Enjoying a beautiful day at the Westbay

John Volo

I’ve probably driven by the Westbay Cafe, on the corner of Pacific

Coast Highway and Admiralty in Huntington Harbor, more than a hundred

times. I’ve wistfully watched patrons enjoying food and drink on the

sun-splashed deck. For some inexplicable reason though, I’ve never

dined at the Westbay. Fortunately, that changed for the better one

recent Friday.

Driving back from Seal Beach on an unseasonably warm December day,

I gave into both curiosity and temptation and made an impromptu turn

into Westbay Cafe’s parking lot. Entering the restaurant I was warmly

greeted by Jay, the host/manager/co-owner. In order to take full

advantage of this gorgeous day, I requested a table on the huge front

deck. It has seating for more than 50 people, with six-foot high

Plexiglas walls that protect from the wind and a big canopy that

shades about half the deck.

I forewarned Shauna, my ultra-friendly waitress, that I’d be

ordering two lunches but taking home half of each (I find it hard to

get my hand on the pulse of any establishment based on just one

item). So I ordered the Down-Home Meatloaf Sandwich ($6.75) along

with the Chicken Caesar Wrap ($6.95). Both were delicious.

The homemade meatloaf is served on thick grilled sourdough bread

with mustard. I nixed the lettuce and tomato, so as not to take on

the appearance of a burger. No worries; the meatloaf was softer,

juicier and tastier than any burger could be. The French fries were

pure potato flavor: light and fresh, not greasy at all. This is an

ideal lunch for any meat and potato lover.

A successful chicken Caesar wrap must maintain a delicate balance

of chicken (too little and it’s a salad), romaine lettuce (too much

and it’s a salad), Caesar dressing (too much and it’s soggy), and

Parmesan cheese. The Westbay achieves this balance and wraps it all

in a flour tortilla. Just like a Whopper, it takes two hands to

handle this wrap. Per Shauna’s suggestion, I substituted fruit for

fries. This was a great call on her part. The mouth-watering fresh

fruit consisted of an entire juicy orange quartered, and three

half-foot long wedges of honeydew melon. This was a cooling lunch on

a warm day.

My choice of beverage, the Harbor Splash ($1.95), was heavily

influenced by the tropical-like conditions. Westbay’s signature drink

is pineapple, cranberry, and orange juices with a splash of Sierra

Mist. I half expected this to be too sicky-sweet. To the contrary,

the Harbor Splash was fruity and refreshing. Every sip conjured up

memories of lounging poolside at a Vegas resort.

For dessert I got the carrot cake (provided to the Westbay by an

outside purveyor). The Westbay adds a dollop of whipped cream and

serves it on a caramel drizzled plate. I thought my half was pretty

good. But since I consider carrot cake a veggie, I deferred official

judgment to the resident carrot cake expert, my wife. She later

confirmed my findings- pretty good cake.

The Westbay’s most popular salad is the Cajun Caesar Chicken Salad

($7.99). They put a twist on the traditional Caesar by sauteing white

meat chicken in butter with their own blend of Cajun spices and

Worcestershire sauce. If you’re looking for something really healthy,

try Jay’s Workout Plate ($6.99) -- either boneless chicken breast or

charbroiled burger with cottage cheese and fresh fruit. In addition

to a fantastic lunch menu, the Westbay also has an extensive

breakfast menu. The smaller dinner menu is peppered with seafood and

pasta.

Tis’ the time of year when children have visions of sugarplums

dancing in their heads. I, on the other hand, have a vision of myself

lunching on the patio, drinking a Westbay amber ale, and munching on

mini-burgers and sweet potato fries in the not-too-distant future.

Now that I’ve experienced the Westbay, it’ll be difficult to drive by

without venturing in for a bite.

I’d like to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.