Carless in the OC. What can I do and where can I eat?

March 22, 2004 4:47 PM

TravelFilter: Anaheim/Orange County. Limited time, no car. What to do? Where to eat? [More inside]

I'll be in Anaheim for a convention for about a week. I'll have some free time, but not a lot--some evenings free, and probably one or two half-days. I won't have an entire day free at any time. I'm staying near the convention center, and won't have a car, so things need to be either within walking distance or convenient to public transportation. (OCTA looks like it has pretty good coverage, but keep in mind it'll take longer for me to get there by bus than it would by car.) Given that time, what's worth doing?

And if the disadvantage of traveling on business is the limited time, the advantage is that I can spend more on food than I would otherwise. What restaurants would you recommend? I'd be especially interested in anyplace with a good selection of wines by the glass.

posted by DevilsAdvocate to travel & transportation (3 comments total)

Not far from the convention center is Koji's where you can get Shabu Shabu.
posted by Wet Spot at 5:57 PM on March 22, 2004

Like Vietnamese? Little Saigon could be fun.
posted by Voivod at 6:53 PM on March 22, 2004

Little Saigon is seconded. For Mexican, try Downtown Santa Ana (which also happens to be the bus hub for Orange County Transit).

Despite its location, OCTA is actually a pretty good system. 24 hour service on major routes (including the two next to the Anaheim Convention Center), relatively frequent service on major routes, and oh-so-cheap fares: $2.50 for a day pass.

Unfortunately, Orange County is pretty much a shopping center mess. Much of the nightlife in the town unfortunately revolves around shopping centers: the (Mills Corp.) Block and the (Irvine Co.) Spectrum. The beach is always cool, and at least you won't have to worry about parking, but it is a little far. On the other hand, there are some fasciniating communities, like the antique row in Orange or the Mexican shopping district in Santa Ana.
posted by calwatch at 11:11 PM on March 22, 2004