RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Though the combined experience of the Delaney family reaches 60 years, it is safe to say the new Delaney’s is a work in progress.

Fran Delaney opened the first restaurant in 1969. At one point Delaney brought his son, Mike, into the business, and ran nine restaurants in Southern California.

The family sold the restaurants to a company, and one by one the eateries faded away.

It took a while, but the family had the itch to get back into the restaurant business and a couple of years ago started to look for a suitable location. They knew they wanted to keep a seafood theme, and a location by the water was essential.

When Momma Mia’s closed a year ago, Delaney’s was reborn and like most new places has experienced some growing pains.

In the corner of Newport Bay with a view of the water and, in the evening, a cool breeze, it is a great location for a seafood restaurant.

The night I was there the restaurant was celebrating its acquisition of a liquor license and was serving Firestone wine — a serviceable cabernet, though they have now upgraded to Maddalena Vineyards. The restaurant is also going to offer domestic and imported beers.

The menu is getting an overhaul. When my friend and I were there, they were going to debut the new additions on the weekend. Lobster tail, New York steak and a Fisherman’s stew were, and still are, available.

The menu is primarily seafood and has some old favorites from the original restaurant.

Clam chowder is one of them. Unchanged since Fran Delaney served them in the late ’60s, New England and Manhattan style are both served. The New England is thick, creamy and full of pepper to give it a kick.

The cocktails are a good way to start. The crab one comes with plenty of crab and chopped pieces of celery. It was nice that it wasn’t doused in cocktail sauce, as many places feel the need to do.

Oysters Rockefeller are another appetizer and feature Eastern oysters topped with spinach and Hollandaise sauce.

I liked them, despite the oysters being a touch overcooked. The spinach was fresh, and the Hollandaise sauce was well-made. It is one of the many sauces that are made from scratch. The kitchen also produces dressings and soups the same way.

The fish and chips are a staple of the restaurant, but see if you can talk them into making the halibut version as opposed to the cod.

The halibut is prepared identically, with the same light batter, but the quality of the fish is much better. It is a bit pricey at $18 and is usually on the specials menu, but should probably be made a regular entree. I also liked the seasoned curly fries that accompanied it. It is a much better choice than the steak cut fries.

My bass was also a special. It was prepared with a scallop sauce and featured several scallops. The sauce was cream-based and a bit thick, but good.

Some of the entrees I would recommend would be the lobster thermador, which is a bargain at $10.50, and the seafood brochette, a nice mixture of cod, shrimp, scallops and lobster.

There are kinks at the restaurant that need to be worked out. The service is a bit slow, but that is an easy fix.

With grandson Bryce and his wife, Linsey, helping out at the restaurant, a new generation of Delaneys should be in Orange County for years to come.

ADDRESS: 3408 Via Oporto, Newport Beach

PHONE: (949) 673-5555

CUISINE: seafood

SPECIALTY DISH: Santiago Sea Bass

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer and wine

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard, Discover and Visa

RATING: ** 1/2

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.