¡Ask a Comida Critic! A Good Mimosa Near the Coast?

​From Twitter, from a gal whose name I can't remember, whose question I can't quote verbatim because it's buried under a pile of tweets, but went like this:

Where can I find a good mimosa near the beach?

Actually, she first asked about a good mimosa, period. I recommended Memphis at the Santora in SanTana, winner of our Best Brunch from last year. For a pittance, you get bottomless mimosas--fizzy, sweet, dangerous.

But the gal wanted a mimosa near the beach, so . . .

I must admit I'm not a mimosa drinker--it's my chica who imbibes them like a regular human needs water. An optimal coastal mimosa needs to take more into account than just the drink--indeed, the mimosa becomes an afterthought because how high-falutin' can champagne and orange juice really get? Back Bay Bistro offers great views, but the crowd is stuffy Newport--pass. The atmosphere is better at the River's End in Seal Beach, that great little shack--but the only problem I'd have with a mimosa lunch there is that I doubt you want to take your girlfriends for a view of the mouth of the San Gabriel River.

You want luxury, class, an experience--why not the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel? If you demand a froufrou drink, why not froufrou to the max? The estate, of course, is legendary, as is the Sunday brunch, now under the caring eye of Raya. It's a pricey $65, sure, but when you want to live champagne wishes, you gotta pay caviar prices.

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