Soaking Up the Sun at the Beachcomber

The Beachcomber

15 Crystal Cove Way

Newport Beach, CA 92657

Katie wanted to take me out for my birthday, but she was unsure where to go. She scoured Urbanspoon, read numerous food blogs, consulted the Zagat guide, talked to multiple friends and colleagues, wrote to Dear Abby, inquired with a medium, and finally decided on the Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. I am not sure she did all of this, but I would appreciate it if she did. Of course, she did not have to go through all this trouble. I would have loved just being anywhere with her, trying a new place.

The Beachcomber is in Crystal Cove, south of Corona Del Mar. I had never been to Crystal Cove before. They are really renovating the place, and a lot of construction is going on. Crystal Cove was the setting for numerous movies (Beaches was partly filmed here), and they have over twenty cottages to rent. The cove was a weekend getaway spot for many people in the 30s, and being here is like being transported back to that era.

So now, on to the reason that we have come to Crystal Cove, the Beachcomber. The aptly named Beachcomber is mere steps from the sand. It is one of the most picturesque restaurants that Orange County has to offer. They have a huge patio that is comfortable and inviting. Each table is given two blankets if you feel a chill in the air. So let's find out if the food will get a chilly reception.

To begin the meal at the Beachcomber, we chose to start with Nana's Crab Cakes. These are made with blue crab and then fried. The inside, as you can see, is very flaky and good. The remoulade sauce served with this was superb and made the crab cake better. I felt these were overpriced for the two crab cakes we were given. There was so much greenery on this plate that there was no need to order a salad. Instead, I used the extra remoulade sauce to make an impromptu salad.  

Katie ordered the Ultimate Tuna Melt. This sandwich has albacore tuna, red onion, herb aioli, and Gruyere cheese on their French bread. I am not usually a big tuna melt fan, but it was pretty good. The bread was excellent, and the cheese was melty and plentiful. This dish usually comes with tomato gorgonzola bisque, but Katie subbed that out for fries. The fries were crispy and not too oily.

My birthday lunch was the Blackened Swordfish Tacos. These Creole spiced tacos were served with organic mixed greens. After eating the greens with the crab cakes, I was done with salad and should have asked for another side dish. This fish was cooked well and spiced great. The menu said these were served with a pineapple tarter slaw. I did not taste this at all. I should have asked for more of the delicious remoulade sauce.  

If I have not mentioned it, this was my birthday, so they brought out the above Sundae. This featured slightly brown bananas and vanilla ice cream. It is your pretty standard sundae with no topping.

So, what to make of the Beachcomber? The food is good, but the view and service make the food taste better. This is the type of place that you want to take tourists to show off our beautiful coast. Or a place to go to escape reality, at least for an hour or two.

Out of five metal detectors (because beachcombers use these to find treasures along the beach), five being best to zero being worst, the Beachcomber gets three metal detectors.

For more information on the Beachcomber, click here: https://thebeachcombercafe.com/crystalcove/