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RESTAURANTS

The Channel House / 1.5*

205 CRESCENT AVE, AVALON; 310/510-1617

With a secluded outdoor patio that's generally agreed to be the most romantic dining spot in Avalon, this very traditional continental restaurant manages to attract jeans-clad vacationers as well as dressed-to-the- nines islanders. The patio is the way to go (put in a request when making your reservation), festooned with twinkling lights and surrounded by vine-covered trellises that obscure the sidewalk traffic along busy Cres- cent Avenue. Indoor seating is refreshingly quiet, aided by plush carpeting and a pitched, open-beam ceiling; the Channel House projects an aura of elegance without pretension. Dinner always begins with an enor-
mous platter of crisp, fresh crudites and creamy dip, whose bounty unfortunately dispels any thought of a first course, even the bread-bowl clam chowder or the tableside-prepared caesar salad. The menu here is enticing, with local seafood offerings like mako shark, fresh Catalina lobster, or grilled island sand dabs. Meat and poultry are invariably served sauced; you'll see plenty of rich touches like goose liver, bearnaise, and butter galore. Surprisingly, the restaurant offers just a couple of perfunctory desserts, hardly the lavish selection of mousses and rich cakes you might expect. $$; AE, DIS, MC, V; local checks only; lunch every day
(July-Oct only), dinner every day (subject to Mon-Tues closure in winter); full bar; reservations recommended; at Sumner Ave.

Clubhouse Bar & Grille / 2*

I COUNTRY CLUB DR, AVALON; 310/510-7404

The most elegant meals in this typically casual town can be found here, at the historic Catalina Country Club. A 1997 renovation upgraded the stunning golf course and tastefully restored this Spanish-Mediterranean clubhouse, built by William Wrigley Jr. during the 1920s and designed by the same team responsible for the stylish casino. It's now got a chic and historic atmosphere, favored by well-heeled golfers with a taste for its California/Pacific Rim cuisine. The menu is peppered with historic anecdotes and photos of the many celebrities who've frequented the club throughout the years. Seating is either outdoors, in an elegant tiled court-
yard complete with splashing fountain and Mediterranean earthenware, or in an intimate, clubby dining room filled with dark woods and polished brass fixtures. Much of the menu is served all day, including gourmet pizzas (such as smoked prime rib with sweet peppers, pesto, and caramelized onions), appetizer samplers (seared jerk ahi, Southwest satay, seafood pot-stickers, and more), and soups (fisherman's bisque, or French onion with apple, shallots, and Gruyere—try either in a sourdough bowl), plus thick, satisfying sandwiches. Dinner offerings follow a similar fusion-style pattern, such as tender New Zealand lamb sirloin
accented with a piquant mango-mint chutney; cioppino with Gulf shrimp, scallops, clams, Alaskan king crab and mahi-mahi; and pad thai, Sunday brunch is a genteel treat, especially in nice weather on the sun splashed courtyard. The club is a few blocks uphill, so shuttle service is available from Island Plaza (on Sumner Avenue) on weekends. $$; AE, DIS, MC, V; local checks only; lunch, dinner every day, brunch Sun; full bar; reservations recommended; from the bay, take Sumner Ave to Country Club Dr.

El Galleon / 1.5*

4 I I CRESCENT AVE, AVALON; 3 I 0/5 I 0-1188

Here at Catalina's answer to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, diners step from the busy bayside promenade into a fantastic collage of brass portholes, ship's rigging, ample red-leather booths, and wrought-iron conquistador decor. Owner Jack Tucey consciously preserves El Galleon as a tribute to the restaurants of Avalon's vacation heyday (circa 1959)— places with names such as Tally-Ho, Waikiki, Chi-Chi Club, and the Flying Yachtsman. This setting feels just right for the hearty menu of steaks and seafood, featuring enormous cuts of aged Midwest beef (petite filets and smaller cuts are available) and fresh local and regional fish (Catalina swordfish, Hawaiian mahi-mahi, Alaskan halibut). The tradi- tional special-occasion splurges are all here; prime rib complete with all the fixings, and Maine or local lobster with ramekins of drawn butter, You can also make a respectable meal—think of it as "grazing"—from the many appetizer selections, each large enough to be a main course,
Choose from zesty barbecue pork ribs with a mesquite tang, Cajun crab cakes with Creole remoulade sauce, or a whole steamed artichoke with Thai peanut or roasted-pepper sauce. The house specialty "sourdough ensemble" is highly recommended—a basket of chewy bread accompanied by warm spinach-artichoke dip, roasted-garlic olive oil, and crumbly Romano cheese. The bar does a brisk business all day long. % AE, DIS, MC, V; no checks; lunch, dinner every day; full bar; reservations recommended; on the bay between Catalina and Claressa Aves.