Swinging by for Some Carolina Vibes - CLOSED

Porch and Swing

2010 Main Street Suite #170

Irvine, CA 92614

When I first met Katie's family back in 2009, I have to admit I was not in love with their restaurant choices. They'd head to Mimi's Cafe, Cedar Creek, El Ranchito, and Coco's on a reasonably consistent rotation when Papa was in town —not exactly top-notch spots. I always found things to eat at these restaurants, but I knew there was better out there. 

I might have been the one to gently push them to expand their culinary horizons, but the real catalyst for better restaurant experiences was Katie's mom, Lynn. She became enamored with food and restaurant programs on TV. As Netflix became more popular in the later years of the last decade, she became entranced by immersing herself in Chef's Table, The Great British Baking Show, Salt Fat Acid Heat, Ugly Delicious, and others. 

Seeing these shows and the creativity that the chefs possessed got her to expand her restaurant repertoire by trying new places she read about in magazines, newspapers, and, of course, her son-in-law's fantastic restaurant blog. When I mentioned Porch and Swing as a possible dining option for a long-overdue meet-up with her and her cantankerous husband, Dennis, she could not say yes quickly enough. 

It was a slam dunk, especially after I mentioned Chef Justin Werner's impressive resume. He won Chopped on Food Network, worked at Noma, the Copenhagen spot called the best restaurant in the world, spent significant time at high-end restaurants in New York, and then moved to OC to work for Jason Quinn at Playground DTSA for the last four years.  

Venturing out on his own now, Porch and Swing is his tribute to the cuisine of Charleston, South Carolina. This city borders the Atlantic, so it's a mixture of seafood and soul food. Chef Justin highlights this cuisine with the highest-quality ingredients, a seasonal menu that changes quite often, and a relaxed and cozy atmosphere at his restaurant. 

Burger lovers will remember this space as the old Mick's Karma Bar at the Irvine Concourse Office Towers. It has been expanded a bit, with a lovely patio for al fresco dining, which is about 300 days per year in OC when the weather permits. 

The inside has been very open since they were serving hamburgers here. The ceiling has been raised, the walls painted white, and a 12-seat bar in the corner conveys a very open and airy space. The one-page menu is divided into four parts: a bread section, then salads and starters, an eight-pack of entrees to select from, and a trio of sides to finish things. Instead of writing about the menu, let's look at what we had this evening. 

Since I was eating with three people in keto life, I was surprised when Lynn suggested we start with this Skillet Cornbread ($10). This skillet came out scalding hot, with a dollop of spiked honey butter melting rapidly atop the cornbread. I'm not positive what it was spiked with, but it added just the right amount of muted sweetness to each bite of the cornbread. My first bite was okay, but as I ate this, I warmed to it. It's not a sweet cornbread, but I liked the dense texture of it. 

Lynn called the shots this evening as she jumped to try these Suncoast Farm Figs ($16). The fresh figs included creamy goat cheese, pistachio pieces, and a gastrique. I'll admit I'm not much into figs or goat cheese, but I found myself coming back for my fair share of forkfuls. The figs were fine, but what made this for me was how the other ingredients enhanced them. You get the earthy feel from the pistachio, the creaminess of the goat cheese, and the sweet and savory from the gastrique. It became a winning combination. 

Katie will lead us in the first of our four entrees this evening. Even though she requested that the Imperial Farms Wagyu Flank Steak ($36) be cooked well, it was actually edible, which is not always the case in some restaurants. Maybe someday she will venture into having her proteins cooked in the medium range. The steak had a good crust on the outside, while the inside was juicy, even though it was well done. It made me think that if they could make this well-done piece of meat taste this good, their medium rare flank steak has to be out of this world. This came paired with some crispy kale with shallots strewn on top. This kale was much to Katie's liking.  

It's always a crapshoot about what Dennis will have for dinner when we go out. His tastes run the gamut from soup for dinner to a big entree. He again surprised me this evening by going for the Seared Scallops ($27). These three scallops were perched above a very tasty corn puree. The scallops were done perfectly, with a wonderful tenderness to them. The whole plate did not last long, as Dennis enjoyed it very much. 

The Braised and Glazed Short Rib ($26) is what made an appearance in front of Lynn. As is the case with everything we had from the entree portion of the menu, it was plated in a sauce, puree, or, as you will see in my upcoming meal, grits. The puree was composed of sweet potato and brown butter for the short rib. It featured a tinge of sweetness, which helped counteract the slight savoriness of the fork-tender short rib. I liked the give and take of the bite that Lynn allowed me to have. The flavors were vying for my attention. A very well-crafted plate. 

Not every day do you see Roasted Pork Jowl ($26) on a menu. Hopefully, that will change after this stellar plate. The pork was juicy and tender, with all the bites resembling the moistest bite of carnitas you've ever encountered. The richness was broken up by adding a surprisingly spicy pepper jam. The grits were one of the best I've had in OC and paired nicely with the pork. Definitely, a meal that will keep you comfy on these colder winter evenings. 

Our last hurrah at Porch and Swing for the night was the Rice Pudding Cloud ($12). This simple dessert was created using one of the lightest rice puddings I have ever had, a sliced banana, and a salted caramel drizzle on top. The pudding was light and fluffy but not crazy sweet. The banana and the salted caramel provided the sweetness for this dessert. 

Porch and Swing impressed me and lived up to Chef Justin's impressive resume. The food was well executed, great ingredients were used, and the subtle ways he infused flavors into each plate were nicely done. The portion sizes will not overwhelm you at Porch and Swing, but the superior level of the meals and technique will make anyone who appreciates fine food happy that they came here for lunch or dinner. Service was first-rate, and they have a good-sized patio for people who are more at ease sitting outdoors. We had a wonderful conversation with Chef Justin at the end of our meal, where we got to talk about food and the restaurant industry. Also, we got a quick tutorial on all the microgreens he uses at the restaurant and how he uses them to infuse flavor into his dishes. Most importantly, we had the chance to witness my mother-in-law show her inner fangirl for chefs, as she was practically swooning by the end of our evening at Porch and Swing. 

Out of five birdies (because the first golf club in the United States was established in Charleston in 1787, the same year my father-in-law got his first and only birdie on a golf course), five being best to zero being worst, Porch and Swing get 4 birdies.  

For more information about Porch and Swing, head to their website here: https://www.porchandswing.com/