Fresh Food--Right Off the Moat

At the new Mijouri Sushi Bune in Laguna Niguel, the sushi arrives fresh off the boat--in this case a fleet of handcrafted wooden boats afloat on a miniature moat. The moat surrounds the sushi bar, so you reach out to one of the water-jet-propelled boats and snag your abalone, giant clams, sea eel--whatever. This is the second venture for proprietor James Lee, a Bay Area architect who opened his first boat/moat sushi restaurant in San Francisco two years ago. His chef-manager Shatoshi Nokamura has 28 years of restaurant experience to his credit. There’s more than sushi here, of course, including a number of seafood specialties (seafood stew, deep-fried oysters, skewered scallops), beef sukiyaki and noodle dishes. Dinners average about $11. Mijouri Sushi Bune is open Monday through Saturday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner from 5 to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 4 to 10 p.m. 30251 Street of the Golden Lantern (in the Laguna Heights Center). (714) 363-8840.

The Disneyland Hotel’s popular daily Disney Character Meals, originally scheduled to end early this month, will continue a bit longer. Dinner buffets now run through Sept. 30, and daily breakfasts extend through this Sunday; after which, starting Sept. 21, they will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays only. Presented in the Chef’s Kitchen restaurant, the meals feature Goofy, Chip ‘n’ Dale and Minnie Mouse, who visit guests and pose for photos. Breakfast, from 7 to 11:30 a.m., is $10.95 for adults, $6.95 for children 12 years and under. Dinner, from 5 to 9 p.m., is $14.95 for adults, $7.95 for children. Validated parking is available at the Disneyland Hotel, 1150 W. Cerritos Ave., Anaheim. Information: (714) 778- 6600.

Chinoisia in San Juan Capistrano is no more, but Monte Carlo Cafe will open in its place at the beginning of October. The owner, Joseph Calafatello, owned three restaurants in France, and the trained-in-France chef, Richard Hamilton, comes from the Ritz in Paris and the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point. They plan a contemporary French menu with appetizers such as phyllo-dough-wrapped escargot sauteed with leeks and creme fraiche, and green apple and wild mushroom ravioli with hot apple cider sauce. Entrees include langoustine tails, tempura style, with cabbage, crispy potatoes and cinnamon butter; sea bream from France with basil and baby eggplant, and the cafe’s signature dish, grilled boneless quail served with its own juices and a coulis of foie gras. Entree prices range from $19 to $23. The restaurant will be open for lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and for dinner beginning at 5 p.m. There will be live jazz in the wine-and-beer bar area. The restaurant is at 32332 Camino Capistrano; (714) 248-8888.

Ole! Tomas & Tablao Flamenco returns to Le Meridien Hotel, Newport Beach, on Saturday. The show will star Lilia Llorens and play in Le Cafe Fleuri at 8:30 and 10 p.m. Dinner, beginning at 7, will feature a special of Spanish paella with saffron rice, Spanish wines and desserts. Entree prices range from $15 to $18. There is a two-drink minimum for those who attend for the entertainment only. Flamenco guitarist Tomas Wilson will perform during dinner. The flamenco show will feature dancers from Spain. Le Meridien is at 4500 MacArthur Blvd.; (714) 476-2001.

The Cafe at the Westin South Coast Plaza will highlight foods at their peak in the traditional harvest seasons during a “Celebrate the Fall Harvest” special Sunday through Oct. 15. Entrees, priced from $9 to $17, include pepper-crusted smoked buffalo tenderloin, and turkey with corn bread and oyster stuffing. The restaurant is at 666 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa; (714) 540-2500.

A new cookbook with menus and recipes from Antonio Cagnolo’s Antonello Ristorante is now available at the restaurant, in South Coast Plaza Village. The book contains recipes for many of Antonello’s most popular Italian dishes, such as penne a la vodka and three kinds of carpaccio, with margin hints by chef Cagnolo himself. The cost is $10, and all proceeds will benefit the Orange County Food Distribution Center, a private, nonprofit food bank. Information: (714) 751-7153.

Pietro Boccanfuso, formerly with Gianni in Costa Mesa, and Tino Maggiore, who is also chef/owner of Andiamo in Long Beach, recently opened A’Roma Ristorante in the Centerpointe Shopping Center, La Palma. They will showcase the wines of Chateau St. Jean at a wine dinner on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. Six courses, each accompanied by a different St. Jean vintage. The cost is $40 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Reservations: (714) 523-3729. (The restaurant also recently inaugurated a four-course, pre-theater menu with four entree choices, served Monday through Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., for $9.95.)