Family-owned Five Crowns restaurant celebrates 50 years with a new menu

Even as a child, Ryan O’Melveny Wilson knew flavorful and expertly prepared prime beef.

When he and his family traveled from Northern California to visit his grandfather’s Newport Beach restaurant, Five Crowns, he would ask for the New York steak au poivre.

“I’d only eat half of it, which annoyed my grandfather so much,” Wilson said with a laugh.

Having been charmed from the start by the restaurant’s beef, dark corners and decor, all considered aged to perfection, Wilson, 34, is now at the helm of Five Crowns as corporate executive chef and director of operations.

The Corona del Mar institution that opened in April 1965 is celebrating its golden anniversary, putting Wilson in an ambitious mood.

As part of the restaurant’s anniversary celebration, Wilson unveiled this year a new menu paying homage to classic dishes while offering a wide range of starters, entrees and family-style options.

It’s part of Wilson’s effort to breathe fresh life into the family-owned restaurant and bring its past into the present.

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English-style dream

Five Crowns’ opening 50 years ago didn’t create a spectacle.

The historical building that houses the restaurant on the corner of Poppy Avenue and East Coast Highway was once a revolving door for failed restaurants.

Corona del Mar was considered a sleepy enclave, and the business had to rely on summer tourists and a small group of local residents. But in less than a decade, Orange County and its coastal cities would begin to boom and Five Crowns would become a leading dining location in Southern California.

It was the dream of founder Richard Frank.

Frank admired England, its people and its culture. He wanted to create a restaurant resembling an old English country inn, welcoming returning guests for excellent food and hospitable service.

Lawrence Frank, Richard’s father, also was fascinated by the restaurant business. In 1922, he and his brother-in-law, Walter Van de Kamp, founded Tam O’Shanter, now one of Los Angeles’ oldest restaurants.

The pioneering restaurateurs Lawrence Frank and Van de Kamp were set to open a second dining experience that would serve one entree – prime rib of beef. Many considered it hare-brained, but the pioneering restaurateurs’ instincts proved right. Lawry’s The Prime Rib became an overnight hit.

In 1956, Richard Frank became president of his family’s companies. After he and his wife visited England, he proposed his restaurant idea. He eyed a building in Corona del Mar called the Hurley Bell, a 1930s structure that once was a gambling den. The land and the adjoining parking lot could be purchased for $450,000.

Richard bought it despite his father’s hesitance.

Van de Camp suggested the name “Five Crowns” because the new restaurant would be their fifth and each was a jewel in the crown.

But Richard wanted to name it the Bell and Crown — “Bell” for Hurley Bell and “Crown” for Corona del Mar (Spanish for “Crown of the Sea”).

Lawrence, who had heard of Hurley Bell’s reputation, opposed the name.

Richard agreed but was disappointed.

He still thought Bell and Crown would have been a better name.

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A place to celebrate

Many customers from as far away as Los Angeles and San Diego consider Five Crowns their place to celebrate special occasions.

Birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, including Wilson and his wife’s, have been celebrated in the setting of gardens, private dining rooms and patio.

“The Five Crowns has always been the well-heeled southside anchor of the city,” said Gordy Grundy, Newport Beach Historical Society president. “The Disney-esque, royal interior was a reservation for big life events and grand moments.”

Five Crowns’ attention to detail, its welcoming feel and its reputation for serving a delectable, award-winning menu contribute to its longevity, Wilson said. It’s the building too, he added.

“It’s rare to find that history in Southern California,” Wilson said.

Customers are like family, he said, as are the staff members. Many have been working there five to seven years, while others count more than 20 years. Five Crowns ambassador Tommy Martin, who served as wine captain and now walks from table to table, welcoming guests, has worked for the restaurant for more than 40 years, Wilson said.

“There’s a level of pride in work here at Five Crowns,” Wilson said, whose first full-time kitchen job was at Five Crowns in 2002, where he worked in the pantry, preparing salads, desserts and Sunday brunch service. After his culinary training in Northern California and Europe more than five years later, he served in a developmental role and helped open the English-style gastropub SideDoor, a separate operation within Five Crowns.

“Our mantra insists on calling our staff co-workers rather than employees,” he said. “It’s a philosophy that starts in how we say hello to people in the morning to goodbye in the evening. We’re passionate about taking care of our co-workers.”

Executive chef Steve Kling, who joined the Lawry’s group in 2010, and has been with Five Crowns for five years, said he was drawn to the history of Five Crowns. He said he will continue to refresh the restaurant’s menu with options that appeal to all ages.

“I think of food a lot,” said Kling, who worked alongside chef Thomas Keller at Bouchon in Beverly Hills and chef Katsuo Nagasawa at Ozumo in Newport Beach. “This is what I live and breathe, and here, we cook what we like to eat.”

The new menu that he and Wilson will introduce features Five Crowns classics such as Potato Horseradish Crusted Salmon and Beef Steak Neptune. But it also will include a modern twist. The goal, Wilson said, will be to change the menu every six to eight weeks to reflect seasonal changes.

Under the section “Plates for the Table” are a broiled 2-pound Maine lobster, a whole pan-roasted Jidori chicken and a 14-ounce beef tenderloin.

“The new menu still offers traditional items, but we’re making aggressive moves to making it more seasonal and diverse,” Wilson said. “This allows for us to break out of that traditional course by giving guests an option to dine in a more family-style environment.

“It’s wonderful to celebrate 50 years, but we need to be a current 50-year-old restaurant,” Wilson added. “Five Crowns has great heritage and it’s a place where people want to return.”