No Cliffhanger About the Food at the Cliff Restaurant

 The Cliff Restaurant and Bar

577 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

With some exceptions, I have come to a conclusion about restaurants that have spectacular views. Unfortunately, most are not very good when it comes to the food that they serve. They think they can just get by because people like to eat while taking in the breathtaking scenery. In OC, we have a couple of these restaurants; Orange County Mining Company, Las Brisas, Orange Hill Restaurant, Wind and Sea Restaurant, and Harpoon Henery's, to name a few off the top of my head. 

My aunt and uncle had wanted to meet up with us for lunch, and they had requested that I pick somewhere with a nice view. I racked my brain trying to come up with some places that are known for their view, but also places that I had never been, so I could take the opportunity to write a review. Finally, I sent them three or four places I had found, and they selected The Cliff Restaurant in Laguna to try. 

With the help of my good friend Darin, who runs one of the many parking lots in the city, parking was a breeze on this particular Sunday at noon. The Cliff is notorious for its long waits for tables, especially on days when the weather is beautiful in this seaside community. So I joined the waitlist on Yelp at just the right time to have our table ready at noon. We were called to the hostess stand at noon but were not seated until twenty minutes later, which was still way better than waiting in front of the restaurant for two hours, which is what they were quoting as the time to be seated.  

The dining area is a multi-level patio with plenty of blue umbrellas to shield you from the elements as you eat. The view was as advertised. Magnificent and stunning are words that come to mind. I must not be the only one to think so, as everyone's instinct when seated here is to whip out their phones and snap many pictures. The setting brought to mind what I'd expect it feels like to dine along the Agean Sea in the Greek Islands, even though I've never had that pleasure. 

The lunch menu at the Cliff is a one-page affair divided into starters, salads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood specialties, and Mexican-style items. Prices for mains range between $16 and $33, while appetizers will set you back at around $16. We were all hungry, so we made our selections rather quickly as we caught up on each other's goings-on. Let's see if The Cliff is just a pretty spot to eat or does the food match this exquisite view.

Jenny starts things off with the Soup of the Day ($6), which on Sundays is Lobster Bisque. They also have clam chowder every day, but it wasn't ready when we visited. Jenny reports that this bisque was okay but not as rich as others she has had, and there were no little bits of lobster running through it. However, the chowder gets a lot more love online, so that might be the way to go if you are in the mood for soup. 

Cutting down on my writing time, three of my family members got the Fish and Shrimp Combo ($20). This fried combo consisted of three rather large shrimp, three pieces of cod, and a pile of fries. A good-sized plate, but unfortunately, the fish did not win many rave reviews from these three. They felt the breading on the fish was not as crunchy as they would have liked, and the fish underneath refused to give up that pop of flavor that would have compensated for that. The shrimp still had the breading issue but was way more flavorful and was their clear favorite. The fries were fine but unremarkable. 

My aunt bucked the trend from the rest of her immediate family by selecting this Baja Burrito ($16). This burrito uses tempura Mahi Mahi as its base, adding shredded cabbage, pico de Gallo, white cheddar cheese, and chipotle aioli to fill the slightly grilled tortilla. Not the best seafood burrito my aunt has consumed, but passable. 

Even though we were feet away from the ocean, Katie and I veered away from seafood at The Cliff, as she went with the Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich ($16). Everyone is doing a fried chicken sandwich these days, and The Cliff adds pickles and a spicy ranch to theirs. Katie liked the chicken, which was tender and juicy, but this needed way more of the spicy ranch to make it better. 

Last but not least, I finally ordered the Prime Rib Dip ($21) after much deliberation. I probably should have gone with my first option. Unfortunately, this was not an excellent prime rib sandwich. The bread was hard, and the meat tasted less like prime rib and more like that dried beef that you get at the supermarket in the jar. The meat was more than likely leftovers from the evening before. Thank god there was au jus to dunk this in; otherwise, it would have been pretty hard to choke it down. That and the only other saving grace was the horseradish, which provided the only flavor I detected while eating this. The fries were okay and probably the star of this plate. Not a good sign when frozen fries are the best part of your meal. 

Sadly, The Cliff Restaurant's food could not compete with its spectacular view. At best, the food is average, and as with my prime rib sandwich, way worse than that. The food took a while to make its way from the kitchen, so maybe they were short-staffed or just having a bad day. I thought the price point was more than fair, especially considering this neighborhood. Our server was fine but might have been stretched too thin, another sign of the labor shortage hitting the restaurant industry. 

Out of five thunderbolts (because the largest cliff in the world is Mount Thor on Baffin Island in Canada, and it's named after the Norse god of thunder), five being best to zero being worst, The Cliff Restaurant gets 2 thunderbolts. 

For more information about The Cliff Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.thecliffrestaurant.com/

Date Night in Dana Point

 Station Craft

34150 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

It was a very overdue date night for Katie and me. It seemed like forever since we had gone out just the two of us. We have gotten into a routine where we are both pretty exhausted after working ridiculous hours at our jobs, just picking up something on the way home through the drive-thru lane, and crashing on the couch watching TV. This cycle repeats until it is broken with a night out with our family or friends. This particular evening we broke free from our comfort zone and headed to Station Craft in Dana Point. 

Station Craft has been open for just over a year now, and if you could not tell from their name, they are big into craft beers. Their rotating board above the L-shaped bar shares what kinds of beers are available on the day you visit, along with others that are available by the can to go. They brew on the premises, which is pretty impressive based on the size of their operation, which is right alongside busy PCH. They also hopped on the seltzer train, with two varieties offered. 

I was saving my calories for the food, which was seriously needed after a hard Saturday at work. Their menu is not going to dazzle you with a ton of options. They have six appetizers to choose from, along with two salads, five mains, and a duo of desserts to finish things off with. Appetizers will run you about $13, while the burgers and sandwiches range between $16 to $25 for their lobster roll. Based on what I've seen online, it does seem like their menu has changed since we visited late last year, so be advised of that. 

When we visited back in October, (yes, I'm a little behind in my reviews), college football and the baseball playoffs were in full swing, with a good number of the Station Craft patrons watching the games, while others were seated on the patio that hangs above the parking lot. We were seated at a high-top table near the entrance of the restaurant, which allowed a great place for people-watching in the sleek, white-walled dining space. Let's check out the food. 

Before we get to the food, we were presented with these Roasted Mixed Nuts as we sat down. A very nice touch. They were spiced nicely, with a little pop of flavor that came through in each handful. 

We started things off with both Katie and I choosing an appetizer. I went with the Glazed Brussels Sprouts ($8 plus $2 for an egg added on top). This was fine, but the glaze needed to be mixed amongst the sprouts better, as it all settled down at the bottom of the bowl. The egg added very little here, and I'd skip it the next time I had this. Katie's a big fan of Bavarian Pretzels ($13) and tries them quite regularly. She liked this one but felt that the beer cheese that came with this was more beer than cheese, so she was more into dipping this into the provided, but not pictured hot mustard. 

Not on their menu anymore, at least online, Katie selected this Black and Bleu Chicken Sandwich ($17). This chicken sandwich came with some blue cheese crumbles and lettuce on what I think was toasted sourdough. Katie was far from impressed with this, calling it just okay, and kind of boring. Maybe some more blue cheese and some mayo would have helped boost this up in the flavor department. This came with housemade potato chips, which were over-fried and definitely over salted. A very disappointing meal for Katie. 

I had heard some good things about the Double Crush Burger ($18), but I think I was duped. This smash-style burger included two very thin patties which had a good caramelization to them from the grill, but they needed to be seasoned more. The cheese really added nothing here, and if there were any other condiments on here, they got lost somehow. For some reason, this brought to mind the Double Del Cheeseburger from Del Taco, which I like and has more flavor than what I was given on this evening. The salad fell right in line with the burger, as the blue cheese dressing was thin and tasteless. The greens were at least fresh, but that does you no good if they are not dressed properly. 

I'd sum Station Craft up as a brewery first, and a restaurant second. Nothing we consumed here warrants another visit  It was not awful food, it just seems like they put way more thought into their beverage program, rather than their food. Nothing wrong with that, but this is not a destination dining establishment. With that being said, we had really good service, which seems to be not the case for a lot of Yelper's out there. I also really did enjoy the vibe here, as it was not pretentious, and would be a place that I'd visit again for beer and other adult beverages. I'd just leave to find another place when it was time to eat.  

Out of five dolphins, (because this is the mascot of Dana Hills High School), five being best to zero being worst, Station Craft gets 2.5 dolphins. 

For more information about Station Craft, head to their website by clicking here: https://stationcraft.com/ 

Getting to Inka Cantina in a Roundabout Way

 Inka Cantina

18279 Brookhurst St. 

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

When going out to eat, it's good to be with people that are flexible. We had made plans with our friends Chris and Adrienne to meet up for dinner recently. We had picked a spot, drove the half-hour from our place, and were met with a nearly two-hour wait. This was not going to work out, so I quickly went to Yelp to find a nearby restaurant that had a more manageable wait, and that's what brought us to Inka Cantina. 

Inka Cantina is situated in the very same shopping center as Paderia Bakehouse, which I contend serves the best cookies in all of OC. Along with anchor stores, T.J. Maxx, Rite Aid, and Ralph's, there's also a Super Mex, Flame Broiler, and Subway in this almost always busy shopping plaza, located a few blocks south of the 405 freeway. 

Now that you have the lay of the land, let's get down to business. Predictably, Inka Cantina serves Peruvian food. For those unaware, Peruvian food can best be described as a fusion cuisine that draws from the indigenous people of that South American country, along with all the other corners of the world, Europe, Africa, and Asian influences are prevalent. There are 28 microclimates in Peru, so the bounty is varied, which allows for great diversity in its cuisine. I'm by no means an expert in Peruvian food, but out of the handful of times I've had it, I've enjoyed almost everything that I've been confronted with. 

Inka Cantina has been around since 2011, and in those eleven years, they garnered a four-star rating on Yelp with over 600 reviews and were mentioned a couple of times in the now-defunct OC Weekly as being the jewel of Peruvian restaurants, at least that's what they said when they visited back in 2016. I was definitely curious to see if anything had changed in the last 5 years. 

The menu has exactly what you'd expect from a Peruvian restaurant in OC, with empanadas, ceviche, and lomo saltado being offered, but there are deeper cuts here. Things that you can't find in other Peruvian restaurants in our great county. Luckily, these are explained very clearly in their descriptions, which also probably helps the waitstaff from answering an absurd amount of questions. No questions from the four of us, so we quickly ordered and waited for our food to arrive, while hoping that this impromptu visit to Inka Cantina would be a good alternative to where we were going to eat in the first place. 

First up was a trio of Empanadas ($12.45). At Inka Cantina they offer three kinds of empanadas; spinach with cheese, beef, and chicken, so we opted to try one of each. Maybe it was the hunger that I was experiencing, but I really enjoyed each of them. If I had to pick, I'd say the spinach and cheese was my first place winner, followed closely by the beef version. Definitely some of the better empanadas that I've had in a long while.  

Entree time, and starting things off for us is Katie's choice on this evening, the Tallarin Verde con Pollo ($16.45). It's basically a boneless chicken breast that is pounded thin and seasoned with Peruvian spices and served over a spaghetti pesto. I really enjoyed this plate, as the chicken was nicely tender and the seasonings really popped. The contrast between the pesto and the chicken was nicely done and has got me thinking that I need more pesto in my life. Katie was thrilled with her selection, and would not hesitate to get this one again. 

Another dish I have never seen at a Peruvian restaurant was sat in front of Chris, the Cantinas Asado de la Abuela ($19.45). Sliced beef bathed in a rich deep gravy, served with buttery garlic mashed potatoes, a smattering of green beans, and a pyramid of steamed white rice created this very comforting plate. It's not a stretch to imagine this being served by a grandmother. The beef was fork-tender and the garlic was prevalent in the mashed potatoes. There could have been a more substantial serving of green beans, but Chris did not seem to mind as he cleaned his plate rather quickly. 

Call me a traditionalist or just basic, but my first meal in a new to me Peruvian spot has to be the most famous of all Peruvian plates, lomo saltado. At Inka Cantina they have two versions, one that uses regular strips of beef, or the one that both Adrienne and I opted for, the Cantina Lomo Saltado ($19.45) which uses strips of ribeye, which is my favorite kind of steak, and definitely worth the extra three bucks. This was a pretty straightforward version with onions, cilantro, peppers, tomato, and french fries joining the strips of beef. The ribeye was nicely done, just a tad over medium rare, which would have been optimal. The fries remained pretty crisp, maybe due to this version not having a lot of sauce incorporated into it. Still a very solid lomo, and made even better with their very good aji verde sauce which provided a very nice bump in the spiciness quotient of this plate. 

Inka Cantina filled in admirably for the restaurant we had originally wanted to go to, but did not want to wait a couple of hours to eat at. This is easily some of the best Peruvian food we have had in OC, and again, I'm by no means an expert of Peruvian cuisine, but I do know what I like, and the food here was delicious. The space is unpretentious, the service was warm and efficient, and the prices are on par with the portion sizes we received. Inka Cantina has definitely gotten me excited to try more Peruvian places in the coming months. 

Out of five yellow underpants, (because it's a custom in Peru and other Latin American countries to give the gift of yellow underwear on New Year's Eve, bringing good luck to the recipient in the upcoming year), five being best to zero being worst, Inka Cantina gets 3.5 yellow underpants.  

For more information about Inka Cantina, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.inkacantina.com/ 

Buttering up to the Butter House

 

The Butter House

1760 Fremont Blvd. Suite B-1

Seaside, CA 93955

My brother-in-law's wedding day, so a hearty breakfast was needed to get us through the day. A quick Yelp search yielded plenty of breakfast options that looked promising, but there was one that caught my eye right away. It was The Butter House in nearby Seaside, about ten minutes from our hotel in Monterey. 

Butter House opened its doors in 2019 and was brought to us by Susan and Benny Mosqueda, longtime locals of the area who wanted to bring breakfast with a Polynesian/Filipino twist to the citizenry of this region. They must have tapped into something because there's a wait for a table most days, and if you are determined to eat here on the weekend, plan on getting to Butter House early or check in on Yelp and wait it out. 

Since we were going to be eating with Katie's sister and her family, we checked in on Yelp on our way over, and by the time they arrived, we were pretty close to being seated. We were taken to the back portion of the busy restaurant, which was perfect because we were going to be eating with our toddler nephew Jacob, who, like all two years olds, can best be described as wormy, as he doesn't sit still for a moment. 

As I mentioned earlier, there's definitely a Hawaiian vibe with many of the house specialties. Still, there's plenty to choose from for people who like more straightforward, traditional breakfast options. There's plenty in the way of egg combos, scrambles, benedicts, hashes, pancakes, waffles, and french toast. Even though this is mainly a breakfast restaurant, they are open until 2pm, so there are also some burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers to select from. We were focused on breakfast, so let's see if we made a wise decision coming here. 

Let's start off with my sister-in-law's breakfast. No one will ever call Emily an adventurous eater. She's pretty vanilla when it comes to food. So, it was no surprise that she only got this Bacon and Egg Combo ($12). Two eggs, four strips of bacon, and what looked like country potatoes from my vantage point across the table made up this plate. To her credit, Emily did have a few bites of this, but she shared most of this plate with Jacob, who took a few bites while watching his tablet. 

Katie was not much more adventurous when it came to her choice for breakfast, with this Breakfast Burrito ($10). Rolled up in the flour tortilla were two scrambled eggs, bell peppers, onions, cheese, and hashbrowns, with her choice of protein this particular morning being bacon. This also came with three hash browns triangles as her side, just in case she did not have enough potato. This was a more enormous burrito than she thought it would be, and she had a hard time finishing it. She felt the egg-to-potato ratio was a little too much in favor of the potatoes, as she would have liked more egg in here, but a solid breakfast burrito nonetheless. It was made better with their delicious salsa verde. The hashbrowns on the side were nicely fried and crispy.  

I knew I could count on Jason to get something a little more out of the box for breakfast, and he obliged by getting the Adobo Pork Belly Fried Rice ($15). This one starts with some garlic fried rice, then topped with pork belly tossed in adobo sauce, and finished with bell peppers, onions, and two eggs. This was really tasty. The pork belly was tender and flavorful, the rice went perfectly with it, and the eggs bound everything together. Stick to your ribs comfort food that made Jason very happy that he ordered this meal to start his day. 

Last was my meal, the Fried Chicken and Waffles ($15.50). To be honest, I've never really seen the appeal of this very popular dish. That was until this particular morning at the Butter House. The fried chicken was boneless, had a nice crunchy breading surrounding it, and was one of the most tender pieces of chicken I have had the pleasure to consume when bitten into it. It was made even better with the SOS Gravy, which was well worth the extra $3 upcharge. The waffle was done nicely, with deep wells in each piece which allowed the maple syrup to supply plenty of sweetness in each forkful. This dish got a hold of me well past our weekend getaway, and I find myself looking for reasons to revisit this area just so I can partake in this great breakfast again. 

As if you couldn't tell, I was pretty smitten with our visit to The Butter House. It's hard to elevate breakfast, but they achieved it with the Polynesian tinge on some plates. If I lived in the area, I'd definitely be up to try their breakfast fried rice, breakfast sandwich, and lumpia, which they were not serving when we visited in early October. The service was pretty good, especially considering how busy they were. The food also got out way faster than I imagined, which was excellent since we were eating with a toddler and had to prepare for the upcoming Big Sur wedding later in the afternoon. The Butter House is definitely worth a visit when you find yourself in the Monterey area. 

Out of five otters (because the city of Seaside is home to Cal State University Monterey Bay, and their mascot is fittingly an otter), five being best to zero being worst, The Butter House gets 4 otters.  

For more information about The Butter House, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.thebutterhouse.com/home-copy