The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 17th annual “Taste of San Clemente” at the Courtside Restaurant in the Rancho San Clemente Tennis & Fitness Club.  The event will host over 20 local restaurants serving a variety of foods, along with drinks provided by 16 premium wineries from throughout California, a variety of microbrews and other assorted cocktails.  There will be live music provided by the Baytown Band.  This is a great event for adults every year held in a beautiful setting, and the wide assortment of foods and drinks will satisfy every palette.  Some of the restaurants include Blue Danube, The Melting Pot, Taka-O Japanese Restaurant, Cafe Mimosa and many more.

The event begins at 6:00 pm and concludes at 10:30 pm.  Tickets are $75.00 per person (price includes food, drinks, valet parking and a complimentary commemorative wine glass or beer mug), and “Taste of San Clemente” is limited to 250 people, so buy your tickets soon.  For detailed information about the event, please visit the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce website.

Beachfire Grill, located a few blocks from the San Clemente Pier at 204 Avenida Del Mar, brings an eclectic flair to its dining room while providing an excellent variety of food.  Open since 2002, Beachfire Grill has a full menu ranging from a wide variety of appetizers and salads (side and entree) to fresh fish selections and great steaks.  Beachfire Grill is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and provides a nice breakfast/brunch menu on weekends from 10:30am - 1pm. 

I was drawn to Beachfire Grill by the large outdoor patio behind the restauarant and the fun vibe the place exuded, and it did not disappoint.  After ordering a couple of drinks, my wife and I spent 10 minutes deciding on our appetizer, finally settling on a “light choice” of Grilled Asparagus.  As someone who prides himself on grilling vegetables, I have to say that the dish was excellent.  The asparagus were lightly seasoned, topped with grated parmesan cheese and served with a basil and chipotle aioli that was great for dipping.  My wife ordered the Panko Crusted Halibut for her entree, while I chose the Clam Chowder and appetizer portion of the Sticky Ribs.  The halibut was outstanding - nice and flaky with a mild taste that was perfectly complimented by the panko (like a tempura crust) and excellent roasted mashed potatoes.  The clam chowder was very tasty, and the ribs had a very unique teriyaki-flavored BBQ sauce that was quite flavorful (unless you’re starving, the appetizer portion is more than enough as you still receive a half-rack of ribs with fries).

Besides the food, the two things that really stood out to make this a fun dining experience was the service and decor.  Our server Kelly was amazing - she was very attentive, stopping by frequently to make sure the food was good or just to chat.  The decor is what really makes Beachfire Grill a unique place to eat - every inch of the walls is covered with works from local artists, all with a distinctive San Clemente flair for the beach, lifestyle and beautiful San Clemente sunsets.  Some of the employees (past and current) even had works on the walls, with Chris the manager taking up an entire section for himself.  The outdoor patio is a nice place to eat, but make reservations because it fills up quickly.  There is live entertainment nightly and drink/food specials Monday thru Friday. 

Overall, San Clemente Coastal Living highly recommends Beachfire Grill to anyone looking for a good meal and a great night out.  For more information on the menu and nightly entertainment, please visit Beachfire Grill’s website.

At San Clemente Coastal Living, we specialize in San Clemente real estate, but we also have a deep fondness for the community of San Clemente. We chose to work exclusively in the San Clemente real estate market because it is such a unique coastal city, and we want our clients to understand everything San Clemente has to offer before deciding on a real estate purchase. With that in mind, we will periodically post reviews of San Clemente businesses, be it restaurants, coffee shops, beaches, etc. For the first in this series, I wanted to write about one of my favorite joints in San Clemente: OC Tavern. OC Tavern is a neighborhood restaurant and bar located off El Camino Real in Southeast San Clemente that boasts a large ocean view patio and a concert hall featuring live acts and excellent DJs. OC Tavern serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is open daily until 2:00am. Being a big football fan, I frequent OC tavern on weekends during football season and can watch any game I want on the 22 plasma screen TVs surrounding the inside. There are also pool tables and video games along with a full bar and a smaller side patio with a firepit.

While OC Tavern is a great bar, they also serve excellent food.  They have a wide assortment of appetizers, including excellent chicken wings and surprisingly good seared Ahi Sashimi (I lived in Hawaii for a few years, so as an ahi connoisseur, I can tell you that OC Tavern’s version does not disappoint). I like to try new things when I frequent dining establishments, but I always have a tough time passing on the Tavern Burger - trust me, the cooks here know how to make an excellent burger; it is always cooked the way you want it, and it doesn’t fall apart in your hands. Make sure to try the Sweet Potato Fries on the side. Besides the typical bar fare, OC Tavern also features sandwiches, salads, pizzas and pastas (my wife loves the Ahi Tropical salad). Try to get seating on the front patio if possible (it is always packed around dinnertime); you get a very nice view of the San Clemente coastline from all of the tables.

For more information on OC Tavern, you may visit their website.  For more information on the San Clemente real estate market or San Clemente lifestyle, please contact us.