Gustaf Anders Reopens in Costa Mesa

When people asked, “Where do you eat in the San Diego area?” there was always one easy answer: Gustaf Anders. There was mourning in La Jolla when the restaurant closed its doors.

But now all of Orange County has a reason to celebrate. For the restaurant has just moved north to Costa Mesa and reopened its doors at 3810 S. Plaza Drive in South Coast Plaza Village. The telephone number is (714) 668-1737.

This new Gustaf Anders is a great barn of a place that lacks the elegant intimacy of the La Jolla spot (and lacks its piano bar). But who cares when Gustaf and Anders (the two proprietors put their middle names together when they chose a name for the restaurant) are serving their wonderful sugar- and salt-cured salmon, their house-pickled herring, their marinated beef and their selection of caviar? Not to mention their very own breads.

The restaurant opened its doors a week ago and started serving lunch; the first dinner will be served Saturday night. Service is good and prices are on the high side--but then, you’d hardly expect a restaurant that serves a smoked salmon and black caviar sandwich to be cheap.