# Your favorite grocery store in Newport Beach?



## spookykennedy (Mar 4, 2008)

We are staying at Marriott NCV in October and I wondered what the nicest, relatively close store is? TIA!


----------



## ajlm33 (Mar 4, 2008)

There is a Vons Pavillion about 2 miles away up Newport Coast Drive and there is also an Albersons in Corona Del Mar on PCH also about 2 miles away. The Vons is a upscale store with just about everything from a Starbucks to a florist located inside. The Albersons has a horrible parking lot and shows its age. All things given, we prefer to shop at the Vons.


----------



## spookykennedy (Mar 4, 2008)

Thank you, I have been to a Vons before and it was nice. I will tuck this away in my notes.


----------



## linmcginn (Mar 4, 2008)

Bristol Farms!


----------



## spookykennedy (Mar 4, 2008)

linmcginn said:


> Bristol Farms!



We went there in Palm Springs and it was nice. Is it far?


----------



## kristencostello (Mar 5, 2008)

Trader Joes on the East Coast Highway!


----------



## ricoba (Mar 5, 2008)

kristencostello said:


> Trader Joes on the East Coast Highway!



You are right, there's a Trader Joe's just down the road on the "_Pacific Coast Highway_"


----------



## Hoc (Mar 5, 2008)

Von's Pavillion is the closest, nice supermarket nearby.  It is an upscale version of a Von's/Safeway, and has a larger selection than standard Von's.  There is a Gelson's on San Miguel, across MacArthur from Fashion Island.  That is more of a gourmet supermarket, with higher prices.  Trader Joe's is everywhere, and has some good offerings, though a bit smaller.  Their baked goods, sweets, frozen seafood and snack offerings are awesome.  Great dried fruits and nuts selection.  Also, some of their prices are real bargains.  Others are higher than supermarkets.

Mother's market on 17th, near Newport Blvd., is a great health food store, with good, fresh organic offerings and premade entrees, as well.  A bit further away, in Costa Mesa on Harbor Blvd (around Baker) is Henry's, another health food store.

And, of course, there is a Costco in Fountain Valley, near South Coast Plaza.  There are also Sam's Clubs and Walmarts nearby in Fountain Valley and all around.


----------



## spookykennedy (Mar 5, 2008)

Hoc said:


> Von's Pavillion is the closest, nice supermarket nearby.  It is an upscale version of a Von's/Safeway, and has a larger selection than standard Von's.  There is a Gelson's on San Miguel, across MacArthur from Fashion Island.  That is more of a gourmet supermarket, with higher prices.  Trader Joe's is everywhere, and has some good offerings, though a bit smaller.  Their baked goods, sweets, frozen seafood and snack offerings are awesome.  Great dried fruits and nuts selection.  Also, some of their prices are real bargains.  Others are higher than supermarkets.
> 
> Mother's market on 17th, near Newport Blvd., is a great health food store, with good, fresh organic offerings and premade entrees, as well.  A bit further away, in Costa Mesa on Harbor Blvd (around Baker) is Henry's, another health food store.
> 
> And, of course, there is a Costco in Fountain Valley, near South Coast Plaza.  There are also Sam's Clubs and Walmarts nearby in Fountain Valley and all around.



Thanks so much, it certainly seems like there are many great options. We do not have a Trader Joe's here in SLC so that is fun for us when we travel too.


----------



## linmcginn (Mar 5, 2008)

Bristol Farms is 5 miles away from Newport Coast Villas. The address is 810 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, Ca. While your there might as well stop at Sprinkles Cupcakes (944 avocado ). Both are located in the Corona del Mar Plaza.


----------



## Hoc (Mar 5, 2008)

linmcginn said:


> Bristol Farms is 5 miles away from Newport Coast Villas. The address is 810 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, Ca. While your there might as well stop at Sprinkles Cupcakes (944 avocado ). Both are located in the Corona del Mar Plaza.



Bristol Farms has a great butcher section.  Some people do rave about Sprinkles Cupcakes, but I found them quite ordinary and not worth the $4-$5 per cupcake that they charge.

Edit: By the way, in the shopping center with Pavillion's is Zov's Bistro, which has good eastern European food, and very good baked goods.


----------



## spookykennedy (Mar 5, 2008)

Hoc said:


> Bristol Farms has a great butcher section.  Some people do rave about Sprinkles Cupcakes, but I found them quite ordinary and not worth the $4-$5 per cupcake that they charge.
> 
> Edit: By the way, in the shopping center with Pavillion's is Zov's Bistro, which has good eastern European food, and very good baked goods.



Those sound great. On that note, are there any other casual great places to eat nearby? When we passed through last May, we had some yummy pizza in a stip mall that overlooked the ocean just by chance.


----------



## Hoc (Mar 6, 2008)

spookykennedy said:


> Those sound great. On that note, are there any other casual great places to eat nearby?



Absolutely.  Take a look at my TUG Guides to Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego.  Although I haven't been able to update them for nearly two years, most of the suggestions are still valid.  Also, you might try Avila's El Ranchito for very casual Mexican food, on Pacific Coast Highway in Corona Del Mar.  Don't pass up Fatburger for a quick burger (with everything on it, including a fried egg) and some of the best chili-cheese fries with onions you've ever had.  There's a stall in the food court in Fashion Island, or you can go to the restaurant at Jamboree and Michelson, where they have a jukebox with some of the best free music in the area.

A decent and inexpensive Mongolian BBQ can be found on 17th St., just to the south of Newport Blvd., in the same strip mall as Plum's Cafe (which is a dining "scene" on weekend mornings, with decent, but more expensive, food).

All of these three restaurants are in the price range of about $10 to $15 a person.


----------



## Hoc (Mar 6, 2008)

By the way, if looking for inexpensive, don't pass up the Happy Hours at many of the restaurants in the area.  Most run from about 4-6 pm, and in addition to cheap drinks, they often have their appetizers or scaled down versions of their main courses at half price.  You can usually get away with a pretty extravagant dinner, including beverages, for $20 a person or less.  

My current favorite is Cafe Sevilla, in Long Beach, which serves their entire Tapas menu at half price from 4 to 6, if you are registered with rewardsnetwork you can get airline miles for dining there, and if you have Tapas for dinner (which, by the way, is the best stuff on their menu), you will easily stuff your bellies for under $20 each.  Their Filet Mignon in a paprika sauce, around $5 for the plate at happy hour, is amazing.  Their garlic shrimp, around $3.50 a plate at happy hour, is great, as are many other dishes.  And they have the best Sangria I've had in the U.S.

Other good happy hours I've experienced with great, cheap food are at Z'Tejas in South Coast Plaza and the Cheesecake Factory.

Edit: BTW, near to you, El Torito Grill in Fashion Island (not El Torito, which is a standard, chain Mexican food restaurant) is a pretty decent, not too expensive restaurant, where they bring all of the fresh, hot, homemade flour tortillas you want to your table at no charge, with honey butter, barbecued salsa and standard salsa.  Their Fajitas are very good, but their other Mexican food is not the traditional Tex-Mex that most U.S. palates like (think blue corn tortillas).  But for a reasonable price, you can get a very special meal.  Made at the table Guacamole, great Fajitas or Fajita salads, good tortilla soup and interesting sweet corn mash make for an interesting and tasty meal.  Good Margaritas, as well.  Their Sunday buffet brunch is good, too, though not as good as the Orange Hill Restaurant or Queen Mary (which are two or three times the price, but much better).


----------



## aregee (Jul 4, 2008)

*Out of the loop*

Dear folks, 
      I am "out of the loop," "fallen between the cracks," "in la-la land," or something, but where is the TUG Guide to LA and Orange County?  I know I have seen one somewhere but that was a long time ago and far, far away.  With my luck, it is in front of my nose.  
        I have a friend who is headed out there  and needs some recommendations. Thanks, Richard M.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jul 4, 2008)

*Tug Guide to LA and Orange County*



aregee said:


> Dear folks,
> I am "out of the loop," "fallen between the cracks," "in la-la land," or something, but where is the TUG Guide to LA and Orange County?



I thought this used to be a Sticky at the top of the Western Forum thread
but I don't see it there now.

Has it been deleted?


Richard


----------



## Fern Modena (Jul 4, 2008)

It used to be in the reviews area.  Have you tried looking there?  You know, "membership has its privileges"

Fern


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Jul 4, 2008)

Thanks Fern.  That's where the link still is.

click on the hyperlink "Additional information on California Resorts"

Richard


----------



## aregee (Jul 6, 2008)

*Thank you*

Dear folks, 
       Thanks for the information.  Orange County comes up but LA "cannot be found."  Close enough for California, thanks  Richard M.


----------



## Hoc (Jul 6, 2008)

It frustrates the heck out of me, because I spent a lot of time writing and updating all of those guides.  But we had a new person take over the California reviews section, and it was like pulling teeth to get him to post one of my updates.

After I updated 3 or 4 times and the updates were not getting posted, I just stopped about 2 years or so ago.  Now, they are out of date.  Denise M has recently offered to post updates if I would go ahead and do them, but I have gotten fairly busy lately and haven't had time to update them.  Obviously, the link to the LA guide has gone bye bye, although I still have the guide (2+ years old) on my hard drive.


----------



## talkamotta (Jul 9, 2008)

My co workers vote is for Costco in San Juan Capistrano off of PCH about 7 miles Newport Coast.


----------



## Rent_Share (Jul 9, 2008)

spookykennedy said:


> Thanks so much, it certainly seems like there are many great options.



AKA

Ralphs = Kroger/Fry's/Food4Less

Von's = Safeway  -  Most of the SoCal's Smith's Food Kings became Vons

Pavillions is an upscale Vons


----------



## Lulubelle (Jul 25, 2008)

I have to give a plug to Gelson's.  It is by Fashion Island and MacArthur.  They have many unique and tasty items.  We love ordering a sandwich from the deli with a side pasta, salad or specialty vegetable dish.  You know, fancy stuff besides your standard potato or mac salad.  And the meats and cheeses are extensive and wonderful.  Sushi is made fresh everyday and they have a WolfGang Express menu.  Everything is top notch and very, very fresh.  Pricy, but you don't go there for milk and bread.  The locals shop here, it is fabulous.  

Have a great time on the west coast!


----------



## ski4fun (Jul 26, 2008)

Here are my choices:

1. Trader Joe's- South Coast, Costa Mesa & Irvine (Best value)

2. Gelsons, Bristol Farms, (more expensive) Vons

I live in Newport.


----------



## spookykennedy (Aug 1, 2008)

Thanks for all of the advice everyone! We just went to Trader Joe's in San Diego this past weekend and loved it, wish we had them in Utah!


----------

