Dining Out
Marry Furr
Entering the dining room of the Sea Breeze Grill, Huntington Beach, is
like coming into the salon of a cruise ship or big hotel. The walls are
covered with oil paintings in gilt frames, there are cloth-covered tables
and an expansive view of sail boats tied like pearls along the Huntington
Beach Marina.
It’s always exciting when a new Sunday brunch is added to the
restaurants in Huntington Beach, and the discovery of Sea Breeze Grill is
a true find. Brunch ($24.95) is an extravaganza and owner Sonny Arora
from New Delhi, India, advises, “Eat lightly Saturday if you plan on
brunch Sunday.”
Server Ben is at your table with big glasses of fresh orange juice and
ready to pour champagne, then it’s on to the buffet.
We love omelets and give our order to sous chef Ross Willig first. For
fillings it’s everything -- green, red and yellow bell peppers, tomato,
mushrooms and, of course, onions and cheese -- all swirled in the egg and
milk mix, which we will pick up later. Ross says he’ll add spinach and
crab or anything else available if you like. Sea Breeze is very
accommodating.
While the omelet is cooking, we select a fruit mix -- a refreshing
combination not usually found -- of mango and pineapple. Or try the one
with melon and grapes. Then back to pick up the excellent omelet and add
some really crisp bacon and a fat link sausage to our plate.
Since this was a brunch -- a combination of breakfast and lunch -- and
since we heeded owner Sonny’s advice, we still wanted to try the meat
selections. There’s a standing beef roast with well done slices and a
whole tray of tandoori chicken pieces charred from the charcoal-fired
oven. One tray holds chicken marinara with tomato, garlic and basil and
another mahi mahi flaky and thick, topped with an aromatic pesto sauce of
basil, garlic and olive oil.
There are chunks of lamb in a savory sauce and the essential basmati
rice. It’s a long grained rice, very fragrant when cooked (basmati is
Hindic for “fragrant”) mixed with bits of carrot, peppers, broccoli
flowers and peas -- good by itself but also a good mix with the sauced
dishes.
For the possibility that you might want to add dessert, there are
colorful iced little cakes, eclairs and cheesecake from Tomfoolery --
rich and good.
Chef Fred Edinger attended Orange Coast College but says he learned
his wonderful way with food in the school of experience. He was
previously at 21 Ocean Front and La Biarritz and says when he retires he
plans to go out to eat.
If there is anything besides the fresh and innovative food that will
attract you to Sea Breeze Grill, it’s the friendly welcome. Everyone from
owner Sonny, to chef Fred, to server Ben wants you to enjoy their food.
* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments
or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 hbindy@latimes.com.f7
FYI
o7 Sea Breeze Grill
f7 Where: 16450 Pacific Coast Highway at 24th Street, Huntington
Beach.
Hours: Open daily, all year. Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday until midnight.
Full bar, credit cards accepted.
Phone: (562) 592-3900.
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