Give Mom a break this Christmas

Mary Furr

This Christmas give your family the gift of a hassle-free holiday --

Mom won’t have to cook, Dad won’t have to carve, daughter can bring a

boyfriend and the little sis can have her own down-sized buffet.

Where else but the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, on Pacific Coast

Highway in Huntington Beach?

This casually elegant restaurant managed by Edmund Browning III

opens to pink marble floors, double staircases draped in evergreen

garlands and tiny fairy lights that lead to the second-floor Palm

Court Restaurant. Here a hostess takes you to either a table in the

dining room or out to the sunny veranda looking toward the Pacific.

It’s a two-level room with down-sized buffet for “Lil Surfers,” with

peanut butter sandwiches, corn dogs, jello and more.

Several stairs lead to a long buffet of sparkling fresh sushi, a

huge bowl of pink tail-on shrimp, bowls of mixed field greens, Caesar

salad, and platters of imported and domestic cheeses. There is

southwestern Cobb salad, basil pesto, and smoked chicken -- with so

many unusual taste combinations created by Chef Jeff Littlefield, I’d

suggest acting like Peter Rabbit and nibbling several.

As one diner I met said, “I’m just grazing.”

Fortunately, all the items on the buffets are labeled with dishes

available at each. There’s an omelet buffet with a chef ready to

prepare a made-to-order omelet filled with your selections. Here

you’ll also find eggs benedict, French toast and waffles, crisp bacon

galore and plump sausages.

Under heavy silver lids are entrees -- roasted free-range turkey

slices and maple-glazed pork loin. The slices I had on a previous

visit were firm but tender and deep with flavor. There’s herb-crusted

halibut, which my friend found delicious, as well as grilled chicken

breast simmered with carrots in a potato leek sauce.

On the dessert bar are what Littlefield calls “holiday dessert

extravaganzas.” There are lemon tarts in a crisp crust small enough

to pop in your mouth for a sharp citrus taste, small squares of

chocolate cake with cherry sauce, various spice cakes and so many

more tiny temptations.

Harpist Hong Liang plays Sundays and holidays. Her gentle melodies

make this an occasion to remember -- the Christmas when the family

came together to appreciate wonderful food, good health and each

other.

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

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail

[email protected]