Hi...  I do love my meat and potatoes.  Simple food, french dip, steak
fries, etc, etc.  Due to the huge number of restaurants in my area
(Costa Mesa/Newport/Irvine), it's hard to find the hidden gems.

I'm looking for 3-4 recommendations for really good comfort food
restaurants in the South Coast Metro area, so.. SCP as the base, south
to the ocean, North to the 5, west to Harbor, and East to Irvine.
Menu prices don't matter.
Current personal favorites (to give you an idea)  - Prego's,
Houston's, Claim Jumper.

Bonus tip to places I've never been to/heard of.

Thanks,

Scary

I haven't been to California since 1971, so I can't give any personal
recommendations, but a friend of mine raves about Gustaf Anders:

http://www.imenu.com/gustaf-anders.htm

Ahh... Hello Pink.  So.. your comment came in the nick of time...
drove over there for lunch... and....  disappeared!  Nothing!  I think
they might have closed.  The # is disconnected, and I couldnt find any
evidence of them.

Thanks for the effort, however.

Scary

Oh, dear. I am sorry to have sent you on a wild goose chase, Scary.

Too late to save you the trip, I have found this:

"The venerable Gustaf Anders in Costa Mesa, the only
Swedish/Scandinavian fine-dining establishment in SoCal, served its
last aquavit after a 23-year run. Chef Ulf Anders Strandberg and
personable manager William Gustaf Magnuson have retired and returned
to their native Sweden."

http://starchefs.com/news/rumbles_murmurs/html/2004/05.shtml

Damn, and i was so hoping for an aquavit! :)  They are/were about two
blocks from me, so it was no major goose chase, thanks again.

Question still wiiiiddde open!  I'm hungry!  I needs mah taters!!

I know this is a jaunt (about 21 miles, so Mapquest says, east of
irvine), but how about just "meat" :)
http://www.trabucooakssteakhouse.com/index.htm 
Proudly displaying HOME OF THE TWO-POUND COWBOY STEAK!

Here's a shortlist from Yahoo! Local...
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/U_S__States/California/Counties_and_Regions/Orange_County/Entertainment_and_Arts/Restaurants/

And http://local.google.com/local?sc=1&q=steak&near=irvine%2C+ca&btnG=Google+Search

(The bottom lists "Great Steak and Potato" :) A restaurant!

I am not a Google Answers Researcher.

I live in Florida, so I can't vouch for any of this, I'm essentially a
Florida Cracker, but I was born in Westminster... I think I'd like to
visit the area sometime. Who knows. Enough about me, I hope you find
your food! :)

Five Crowns Newport Beach
http://www.gayot.com/restaurantpages/info.php?tag=OCRES00599&code=OC