Eatery, boutique slated for Mariner's Mile

Two conspicuously vacant properties along Mariner's Mile in Newport Beach may get a breath of life when a high-end boutique and a trendy Los Angeles restaurant move in soon.

A'Maree's, a women's dress shop on Westcliff Drive, plans to move to the large white building with sweeping arches at 2241 W. Coast Hwy. It most recently housed Windows on the Bay, a restaurant that opened in the late 1990s and closed around 2000. Before that, two other restaurants were at the location: Stuft Shirt and Cano's.

The building was constructed in the early 1960s, and Stuft Shirt soon came to be known for its upscale clientele. Windows on the Bay operators later ran afoul of Lido Island neighbors across the bay who complained of noise.

A'Maree's is making interior improvements and is scheduled to open there in September, a representative said.

Pizzeria Mozza, a popular West Hollywood restaurant co-owned by celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton, plans to move into the former Dulce restaurant building at 800 W. Coast Hwy. next April, according to a company representative.

"It's an area that Mario loves," said Alex Munoz-Suarez, the director of operations for B&B Hospitality, the parent company. "We also think it's an area that's very, very affluent, and it's a great target base."

Mozza is known for its wine list — 50 bottles for less than $50 — and its gourmet pizza. The company plans to gut the existing building, which became overgrown with weeds in the last few years. Newport Beach will be the pizzeria's third location; the others are in Los Angeles and Singapore.