Dining Out

Marry Furr

Entering the dining room of the Sea Breeze Grill, Huntington Beach, is

like coming into the salon of a cruise ship or big hotel. The walls are

covered with oil paintings in gilt frames, there are cloth-covered tables

and an expansive view of sail boats tied like pearls along the Huntington

Beach Marina.

It’s always exciting when a new Sunday brunch is added to the

restaurants in Huntington Beach, and the discovery of Sea Breeze Grill is

a true find. Brunch ($24.95) is an extravaganza and owner Sonny Arora

from New Delhi, India, advises, “Eat lightly Saturday if you plan on

brunch Sunday.”

Server Ben is at your table with big glasses of fresh orange juice and

ready to pour champagne, then it’s on to the buffet.

We love omelets and give our order to sous chef Ross Willig first. For

fillings it’s everything -- green, red and yellow bell peppers, tomato,

mushrooms and, of course, onions and cheese -- all swirled in the egg and

milk mix, which we will pick up later. Ross says he’ll add spinach and

crab or anything else available if you like. Sea Breeze is very

accommodating.

While the omelet is cooking, we select a fruit mix -- a refreshing

combination not usually found -- of mango and pineapple. Or try the one

with melon and grapes. Then back to pick up the excellent omelet and add

some really crisp bacon and a fat link sausage to our plate.

Since this was a brunch -- a combination of breakfast and lunch -- and

since we heeded owner Sonny’s advice, we still wanted to try the meat

selections. There’s a standing beef roast with well done slices and a

whole tray of tandoori chicken pieces charred from the charcoal-fired

oven. One tray holds chicken marinara with tomato, garlic and basil and

another mahi mahi flaky and thick, topped with an aromatic pesto sauce of

basil, garlic and olive oil.

There are chunks of lamb in a savory sauce and the essential basmati

rice. It’s a long grained rice, very fragrant when cooked (basmati is

Hindic for “fragrant”) mixed with bits of carrot, peppers, broccoli

flowers and peas -- good by itself but also a good mix with the sauced

dishes.

For the possibility that you might want to add dessert, there are

colorful iced little cakes, eclairs and cheesecake from Tomfoolery --

rich and good.

Chef Fred Edinger attended Orange Coast College but says he learned

his wonderful way with food in the school of experience. He was

previously at 21 Ocean Front and La Biarritz and says when he retires he

plans to go out to eat.

If there is anything besides the fresh and innovative food that will

attract you to Sea Breeze Grill, it’s the friendly welcome. Everyone from

owner Sonny, to chef Fred, to server Ben wants you to enjoy their food.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 [email protected]

FYI

o7 Sea Breeze Grill

f7 Where: 16450 Pacific Coast Highway at 24th Street, Huntington

Beach.

Hours: Open daily, all year. Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday

through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday until midnight.

Full bar, credit cards accepted.

Phone: (562) 592-3900.