Dining Room With a View
The tide pools aren’t part of the $19.95 price, but they add a nice touch to brunch at Las Brisas. On a bluff overlooking Laguna’s Main Beach, this restaurant is action central for the county’s oceanfront brunch scene, and not only for the tasty Mexican seafood dishes, awesome vistas and relaxing rose gardens, although all three of those are reasons enough.
There are also the tide pools to consider. Come early afternoon, you can see dozens of champagne-fueled brunchers navigate a narrow path to the water’s edge to splash around in them and watch crabs scurry across the rocks. It’s a perfect way to end one of Orange County’s most memorable meals.
Sunday brunch is meant to be special, and often that means adding a stunning view to the mix. On clear days, some hilltop sites--Orange Hill restaurant comes to mind--provide sterling views of the Southern California basin. But most of us don’t choose to live in Orange County to see what the central county looks like from 1,500 feet.
No, we want to go to the beach. And for that reason, our county’s coastal communities are home to an increasingly popular brunch scene, in which reservations are getting almost as difficult to find as parking.
Although Las Brisas is the best-known beach brunch spot--”People from around the world have heard about us,” said Elvis Jaio, a Las Brisas manager--up and down the O.C. coast, from San Clemente to Seal Beach, an impressive collection of eateries shares one key feature: a room with a view.
The choices range from the dining rooms at luxury spots such as the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point to the Waterfront Hilton Beach Resort hotel in Huntington Beach, to stand-alone restaurants such as Chimayo, at the base of the Huntington Beach Pier. The pierside location is familiar to the beach brunch crowd, for this is where Maxwell’s once thrived as the place that offered deadly Bloody Marys and unparalleled people-watching opportunities.
With its award-winning Southwestern cuisine, Chimayo is continuing the tradition, although not with the hedonistic charm that defined old downtown Huntington. According to Don Stonebreaker, Chimayo’s general manager, it’s only natural that we want to brunch by the beach.
“It’s an extension of our lifestyles,” he said. “There’s a real affinity to being by the beach, a calming influence in an attractive setting.”
Las Brisas’ Jaio agrees, but is quick to add that there are more romantic reasons for beach brunching. “Some of our customers tell us that what makes our brunch so special is that the ocean view reminds them of the Caribbean or of the Mexican Riviera,” he said. All that for around $20 . . . and an unlimited flow of champagne.
The Fisherman’s
Perched at the base of the San Clemente pier, the Fisherman’s offers much more than just an ocean view: Diners here can feel the rumbling of waves beneath their feet and smell the salty spume, making it one of the better out-of-the-way coastal brunch spots.
The small brunch menu features such thematic dishes as the Seafood Boat of assorted fish topped with melted cheese and served in a pastry shell, a seafood omelet, a seafood Benedict and a Pacific salmon served with eggs.
The Pacific salmon with eggs on the side is a highlight. The salmon is lightly grilled and shares a fork well with fluffy scrambled eggs. And with the seafood Benedict, the fish chunks are fine, but it’s the tasty, perfectly prepared Hollandaise sauce that makes this worth ordering. As for other egg dishes, the omelets here aren’t the standard fare--the seafood one is packed with chunked fish and melted cheese, and the North Beach and California omelets feature a veritable kitchen sink’s worth of items. The latter melds spinach, avocado, mushrooms, tomato and feta cheese, with the cheese providing a nice snappy taste.
The one non-egg dish, the Frisbee-sized golden waffle, comes topped with strawberries and a mound of whipped cream. It looks and tastes like dessert. In addition, a tasty sparkling wine comes at a bargain of $4.25.
The Fisherman’s, 611 Avenida Victoria at the base of the San Clemente pier. (949) 498-6390. Sunday brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Brunch selections range from $7.95 to $11.95.
The Regatta Grill
The Regatta Grill’s midday meal is called Blue Jean Brunch because customers are encouraged to come causally dressed to enjoy the food and stroll the patio, where some event is always going on.
Brunch, which costs $21 for adults and $10 for children 5 to 11, consists of starters, breads, entrees, desserts and beverages. Pastries, bagels with cheeses and fruits are served with a salad, ceviche (lime-marinated seafood) and a pasta casserole.
On our trip, a garlicky Caesar and a delicious salmon and rotelli dish started things off on the right note. Main courses include fresh fish, tender sirloin steak in wine sauce, cooked-to-order omelets, crispy shredded hash browns and perfectly cooked eggs Benedict, French toast, sausages and thick bacon.
Regatta Grill, Marriott’s Laguna Cliffs Resort, 25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, (949) 661-5000. Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Aysia 101
Seafood gets star billing at Aysia 101. Food from China, Japan and Southeast Asia--including sushi, salads, soups and cold seafood--are served along with a core group of noodles, curry, shrimp, crab, dim sum and fresh fish at this all-you-can-eat sake or champagne brunch.
The atmosphere is nouveau Polynesian--think Don Ho meets Frank Lloyd Wright--and the waiters wear Hawaiian shirts. The dessert table features a delicious sampling of American desserts and Asian confections. Aysia’s brunch delivers a variety of tastes for $24.95.
Aysia 101, 2901 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Brunch is served from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. (949) 722-4128.
Claes Seafood Etc.
Despite the name and seaside location, few seafood dishes are offered at Claes’ brunch. But the usual egg dishes and meat entrees are made special by good sauces and novel accompaniments such as herb coulis, fig compote and a dill cream glaze for the smoked salmon omelet.
Brunch comes with one main dish along with the buffet, which consists of French toast, pasta salads, fruit, California rolls and Belgian waffles.
Brunch is $15, but for an extra dollar you get either champagne or mimosas.
Claes Seafood Etc., 425 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (949) 376-9283. Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Raft Cafe
Sit back and enjoy the view of Newport Harbor and a delicious brunch on this comfortable patio on Balboa Peninsula.
Breakfast consists of six entrees and three specials. The frittata al Macchrone is a pasta-based quiche, but unlike quiche, however, this clever pie is made with noodles and baked with a filling of mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and Parmesan. The sausage and mushroom strada is a rich custard baked with sourdough bread, turkey sausage and fresh mushrooms and herbs.
Chilaquiles consists of two poached eggs with black beans over corn chips with a smoky salsa. The Raft’s version of an omelet is a savory cake rolled around spinach, shallots and cream cheese. This and the strada are the best dishes, most of which come piping hot and garnished with fresh fruit.
The Raft Cafe, 2816 Lafayette Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 673-0793. Open daily, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Las Brisas
Las Brisas’ tasty menu revolves around inventive seafood dishes and an endless stream of fine champagne. While the extensive brunch menu offers requisite egg dishes such as huevos Benedictos and an omelet, it’s better to explore the inviting selection of Mexican seafood dishes.
The pastel del mar is a flaky pastry filled with shrimp, scallops and fish chunks. The crepes de Laguna come with either a creamy chicken or a combo of the same seafood found in the pastel del mar, and the salmoncito relleno is a salmon filet stuffed with spinach and mushrooms. A small quiche comes with it. These are obviously no ordinary brunch dishes. Large, savory shrimp are sauted in a tomato basil sauce in the pasta con camerones, and a tangy tarragon sauce covers a moist chicken breast in the pollo a la Parilla.
For heartier appetites, there are also New York steak and filet mignon choices. Lighter eaters will delight in the ensalada Laguna with its chilled lobster, crab, shrimp and poached salmon.
The brunch comes with an opening fruit sampler, breads and pastries, side dishes such as fried potatoes, dessert and, of course, a never-ending flow of champagne.
Las Brisas, 361 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach. (949) 497-5434. Sunday brunch: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: $19.95.
Chimayo at the Beach
At Chimayo at the Beach’s stylish beach-level digs, brunch is more breakfast than lunch.
The best entry is creme bru^lee French toast, served with fresh raspberries, maple syrup and hickory-smoked bacon. Then there are two riffs on eggs Benedict, one a filet mignon Benedict with a chipotle pepper bearnaise, the other built around smoked turkey. The omelet is made with cremini, sharp cheddar and ample fresh spinach. Finish off with wonderfully creamy ice creams such as tequila raisin.
If you crave more indulgence, try the warm Mexican chocolate brownie sundae with Spanish peanuts, vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Chimayo at the Beach, 315 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. (714) 374-7273. Sunday brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The brunch specials range from $8.95 to $14.95.
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Correspondent Max Jacobson contributed to this story.
