Cancun Cafe Takes a Casual Approach

Is there no end to the restaurants David Wilhelm can juggle? Cancun Cafe, set to open July 15 in Laguna Beach, is his fifth Orange County eatery. (First there was Kachina in Laguna Beach, then Bistro 201 in Irvine, followed by Barbacoa on Newport Bay and Zuni Grill in Irvine.) Cancun is the prototype for a chain of colorful, casual restaurants specializing in simple, healthful Mexican food, says Wilhelm. It’s fashioned after the casual eateries lining the coasts of Mexico, with tropical colors and what Wilhelm terms “the whimsical contemporary approach that typifies my other restaurants.” Most menu items are grilled and priced under $4. They include a variety of quesadillas, tacos, taquitos and tamales, plus salads. There’s in-house dining, but Wilhelm expects the majority of the business will be catering and take-out services. Cancun Cafe, 176 S. Coast Highway (across from Main Beach), will be open for lunch and dinner daily, 11 a.m. to midnight. (714) 494-4384.

Tete-a-Tete, which opened two weeks ago on Balboa Island, brings another collaboration of the brothers Christophe and Juerg Boo, owners of that upscale executive lunch spot, the Mezzanine in the Brinderson Towers, Newport Beach. Tete-a-Tete, located in the intimate 22-seat setting that was the original Hemingway’s, brings a “more daring” menu, according to Christophe. Some examples from chef Juerg’s a la carte fare: a lobster ravioli appetizer with red beet sauce; salad of Belgian endive, watercress and Roquefort cheese with apple-walnut dressing; main courses including grilled breast of Muscovy duck with polenta and sweet garlic sauce; roasted lamb loin in an herb and truffle crust, and grilled salmon steak with black linguine and saffron cream sauce. Entree prices range from $14.50 to $21.50. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 10 p.m., with plans to add brunch and lunch hours. At 217 Marine Ave., Balboa Island. (714) 673-0570.

Wines from the Southern Hemisphere are the focus of a series of Wednesday and Thursday tastings at Chanteclair in Irvine. Selections, at $2 a glass, are from wineries in Australia and South America (mainly Argentina and Chile). The 5-to-7 p.m. events also feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres and entertainment. Upcoming tastings: tonight, Coldrige wines; Wednesday, Rio Menedez; July 11, La Rural; July 17, Hardy’s; July 18, Goyenechea; July 24, Aberdeen Angus; July 24, Rio Mendez. Chanteclair is at 18912 MacArthur Blvd. (714) 752-8001.

Renato Necci, longtime chef at Antonello in South Coast Plaza Village, is now chef and owner of Renato’s in the Portofino Beach Hotel, near the Newport pier. The former site of Grappa and the original location of Zeppa, Renato’s serves lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Lunch offerings vary from a salad of grilled marinated calamari, shrimp and chicken with fresh spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes to rotelle Napoletana, the house pasta (both $7.50). There’s fresh seafood, chicken, veal and beef as well, priced from $11.50 to $16.50. Dinner features 16 different pastas and 18 entrees, priced from $8.50 to $22.95. Valet parking is available. At 2304 W. Ocean Front, Newport Beach. (714) 673-8058.

Tony Roma’s is firing up for its sixth rib-eating contest to raise funds for the Starlight Foundation, an international nonprofit organization that grants the wishes of critically, chronically and terminally ill children. Five-member teams contribute $250 to compete at Tony Roma’s restaurants throughout Southern California, with the winning team from each restaurant going on to a regional competition, and those winners to the finals on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Tony Roma’s in Universal City. Upcoming rib-eating contests in Orange County are scheduled for Fullerton and Los Alamitos on July 21 and in Anaheim, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach on July 28.

Il Fornaio is now scheduled to open in late October in the Lakeshore Towers at Von Karman Avenue and Michelson Drive in Irvine. This will be the largest of the Il Fornaio restaurants, which are in Marin County, San Francisco, Palo Alto and Del Mar. In addition to the restaurant itself, look for a full “gastronomia,” with a wholesale bakery, private-label delicacies and takeout foods.