Alta Coffee Warehouse in Newport Beach
During my weekend in Newport Beach in September, I got my morning coffee and breakfast at the same place every day: the Alta Coffee Warehouse.
This was the coziest coffee house/restaurant I’ve ever visited. In the ’80s the place was converted from an old bookstore into a coffee roasting warehouse, and then eventually a restaurant too. (The “warehouse” part is a little misleading, because the amount of space open to customers is teeny tiny — but I mean that in a good way.) Read more
Bear Flag Fish Company
While in Newport Beach over Labor Day weekend, we ate at the Bear Flag Fish Company, a favorite eatery and fish market among locals since 2007.
If you plan on making a meal here, the place is pretty tiny — there are only a few tables inside and a few more outside on the patio. But what it lacks in space, Bear Flag makes up for in variety and taste.
On the website, they list exactly where all their fresh fish and other stock come from: tilapia, snapper, grouper, albacore, tuna, swordfish, lobster, shrimp, rock shrimp, scallops and more. You name it, they’ve offered it. Read more
Whale Watching in Newport Beach
Image via Newport Landing Whale Watching
Over Labor Day weekend, a group of friends and I drove from Phoenix to Newport Beach, Calif., for some ocean time and cooler temps.
Twelve of us stayed in a rental home right on the beach on Balboa Peninsula, where everyone gets around using beach cruisers and longboards, and where you can practically taste the salt in the air. (In a good way.)
One of the (very few) activities I made plans for ahead of time was whale watching, since I’d never been before, and well, being driven around on a boat in the Pacific for a few hours didn’t sound like a bad deal. Read more
