Ritz Restaurant

Poor Cat. She wants to get together for lunch so I tell her to pick the restaurant, someplace convenient for her, and she says, "How about the Ritz?"

Poor Cat. She wants to get together for lunch so I tell her to pick the restaurant, someplace convenient for her, and she says, "How about the Ritz?"

Pardon me while I rant. . . . What is our world coming to? I read that due to the complaints of a few businesswomen, the beautiful paintings of women in various stages of undress have been removed from the walls of Newport Beach's Ritz restaurant. Apparently, said women found these paintings, which were far from pornographic, offensive and degrading, or words to that effect. The Ritz is a classy restaurant with ambience to spare, and as an art lover I (and, no doubt, thousands of other people)

Reviewers ranked The Ritz in Newport Beach as their "most popular" restaurant in Orange County as well as the one with the best service, according to the 2000 edition of the Zagat Survey, a respected guide that ranks restaurants nationwide. In the survey's three main categories of food, decor and service, The Ritz narrowly edged out the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in overall score. The Ritz-Carlton earned first-place honors for its decor.

Members of the Fashionables--a support group of Chapman University in Orange that raises funds for its proposed All-Faith's Chapel--gathered at the Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach on Saturday for their annual holiday brunch. Honoring 12 years of tradition, guests joined carolers and Santa Claus as they swept down the red carpet under the bistro's trademark canopy.

Big plans netted a bigger party Sunday at the South Coast Cancer League's "A Taste for Life" benefit at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa. More than 670 guests paid $100 each to sample food from 25 local restaurants and choose from 170 domestic and imported wines. Attendance was nearly double last year's bash--this in a season of slim guest lists and paired-down proceeds. How did party planners do it? "I totally panicked," admitted Donna Blue, who chaired the event.

He slips into a cushy leather booth at his Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach and talks of the late '40s, his days as a chef apprentice at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. But not for long. No sooner has Hans Prager reminisced about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor--"they kept an apartment at the Waldorf Towers and would come to the room service kitchen and pass out cartons of cigarettes to everyone behind the cooking line,"--the Shah of Iran, and Nikita S.

Reviewers ranked The Ritz in Newport Beach as their "most popular" restaurant in Orange County as well as the one with the best service, according to the 2000 edition of the Zagat Survey, a respected guide that ranks restaurants nationwide. In the survey's three main categories of food, decor and service, The Ritz narrowly edged out the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in overall score. The Ritz-Carlton earned first-place honors for its decor.

Caroline Ahmanson, Harry Bubb and Betty Moss, from left, live it up at the Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach on Sunday after the presentation of Business in the Arts awards to 13 local businesses. Receiving awards were: Five Feet restaurant, Tiffany & Co., Trammel Crow Co./Winthrop Financial Associates, Ford Motor Co., KPMG Peat Marwick Main & Co., First Interstate Bank, Pacific Bell/Pacific Telesis, Security Pacific Corp, and The Times Orange County. Also receiving awards were the Irvine Co., C.

Members of the Fashionables--a support group of Chapman University in Orange that raises funds for its proposed All-Faith's Chapel--gathered at the Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach on Saturday for their annual holiday brunch. Honoring 12 years of tradition, guests joined carolers and Santa Claus as they swept down the red carpet under the bistro's trademark canopy.

Pardon me while I rant. . . . What is our world coming to? I read that due to the complaints of a few businesswomen, the beautiful paintings of women in various stages of undress have been removed from the walls of Newport Beach's Ritz restaurant. Apparently, said women found these paintings, which were far from pornographic, offensive and degrading, or words to that effect. The Ritz is a classy restaurant with ambience to spare, and as an art lover I (and, no doubt, thousands of other people)

He slips into a cushy leather booth at his Ritz restaurant in Newport Beach and talks of the late '40s, his days as a chef apprentice at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. But not for long. No sooner has Hans Prager reminisced about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor--"they kept an apartment at the Waldorf Towers and would come to the room service kitchen and pass out cartons of cigarettes to everyone behind the cooking line,"--the Shah of Iran, and Nikita S.

Big plans netted a bigger party Sunday at the South Coast Cancer League's "A Taste for Life" benefit at the Robert Mondavi Wine and Food Center in Costa Mesa. More than 670 guests paid $100 each to sample food from 25 local restaurants and choose from 170 domestic and imported wines. Attendance was nearly double last year's bash--this in a season of slim guest lists and paired-down proceeds. How did party planners do it? "I totally panicked," admitted Donna Blue, who chaired the event.

Regarding the Ritz restaurant removing the nudes ("Nudes No Longer Dress Bar," March 8): I'm a regular at the Ritz and lunch with a group of women who love those nude paintings. They make us feel like we can eat as much as we like and still look good (thanks to the Rubenesque style!). Don't our opinions count as much as these so-called businesswomen? I say that any woman who can't close a deal because of a painting is not a real businesswoman. Let them eat at the Mariners Elementary School cafeteria with the little girls.

"Puttin' on the Ritz," a fund-raising event sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Orange County, will be held at the Ritz Restaurant on Thursday. Hosted by the Goodwill Helmsmen, the organization's volunteer support group, the $45 event includes a selection of wines, hors d'oeuvres and desserts. The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Guests are also encouraged to bring bags of clothing donations to qualify for a chance to win a dinner for two at the Yankee Tavern Restaurant in Newport Beach.