Last year's 50th anniversary celebration at Five Crowns in Corona del Mar did not just end on December 31st. Interior and exterior renovations were part of the process and continued into 2016 for several months before finally unveiling themselves in whole recently. The project was a large collaboration by several well-known southern California businesses such as Hatch Design Group, YYES Design Studio, Robertson Hill Architecture, and Roger's Garden, and all of the work truly paid off in both maintaining the heritage of Five Crowns while updating everything to be contemporary. The renovations also included the addition of a new bar - Cooper's Bar in the Greenhouse - where a craft cocktail program lives. Not only has the restaurant itself gone through changes but the menu has also been scrutinized and improved upon.

A county staple, Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year throughout the year rather than on a single day. What an accomplishment to reach that milestone. For those celebrating special occasions, many a memory has been made in its dining rooms. Earlier this year, we previewed a commemorative menu by the Lawry's family and Executive Chef Steve Kling which showcased popular classics and modern soon-to-be favorites. This menu expanded upon existing beloved dishes by tripling the selection size, and the new winter season has only contributed more to their repertoire. This time, I previewed strong contenders for new favorites as ingredients ripe for the winter have been used, and it is no wonder they have been around for half a century. Their consistency to quality ingredients and food is complemented by their constant ability to change with the times and innovate where needed. Celebrate #FC50 with them before the year's out if you can!

Few restaurants in Orange County can boast having been a part of the community for decades, much less half a century, but Five Crowns in Corona Del Mar has proudly reached that milestone. For 50 years, the classic restaurant has seen the likes of many and left tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of diners happy and feeling spoiled. It is also a favorite for celebrating special occasions but 2015 is the year for Five Crowns to celebrate its own special moment. The Lawry's family and Executive Chef Steve Kling have released an unprecedented menu along with new beverages that highlights not only popular classics but also modern soon-to-be favorites. This menu also stands apart from past ones in variety, offering nearly triple the amount of choices and even new family-style selections. In a media preview dinner, I was able to experience just how exciting this release will be for guests to come.

We parked around the back in the small empty lot, wondering when they would become busy enough to warrant the use of their "Complimentary Valet Only" sandwich board. Was it brunch that many flock to or was it the lunch/dinner service? Apparently both. For more than six years, Crow Bar & Kitchen has been serving brunch to their regulars from this Corona del Mar spot that could have easily turned people away due to parking. However, if you have something people want, they will come. We had arrived prior to opening to make sure we wouldn't disrupt service by shooting the dishes and taking up one too many tables but it was fairly set for brunch already, complete with iconic crow platters. Focused on fresh ingredients and seasonal trends, the restaurant aims to bring quality to traditional American breakfast favorites as we soon saw.

After finding ourselves a curb to park against on the narrow street alongside the restaurant, we walked up the quaint neighborhood sidewalk to sidle up along a stucco wall and find our way to SideDoor's entrance. Or at least, I believe it was the entrance we came to - a side door on a building only visible if you dared peek your head up an enclosed walkway. The overhead sign showcased the name of the restaurant with a key emblem, attached to the same building the houses Five Crowns. There isn't a door or wall that separates the two though, and it makes sense. They are both part of the Lawry's family of restaurants. A spanning full bar greets us upon entry and looking around, we spotted the crackling fireplaces and cozy feel of the dining rooms. It almost seemed like a hunting lodge that others would relax in. Wooden furniture, plush chairs and dim lanterns - one could get used to it. We were there to check out their brunch and were glad to explore their menu with its rotating items.

Cheated a little bit! One OC Restaurant Week menu at Tommy Bahama's Island Grille but two people making completely different choices. What's this yield? Just about a little bit of everything. I promise I didn't eat ALL of this by myself...just tasted all of it. Oh the woes of being a foodie, right? This is for their $15 lunch menu.


In the choices of starting off from the prix fixe menu with coconut shrimp, chicken tortilla soup, or heirloom tomato soup, we picked the first two of the three. The World Famous Coconut Shrimp came with a bright and colorful papaya-mango chutney and a smidgeon of their Asian slaw. Fabulously battered and fried, the shrimp was cooked perfectly through and sat on top of the great citrus sauce. There was also the Chicken Tortilla Soup made in Tommy Bahama's case with puréed torillas and vegetables and topped with a bit of corn salsa. I personally found it a little too salty for my taste but the texture was pretty good and creamy.


Three choices - two decisions: from the sliders, salad, and tacos, we opted for the sliders and tacos (go healthy choices!). Alongside our American Kobe Beef and Scallop Sliders, we had crunchy fries seasoned lightly with some cracked pepper and salt. The beef patty was medium rare and a little forgettable despite being Wagyu beef (perhaps the way it was prepared?) but it did come as a total package with aged Jack cheese, tomato jam, and guacamole. Those added nice touches. What stood out from that dish was actually the large Maine Sea Scallop with touches of their chiptole aioli - delish! Then our Blackened Fish Tacos made me create a mess as my portion dripped out the one side as I took huge bites out of the other. You know that happens to you too! The tomato relish paired with more chipotle aioli was fantastic but could not have been complete without some lime sour cream. Good taco!


At this point, we were already getting fairly stuffed despite sharing. Also, being seated outside meant that the sun and shadow play from the greenery was fickle so my pictures weren't as clean as they were in the beginning. That can't take away from our desserts however. A slice of Key Lime Pie topped with white chocolate mousse is just about the perfect way to end a meal - you have your creaminess from the body of it and the tartness from the lime. Talk about zings! We also had a hefty slice of their Piña Colada Cake, a layered and toasted coconut-covered beast with the same white chocolate mousse but also made with Tahitian vanilla bean. Yum and yum. Unfortunately for that cake, I'm more of a pie person myself, haha.

UPDATE: Talk about excellent service - I had made a reservation with them through OpenTable so my phone number was under the reservation. I received a phone call the day after my visit to just see if everything went well. How nice is that? Thumbs up Tommy Bahama's! 

Photography by Minerva Thai.

Looking for other bloggers chowing down during OC Restaurant Week 2013? See who's writing at http://www.orangecountyrestaurantweek.com/OC_Food_Blogs_That_Rock.html!