Gulfstream

"Gulfstream is essentially Houston’s with a lighter and breezier aesthetic and a menu that mixes in Gulf Coast seafood with the usual lineup of cheeseburgers, kale salads, and ribeyes. The Newport Beach location sits near Fashion Island, the luxury shopping center that probably supplied most of the designer handbags and boat shoes you’ll spy in the dining room. We appreciate that there’s a small raw bar where you can slurp fat Pacific oysters, but the unique dishes you’d come here for—clam chowder, barbecued shrimp in creole cream, a seared ahi salad straight out of the ‘90s—are mostly just fine (we prefer the usual Hillstone staples like the burger, kale salad, and ribeye). Where Gulfstream has clear superiority is its patio, a shady, string-lit backyard with fire pits that overlooks PCH. photo credit: Lexie Scott Food Rundown video credit: Garrett Snyder Heavenly Biscuits Is heaven a little on the dry side? Or seasoned with a pinch of rosemary? If yes, then the name of these sturdy biscuits is accurate. Once you slather on the salted butter and honey on the side, they're a solid way to start a meal. video credit: Garrett Snyder Oysters From The North Pacific Gulfstream might not be the first place we'd send you for oysters, but the dining room's six-seat oyster bar stocked with crushed ice is cute, and the oysters themselves are plump, fresh, and well-shucked. At $25 for a half-dozen though, they're not cheap. photo credit: Garrett Snyder Pan-Seared Tuna Salad This dish wouldn't look out of place on the cover of a '90s food magazine (take that as you will). The big chunks of barely seared, spice-rubbed ahi tuna taste clean and meaty, and the squiggle of almond vinaigrette doesn't overpower the fish. The oddest part is the actual salad: huge chunks of mango, avocado, and whole marble-sized macadamia nuts tossed in sesame-miso dressing. video credit: Garrett Snyder Gulf Coast Style Fish Sandwich A fish sandwich the size of your face? Gulfstream's got it. Nothing groundbreaking here, but we appreciate that the fried grouper is exceptionally moist, even if that means the crispy breading starts to flake off after the first bite. Be sure to request some tartar sauce on the side of dipping. photo credit: Garrett Snyder New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp As long as you aren't expecting Cajun country spice levels, you'll be happy with this gussied-up riff on grilled shrimp and rice. The sauce is rich and creamy, the shrimp is snappy and tender, and we like the griddled toast even more that those biscuits." - Garrett Snyder