A Bird’s Eyed View of Shorebird in Newport Beach

 Shorebird

2220 Newport Boulevard

Newport Beach, CA 92663

Before our Sundays are dominated by football, we try some breakfast/brunch spots on my restaurant wishlist. Because once that calendar flips to September, the last day of the week is dedicated to watching my usually horrible Jaguars. Then, once it's apparent that they will lose, the rest of the day is spent watching other games of interest and finally wrapping up the day with the Sunday night game. It might seem like a wasted day to some, and I feel that way sometimes, but it's how Katie and I relax and gear up for the upcoming workweek. Before the first snap of the ball happened, we headed to Shorebird to experience their Sunday brunch. 

Shorebird came across my radar when I was reading Orange Coast Magazine. Their excellent restaurant critic, Gretchen Kurz, gave them a favorable review. Most of her review was about her dinner experience, but she dedicated a paragraph to what she enjoyed during her brunch visit. A few months later, Orange Coast came out with its brunch issue, which featured more about Shorebird's early weekend menu, and that's when I decided that we needed to try them.  

Even with the Newport Boulevard address, Shorebird is hidden from view from the street. The best way to find them is to look for the iconic Crab Cooker restaurant, turn down the small street, and park in the underground parking lot for the Vue Newport, a mixed-use development. Remember your parking ticket, as Shorebird validates for up to two hours. This good-sized restaurant has excellent marina views that will have you reaching for your phone to snap way more pictures than you will ever need. 

Shorebird is part of the Wild Thyme Restaurant Group. Eight different concepts are currently operating or will soon be operating. Most of their locations are in Sedona, Arizona, or Southern California. I've had only one encounter with one of their restaurants, which could have been better. Last year, we visited Stagecoach, a barbecue spot right across the street from Main Place Mall. The food was subpar. I still have nightmares about their mac and cheese and potato skins. They closed down for good before I could even write my review. I had much higher hopes for Shorebird. 

We arrived at 11 a.m., and the Sunday Funday festivities started slowly. However, the tables around us quickly filled up with large groups, and there was only a smattering of two-person parties eating there. Predictably, the tables closer to the water were more desirable. Still, the openness of the wraparound patio and the sleek vibe of the interior of the dining room ensure that most people will enjoy any seat in the house. 

The brunch menu starts at 10 a.m. on weekends, but I'm unsure of a cutoff time. It is divided into sections: starters, soups and salads, brunch specialties, sandwiches, taco platters, and sides. Entrees hover around the mid-$20 price point, while most starters will set you back less than $20. This is good for this area, where $40 to $80 entrees are commonplace. We quickly made our selections and took in the place's view and upbeat energy while waiting for our food. 

Some good-sounding starters were available here, such as A5 wagyu meatballs, buffalo onion rings, and crispy cauliflower, but we finally decided on the Avocado Fries ($15). These might be misnamed because I expected the avocado to be sliced into thin strips. Fried avocado nuggets might be a better name for these. The avocado wedges were fried in a tempura batter until golden brown. Then, they were placed on top of a green goddess dressing. I enjoyed the contrast between the crunchy outer coating and the creamy avocado. The dressing missed the mark, as I would have preferred ranch dressing instead. A good starter, especially if you are a fan of avocado. 

Katie is predictable when eating brunch. She gets a breakfast burrito almost eighty percent of the time. At Shorebird, she'd have the Knife and Fork Burrito ($20). This hefty burrito has scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, cheddar cheese, sour cream inside, and pico de gallo, salsa, and guacamole on the top. If this had been my burrito, I would have liked everything included inside the burrito or on the side so I could combine all the items topping this. Katie called this burrito fine, but there was nothing that wowed her about this. She would get something else on a future visit. 

I've written it before, but taking a bad picture of a benedict is almost impossible. There's just something so eye-popping about how the yellow on the poached egg catches the eye. It's magical. Of course, they are good to eat as well. This Maryland Crab Eggs Benedict ($29) was no exception. Instead of the tired English muffin, Shorebird built this benedict with a slice of sourdough bread as its base, then placed a crab cake on top of that, along with a perfectly poached egg, Hollandaise sauce, and then finished it off with some herbs and asparagus on top. The egg and hollandaise were nicely done here, and I loved the use of sourdough, which is easier to cut through than a typical English muffin. The crab cake was well made with chunks of crab instead of being all filler. I was also a fan of the crispy potatoes, as they were fork-tender, and each bite had a ton of flavor, which was made even better with the provided lemon aioli that came with this plate. Nicely done. 

Shorebird is a welcome addition to Newport Beach's brunch scene. It offers a gorgeous view, a lively atmosphere, and food that merits return visits. The menu is varied enough, with twenty-nine items, so you won't be bored eating through it. We experienced professional service during our stay and had no issues at Shorebird. Some might be put off by the almost party feel of the place, but I rather enjoyed it as it helped distinguish it from our recent Sunday routine. We're looking forward to a return to Shorebird after the football season ends. 

Out of five frequent flyer miles (because the bar-tailed godwit, a shorebird, has the longest migration route of 8000 miles non-stop from Alaska to Australia and back every year), five being best to zero being worst, Shorebird gets 3.5 frequent flyer miles. 

For more information about Shorebird, head to their website by clicking here: https://shorebirdrestaurant.com/