Al Fresco Restaurants: Outdoor Dining in Southern California

Today we officially celebrate the beginning of summer, the season to enjoy all things in the sunshine. In Italian, "al fresco" means "in the fresh air," and refers to the act of eating a meal outdoors. In anticipation of many outdoor meals to come this season, I'd like to share some of my favorite places for al fresco dining in Southern California.

Farmhouse at Roger's Garden

Farmhouse at Roger's Garden

Roger's Garden, located in Corona del Mar, California, is actually a garden center. Inside, in addition to more plants and flowers than you can imagine, you'll find a restaurant called Farmhouse at Roger's Garden, that offers al fresco dining. You can dine on the patio, or under the gazebo, which has a famous history of its own. The gazebo, is the original, Disneyland bandstand that was once located at the amusement park near Main Street, U.S.A, before making its way to Farmhouse at Roger's Garden.

Chef Rich Mead, who is at the helm of Farmhouse, has cultivated decades long relationships with local farmers, fisherman, and purveyors, bringing their products to the restaurant. This results in a menu that features the freshest and tastiest ingredients in the area.

Grilled Citrus Glazed Salmon Salad

We started with this salmon salad which was bursting with flavor and freshness.

In addition to the citrus glazed salmon, the salad was made with crunchy green beans, corn, blood oranges, shaved fennel and mixed lettuces, all dressed in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.

Flat Iron Steak Sandwich

One of my favorite items at Farmhouse is the flat iron steak from Automony Farms. This grass fed beef can be enjoyed on its own or in a steak sandwich, that comes with or without sautéed mushroom and onions as well as a side of french fries.

RG Burger

If you're looking for a classic, I'd suggest the RG burger that comes with french fries as well.

Like the flat iron steak, the beef for the burger comes from Autonomy Farms. You can add smoked bacon, Vermont cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, red onion, tomato and/or house made pickles to the burger. Farmhouse will pile the patty and all these ingredients on top of a soft, warm, brioche bun for you to enjoy.

Twilight Zone Roses

After your meal, take a walk around the garden center, but keep in mind that this is no ordinary garden store. Roger's Garden has hundreds of varieties of plants, trees and flowers that are rare and unique.

Bring a cart and load it up with whatever moves you because for me, something always does.

Should you get tired, you can rest on one of their benches, while enjoying the various fountains and the artwork on the property.

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove

Just down the street and south on Pacific Coast Highway, you'll find another of my favorite, al fresco dining spots, The Beachcomber, at Crystal Cove.

Make a reservation because this small, shack-like building always has a line out front. If you don't have one, the wait is actually quite bearable due to the restaurant's beachfront location in gorgeous Crystal Cove.

Crystal Cove is both a beach and a historic district, preserved to capture the ambiance of a 1930's beach resort. The small cottages, set against the bluffs, were constructed in the 1930's from lumber salvaged from a ship that capsized in the 1920's.

Stroll through the historic district and along the shoreline to take in the fresh, ocean air, crashing waves and beautiful views.

The area is so picturesque that you will often see artists posted up along the beach to capture the beauty on canvas.

Tiny Ahi Tacos

Now onto the food. On this particular visit to The Beachcomber, I came with a group of friends, which gave us opportunity to share several dishes. We began with the ahi tacos.

The crispy, wonton tacos were stuffed with freshly diced, ahi tuna, a little Asian slaw and a drizzle of sriracha aioli.

Southwestern Salad

We also shared a salad made with chopped Romaine, black beans, edamame, tomatoes, pickled onions and tortilla strips.

Miso Glazed Butterfish

Next, we ordered some seafood, starting with butterfish.

The butterfish was marinated in miso and then broiled. It was served with sautéed, baby bok choy, coconut nishiki rice and topped with crispy, wasabi peas.

Lobster Carbonara

Another seafood dish we really enjoyed was the lobster carbonara made with ample chunks of lobster meat and topped with an entire lobster tail.

The spaghetti was tossed with pancetta, roasted tomatoes and asparagus that were all cooked in a creamy, Meyer lemon sauce.

Steak Sandwich

We ended our meal with a hearty, steak sandwich and golden, french fries.

The sandwich was made with grilled skirt steak, pepper jack cheese, caramelized onions, chipotle aioli, arugula and sliced tomato, all stuffed in a soft, ciabatta roll.

Zinqué

Spicy Margarita

Another restaurant with a fantastic, al fresco option is Zinqué. Zinqué is a French-style bistro located dockside in Newport Beach. If you can snag a table on the patio in the evening, you will get great views of the sunset, as well as the marina. Every once in a while, you will even see a dolphin or two.

Moules

Since Zinqué specializes in French fare, we started with the mussels made in a white wine sauce with shallots, pastis and parsley. They came with some fresh, French bread that was brushed with olive oil and grilled. It was perfect for sopping up the sauce.

Penne aux Morilles

Next, we shared a pasta made with morel mushrooms, cream and grated Parmigiano Reggiano. This vegetarian dish was so hearty, due to the richness of the morels, that I didn't miss the meat at all.

Steak Frites

We concluded the meal with a French classic, the steak frites, or steak with french fries. The skirt steak was exceptionally juicy and tender and came with a savory, chimichurri sauce.

Ola Mexican Kitchen

Huntington Beach

The final restaurant in this post is Ola Mexican Kitchen, located in Huntington Beach, on Pacific Coast Highway.

Watermelon Margarita

The dining room's large windows give you access to beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and the swaying palm trees, while you eat.

Tortilla Chips

We started our meal with margaritas, chips and chatter, as this lunch was all about catching up with old and dear friends.

Tacos

We shared the grilled skirt steak and beer battered fish tacos, made with tortillas fresh out of the skillet, and sprinkled with cotija cheese. The carne asada taco was topped with diced onion, cilantro and salsa rojo, and the fish taco was topped with a chile-lime aioli and tequila citrus slaw.

Seafood Enchiladas

We also ordered the seafood enchiladas which were packed full of lobster, shrimp and cheese and topped with a tomatillo cream sauce and a drizzle of sour cream and salsa rojo.

That's it for this round of al fresco dining recommendations. For more recommendations in California, see my previous post, which you can find here. I wish you a very happy summer filled with meals enjoyed in the sunshine.