Dining
CLANCY’S CLUBHOUSE FOR TRUE COMFORT FOOD
02.03.11
Review by Sheryll Alexander
Sitting amongst a sea of corporate restaurants in Anaheim’s Disneyland Resort district, Clancy’s Clubhouse is a rare and beautiful thing.
Owned by longtime OC resident Cheryl Clancy, this sports bar and restaurant offers a casual place to watch the game, to drink some brews, to play billiards and to eat real American comfort food at reasonable prices. Just opened this summer, Clancy’s Clubhouse was built to take advantage of the nearby Disney tourist and convention traffic, but is really out to please the locals.
My beefy husband, who is a fan to most any sports bar, remarked that he was “pleasantly surprised” by the atmosphere here. “I expected it to be touristy,” he said. Nope, you won’t find any Disney or even Anaheim Angels kitsch at Clancy’s.
What you will find is a convivial spot to enjoy the game (and free wireless for web surfing!) with cozy booths, lots of four-top tables, a friendly bar and no less than 36 flat screen TVs.
Proprietor Cheryl says she worked closely with Chef Francisco Rincon to build a menu full of American comfort food with fresh flavors and low prices. Did they succeed? Yes!
We started with a plate of very fresh and very crispy chicken wings ($9 for a pound!), which came with traditional Buffalo-style sauce (although you can also get teriyaki, barbeque, Cajun, mango habanero or spicy diablo sauces). The terribly tender calamari ($7.50) was also perfectly cooked and came with three different sauces on the plate.
Surprisingly, each entrée such as a delectable and light chicken pot pie ($10) came with a cup of soup or salad. The cup of clam chowder was light and very tasty with super fresh clams, onions, carrots and celery. The accompanying Caesar salad was, again, very fresh, crisp and perfectly seasoned with a tart-and-tangy dressing and lots of Parmesan cheese.
My picky husband was very skeptical about ordering an expensive steak here. However, the $32 filet mignon, he said, was tender and flavorful and he could not stop talking about the delicious creamy polenta (rather than boring mashed potatoes).
Other tempting dishes on the menu we did not try include the New England-style pot roast ($13.50), an entire burger menu ($8-$9), zero trans-fat fried chicken ($9-$17), a turkey dinner with all the trimmings ($10.50), grilled calves’ liver ($14), braised short ribs ($19), herb-crusted Prime rib ($21-$28) and a pan-fried bologna sandwich ($7.50). Other dishes worth noting are the daily $10 blue plate specials such as shepherd’s pie, beef stroganoff and fried chicken with country gravy.
As for dessert, the kids will love the brownie sundae, but adults may veer towards the hand-crafted bread pudding with Bourbon vanilla bean sauce.
Because Clancy’s Clubhouse isn’t yet well known in OC, it may be the perfect place to watch the big game. Yep, this Sunday starting a 2 p.m., you and your buddies can pay $20 each for two raffle tickets, one free entry on the $500 game board and a $20 food credit. (Raffle prizes include an iPod, personal TV, sports memorabilia, tees, hats and Clancy’s gift cards.) Although the regular menu will be available, game-day specials include $5 appetizers, $2.50 beers, $3.50 house wine and $4.50 margaritas. Reservations for preferred seating must be made in advance.
Clancy’s Clubhouse, 2191 S. Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, 714-750-7500, [url=http://www.clancysclubhouse.com]http://www.clancysclubhouse.com[/url].
Open Mon.-Tues. at 4 p.m. and Wed.-Sun. at 11:30 a.m.
Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, California.
ROYAL HAWAIIAN TREAT!
01.14.11
Review by Sheryll Alexander
How is it that I’ve lived in OC all my life and have never heard of Royal Hawaiian? That seems rather impossible as this casual eatery and historic landmark has been at this same seaside location since 1947 and I’ve been eating around OC as a restaurant critic for many years now.
So, it was fun for our family to find a rather reasonable restaurant for lunch or dinner in one of our favorite haunts – North Laguna Beach. Located just steps away from the Laguna Beach Art Museum and gorgeous Heisler Park, Royal Hawaiian sits a bit hidden on PCH—except for the always-open door and a large blue-and-gold sign fringed by palm fronds.
Once inside, the small dining room (you can also sit at the adjacent bar) is cozy with leather booths and four-top tables that can be pushed together nicely for a big crowd. Once more of a shack, the restaurant was literally renovated from top to bottom a few years back and we enjoyed the minimalist and modern décor with no tiki kitsch in sight.
While the décor is more modern, the menu is still old school. And in a good way. Entrées and combo plates (like steaks, ribs, chicken, fresh fish, shrimp, scallops and even lobster) come in rather large portions and include a delightful and gooey French onion-inspired miso soup, an absolutely delicious cut iceberg salad with the restaurant’s signature “ono ono” (akin to bleu cheese) dressing and a huge baked potato with all the fixings.
But I digress. When at the Royal Hawaiian, it is best to start with a very strong and tasty tropical cocktail. We enjoyed the lapu lapu (light rum, dark rum, pineapple, orange and passion fruit juices) and it only took the small-sized version to feel that alcohol kick. The by-the-glass wine list is also reasonably priced and some of the choices are quite decent.
If you are celebrating, order your cocktail and then a few appetizers for the table. We were surprised at the fresh quality of the ahi poki here and the innovative shrimp bruschetta. Other not-to-be-missed appetizers include coconut shrimp, pork sliders, ribs and shrimp, onion rings and cheese burger sliders.
The Pele (Goddess of Fire) dessert is a simple chocolate sundae lit on fire to the surprise of little ones and adults alike.
Also, don’t miss happy hour on Mondays-Thursdays from 4-7 p.m. when appetizers cost just $5, beers start at $3 and a small lapu lapu is just $5. Most Thursdays and every Friday and Saturday starting at 10 p.m., you can catch live musical entertainment in the bar.
Monday – Friday: bar opens at 4 p.m. and dining starts at 5 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays: open at 11 a.m.
331 N. Coast Hwy. in Laguna Beach. 949.494.8001.
Sheryll Alexander is a freelance lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif.
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