

SOCALOC

My suggestion would be to spend your time in Newport Beach and anywhere south. It is less commercial than Huntington Beach.

Bandera, in Corona Del Mar(next door and south of NB) is very good. Javier's is upscale Mexican.

A local and excellent chef, Pascal, has several price point options and of course the pricier "Tradition" is the best. The strip mall location could be a deterrent to a visitor but not locals. Pascal Epicerie is next door to Tradition and has wonderful bakery goods.

http://www.pascalnpb.com/

And there are plenty of choices in Laguna Beach, too.

Jeans won't be a problem just about anywhere along the coast.
Cheers to a Happy Birthday!

PeaceOut

Our all-time favorite casual and excellent seafood restaurant is The Crab Cooker at Newport Beach. Get there early to avoid a line. Amazing grilled lobster, shrimp, scallops, clam chowder, etc. Very reasonably priced. Fun and funky vibe.

montereybob

For fabulous French food in a casual setting and at moderate prices, I recommend the Brasserie Pascal in the Fashion Island Shopping Center for either lunch or dinner. It is so good, that I usually eat there 2 days in a row when I am in Newport Beach.

zabes

I second the suggestion of The Crab Cooker if you're into seafood. I loved it.

mlgb

No reason to go to Dukes in HB for mediocre food with a view.

That you can do at the Beach House Restaurant in Laguna Beach.

Across the street is Pelican Hill Resort with some cafes and restaurants.

If you head south on PCH you'll find a Trader Joe's and a lot of restaurants in the Crystal Cove shopping center. Pacific Whey has a big breakfast menu. I am a fan of ZPizza.

1JAR

Txs everyone. All the Fodors suggestions have been very helpful. I need alittle R & R.

SOCALOC txs for the Bday wishes and the link. I don't know how they did it but the link shows not only Pascal's (definately going there) restaurants but also on the Google map shows others mentioned here as well!.
Bandera and JAviers also on the list...

Found Pacific Whey so will definately have breakfast (I am a breakfast person)! Good to know about Trader Joes as will likely p/u a few snacks..this is all better than Albertosns!

Placename

Have a date milkshake at the little place above Crystal Cove. (across PCH from Trader Joe's)

I have not been impressed with Javier's.

I like Gulfstream, near the Bristol Farms store.

odie1

The spot Placename is thinking of is called the Shake Shack, it really is a satellite location to Ruby's diner, but the shakes are fantastic and the view wonderful.

My absolute favorite breakfast place is down on Crystal Cove Beach. You have to park in the lot up on PCH and then either walk down or take their jitney fashioned to look like an old woody. The walk is beautiful. Crystal Cove is a state park with a very unique history, and is as about Californian as it gets. The restaurant is called The Beachcomber. Get there as close to opening as you can on the weekend. The nice thing is it is on the sand so if you have to wait for a table, you give them your name, they give you a pager and you can comb the beaches, which by the way have unbelievable tide pools if you ar ethere during low tide. This is where I would spend my birthday-hands down.

http://thebeachcombercafe.com/_crystalcove/index.aspx


Runner up would be The Cottage in Laguna on PCH, not too far from the Marriott Villas.

As for dinner, just about any place in that area is jeans friendly. Javier's is good, upscale Mexican food but it is a very OC scene. Pelican Hill, across the street from Marriott, is lovely but country club feelish. Brasserie Pascals is very good but is in a mall. You could always return to the Beachcomber (really the ambience can't be beat and the food is very very good) or Bandera's is also very good. I love Sun Dried Tomato in Laguna (only been for lunch-but I am sure their dinner is just as wonderful). The Cannery in Newport on Lido Island is great with a nice view as well. I suppose it depends on what kind of cuisine you are after and what atmosphere you like.