DINING OUT -- Mary Furr

When the winter sun brushes the fog away, there is no better place for

thick clam chowder than a sidewalk table at Longboard Restaurant & Pub on

Main Street in Huntington Beach.

East Coast native and co-owner Bruce Millkan has the chowder flown in

from Boston as one of the specials at this downtown restaurant.

Longboard’s menu is unusual, according to manager Ron McLin, because it

ranges from fresh lobsters ($12.95) and fried clams ($7.95) to a Tuesday

special of corned beef and cabbage ($6.95) to spaghetti and meatball

madness ($4.95) on Mondays.

Such variety comes from having West Coast native Dave Lautner as

co-owner.

The mix of East Coast and West Coast specialties provides a menu for

everyone’s taste. For a great appetizer with plenty to share, try shore

break Cajun shrimp ($8.95). More than two dozen medium-sized shrimp are

sauteed in a rich, dark brown Cajun sauce with a spiciness that lingers

in a slow after-burn. Two slices of garlic bread help to staunch the

fire.

Fresh swordfish ($9.95), a char-marked fillet, is firm, dense and almost

meat-like. It’s served with seasoned rice, sliced tomatoes and a Caesar

salad, an excellent choice for lunch or dinner.

At Longboard, the spices can be fiery, as in Jamaican mahi mahi ($8.95),

a light, moderately fat fish that flakes easily. It is marinated in a

unique mix of Jamaican seasonings, really hot chiles, spices and garlic

with a slight sweet but intense heat. It’s not for the fainthearted but

well-done and hard to forget.

The interior of Longboard reflects the surf tradition of Huntington

Beach.

As you enter, the right wall rises toward the ceiling like the inside

curl of a big wave. Surfboards are suspended from the ceiling and a long

curving hardwood bar has 14 microbrewed beers on tap. The neighborly

warmth is like the bar on ‘Cheers.’ Regulars, greeted by name, tell of

their trials and tribulations.

Longboard has the atmosphere and food to stand behind their slogan: The

greatest restaurant and pub on the planet Earth as we know it!’

MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments or

suggestions for her, call (562) 493-5062.

Longboard Restaurant & Pub

Where: 217 Main St., Huntington Beach

Hours: Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.

to 1 a.m.; Champagne brunch, Saturday and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Happy hour: 3 to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Phone: (714) 960-1895

Fax: (714) 960-8447