Dinner with a view

The Channel Islands Harbor is progressive when it comes to dining

by Stephanie Kinnear

I’m more of an a.m. eater than a dinner person. After a breakfast that would satisfy the most voracious of lumberjacks, I’m usually hungry for lunch around 11 a.m.— the time most people are thinking about their second cup of coffee.

In other words, on most days I’ve consumed at least 75 percent of my daily caloric intake before noon. That being the case, my appetite (thank God) normally subsides by evening. As far as dinner is concerned, a bowl of rice and some vegetables, or a couple of scrambled eggs and some cheese, usually does the trick.

There are, however, exceptions to this rule. I won’t pass up the opportunity to partake in a huge helping of my mother’s gourmet mac and cheese on a special occasion (like every Tuesday night before The Amazing Race). And when given the chance to enjoy a fine restaurant meal, I’m willing to rearrange my eating schedule. That’s why I forced myself to live through a bit of a morning fast before taking my mom and a couple friends on a progressive dinner in the Channel Islands Harbor.

The concept behind the progressive dinner is quite simple. There are four harbor restaurants that participate—Sea Fresh, Port Royal, the Lobster Trap and the Whale’s Tail—and each has an unbelievably enticing menu. Diners visit a different restaurant for each course: appetizers, entrees and desserts. But the really unique aspect of the whole experience is that before the appetizers, and between each course, you and your group are treated to a cruise around the harbor before being dropped off at your destination.

On a warm Monday evening at 5 p.m., I met Kathy (my mom), Sharon and Stacy at the Port Royal Restaurant. Captain Bob, our host and chauffeur for the evening, waited patiently in front of the restaurant. After introductions, he walked us down to the dock where our ride for the evening, a little water taxi called GG (pronounced Gigi), was waiting.

It turned out that Bob steered Gigi with the confidence of a man who’s been on the water all his life, which he has. We are a naturally inquisitive bunch, and Bob was a perfect tour guide—answering our questions with the right amount of dry humor and historical harbor knowledge. We cruised in and around the docks and along Fisherman’s Wharf before Bob dropped us off at The Lobster Trap for our appetizers.

Appetizers: A little bit goes a long way

At 5:30 p.m., the Lobster Trap was relatively empty. With the exception of a few people taking advantage of the restaurant’s great happy-hour drink deals, we had the place to ourselves. The place has a kind of elegance that is measured by a certain Pirate’s of the Caribbean flavor. I would’ve been equally comfortable there wearing an evening gown or a pair of jeans and a sweater.

Once seated at a table overlooking the harbor, we placed crisp white cloth napkins in our laps and perused the appetizer menu. Before we had made any decisions, our waiter dropped off a fresh basket of warm rolls and a dish of olive tapenade. After sampling the tapenade, my mom and I opted for the California-style crab cakes, Sharon took the Roasted Scallops and Stacy went for the Mediterranean salad.

The crab cakes arrived balanced on a pile of perfectly ripe avocado and drizzled with a mustard remoulade and a few dollops of caviar. They were golden brown and filled with huge chunks of delicate crab meat—every bite was better than the next, but knowing that I had a large dinner and dessert waiting for me, I limited myself to eating just one.

Sharon and Stacy liked their appetizers as well, but the crab cakes definitely seemed to be the favorite choice.

Just as we were finishing up, Bob walked in the door (he had been delivering our dinner choices to Sea Fresh, as we were asked to order entrees during our pre-appetizer cruise). He led us back out to the boat and we hopped on for our next mini-cruise.

Whoever had the idea to cruise progressive dinner guests around the harbor in between meals is, in my mind, a genius. The cruise is fun, a little educational and, most important, gives you just the right amount of time to digest your previous course. By the time Bob dropped us off at Sea Fresh, after taking us out to cruise around behind the beautiful Oxnard homes that back up to the harbor, I was no longer full and was eagerly awaiting my dinner.

Dinner: The sweet smell of garlic

Sea Fresh is an authentic seaside eatery, a fish-market-meets-seafood-restaurant kind of place. There are fishing nets on the walls and a raw oyster bar up front. Inside, the smell of sautéing garlic is pervasive and wonderful. It is casual in atmosphere, but the menu boasts plenty of gourmet choices.

Again we were seated near a window that looked out over the harbor. We enjoyed the view and picked at a basket of warm bread, ignoring the menus since we’d already ordered. I awaited the macadamia-crusted halibut, Sharon the seafood alfredo bleu pasta, my mom the chicken marsala pasta and Stacy the eggplant parmigiana.

I was actually hungry by the time our food arrived. My halibut, which could’ve been only okay, as it looked like your average piece of fried fish, was made into something totally unique and delightful because it was served on a generous helping of Thai peanut sauce. The peanut sauce worked extremely well with the delicate taste of the fish.

Sharon’s dish looked the most impressive, with whole mussels and clams, shrimp and calamari all swirled in an alfredo pasta. I sneaked one taste—it was fabulous, rich and full of garlic. My mom and Stacy also appeared to enjoy their meals.

By the time we wandered outside to find Bob, it was dark. We hopped back on to GG for our final cruise before dessert. The after-dark cruise was my favorite of the evening. The lights of the harbor reflected off the water and, because it was so clear, we could see the stars.

Finally Bob dropped us off at Port Royal for our dessert and wished us a good night.

Dessert: The icing on the cake

I’m going to be honest. The dessert was my favorite course of the evening. And I knew it was going to be my favorite course of the evening as soon as our hostess at the Port Royal led us to a table directly in front of a large, glowing fireplace—the warmth, the coffee and the thought of chocolate cake put me in a euphoric mood.

The Port Royal is a beautiful, elegant restaurant. We lounged in comfortable chairs and sipped our coffee as we waited for our desserts. My mom decided on carrot cake, and Stacy asked for chocolate cake, while Sharon and I decided to share the Flambe Banana Royal.

The desserts were completely decadent. The Banana Royal was a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in whipped cream, sautéed bananas, rum, chocolate sauce and a hint of cinnamon. It was amazing. Stacy’s chocolate cake was rich and topped with a wonderful fudge-like frosting. And the spice of my mom’s carrot cake was balanced perfectly by the sweetness of the ice cream.

The evening was a success. When we finally walked out of the Port Royal and climbed into our cars, I promised myself that wouldn’t be the last time I’d taste Flambe Banana Royal.

Dinner cruises are available seven days a week at $65 per person, including tax and tip at each restaurant. Beverages are not included; bring your own on the boat. Cruises last approximately four hours and accommodate between six and 22 people. For more information, or to make reservations (two weeks in advance is recommended) call (805) 985-5828 or visit www.channelislandsharbor.org.