The most versatile—and decadent—meal of the week, brunch with family and friends is a great way to enjoy gourmet food on a laid-back weekend. Linger over strawberry waffles, have a hearty starter of an omelet with crispy bacon, sip a glass of Champagne, or dive into a succulent plate of crabs' legs. Anything goes at this not-quite-breakfast, not-quite-lunch event. We've done the legwork for you, so just sit back, relax, and browse our list of the best restaurants for brunch in Orange County (CA), presented in alphabetical order.
The most versatile—and decadent—meal of the week, brunch with family and friends is a great way to enjoy gourmet food on a laid-back weekend. Linger over str... more
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1
Bayside
900 Bayside Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660 / 949-721-1222
Bayside may be hard to find---sandwiched between Newport Harbor, Balboa Island and Newport’s natural Back Bay---but the food justifies the effort. The interior has had a bit of a facelift involving the addition of darker woods and strong colors like an earthy red, but the breezy white canvas over the bar and on the patio still complements its across-from-the-harbor location. Chef Paul Gstrein brings his well-heeled Austrian hotelier lineage to Bayside. The food is visually striking as well as a study in contemporary Euro-Cal cuisine. Gstrein incorporates seasonal ingredients into all of his creations, such as a deconstructed beet salad among the starters. For entrées, there’s always a comforting and creamy risotto, along with other dishes like the wild mushroom-crusted halibut, tender venison medallions and a slow-roasted pork rib-eye. The Ghoukassian family, who also run Irvine’s Bistango, takes wine seriously, as can be seen in the cellar. Three other good reasons to go: the tapas-style happy hour every weekday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m., the Thursday evening wine tastings and the Champagne brunch on Sundays.
2
The Californian
Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, 21500 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, CA 92648 / 714-845-4776
“Hotel dining” can sometimes be an exercise in soulless cooking, but that’s definitely not the case at The Californian, tucked inside the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. The scenic setting---white-washed Mediterranean-style buildings, expansive archways and leaping fountains---evokes just the right mood for an evening devoted to adventurous food and wine. Start your meal by scooping up a little of the palate-opening, osetra-topped salmon and avocado tartare with one of the crispy, twice-baked potato blinis. Among the other starters, we like the tender and smoky pan-fried baby California red abalone goujons with sautéed mushrooms in a buttery browned truffle sauce. Chilean sea bass, chef Adam Navidi’s impressive signature dish, comes paired with lobster-mashed potatoes and a red wine reduction. Finding just the right match for your meal is easy as the wine list offers a nice compilation of boutique wines from around the globe. Desserts, too, impress, especially the house-made ice creams and a cheesecake topped with sliced bananas and a caramel sauce that’s been torched brûlée-style. If you’re not in the mood for sweets, consider walking next door to the resort’s relaxing Red Chair Lounge where you can order a plate of artisanal cheeses and an after-dinner drink.
3
The House of Blues
Downtown Disney, 1530 S. Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, CA 92802 / 714-778-2583
Food and music from the Mississippi Delta is the focus of The House of Blues, plus it features an all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch accompanied by live gospel music. Its nighttime entertainment roster includes live rock, jazz, blues and even hip-hop. The Mississippi Delta-inspired menu is rather average and includes Southern dishes like jambalaya, gumbo and crawfish etouffée. The grilled flatiron steak salad is big enough to make a meal out of, a dressing-drenched caloric monster masquerading as lite fare. Order banana bread pudding or Key lime pie to finish it off. The well-known Sunday gospel brunch, with its energized live music performances and all-you-can-eat buffet, is a must-do experience.
4
Las Brisas
361 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach, CA 92651 / 949-497-5434
Las Brisas is a Laguna Beach institution as it sits on a picturesque cliff overlooking the pretty cove along Laguna’s main beach. Hungry guests come here from all over for special occasions, romantic dates and seaside getaways. The inside is elegant enough, but you don’t really notice as the huge picture windows bring the ocean practically inside. Start dinner with ceviche, lightly-fried calamari or a Mexican shrimp cocktail with lobster and tequila cocktail sauce. You’ll find some elevated tacos and enchiladas on the menu, but your best bets are the seafood specialties. Try the huachinango Veracruzana, a lightly-breaded red snapper filet filled with shrimp in a spicy Veracruz tomato sauce and Mexican-style rice. Some pass up the restaurant’s interior altogether for the sunny outdoor patio, which serves up its own lighter menu and strong margaritas. If you’re an early riser, don’t miss the breakfast buffet. Always end a meal with a stop to smell the roses in the adjacent garden and then climb the small hill to a cliff-side gazebo with scenic shoreline views.
5
Motif
St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, 1 Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA 92629 / 949-234-3200
Motif is an upscale resort-casual restaurant located inside the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach. The modern décor is influenced by Mediterranean sensibilities and the restaurant offers a Euro-Californian breakfast and lunch and a more formal dinner. The menu is overseen by the resort's executive chef, Frederic Castan. The food is rather good, but perhaps the most impressive part of this restaurant is the soaring views of the blue Pacific, especially on Motif's romantic terrace. The menu leans heavily on French and Italian flavors for true gourmands with classic American dishes on hand like burgers and steaks. The wine list is somewhat eclectic, so ask the sommelier to pick out the best red or white to go with your meal. Or, if you happen to be a mineral water connoisseur, you may decide to sample one or more of the 30 varieties in stock. The Sunday buffet brunch here is highly recommended. It's pricey, but great for that special family get-together.
6
Orange Hill Restaurant
6410 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92869 / 714-997-2910
In the mood for a little American romance? Orange Hill, as its name suggests, sits above Orange County, offering a spectacular view, especially at night. Longtime servers say there’s one marriage proposal here almost every night and several serious suitors get down on one knee every weekend. And although the view is first rate, the cuisine here was getting rather dull until the arrival of chef Jason Pena, a youthful spirit with some new ideas for the dated menu. But don’t worry. Chef Pena has kept the tried-and-true Orange Hill classics like tableside-prepared Châteaubriand or Australian lobster tail for two. Other signature dishes remain, too, like rack of baby lamb, top sirloin and fresh fish specials. Pena, however, is slowly bringing in more contemporary flavors like his pairing of a smoky rib-eye with earthy Stilton blue cheese and walnut compote, all surrounded by an aromatic bordelaise sauce. Well-crafted seasonal vegetables may accompany the dishes. The wine list boasts upwards of 300 labels and includes all the well-known California names as well as obscure boutique bottles and notable French vintages. At Sunday brunch, sparkling wine---Californian or, upon request, genuine Champagne---flows freely, and there's a choice of 100 items including, omelets, waffles, seafood and a 20-foot-long dessert bar.
7
Renaissance-Dana Point
24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, CA 92629 / 949-661-6003
With its romantic patio and open fires, Renaissance is a good place for live jazz and blues, along with some good California-inspired cuisine. While tapping your fingers and toes to the music, you can nosh on such entrées as a marinated and grilled chicken breast topped with sliced tomatoes and avocado with hollandaise sauce, or the Riviera chop, a grilled pork chop marinated in fresh sage, garlic and olive oil and served with a Pinot Noir-maple sauce. For an over-the-top dinner, try the house specialty, the black and blue and bleu steak, or the fresh fish du jour, grilled, broiled or blackened. Sunday brunch on the sun-filled patio features a bottomless Champagne glass and an extensive à la carte menu consisting of omelets, sandwiches, salads, pancakes, french toast and, of course, a Bloody Mary.
8
Salt Creek Grille
32802 Pacific Coast Hwy., Dana Point, CA 92629 / 949-661-7799
The appeal of this restaurant is obvious and one that never fails to please the South County set. In a spacious, handsome Craftsman-style building, diners enjoy chef Scott Floyd's American grill cuisine, from entrée salads and burgers to mesquite-grilled seafood and hand-cut Prime steaks. If you only eat pork chops once a year, make it here. We also recommend the grilled artichoke starter and the herb-roasted chicken. A soufflé is the must-have dessert, so make sure to order one with your entrée so the kitchen has plenty of time to prepare it. Sunday’s jazz buffet brunch is usually a sold-out affair. The private dining rooms are also reserved months in advance for rehearsal and anniversary dinners, executive meetings and end-of-deal business parties.
9
Sapphire Laguna
Old Pottery Place, 1200 S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, CA 92651 / 949-715-9888
The reason for this hot-spot’s success is not just the fine cuisine of former St. Regis chef Azmin Ghahreman, but also that old standard: location, location, location. The establishment sits on an historic ocean view locale in a South Laguna neighborhood. Once The Pottery Shack and now part of Old Pottery Place, Sapphire Laguna owes its look to interior designer Si Teller, who combined Craftsman-style open architecture and warm woods with artsy Laguna touches like hand-blown glass from local artist John Barber. Ghahreman continues to rock the kitchen with his contemporary global cuisine. We enjoy starting with the earthy wild mushroom “cappuccino,” which comes with porcini foam. For a salad course, try the tender day boat scallops with fresh field greens in a warm, smoky and tangy pancetta and passion fruit dressing. The beef tenderloin entrée is a standout, with its tender lobster ravioli, creamed spinach, wild mushroom ragoût and chervil butter. What to drink with your meal can present a pleasant challenge as the cellar here features a well-chosen list of more than 900 wines. Sapphire Pantry, which sits next to the restaurant, has cheesemonger Starr Cornwall, adding even more depth to Ghahreman’s already successful cheese program. So, head to the adjacent Sapphire Pantry for some hard-to-find international cheeses, along with paired wines. You can also start your day at the European coffee bar, or assemble a picnic lunch with charcuterie, sandwiches, deli salads and fine chocolates to go.
10
Shades
Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, CA 92648 / 714-960-7873
Renamed Shades after years of being known as Palm Court, this restaurant inside the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach still retains it elegant steakhouse and contemporary Euro-Cal cuisine concept. Renovated to take advantage of the ocean-view patio, Shades takes its name from the bright orange, yellow and green outdoor umbrellas as well as the oversize terra-cotta orange lighting fixtures inside. Chef Jeff Littlefield continues his trips to Santa Monica’s farmers’ market to buy the freshest produce for his nightly creations like creamy corn chowder with chunks of applewood-smoked bacon. Entrées are innovative renditions of the usual steaks, chops and seafood. You may want to think about ending with some port and the well-executed cheese plate, which comes with four fine American and European selections. Sommelier Marc Raymond can pull a fine wine from his cellar to accompany every dish.
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