CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Port’s Owner Disappointed But Ready To Move On

When the City Council decided unanimously not to let The Port Restaurant and Bar stay open later on weekends, owner Ali Zadeh said he was not surprised.

“It is what it is,” he said in an interview today. “I’m disappointed, but I’m a reasonable kind of person.”

The City Council on Tuesday night held a public hearing on Zadeh’s appeal of a planning commission decision not to let him have live music, close at 1 a.m. or have weekend lunches. In the end, they decided to keep closing time at midnight, allow weekend lunches and take a closer look at allowing limited live music.

Several neighbors testified that the restaurant at 440 Heliotrope Avenue drew noisy patrons who created parking problems and worse. One woman brought photographs of vomit on the street, which she showed to the council.

But others rallied around Zadeh and The Port. Bartender Lindsay Watkins told the council members that she was going through terrible times, having lost her job and focus, when Zadeh hired her.

“I was going to lose my destiny,” she said. “But Ali opened up his arms. If it wasn’t for Port, I don’t know where I’d be.”

Zadeh said that listening to his supporters bolstered his mood in spite of not gaining the extra hours on weekends. He also said he has faith in the future of his restaurant.

“I look at it as a long-term project,” he said. “The place is popular. That means a lot.”