ORANGE COUNTY DINING

In these capsules of recent reviews, dollar signs indicate the average price of a meal for one, without beverages.

$: less than $10

$$: up to $20

$$$: up to $30

$$$$: more than $30

*

* BACK POCKET: At Back Pocket, the casual restaurant attached to Gustaf Anders, you get most of the benefits of dining at a first-rate establishment without the formality or expense. In the tiny Scandinavian Modern dining room, you eat chef Anders Strandberg’s terrific cured herring and salmon, Swedish comfort foods such as beef Lindstrom and excellent desserts. Don’t miss the creamy Swedish princess cake, a marzipan-frosted treat. Back Pocket, South Coast Plaza Village, Bear and Sunflower streets, Santa Ana. (714) 668-1737. Lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; dinner Tuesdays-Sundays, 5:30-10 p.m. $$$

* BAYSIDE: Chic, grown-up Bayside is one of Newport’s most auspicious new restaurants. Designed by Michael Carapetian of Venice, Italy, it is really striking, with a towering glass wine case that houses almost 500 vintages. Chef Paul Gstrein’s menu is short and sweet. Try tuna tartare, Colorado lamb loin and practically anything from the dessert menu. Bayside, 900 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 721-1222. Lunch daily, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; dinner Sundays-Wednesdays, 5-10 p.m.; Thursdays-Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$$$

* BLUE AGAVE SOUTHWESTERN GRILL: A fun, slightly kitschy theme restaurant, but the food does not suffer. Good beef, such as carne asada adovada in blackened tomatillo sauce. Some thoughtful fusion dishes (kebabs with chipotle-spiked orange marmalade), some traditional Mexican (excellent carnitas) and 92 primo tequilas at the bar. Blue Agave Southwestern Grill, 18601 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. (714) 970-5095. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

* BLUEBERRY HILL: This location in Long Beach is the company’s first sit-down restaurant. Besides Blueberry Hill’s superb hamburger (the Grand Thrill), the restaurant serves a big menu of family favorites, including a great spinach artichoke dip and fine desserts. Don’t miss the gravy fries and the foot o’ rings--light, crisply battered onion rings piled on a wooden ring toss. Blueberry Hill, 5735 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach. (562) 986-4455. Daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

* BLUEWATER GRILL: South Coast Plaza Village needed a good seafood restaurant, and now it has one. Chef Brian Hirsty stocks more than 15 fresh fish varieties daily and prepares them in a variety of imaginative ways. Accompanying the fish are good sides and a great list of wines by the glass. Go elsewhere for dessert. Bluewater Grill, South Coast Plaza Village, 1621 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana. (714) 546-FISH (3474.) Lunch and dinner Mondays-Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, noon-9:30 p.m. $$. There is also a Bluewater Grill in Newport Beach at 630 Lido Park Drive. (949) 675-3474.

* CAFFE PIEMONTE: A family-owned place that serves excellent northern Italian food with a personal touch. Try the calamari saltati alla marinara, tagliolini alla Bolognese, pheasant ravioli and osso buco . Caffe Piemonte, 498 E. 1st St., Tustin. (714) 544-8072. Lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, dinner Tuesdays-Saturdays. $$

* CAFE ZOOLU: Cafe Zoolu is Laguna Beach all the way, from the funky quasi-Polynesian interiors to owner-chef Michael Leech’s cooking. Try the swordfish. This place is casual and hip without being trendy. Cafe Zoolu, 860 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-6825. Open for dinner daily. $$$

* CANYON LODGE: Canyon Lodge overlooks a rustic golf course landscaped with chaparral, and the restaurant serves a menu of comfort foods that is nearly as American in spirit. Best dishes: flatiron steak, smoked prime rib and an amazing Mandarin chicken salad. Canyon Lodge, 31106 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (949) 499-2271. Lunch Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner Sundays-Thursdays, 5-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5-10 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $$

* CEDAR CREEK INN: The Cedar Creek Inn in Brea may be less homey than the others, but it’s an appropriate setting for a serious, fine-dining approach to American food. There are classics like German pot roast and prime rib, mostly successful innovations like chicken breast stuffed with pecans and Brie--and, of course, devastating chocolate desserts. Cedar Creek Inn, 20 Pointe Drive, Brea. (714) 255-5600. Lunch and dinner daily. Also in Laguna Beach, San Juan Capistrano. $$

* CHIMAYO AT THE BEACH: Chimayo at the Beach has a hot concept, a killer location opposite Huntington Beach Pier and stunning design. The menu is half Southwestern (star restaurateur David Wilhelm’s forte), half seafood. Don’t miss the rare ahi rolls with avocado or the slushy mango margarita. Chimayo at the Beach, 315 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach. (714) 374-7273. Sundays-Thursdays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sundays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $$$

* CHIN CHIN: A longtime Los Angeles staple, this Orange County outpost specializes in Chinese snacks and dumplings, as well as noodles, salads, barbecued meats and stir-fried dishes. The best items include barbecued pork, Sichuan dumplings and stir-fried eggplant. If you want real dim sum, though, you still have to go to Monterey Park. Chin Chin, 27441 Crown Valley Parkway, Mission Viejo. (949) 367-9595. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

* I LOVE SUSHI: I Love Sushi may sound like a new situation comedy, but it’s really one of Orange County’s best sushi restaurants, and at shockingly low prices. Chef Hideo Matsuda, a true visual artist, has a deft hand with fish; his yellowtail and halibut sashimi are as delicate as you’ll ever taste. Come for lunch, when you’ll easily get a seat at the sushi bar and when the restaurant also serves a variety of hearty rice bowls. I Love Sushi, 2340 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. (714) 540-6195. Lunch daily, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Sundays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$

* INDIA COOK HOUSE: One of our more cheerful Indian restaurants, though it holds no real surprises. The best dishes here are the meats and bread cooked in the tandoor, or a cylindrical clay oven. But there are also good chutneys, vindaloos, a few nice vegetable dishes and fine homemade desserts. Don’t miss gulab jamun , gold-colored cheese balls served warm in syrup. India Cook House, 14130 Culver Drive, Irvine. (949) 857-4858. Daily, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m. $$

* JAVIER’S CANTINA: This restaurant bridges the gap between taqueria authenticity and the happy-hour chips-and-salsa scene. Familiar Mexican specialties are here, but it’s the seafood specials like brocheta del mar and the sweet, powerfully corn-flavored green-corn tamale that make dealing with Laguna Beach parking worth it. Javier’s Cantina & Grill, 480 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (949) 494-1239. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

* LEFT AT ALBUQUERQUE: With its blues soundtrack, Southwestern decor and eclectic cooking style, this eatery is a bit of an odd duck. The menu features a variety of mesquite-grilled meats and fish, along with a huge list of premium tequilas. Try the griddled corn cake appetizer, the Asian-tasting grilled Dixon pork. Left at Albuquerque, 3309 Michelson Drive, Irvine. (949) 757-7600. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $$

* LUCIANA’S: Luciana’s has been around since the early ‘80s, but this rustic European restaurant is now managed by a new generation. Chef Brett Young serves a combination of old Italian recipes and more modern spinoffs. Especially good are his fagiolini verdi, fried green beans, tomato bread soup ( zuppa campagnola ) and delicious double-thick grilled pork chop glazed with balsamic vinegar. Luciana’s, 24312 Del Prado, Dana Point. (949) 661-6500. Dinner only Sundays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$$

* McCORMICK & SCHMICK’S: There are 40 or more kinds of fresh seafood on this menu, served in nearly 90 treatments. The inventive appetizer menu is highlighted by excellent crab-and-shrimp cakes, and the oyster selection is still one of the best around. The adjacent Pilsner Room brew pub serves an impressive list of microbrews. McCormick & Schmick’s, 2000 Main St., Irvine. (949) 756-0505. Lunch Mondays-Fridays, dinner daily. $$

* MOSUN: Hip, trendy Mosun, a place of black vinyl booths and House and Trance music dancing Thursday through Saturday, is basically a Pacific Rim restaurant. The food is of mixed quality--stick to the tuna tataki, filet mignon won tons, New York steak basted with mirin and the desserts. Mosun, 680 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (949) 497-5646. Dinner Friday-Wednesday. $$

* MITSUYOSHI: There’s a sushi bar here, but the appetizers are better, especially the baked pike and the potato porridge (yamakake) with chunks of tuna sashimi. Thin-cut pork cutlets (shoga-yaki) come in a tangy ginger sauce, and there’s a massive sukiyaki and a festive nabemono soup filled with meats, vegetables and noodles. Mitsuyoshi, 12033 Beach Blvd., Stanton. (714) 898-2156. Lunch and dinner Tuesdays-Sundays. $$

* MULBERRY STREET RISTORANTE: A cozy, welcoming setting for robust, old-school Italian food. It’s notable for dishes that achieve simple harmony through a deft balance of flavors. Exceptional entrees include the steak Mulberry and the fettuccine Caruso. Mulberry Street Ristorante, 114 W. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton. (714) 525-1056. Lunch Mondays-Saturdays; dinner served daily. Late-night menu served Fridays and Saturdays until 12:45 a.m. $$

* NICO’S: Sonny Bono’s daughter owns an Italian restaurant (Christy’s) in Long Beach, and Christy also runs Nico’s, a contemporary American bistro on Naples island. Nico’s is chic and modern with winning decor and fine food. Try the Nico salad and the best bread pudding around. Nico’s, 5760 E. 2nd St., Long Beach. (562) 434-4479. Dinner only, Sundays-Thursdays, 5-10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. $$$

* OAK OVEN BARBECUE: The attraction at Lou’s Oak Oven Barbecue is Santa Maria-style barbecued tri-tip. But you can also get chicken, pork loin and Portuguese sausage. The food comes on metal camping plates, and drinks, including wine, are served in Mason jars. Lou’s Oak Oven Barbecue, 21501 Brookhurst St., Huntington Beach. (714) 965-5200. Lunch and dinner Tuesdays-Sundays . $

* ON THE BORDER and OSCAR’S: Across the parking lot from each other at the Market Place, On the Border and Oscar’s represent chains new to our area. One is a Cal-Mex joint with great fajitas, lots of deep-fried appetizers and not much soul. The other is a family-run, kid-oriented operation with forgettable pizzas, good salads and what might be the best baked chicken on the planet. On the Border, 13772 Jamboree Road, Irvine. (714) 508-1060. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. $$. Oscar’s, 13786 Jamboree Road, Irvine. (714) 505-6070. Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. $$

* OPAH: Opah is a restaurant from architect Mark Singer and his Peruvian-born wife, Miriam, and has made an immediate impact on the South County dining scene. The cuisine is eclectic and the decor stylish, factors that draw a young, well-dressed crowd. Crab cakes and a delicious oyster po’boy are among the best dishes, but several main courses are lackluster. Opah, 26851 Aliso Creek Road, Suite C, Aliso Viejo. (949) 360-8822. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. $$$

* OSTERIA DABBASSO: Osteria Dabbasso, in the old Kachina space, is an art-filled Laguna basement serving some of the biggest Italian dishes in the county. Come for the salads, imaginative pastas and good meat courses. Osteria Dabbasso, 222 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. (949) 494-0495. Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. $$

* OYSTERS: “Asian-influenced California cuisine”--well, you can’t blame Oysters for wanting to distance itself from all the bad fusion cuisine around. But this spot, with its Chicago speak-easy ambience, could give fusion a good name with dishes such as artichoke with tarragon sambal-aioli and Near East paella. Good oysters too, of course. Oysters, 2515 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar. (949) 675-7411. Open for dinner daily. $$

* PANDA INN: A lot of well-rendered Mandarin favorites appear on the sprawling regular menu (and at the generous Sunday brunch) at Panda Inn. Be bearish about the “seasonal menu,” though; the dishes are more original, but this pleasant, airy place does better on basics like moo shu pork and tea-smoked duck. Panda Inn, Centerpointe Drive, La Palma. (714) 522-3328. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

* THE PERUVIAN GRILL: It specializes not so much in grilled food as in Peruvian seafood dishes, such as ceviche appetizers large enough for a small meal and pescado ajo macho, a grilled fish topped with scallops, shrimp, calamari and a spicy cilantro sauce. Empanadas, not listed on the menu, are also worth a try. The Peruvian Grill, 9606 Hamilton St., Huntington Beach. (714) 593-3883. Dinner Monday-Saturday. $$