CLIPBOARD : GLIDE’ER INN

When Aereon Corp. president William Miller Jr. visited Orange County recently, he pulled into the Glide’er Inn restaurant in Seal Beach, hoping to find a phone book, look up an address and be on his way. Instead, the former Navy fighter pilot spent two hours staring in amazement at the cozy, family-owned restaurant’s collection of aviation memorabilia.

The Glide’er Inn, established in 1930, is one of Orange County’s oldest businesses. It was originally located near Anaheim Bay, next to a dirt landing strip where old-time aviator Ray (Pop) Crawford built gliders (hence the restaurant’s name).

Original owners Nina Bennis and Jim Arnerich served clam chowder made from clams they dug themselves from the nearby tidal channel. The restaurant became known for its seafood dinners, served fresh from the bay.

The restaurant’s proximity to the landing strip made it popular with early Orange County aviation pioneers, including Eddie Martin, founder of what is now John Wayne Airport, and Wes Carroll and Clyde Schliepper, who teamed up to set an endurance flying record of 729 hours in 1939. Aviation legends Howard Hughes, Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh are said to have visited during the height of Orange County’s barnstorming era.

Construction of the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station forced the Glide’er Inn to relocate to its present location on Pacific Coast Highway in 1944. In 1972, Jerry and Karla Benzl purchased the restaurant from its original owners and expanded the menu to include such continental favorites as bouillabaisse Marseillaise and Wiener schnitzel.

The restaurant is still known for its seafood, and customers never have to choose between Manhattan or New England-style clam chowder, since both are always on the menu. The atmosphere is comfortable, especially when Karla and her daughter, Caroline, make the rounds, greeting newcomers and customers they’ve known for years.

The restaurant’s memorabilia collection began in the early days, when pilots began contributing artifacts to the decor. Today it extends to the space age, since the restaurant has long been popular with employees of the local aerospace industry. A framed copy of a newspaper front page proclaiming Lindbergh’s historic trans-Atlantic flight is juxtaposed with to a framed piece of Mylar coating from Apollo 16, donated by the carrier Hornet’s Apollo recovery crew.

One of Benzl’s prized possessions is the leather-bound pilots-only guest book, with signatures dating back to the 1930s. Unfortunately, many of the original signatures have

deteriorated and it’s impossible to determine if any famous signatures are included. “I suppose someone with expertise in historic documents could help us sort them out,” said Karla. “One of these days I should have someone take a look at it.”

The restaurant is a find for those who want to get away from a chain-restaurant atmosphere. But be sure to allow plenty of time after your meal to browse through this eclectic restaurant-museum.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Open until 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Address: 1400 Pacific Coast Highway, Seal Beach

Telephone: (213) 431-3022

Miscellaneous Information: Lunch entrees range from $5.50 to $9.95. Early-bird dinners ($5.95- $9.95) served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Dinner-hour prices range from $9.50 to $20. Take-out service available. Call ahead to reserve private dining room for small dinner parties or business lunches.