Raising the Bar on Beer, Food

"It's time to try the OC's first gastropub, the Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona del Mar. At a gastropub you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a relaxing pub-like environment and upscale, gourmet cuisine.

The gastropub concept started in 1991 in London with the opening of the Eagle and its owners coined the term gastropub. Now similar establishments have popped up in major cities, including the Spotted Pig in New York, the York in LA, and the Salt House in San Francisco.

The Crow Bar and Kitchen serves cuisine created by award-winning chef Scott Brandon (formerly of Oysters in Corona del Mar). The classic pub food with a gourmet touch is made from farm fresh ingredients, all-natural, free-range meat and poultry, and fresh seafood caught in sustainable ways.

The restaurant proudly supports sustainable agriculture as well as local farms. And Chef Brandon celebrates seasonal foods that are ideal companions with beer.

Choose from starters, sandwiches, salads, brick oven flatbreads, gourmet burgers and entrees. The selection includes blue crab deviled eggs; artisan cheese plates such as blue cheese stuffed piquillo peppers; and a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich.

The Crow bistro salad features frisee, bacon, poached quail egg, and aged sherry vinegar; or a neo-classic Caesar with la quercia pancetta, Spanish white anchovies, and reggiano.

Try brick oven flatbreads with roasted roma tomato, basil, burrata; or flatbread with pancetta, caramelized onion, fig jam, gorgonzola dolce; or flatbread with serrano ham, quince paste, tetilla (Spanish cheese) and rocket (slightly bitter, aromatic salad green).

House plates include steamed manila clams albarinho, chorizo, grilled bread; house made meatballs with red pepper aioli; stout ale braised short ribs with caramelized shallots, herbed gremolta; and quarter-pound Crow Bar burgers with chiabatta, tallegio and gorgonzola, roasted tomato marmalade and rocket on a classic ketchup infused bun.

Inventive desserts include a gourmet Ding Dong; sub-pop tart with seasonal fruit filling; apple pie with melted Tillamook cheddar cheese; house-made churros and iced horchata; Irish car "bombe" with Jameson whiskey creme anglaise; and Sprecker's draft root beer float.

There's also an extensive selection of domestic and international brews, 24 on tap and many more by the bottle, as well as nearly 25 wines by the glass.

Open daily from 5 p.m. to midnight; open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch Saturday and Sunday. 2325 Pacific Coast Highway in Corona del Mar. 949.675.0070.