1990 ORANGE COUNTY : Depth of Commitment to Be Measured : RESTAURANTS

Don’t be surprised if several Orange County restaurants acquire a national reputation during the ‘90s. The Newport- Irvine-Laguna triangle has virtually exploded with quality restaurants during the last few years, a trend that is bound to continue. And in the South County, several new resorts--always a breeding ground for top chefs--are in the works.

There are other signs:

Robert Mondavi, the godfather of Napa Valley winemakers, recently opened a handsome new food and wine center in Costa Mesa; it cannot fail to have a positive influence on local tastemakers.

Bernard Jacoupy, general manager of Le Meridien Hotel in Newport Beach, has displayed the talents of a number of accomplished guest chefs from France in the hotel’s deluxe restaurant, Antoine’s. It wouldn’t be surprising if some dazzled businessman lures one of them back to the area on a permanent basis.

McCormick and Schmick, a first-rate seafood chain based in the Northwest, recently bypassed the Los Angeles area in favor of Irvine, the kind of move that encourages other upscale franchises to try the same thing. The market here has unlimited potential, so expect keener competition in every restaurant category.

Don’t dismiss the effect of small ethnic restaurants on local trends, either. Restaurants serving the foods of Cuba, Vietnam, Morocco and Thailand, to name a few, are multiplying at light speed--and making our palates more international than ever.

Expect lighter, fresher, more health-conscious fare in the ‘90s. Already we’ve experienced the “pizza of the ‘90s” at Yorba Linda’s Fitness Pizza and Pasta (it’s made with low-fat mozzarella and a whole-wheat crust). Spa dishes, long popular at hotels like the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel and the Dana Point Resort, have begun to creep onto menus at more traditional bastions of Continental cuisine. Even Hans Prager, owner of Newport Beach’s Ritz and known as a man who sniffs at nouvelle cuisine, is planning to revamp his lunch menu to include a few.

As fax machine use becomes more prevelant, takeout food orders should greatly increase. Family restaurants such as Faraday’s Grill and Spirits are already getting into the act, and the variety of food offered at takeout restaurants should keep expanding. A taste of the things to come can be sampled at the Crystal Court’s 7th Heaven which offers anything from muffaletta to moussaka at a moment’s notice.

It doesn’t require a census taker to point out that a higher percentage of food dollars every year is being channeled into restaurants. Don’t expect this trend to reverse itself. The ‘80s was a decade of change for Orange County restaurants, a decade when the unfamilar became commonplace. The ‘90s should bring greater refinement to local restaurants. Now that our options have been expanded, even redefined, the restaurant-going public will have a powerful forum in which to express its likes and dislikes. The result should be restaurants that are better than ever.