Hearty Appetites : Restaurants That Satisfy Tastes From Cozy to Exotic

Let’s face it, everybody has a different idea about romancing in a restaurant.

Some like it dark and cozy. Others look for bright and sensual. Some go for hot and exotic. Others just want to be comfortable.

A hapless Woody Allen takes a girl to a Chinese restaurant in the film “Bananas,” where he ends up looking like a nerd trying to teach her how to eat with chopsticks.

Albert Finney and Joyce Redmond enact one of the most controversial scenes in film history in “Tom Jones,” slurping oysters out of the shell in a roadside pub with overtones lewder than Henry Fielding’s prose.

And Tommy Lasorda loves linguine.

So where does that leave us? Orange County has the gamut of romantic restaurants, places ideal for a first date, an occasion, a seduction or nothing more than a simple “I love you.” Look for the ocean, the moonlight, a view or an unusual atmosphere. And remember that beauty, as mother said, is in the eye of the beholder.

CANO’S

If you were to draw up a list of restaurants considered to be romantic within Orange County, this Newport Beach institution would no doubt be among those at the top.

To get there, head south along the Coast Highway from its junction with Newport Boulevard, passing a string of places with nautical names like Ancient Mariner and Rusty Pelican. Then spot the iridescent blue marlin on the right that is the restaurant’s trademark.

The restaurant itself looks like one of those tropical casinos you see in movies set in mythical Caribbean countries; a floodlighted, white plaster facade lined with palm fronds, policed by parking attendants ready to usher you into paradise.

Larry Cano, restaurateur extraordinaire, still owns the joint. Cano recently divested himself of the huge El Torito chain so he should have more time to oversee operations here. It wouldn’t hurt.

Inside, the premises are ablaze with atmosphere. Decor falls in somewhere between New Orleans and Haiti: white plaster, high arched ceiling, lush tropical plants, languid overhead fans. Reserve a window table, one with a snow white tablecloth and an elegant, flickering candle. The yachts in Newport Harbor really do look magical in the moonlight from your perch.

As for the food, well, what’s the difference? Nibble with gusto on the good, puffy bread sticks and red pepper mayonnaise you will get just after being seated. From there, things sort of run together.

I’d describe the cuisine as forgettable/continental, with swatches of nouvelle and glimpses of the original.

I’ve had excellent crab cakes here, in a delectable cilantro/whole grain mustard sauce, an unspeakable Caesar (with a dressing that tasted like it was a day old), and inconsistent entrees ranging from a good free-range chicken in sherry vinegar with caramelized apple to an uninspiring filet mignon with competent Bearnaise and Bordelaise sauces.

Service tends to be highly professional and lightning quick; sometimes dishes come up so fast you wonder if everything here isn’t dispensed from a vending machine.

Desserts are the real disaster, including one of the gummiest cheesecakes anywhere.

Biggest boon to romance: the orchid vendor.

Biggest detriment: the noise level.

Cano’s, 2241 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. (714) 631-1381. Open for lunch Monday through Friday , 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. ; for dinner Sunday through Thursday , 6 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday till 11 p.m., and for Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. All major cards.

THE CELLAR

Lovers more serious about continental cuisine will want to head north, to Fullerton, for dinner in this highly eccentric setting. The dining area is a mock cave, replete with soft lighting, wall-mounted casks, velvet chairs, marble lanterns and museum piece prints of such Renaissance paintings as Da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” There is even an underground bird sanctuary.

The solemnity of the occasion is never in doubt when you dine here. Just snuggle up side by side in your cushy leather banquette and move in for the kill. Your companion would need a heart of limestone to resist.

I actually experienced one of my funnier moments in a restaurant here, at the expense of an indiscreet maitre d’.

It seems I dined here two nights in a row under the name Steinberg, both times in the company of an attractive lady. Apparently, this man forgot protocol, since the second of those ladies happened to be my wife.

“Mr. Steinberg,” the maitre d’ exclaimed in surprise, “but you were just here last night!”

“That was his girlfriend last night,” deadpanned my better half, who luckily knew of my previous engagement. “I’m just his wife.”

Food here is prepared by Ernest Zingg, a Swiss-trained chef with an extensive hotel background, so it’s no surprise that his food is somewhat generic. But the man can cook. Just don’t expect any terrific surprises.

I’ve had excellent starters here, ranging from three grainy house pates to a rich, silken lobster bisque. Salads tend to be unadorned and on the plain side, and there should be a plethora of hotel-style appetizers, such as smoked salmon and escargot, available.

Main dishes are rather sumptuous, plated with such things as rich scalloped potatoes, tomatoes Provencal and the like. There are excellent tournedos, chateaubriand for two, and fine roasted game. The roast lamb I ate here is one of the best I’ve had in the entire state. There are also first-rate desserts, such as airy souffles, and an extensive, intelligent wine list.

Biggest boon to romance: the killer atmosphere.

Biggest detriment: the country club prices.

The Cellar, Villa del Sol, 305 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. (714) 525-5682. Open for dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. All major cards.

AMICI

Bring up the subject of a romantic dinner, and see how fast the word Italian comes up. Italian food, it would seem, is everyone’s idea of romance.

And why not? For starters, romance is an Italian word, and the image of wine, pasta and song is irresistible to nearly anyone with an active pulse.

Have I got a place for you!

Amici, Massimo Navaretta’s comely Coast Mesa trattoria, is my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. The chef has a winning personality, the atmosphere is both intimate and lively, and the restaurant’s wine list (especially with regard to Italy) is one of the best in Orange County.

I asked Navaretta to whip up a romantic dinner on a busy Saturday night, and he was glad to oblige. He seated us in a cozy corner booth, immediately plying us with delicate little appetizer rounds of fontina-stuffed eggplant and glasses of Ferrari brut rose, a pink champagne.

Next came a dish of angel hair pasta with fresh tomato and capers, followed by a king-size platter of grilled, herbed seafoods: tuna, olive stuffed calamari and tiger prawns.

Dessert was a heart-shaped bombe of white chocolate, surrounded by a moat of zabaligione and a raspberry coulis. We washed it down with espresso and Maculan, an Italian dessert wine.

You can order off the ample menu at this restaurant, or put yourself in the hands of the chef as we did. But whatever course you choose, it’s sure to succeed. Navaretta believes that sharing the courses is more romantic, and I tend to agree with him. Looking at the menu or picking at your own dish detracts from the company.

Biggest boon to romance: the magic of Italy.

Biggest detriment: the center tables, too cramped for real intimacy.

Amici, 3220 Park Center Drive, Costa Mesa. (714) 850-9399. Open for lunch Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m; for dinner Monday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday till 11:30 p.m. Visa/MC accepted.

ALMAGREB

For sensuous dining, nothing quite compares with a Moroccan banquet dinner, where a series of sumptuous courses are eaten with only the fingers as utensils. Tom Jones and his wench would have gone right through the ceiling if they had been eating this stuff.

Almagreb in El Toro is one place to experience it. The dining room is a series of little canopied tents, where dining guests huddle on narrow cloth couches over low, brass tables. Every inch of the floor is carpeted in rich, Middle Eastern fabrics.

The format is fixed at this restaurant, a multicourse affair with no choices except for that of the entree. You begin with a rich lamb broth called harira, drunk from tiny, mock alabaster bowls. Then you feast on Moroccan salads of pureed eggplant and bell pepper, using fragrant hunks of Moroccan bread to scoop them up. The bread fills the air with the heady scent of anise.

B’stilla, a traditional Moroccan pue made from minced chicken, egg and pyhllo dough dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon, is next, followed by a choice of cloying, earthy main dishes, such as rabbit with prune, quail on a bed of saffron rice or marinated chicken with olive and lemon peel. The rabbit, tender and juicy, is my favorite.

The last course before dessert is couscous, the cracked semolina Moroccans eat as a staple, served with a vegetable stew.

You end up with little triangles of baklava with blanched almonds and pitted dates alongside, and vials of mint tea, which signal the banquet’s welcome finish.

Biggest boon to romance: the primal sensation of eating with the fingers.

Biggest detriment: the loud percussive chanting that accompanies the belly dancer.

Almagreb, 23700 El Toro Road, in the Saddleback Valley Plaza, El Toro. (714) 859-9393. Open for dinner only, Tuesday through Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. All major cards.

THE TOWERS

For pure, unadulterated romance, the Towers, located at the top of Laguna Beach’s Surf and Sand Hotel, is a tough act to follow.

The setting is unforgettable, a black and silver salon overlooking the Pacific, done in swank Art Deco. Replicas of Lalique-style glass sculptures are scattered throughout the room. You dine at glass-topped tables lighted from below. Walls and ceiling are mirrored, reflecting a dark, soft light that dances off the gray banquettes. It’s one of the prettiest rooms in Southern California.

But the real star is the view. Waves lap gently up onto the shore as you dine, a sound so peaceful you can’t help but relax. Palm trees sway outside the window, the only hindrance to a long, unobstructed view of coastline. A lighted swimming pool seven floors below bathes the beach in almost sanctified light.

And when it is time to eat, you’ll find a menu that is both intelligent and original, the creation of executive chef Jack Kenworth. There are toothsome appetizers like short rib terrine with vegetables and mustard vinaigrette, a buttery house smoked salmon rolled onto fresh spears of asparagus napped in caviar sauce and tender sea scallops, sauteed to a golden brown with Belgian endive and chervil.

Entrees are only a bit less impressive, despite an annoying tendency to come out of the kitchen lukewarm. There is a good roast duck with stir-fried vegetables, in a well-balanced sauce based on honey and cilantro; a man-sized filet mignon with shallot sauce and garlic mashed potatoes; or a good selection of fresh fish, like swordfish in a ginger scallion sauce.

Desserts are a weak point--gummy, flavorless offerings. A soggy hazelnut raspberry torte can blur the experience a bit.

But service is first rate. The tuxedoed waiters understand the mood of this restaurant, and act accordingly. The only sounds you’ll hear (other than the sea) are the clink of glasses and the tinkle of silverware.

And the wine list is another star, a large, cosmopolitan selection of heavily sought after wines at fair prices. After dinner, have another glass from this list in the restaurant’s exquisitely elegant piano bar, complete with glass-topped piano, fireplace and fogged-in windows. That’s where you can have a really intimate conversation.

Biggest boon to romance: the mighty Pacific.

Biggest detriment: the dishwater cappuccino.

The Towers, in the Surf and Sand Hotel, 155 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. (714) 497-4477. Dinner Sunday through Thursday, 5:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday till 11. All major cards. Jackets required for gentlemen.