Modern Food In An Historic Setting

I love to eat out, as most of you know.  I especially enjoy family owned and operated restaurants, as opposed to chain restaurants.  Coastal Kitchen in Dana Point is one such restaurant.  Ron's friend, Steve, is the general manager, and has been bugging us to to try it for over two years.  We finally went there with Richard and Laura on a Saturday night, just before Easter.  The restaurant was bustling.

The building itself is historic.  Built as the first commercial building in Dana Point in the 1920's, it was a restaurant a bit later, and served as a stopping point for travelers going from Los Angeles to San Diego.  The developer who owned it had big plans, but the crash in the late 1920's ruined that idea.  Today, the building has been refurbished, but is still historical with lots of pictures of Dana Point years ago, into a contemporary fine dining restaurant.  The Grant family owns it.  They come with restaurant knowledge from Michael Grant's  days at Hillstone, and Christina's days as a CPA in the restaurant industry, including R-D.  (part of the Hillstone group).  General Manager Steve Sola, greeted us when we arrived, and made sure we had a perfect evening.

After we ordered drinks, our waiter Henry brought us some delicious Parker House rolls topped with butter, herbs and brown sugar.  Next, while we were still deciding what to order, Steve sent out Coastal Kitchen's famous smoked trout spread on toast.  Absolutely delicious.  That was followed by an heirloom tomato and burrata salad, with olive oil and pistachios  and the the most delicious crab cake dish I've ever eaten.  The crab cake had no bread filler.  It was all crab, seasoned perfectly and cooked to a golden brown.  The delicious sauce in which it sat was loaded with fresh corn.  Avocado slices and grapefruit wedges completed the dish.  That might have been my favorite thing, but it was all so good it is hard to decide..  By this time we had determined that ordering salads before the entree was out of the question, so we went straight to the main course.  Ron order cioppino (fish soup), one of his favorite dishes.  Laura and I ordered the halibut, fresh, flaky, and  nicely cooked, with parmesean mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Richard ordered the trout with pecans, which he loved.  Room for dessert?  You betcha.  Ron ordered the ice cream sundae with homemade chocolate sauce, which was quickly devoured.

Coastal Kitchen is on the expensive side, but portions are generous, and some entrees like pork chops and steaks can be shared.  It's a 45 minute drive from Oceanside, the same distance if you want to go to Little Italy, without the hassle and expense of parking.

Coastal Kitchen is an eating destination I plan to return to again and again, now that I know about it.  There are so many wonderful items on the menu, the ambience is delightful, and the staff friendly and helpful.  Once you try it, it will become one of your favorites in the area.