Corona Del Mar Eating Tour - Corona Del Mar, CA

As I mentioned in a previous post, Kevin’s college buddy had been staying with us for a couple of weeks. Knowing that he was going to leave this week, I declared to both Kevin and Jeff that this past Friday night was Guy’s Night. At this announcement, they both looked at me as if my hair had caught on fire. I had to explain that two guys hanging out without the presence of one of the guys girlfriend was what they obviously needed and I was a gracious enough of a girlfriend to provide such an evening. Again, looks from both of them like lava was flowing from my nose. After more insistence and swearing that I do indeed enjoy hanging out with both of them, I finally got them to shrug and say, “Yeah, OK, sure.” I blissfully went out to the pub without them ensured that I had done the right thing.

Little did I know that they would actually go out and have a goodtime…WITHOUT ME. As the story goes, or should I say, what they divulged about the evening, they went to every restaurant on PCH in the Newport area and had an appetizer at each one. Oh the food they described! Steak skewers and sushi rolls! Happy Hour specials galore! (I’d list more food items but I can’t remember them all and I don’t want Kevin to say I gave you incorrect information). I was jealous! Oh sure, I had a good time on Friday but not an eating tour good time!

Later on Saturday afternoon, I mentioned my sadness that they had such a good time WITHOUT ME and maybe wouldn’t they want to go on another eating tour that evening WITH me? I read Dave’s Hungry Cabbie site all the time and his Five Borough Eating Tour On The Wheels Of Steel looks awesome. I wanted to do that. Jeff instantly agreed, as long as we could hit new restaurants. Kevin, still full from the night before, bulked a little bit but eventually caved to our whims.

We decided to hit the restaurants in Corona del Mar as I have never been to a single restaurant there even though it’s only 3 miles south of Costa Mesa. I never even notice that they had restaurants in Corona del Mar. The only thing I ever seem to see there are the Coffee Bean and the endless line of traffic I always see to be in. Is there ever not traffic in Corona del Mar? I’d really like to know.

We set out for our eating tour at about 3 o’ clock Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately all the restaurants down there didn’t open until 5. We headed first to The Place which is more a bar than a restaurant, but they did have food. I was in charge of ordering so I got chicken fingers and a hot dog sandwich that had a side of onion rings. When the food came the boys gave me a dirty look.

“You broke the rules!”

“What rules?”

“You ordered a meal! You can’t order a meal! That’s breaking the rules!”

“I didn’t know there were rules. I wanted a hot dog.”
“You’re never going to make it.”

“But I wanted a hot dog! It’s just a hot dog! I don’t even like onion rings, those are for you.”

“Seriously, you’re never going to make it.”

“We’ll see. I do have a Wisconsin stomach you know…”

I ate my hot dog and it was good. I also had a bite or two of the chicken fingers. I felt good. I was ready for more. It’s just a hot dog after all.


Picture before the rule breaking hot dog sandwich

At 5 we headed over to the Landmark, which is a bit of a swanky joint. Though, looking at the places we went to, I would classify them all as swanky joints. The Landmark has a really great patio area, including a futon like bench up against the wall. I tried laying on it but was told I was breaking another rule so stopped. We ordered the spinach artichoke dips that came with chips and a couple fancy martinis. The dip was good but got cold too quickly. We also noticed that they had a three course dinner for $30 most nights. While tempting, I understood the rules and knew it would be something to try some other time.


Don't break yet ANOTHER rule and lay on the bench

Afterwards we headed to the Quiet Woman. The Quiet Woman is quiet (as pictured on the sign out front) as a headless woman. Ha ha, very funny. The Quiet Woman was PACKED but we managed to score a few seats at the bar. At this point I was getting full but I dared not say anything because I didn’t want to incur the wrath of the rule mongers. We got the garlic appetizer, which was a head of roasted garlic, pita bread, and some cheese. I had a bite of cheese on pita then excused myself to have a cigarette. I purposely dawdled and by the time I returned, most of the food was gone. I didn’t care for the dish very much so it was a good thing.

We took an hour intermission at Bandera across the street from the Quiet Woman. Jeff was going into a food coma so we pumped him up with a couple espressos. Bandera was also packed so we had to resort to sitting in the waiting room rather than getting a table or sitting at the bar. The food here looks excellent by the way. I wish we had room in our bellies at this point.

Resting our bellies at Bandera

Needed intermission over, we headed up the way a bit to Oysters. I will immediately tell you that we stayed way too long at Oysters in regards to the eating tour, but my God, was it worth it. We sat right in front of the oyster shucking station and I watched in wonder as the shucker shucked oysters. After questioning him a bit at the poor state of his hands, he let me know that it’s not uncommon for him to shuck 3,000 on a busy Saturday night. That’s a whole lot of time that your hands are running under water using a little knife to cut open an oyster and gingerly place the slimly insides in position where they will look edible. Seeing as I don’t eat fish, Kevin and Jeff had to try the oysters while I went all vegetarian on their ass and ordered the edamame. It was so delicious. As were the specialty cocktails. The Pompass cocktail (Pomegranate and passion fruit vodkas mixed with citrus and pomegranate juice) can not be missed if you go. Jeff (a.k.a. Mr. Moneybags) ordered Kevin a $50.00 Hennessy Paradis but proceeded to drink most of it. I myself (Ms. Feeling like Moneybags but totally didn’t have the wallet cash to support it) spent $10 to request the restaurant band to play Dave Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’. Man, I love that song. I love Pompass cocktails. I love Oysters. Go spend money here, please. I don’t want them to ever go away.

Mr. Shucking Oysters Guy

Pompass Cocktail...yum.

Oysters...yum..if you're into oysters. Which I'm not.

Play that funky music white boys. That comment was too easy.

After a couple of hours we realized that we really did to be moving on. Jeff and Kevin debated for awhile about the likelihood that we would be allowed into Rothchild’s due to our very casual attire. We thankfully didn’t have any problems but the fact that the kitchen was closing down did put a wrench in the food tour. I managed to flirt with the bartender enough that he had the cook make me a small Caesar salad (Read: “Hey, do-ya think I can sneak in a salad?” “Yeah, I guess that should be ok”). Jeff got a kick out of the downstairs wine cellar and Kevin and I had a nice chat with the couple sitting next to us. After my salad, we left.

Kevin at this point was very anxious to go home. He was full, he was tired, and he was broke. Jeff (hyped up still from the espressos) and I didn’t want to quit yet. We dragged him to 3-Thirty-3 for a nightcap. Boy, we should have listened to Kevin. What an awful place and a bummer that it was the last place that we went to. When we got in, Jeff went off to talk to girls and Kevin and I hung out in the foyer talking with a couple of older gentlemen, one which was celebrating his birthday and whose wife is from West Bend, WI. We weren’t having a bad time until the bouncers kicked the gentlemen out for being rowdy. They weren’t being rowdy, they were talking to us. If talking about fishing in WI is rowdy then…well, I don’t know. I’m telling you this pretty lame story so that no one ever ever ever goes to 3-Thirty-3. Don’t give them money. I want them to go away.

Please don't ever go here.

Need I say more?

We finally found Jeff and headed back home. We walked in the door and looked at each other.

“Anyone hungry?”

“Yeah, yeah we are.”

“Pizza?”

“That would be AWESOME.”