Comments (2) Best Restaurant - 2009

Old Vine Café

Other restaurants might ultimately impress more at any given moment. Most have better locations. But as a sunrise-to-nighttime experience, no local eatery can hold a gourmet blowtorch to Old Vine Café. The delights begin with a faithfulness to organic ingredients, whether it's artisanal Spanish sausages or produce bought from San Clemente-based Morningsong Farms. From this base, chef Mark McDonald creates omelets and crepes of grace; paninis that crunch, soothe and satiate; and dinners he changes to match the seasons—fettucine with a homemade pomodoro sauce, or sea curries seemingly snuck in from Little Saigon. Meanwhile, brother Brandon roams the tiny dining area, singing the praises of their many wonderful, affordable wines. So much with so little: genius. And the pecan tarts drizzled with sea salt and butterscotch sauce? Perhaps the best non-ethnic dessert ever served in Orange County after the Balboa Bar.