14 // 12th Annual Best of Dana Point People's Choice Lantern Awards
Best RESTAURANT FOR
Best SPOT FOR
A DATE/ROMANTIC EVENING
TAKE-OUT GOLDEN LANTERN
THE LITTLE KITCHEN ASIAN CAFE
GOLDEN LANTERN
LUCIANA'S RISTORANTE
24312 Del Prado Avenue, 949.661.6500, lucianas.com
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BRIO TUSCANY GRILLE
f you’re looking to impress your signi cant other with a specially planned dinner date, Brio Tuscany Grille is just the spot. With romantic mood lighting, live music, welcoming staff and authentic talian cuisine, you’re sure to make a memorable impression. 24050 Camino Del Avion, 949.443.1476, briorestaurant.com
2018 WINNERS: Gold: Luciana’s Ristorante; Silver: Craft House
hand-cut French fries are seasoned to perfection.
GOLDEN LANTERN
34094 Pacific Coast Highway, 949.481.7734, eatatcrafthouse.com
24831 Del Prado Avenue, 949.276.7799, thelittlekitchenasiancafe.com
For those willing to share, Craft House has beautifully arranged appetizers that are almost too intricate to eat. All dishes demonstrate pristine and detailed presentation, and the appetizers are no exception. or rich, creamy avor, the mac and cheese can’t be beat. Spicy tuna crispy rice and fancy toast are some of the best sellers at Craft House. There are also the “Thai-style” chicken wings that come with either honey, vinegar, sesame or cucumber kimchi avor. For the traditional palate, Craft House’s
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The Harbor Grill has a variety of great sharable dishes. Check out the newly added Baker Dozen Duo of freshly shucked oysters and chilled prawns. Appetizers also include shrimp tempura, smoked halibut and steamed Littleneck Oysters.
The lunch menu has a variety of pizza options, while dinner offers options such as let mignon and vitello marsala veal scaloppini, mushrooms and marsala sauce.
Craft House
Wanting to take your special someone abroad for a romantic getaway? Luciana's Ristorante is the next-best experience. The family restaurant opened in 1983, in a structure built in the 1930s, and its classic Italian menu soon proved popular among local culinary enthusiasts and tourists in search of excellent cuisine. Word of mouth was so positive, in fact, that the restaurant was soon catering to numerous world gures and Hollywood celebrities. Owner Jorge Luhan II says that once you enter Luciana’s, you’re transported to a rustic Tuscan inn.
Manager Rebecca Ling describes the food as good and said customers always enjoy stopping in. “Our food is very fresh and very fast,” Ling said. “We have experienced cooks here.” Popular dishes include the orange chicken and Hong Kong black pepper steak. You can also order pork dishes, seafood and tofu vegetable soup. Appetizers include egg rolls, green beans, lettuce wraps and shrimp. Prices are reasonable. Soups are made daily, and the restaurant believes in healthy eating. Ingredients are farm-fresh and locally sourced, according to the website.
Best APPETIZERS
CRAFT HOUSE
THE HARBOR GRILL
STELLA’S SERIOUS ITALIAN
34499 Golden Lantern, 949.240.1416, harborgrill.com
17 Monarch Bay Plaza, 949.234.1679, stellasitalian.com
2018 WINNERS: Gold: Craft House; Silver: Coastal Kitchen
2018 WINNERS: Gold: The Little Kitchen Asian Café; Silver: Lupe’s Mexican Eatery