Taking a swipe at the best

S.J. CAHN

Throughout this special look at the best picks in Newport-Mesa, we’re

trying to let the community have its say.

It’s the diversity of voices, we figured, that makes the Pilot the

Pilot. It’s the coaches we quote in the sports pages, the civic and

business leaders in the news stories and, most of all, the residents

of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach who frequent our Forum pages.

Best to let them have their chance to pick what’s best in the

community.

But, we had to have some say. It’s our business, after all, and

it’s in our nature to report and write what we see.

And that “say” fell to me, through no small feat of luck.

Well, there could have been categories other than the ones on

these pages.

Best place to meet with a Democrat clandestinely: top of the

Fashion Island parking structure near Bloomingdale’s.

Best place to rent a home as a college student: Balboa Island. (I

may have gone to UC Irvine if I’d remembered my sister doing that.)

Or I could go with the more-research-needed angle for: best

private golf course; best martini; best auto dealer; best

presidential suite.

Yeah, I’m liking the way that’s headed. How to get a hold of me is

at the bottom of this column.

But there’s also the plain, I-can’t-avoid-it fact that journalists

need to step up and put their prognostication powers (if not

reputation) on the line, hit or miss, spit in your food or not.

(Please -- not.)

So, here are but a few of my best picks. And feel free to send us

yours. The contact information is on the front of the section.

Best scenic walk: around Balboa Island. You get the water and the

boats and you can gawk at the houses.

Best spot for a run: Crystal Cove. You can go on the beach for a

tough sand run or make it even rougher and go up into the hills on

the inland side of Coast Highway.

Best place to people watch: This one’s so close between South

Coast Plaza and Fashion Island, but I have to give the nod to Fashion

Island.

Best place to shop: South Coast Plaza’s got this one locked up. I

love Gary’s and At-Ease, but there’s Burberry, Donna Karan, Brooks

Brothers and Versace! (Forgive the exclamation point, but really,

Burberry.)

Best bar: I love Skosh Monahan’s when former Costa Mesa Mayor

Peter Buffa’s behind the bar.

Best place to impress a date: the Arches, especially if you know

the owner and can act like a big shot when Danny Marcheano comes by

your table.

Best salon: Salon Gregories, and yeah, Stephanie Mellon’s the best

stylist there.

Best public golf course: Mesa Linda. Yep, it bucks the

conventional wisdom, and here’s why: You can go stretches at Mesa

Linda feeling like you’re a pro -- one, two, maybe more under par.

And then you hit a green that befuddles you and you’re one over.

Best brunch: the Five Crowns.

Best burger joint: Bill’s just beats out T.K.

And now, the best for last:

Best paper: Too easy, right?

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He may be reached at (714)

966-4607 or by e-mail at s.j.cahn@latimes.com.