visiting for four days

[carniwhore]

LA/Costa Mesa area. What are your cannot-miss recommendations? So far I'm set on Animal and Apple Pan, and the boyfriend's favorite Mexican, El Ranchito. And anything good around Disneyland area? Love molecular gastronomy stuff, gastropubs, Shanghainese restaurants (are there any?!)...

Also, is Umami Burger worth all the hype?

-----
Apple Pan
10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Umami Burger
850 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

El Ranchito Restaurant
3401 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90007

[mc michael]

Look for a Taco Mesa. There are several.

-----
Taco Mesa
647 W 19th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627

[ocshooter]

The Crow Bar in Corona del Mar may be closer to where you are in Costa Mesa. It is a little more expensive than Haven (which I like a lot), but it is very good and I think has more food designed for sharing.

-----
Crow Bar & Kitchen
2325 E Coast Hwy, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

[terramassu]

I was going to mention Haven Gastropub as well. For Molecular Gastronomy, there's the Bazaar in L.A. There are a lot of good places around Disneyland depending on what type of food you're looking for...

[aching]

In the Disneyland area, you are close to Garden Grove, where the best Vietnamese food in Southern California can be found. There are lots of discussions and recommendations on this board for that area.

[Servorg]

One of the LA boards long time posters who has good food instincts (sel) just mentioned a gastropub in another thread (which I'd never heard of before) in Old Town Orange (not too far from Disneyland): Haven Gastropub.

-----
Haven Gastropub
190 S Glassell St, Orange, CA 92866

[carniwhore]

Ooh, that looks great, we'll be sure to go there. Thank you!