DINE
TASTE OF THE TOWN
Left : Whaler Newport Beach serves up a wide range of seafood and other items . Right : Sandwiches , baked goods and more can be found at Wild Strawberry Cafe .
NEW AND NOTABLE
From a beach bar and grill to Moroccan cuisine , several restaurants have joined the local dining scene in recent months . WHALER NEWPORT BEACH celebrated its grand opening in early August . The West Coast Highway spot is a new location for the brand , which started in 1944 and includes restaurants in Venice and Santa Monica . Choose from chicken wings , oysters , soups , salads , burgers , sandwiches like a lobster roll , tacos , pizza , fish and chips or mains like cedar-plank salmon with Sriracha glaze ; brunch and a late-night menu are coming soon . Choose from beer , wine and cocktails like Spa Day , a mix of gin , lime , cucumber , mint and elderflower , or a flight of agave-based spirits like tequila and mezcal .
Meanwhile , CASABLANCA THE RESTAURANT & BISTRO moved from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach , reopening in April in the former Burger Boss spot on West Coast Highway . Fusing Algerian , Moroccan and West Mediterranean ( France and Spain ) cuisine with dishes like lamb tagine , chicken couscous , Valencia paella and baklava , Casablanca also presents live flamenco and belly dancing performances in its casbah ambience .
And WILD STRAWBERRY CAFÉ opened a second location at 610 Newport Center Drive in April , just up the road from the original location at 240 Newport Center Drive , Ste . 100 . The cafe serves up lighter fare like pastries , breakfast burritos , a tomato quiche , Kale Power Salad , pesto turkey wrap and more . ( Whaler Newport Beach : ( 760-304-8704 ; newportbeachwhaler . com ) ( Casablanca the Restaurant & Bistro : 949-423-7038 ; restaurant-casablanca . com ) ( Wild Strawberry Café : 949-423-2066 ; wildstrawberrycafe . com ) — Sharon Stello
SAKAE SUSHI 123 23rd St .; 949-675-8899 sakaesushi-japaneserestaurant . business . site SAN SHI GO 205 Main St .; 949-673-3724 sanshigonb . com SESSIONS WEST COAST DELI 2823 Newport Blvd .; 949-220-9001 sessionswcd . com SHOREBIRD 2220 Newport Blvd ., Ste . 101 ; 949-287-6627 shorebirdca . com
SKAL PIZZA 3400 Via Oporto , Ste . 104 ; 949-270-6100 ; skalpizza . com STAG BAR & KITCHEN 121 McFadden Pl .; 949-673-4470 ; stagbar . com SUPER PANGA 2110 W . Oceanfront ; 949-561-1700 ; superpangatacos . com TUPELO JUNCTION CAFE 508 29th St .; 949-877-0280 ; tupelojunction . com WILD TACO 407 31st St .; 949-673-9453 ; thewildtaco . com WOODY ’ S WHARF 2318 Newport Blvd .; 949-675-0474 ; woodyswharf . com
ZINQUÉ 3446 Via Oporto ; 949-612-7259 ; lezinque . com
COAST HIGHWAY / MARINER ’ S MILE
A MARKET 3400 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-650-6515 amarketnb . com A RESTAURANT 3334 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-650-6505 arestaurantnb . com A & O RESTAURANT | BAR Balboa Bay Resort , 1221 W . Coast Hwy . 949-630-4285 ; balboabayresort . com BAYSIDE RESTAURANT 900 Bayside Dr .; 949-721-1222 baysiderestaurant . com BILLY ’ S AT THE BEACH 2751 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-722-1100 billysatthebeach . net CAPPY ’ S CAFE 5930 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-646-4202 cappyscafe . com CASABLANCA THE RESTAURANT & BISTRO 6800 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-423-7038 restaurant-casablanca . com C ’ EST SI BON BAKERY 149 Riverside Ave ., Ste . B ; 949-645-0447 cestsibonnb . com THE CHICKEN COOP 414 Old Newport Blvd . 949-645-6086 CUCINA ALESSÁ 6700 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-645-2148 cucinaalessarestaurants . com EAT CHOW 211 62nd St .; 949-423-7080 ; eatchow . com FUJI YAMA 4511 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-548-7200 fujiyama-japaneserestaurant . business . site GUACAMIGOS 2607 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-650-1818 ; guacamigos . com LOTUS BISTRO 325 Old Newport Blvd ., Ste . 1 ; 949-287-6827 lotusbistronewport . com LOUIE ' S BY THE BAY 2801 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-720-1800 ; louiesnewport . com MARIO ’ S A TASTE OF ITALY 4507 W . Coast Hwy .; 949-722-7151 mariostasteofitaly . com ORANGE COAST WINERY TASTING ROOM 869 W . 16th St .; 949-645-0400 orangecoastwinery . com PANDOR ARTISAN BAKERY & CAFÉ 1126 Irvine Ave ., Ste . A ; 949-209-5099 ; pandorbakery . com
LEFT : JESSICA BODAS PHOTOGRAPHY ; RIGHT : ANASTASIYA VISUAL LOS ANGELES
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