On the Waterfront

With the summer tourist crush over, the beaches have become ours again. With the weather still pleasant--at least, in between El Nino’s outbursts--this can be the best time of year to enjoy dining by the sea.

I recently discovered a couple of beach restaurants that show the range of our seaside dining. They have quite different appeals. The Beach House in Laguna Beach is romantically gorgeous and ambitious; River’s End in Seal Beach is humble and delightful.

What prompted me to visit the Beach House was a glowing recommendation from a woman I met at a wedding reception at Crystal Cathedral. “We just love to sit there and listen to the waves lap up on the shore,” she gushed.

She couldn’t have been more accurate about the Beach House’s charm. The rear section of this converted clapboard house literally hangs over the surf. If it’s the lullaby of crashing waves you crave, this is the place.

You enter through a magnificent open courtyard landscaped with ferns and lush tropical plants. If there are no tables available on the balcony facing the sea (and there usually aren’t), you’ll sit inside on attractive Art Deco chairs with seashell-shaped backs. The tables are charmingly set with robin’s-egg blue cloths and fresh chrysanthemums.

At breakfast and lunch (weather permitting), the canvas ceiling is removed, transforming the entire main dining room into a giant oceanfront patio. Naturally, this is a major brunch place, and it fills up early on Sunday mornings. Really, though, the most compelling time to dine here is just after dusk, with the moonlight dancing on the waves.

The rather uneven menu is based on fresh seafood with steaks and chops thrown into the mix. I started one meal here with the thickest lobster bisque I have ever tasted, a beautiful coral-colored paste that unfortunately lacked the intensity of a first-rate bisque. Then I progressed to a nice piece of Hawaiian ono, perfectly grilled and meltingly tender.

My friends weren’t so lucky. One began with a giant portobello mushroom stuffed with a rather bready lobster filling; another had an appetizer of flavorless scallops in a thick tempura batter. A Caesar salad, with croutons made on the premises, would have been better with more egg yolk in the lemony dressing. The grilled artichoke (served with drawn butter and aioli) is smashing, though I’d prefer it if the kitchen removed the choke for us.

Among the entrees, a 1-pound Maine lobster was properly steamed but not very meaty. My friend’s sea bass tasted better after she removed the greasy breading. My wife played it safe with a bacon-wrapped petite filet mignon. It was slightly overcooked but reasonably tender and came with a classic Bearnaise sauce.

Most main courses come with rather perfunctory side dishes (lumpy mashed potatoes and mixed frozen vegetables) for entrees that average close to $20 apiece. For that price, you could eat regally in many Laguna Beach restaurants.

But it’s hard to put a dollar value on this royal view. No wonder the Beach House has endured for more 25 years.

The Beach House is very expensive. Appetizers are $6.95-$9.95. Entrees are $15.95-$36.95.

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River’s End, on the other hand, is housed in one of those tiny brick snack stands you find along the beachfront bike path paralleling PCH. The name refers to the San Gabriel River, which empties into the sea in Seal Beach, dividing Orange and Los Angeles counties.

It’s a little tricky to find. The best way is to take PCH to 1st Street, Seal Beach, and then head straight into the beach parking lot. From there, it’s easy to find: It’s the only stand that has a back patio.

Inside, you’ll find five stools and three small tables, plus a mural depicting the nearby jetty. But you’ll get a better view of the jetty, and more room to stretch your legs, out on the patio. These tables are shielded from the sun by striped canvas umbrellas. The Seal Beach lighthouse is in plain view, and the Seal Beach Pier is about half a mile to the south.

Only breakfast and lunch are served, and the menu doesn’t get too fancy. At breakfast, I like the chilaquiles, a casserole of corn tortillas, eggs, mozzarella and a mild tomatillo salsa. River’s End also makes great banana cinnamon French toast and a wide variety of omelets, the best being the Hobo, a huge three-egg omelet stuffed with ham, sausage, bacon, bell peppers, onions, Cheddar and sour cream.

Lunches are basic: burgers, sandwiches and salads. But everything is very fresh, and the portions are incredibly generous. Burgers, for instance, are 8-ounce jobs that taste really beefy. Salads, such as a textbook Cobb, come in giant bowls nearly 18 inches across.

I like the Philly cheese steak, thin slices of rib-eye sauteed with onions and mushrooms stuffed into a roll already dripping with melted Swiss cheese. The best burger is probably the patty melt, served smothered in Cheddar and grilled onions on grilled rye bread.

One of the most impressive dishes is the fish tacos--two oversized Baja-style tacos stuffed with lightly battered halibut, lettuce, tomatoes and Cheddar, with a bit of cilantro. You can also get a blackened halibut filet with homey side dishes of Mexican rice and refried beans.

Among the other sides available are jicama and cabbage slaw (crunchy, not overly sweet), fat steak fries and a mayonnaise-rich pasta salad.

River’s End doesn’t serve dessert, but you can satisfy that sweet tooth with a date shake. River’s End hand chops dates to order for its creamy, vanilla ice cream-based shakes. It’s the perfect bike-path food.

River’s End is inexpensive. Breakfasts are $3.25 to $5.95. Lunches are $2.75 to $6.50.

BE THERE

* The Beach House, 619 Sleepy Hollow Lane, Laguna Beach. (714) 494-9707. Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. All major cards.

* River’s End, 15 1st St., Seal Beach. (562) 431-5558. Open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. American Express, Master Card and Visa.