Apologies for the tardiness in this week's entry, and for paraphrasing the question…
What is the best restaurant for a seaside view?
The classic choice to take the Iowans near the sea, of course, is Las Brisas in Laguna Beach–that view is killer, plus you empty out to Heisler Park afterward for a post-prandial walk. But locals also know Las Brisas' food is worse than its owner, El Torito, and commits larceny on your wallet with even the cheapest appetizer.
Where to go, then? After the jump!
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I do love the view when drinking tea at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel–above the cliffs, in the luxuriant comfort of the resort, the only one in the county that truly does justify the hype for a relatively reasonable price. And you can glimpse a bit of the Pacific while chowing down in the parking lot at Husky Boy in Laguna Beach, while admiring the traffic of PCH.
But my favorite beachside restaurant view is actually a bit off the actual ocean: La Galette Creperie in San Clemente. From an outside table at the bottom of the bowl that is the end of Avenida Victoria, you view the pier, the ocean, the beautiful people and rubes going to the beach, and the ever-present Amtrak Surfliner. It also helps that La Galette's crepes, savory or sweet, fill and charm: a bit of gay Paree-by-the-Sea. Just ignore the skinheads in suits called the American Third Position Party and you're fine!
Got a spicy question for the Comida Critic? Leave it in the comments!
