12.5.08 Dining at the Newport Beach Marriott

My friend, Penny, came to town from Washington on business, as she does occasionally, and treated Don and I to dinner at Sam and Harry's restaurant in the Marriott Hotel in Newport Beach where she was staying. We always have a fabulous time when she comes to town and this visit was no different.
Being the first time Penny and Don met, it was particularly fun that Don had just happened to win an auction on a sail boat the night before. Fun, because Penny sails quite a bit, so getting to talk with her before seeing our "new" boat was perfect. She is extremely knowledgeable on the subjects of boats and sailing.
I'd share the picture of the three of us in front of this tree that the waiter took (he took the picture, not the tree), but, while the two of them look fabulous, I look absolutely hideous, which has not always stopped me, so you can just imagine how bad--but don't, so we're skipping that one and heading straight to this blurry one I took of the tree that we sat next to in the center of the dining room.
Our waiter was helpful in recommending dishes, even to the extent of suggesting how flavorful the meat would be at degrees of preparation, i.e., I usually go with "medium to well done" but accepted his suggestion of "lightly pink at the center"--and it was fabulous! The sides of asparagus and potatoes al gratin were equally delicious. But I must warn you the prices are steep.
I have to admit that it added to the experience that there were so few other diners. Perhaps because we started somewhat early, 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night, I'm pretty sure that aside from another table in the far corner who had a different waiter, we had the dining room to ourselves.
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