Restaurant

Jesse Baker, founder of Ecofficiency, a nonprofit that encourages responsible lifestyle, consumption and choices, says running a restaurant with the environment and community in mind shouldn't be costly or difficult. But the movement toward a green lifestyle has taken on a life of its own, with organizations that charge thousands of dollars to certify restaurants, buildings or companies, and sometimes their standards aren't flexible enough to fit each business. To simplify, Baker developed the Positive Plate, a comprehensive, local sustainable restaurant certification program that goes beyond just where the food is coming from.

Despite a barrage of complaints from neighbors, operators of newly opened Mozambique restaurant are hoping to add seating and extend the restaurant's hours of operation. Mozambique will bring its case to the planning commission on Oct. 26. The African-themed establishment, which opened in July, has been accused by some neighbors of being a nightclub with a rowdy and disruptive crowd. "Granted it's an upscale crowd, [but] they're loud and obnoxious," said John Ferrante of the Woods Cove Neighborhood Assn.

Tariq Malik HUNTINGTON BEACH - A restaurant recently under fire by its neighbors passed an annual review by the Planning Commission Tuesday. After a month of delay, the commission gave a unanimous stamp of approval on the Tsunami restaurant, located in the Huntington Harbor Shopping Center at 17236 Pacific Coast Highway. "This is a very successful business," said Commissioner Fred Speaker, lauding the restaurant's effort to address the complaints of residents and fellow center businesses and appease them.

Michelle Steel, Orange County’s elected taxpayer advocate, invites restaurant owners, managers and new small business owners to a free Orange County Tax Seminar for Restaurants from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Huntington Beach Public Library, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach. Representatives from the Board of Equalization, Franchise Tax Board, Internal Revenue Service, Employment Development Department, and other local, state, and federal agencies will be available to help restaurant owners with their tax and business questions.

Residents opposed to a California Chicken Cafe moving into their neighborhood have filed an appeal protesting the Burbank Planning Board's unanimous approval of parking exceptions and allowing the restaurant's patrons to bring their own alcohol. Neighbors of the proposed restaurant, planned for 2921 W. Magnolia Blvd., will meet Monday to discuss the restaurant's impending arrival. "Since the city Planning [department] staff had recommended not approving the application, we felt we should pursue this further, just to make sure," said Penny Church, who lives along Niagara Street, which intersects Magnolia.

Huntington Beach Beer Co. owner Cesar Pena's plans to open a steak restaurant in downtown Huntington Beach appear to be stuck for now after the City Council appealed the steakhouse's permit. Ponderosa Steakhouse was set to open in the Pierside Pavilion, on the south side of Walnut Avenue between Main and Third streets. The planning commission had earlier approved the restaurant, with planning commissioners Flossie Horgan and Elizabeth Burnett voting against the project. Residents of Pier Colony condominiums have been worried about noise, among other issues, if the restaurant were built.

Cinnamon-roll fans have reason to celebrate, after the City Council gave the Central Park fixture Alice’s Breakfast in the Park a new lease on life. The Huntington Beach City Council voted unanimously to give the restaurant a short-term lease till September 2010, when owner Alice Gustafson, 77, plans to retire. Gustafson said she was gratified by the decision. “I think it’s just wonderful,” Gustafson said. The proposal, brought forth by Councilman Keith Bohr, would continue to look for a replacement restaurant in the meantime, starting by asking the few vendors who have already applied to consider waiting around till 2010.

A La Carte has finally bitten the dust. The gourmet takeout restaurant and catering company that we lovingly created in 1986 from a fortune teller's apartment and sold seven years ago, passing through two subsequent owners, is now undergoing a complete transformation in the competent and experienced hands of the Molteni family. We watched with mixed emotions and curiosity because of our special attachment to this space and wanted to talk to them about their plans. Our concerns melted away when we met the engaging and enthusiastic Moltenis.

In response to the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan, Marinello Schools of Beauty is holding a Japan Relief Cut-A-Thon in Huntington Beach through Saturday. The school will offer $5 haircuts; all proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan. Since 1905, Marinello Schools of Beauty has offered beauty education and affordable spa and salon services performed by student stylists under the supervision of licensed instructors. Marinello is at 19022 Brookhurst St. in Huntington Beach.

Man suspected of arson at mall restaurant An employee at a now-closed restaurant in South Coast Plaza was arrested on suspicion of arson, after he allegedly set a fire in the restaurant's dining room Sept. 5, police said. Costa Mesa Police arrested Duy Quoc Nguyen, 20, at his Santa Ana home Wednesday. Nguyen worked as a busboy at Yujean Kang's restaurant in the 3300 block of Bristol Street. Nguyen was described as a disgruntled employee, said Sgt. Bob Ciszek.

The Sunset Beach Business Assn. is holding its first Restaurant Week now through Sunday. The event, themed "Sea You at Sunset Beach," is designed to promote Sunset Beach as a tourist destination and to turn it into an annual draw. Restaurants and businesses have been encouraged to offer dining, hotel and merchandise specials throughout the week. For information about participating restaurants, visit sunsetbeachbiz.info/Restaurant_Week.php . J. King Neptune's Restaurant is headquarters for Sunset Beach Restaurant Week, and the Sunset Beach Business Association  will hold a Restaurant Week Mixer at Neptune's from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

For seven years, developers have tried to expand Huntington Harbour. Now one company has taken a significant step toward that goal. At its Nov. 19 meeting, the Huntington Beach City Council unanimously approved the Harmony Cove Marina project, which will install a 23-boat slip marina, outdoor dining restaurant, metered parking and a kayak and paddle board rental kiosk to a 2.28-acre site. "It seems like a pretty reasonable use for this area that's under utilized," Councilman Keith Bohr said at the meeting.

A longtime activist for the rights of disabled people has sued Fred's Mexican Café and the Pierside Pavilion complex in Huntington Beach for alleged failures to comply with state and federal disability laws and with the state's civil rights law and health and safety code. Costa Mesa resident Christie Rudder filed the lawsuit July 2 accusing Fred's and Pierside Pavilion of failing "in their obligation to provide disabled persons … with full and equal access to their goods and services.

Stepping into A Restaurant is like stepping into a time machine and finding oneself back in a 1940s steakhouse with dim lighting, nail-studded, dark red leather booths, wood paneling, a roaring fireplace and a buzzing bar. When oil was discovered in Huntington Beach in the early 1920s, a road was built to connect Newport Beach to Huntington. In 1926 a restaurant and service station was constructed at that junction and called the Arches. At first, it was just a roadside diner, but by the '40s it was known for its steak, seafood and Hollywood stars.

Alessandro Pirozzi, of Cucina Alessa fame, has opened another restaurant in Laguna Beach, this time with the addition of a snazzy lounge area. Mare Culinary Lounge is his fourth venture in the area. Every day he bounces up and down the coast from one venue to another with indefatigable energy and boundless Italian charm. He is also a wonderful chef with a passion for pasta. He says that he sleeps for only three or four hours and keeps a pad by his bed to jot down ideas for new dishes swirling around in his head.

The name Rothschild's evokes the Old World, not Italian food. Helmut Reiss named his restaurant after his mother's family. Until its recent remodel, when a large sign was put up advertising "Fine Italian Food," people often wondered what kind of restaurant it was. Actually, it was one of the first, and one of the few, fine dining establishments along the Orange Coast. Rothschild's has just celebrated its 35th anniversary serving traditional Italian dishes in a warm and charming Old World atmosphere.

Elle's Vietnamese friend, Kimme, has advised us that when looking for a Vietnamese restaurant, choose one that has a particular specialty rather than one that serves a bit of everything. As we were searching the Internet for a Vietnamese restaurant with a specific focus, we were intrigued to discover Com Tam Tran Quy Cap, a broken rice BBQ bistro. There are quite a few places serving pho (rice noodle soup) in our area, but few that feature broken rice. Actually, the concept of broken rice (com tam)

Wing Lam still isn't quite sure what happened to his last name. The former Wing Lee had his moniker changed somehow when his family emigrated to the United States from Brazil in the 1970s. Either his father misspelled it, or the immigration official did, or one of them misheard the other and it wound up on his official paperwork. The name, which Lam has never changed back, proved to be only part of the transformation. Wing Lee, the small-town boy whose idea of a lively weekend was to pick mangoes back home, grew in later years to be Wing Lam, the co-founder of Wahoo's Fish Taco, which launched in Costa Mesa in 1988 and has expanded to six states.

Claes Ovation restaurant: The March 7 column "The Gossiping Gourmet: An off night at Claes Ovation" incorrectly reported that Paul Bauer was still the chef in charge at the newly renamed establishment. Bauer left the restaurant in November. He now works at Red, a restaurant at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry.