An idea from City Hall that could use a taste test

LOLITA HARPER

Keep an eye out for Costa Mesa’s very own Restaurant Row, complete

with big-name restaurants such as Chili’s, the Olive Garden and La

Espiga de Oro. OK, so that last one is a little lesser known to the

masses, but those on the Westside are familiar with the Vista Center

bakery.

And the managers at La Espiga de Oro are all in favor of the

restaurant row concept at the center -- an idea that is being tossed

around City Hall -- as long as it includes them.

“Sure, why not,” manager Adriana Guardado said. “Lots of people

love our pastries.”

Restaurants are about the only viable businesses along the 19th

Street commercial corridor -- the area now being considered for

formal redevelopment, according to economic studies done for the

Costa Mesa redevelopment agency.

If the success of those eateries could be duplicated along the

portion of 19th Street between Federal and Maple avenues the city

could really enhance the Westside, Mayor Gary Monahan said.

“That sounds like a restaurant row,” I said, when he told me the

idea.

“Exactly,” Monahan said.

Of course, Costa Mesa’s track record shows a large gap between

good ideas and execution, so it would be a long shot to say that all

the pawn shops, liquor stores and office complexes on that stretch

are due for demolition or even drastic change. But it is interesting

to think of the possible benefits of a restaurant row.

The cities of Arcadia and Monrovia share what is commonly referred

to as the Huntington Restaurant Row: a bunch of restaurants -- both

big name and mom and pop -- and hotels along Huntington Drive, which

runs through both cities. Arcadia’s portion of the row came about 10

years ago as a result of a redevelopment project, city spokeswoman

Linda Garcia said.

Arcadia officials used a combination of informal encouragement to

bolster the area as well as formal redevelopment, which declares

blighted parts of town as a redevelopment zone and then freezes

property taxes at the rate of the current fiscal year and redirects

70% of future tax increases to be reinvested in the community.

“It was a fairly blighted area before,” Garcia said. “There was a

lot of fast food on Huntington Drive and not big chain restaurants.”

The residential area around the major thoroughfare reflected the

commercial corridor in terms of lackluster architecture, minimal

landscaping and pockmark paint jobs. Now, the homes in that immediate

area are neat and well-maintained, Garcia said, but the city can’t

necessarily take all the credit for that.

“We would like to think that [redevelopment sparked the change], “

Garcia said, “but Arcadia property values are very high, so it is

hard to say whether it is a thriving commercial district or good city

with good schools.”

All in all, the area has turned itself around, she said. The

hotels bring in out-of-towners who eat at restaurants such as

Domenico’s, BJ’s Pizza and the Derby -- a historic landmark. And the

eateries are quite popular with those from neighborhoods in Arcadia,

Monrovia, Covina, West Covina and even Pasadena, which has its own

downtown area that is full of night life.

But the improvement did not come overnight, she said. This work

was done in conjunction with an overall downtown revitalization

project that included infrastructure improvements and decorative

touches.

“Certainly from the city’s perspective, it has worked out well,”

Garcia said.

Hearing Garcia talk about Arcadia reminded me too much of Costa

Mesa. Here, the city has tried its hand at “downtown revitalization”

and is looking at these few blocks on 19th Street as the next

redevelopment. Shoot, Costa Mesa even installed decorative street

lights in an effort to make the Westside nicer. Now, we are hearing

talks of a restaurant row, complete with our hometown Domenico’s

restaurant, which is within the boundaries of the proposed

redevelopment area.

As are shops such as Faulkner’s Mower Shop, Keeler Upholstery,

Garibaldi de Noche night club, El Matate, Super Imperial Market and

Restaurant, One Dollar Store, Hong Kong Express, Vista Drugs,

Leonela’s Beauty Salon, the Department of Motor Vehicles, Taco Mesa

and Johnny G Burgers.

And so, Adriana and those at La Espiga de Oro welcome a restaurant

row, as long as it included their small, Westside bakery. The little

shop has been in the Vista Center for about five years and does very

good business, she said. At about 3 p.m. Tuesday, she had about half

a dozen customers walking around the quaint shop, filling their trays

with goodies.

Tillie Williams was waiting for freshly baked bolillos, a Mexican

roll.

“If you want to try something good, try these,” she said, pointing

to the warm rolls that were just wheeled out on a large bakery shelf

from the kitchen.

Tillie said she comes to the store at least once a week for fresh

and authentic Mexican pastries. She used to live in Mexico, and

there, she developed a flavor for Mexican breads. La Espiga de Oro

was the first “real” panaderia (bakery) she had found in town.

“They are just the same here as they are in Mexico,” Tillie said.

“Actually, a lot of stuff on this side of town is that way. I would

hate to see that go away.”

Hmmm ... I wonder if panaderias and authentic taco stands fit into

the city’s model for a restaurant row? I guess we will have to wait

and see.

* LOLITA HARPER is the community forum editor. She also writes

columns Wednesdays and Fridays. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275

or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.