A Fiftieth Anniversary for a Couple of Golden Oldies

Salt Creek Grille

32802 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

2021 was a big year in my family. It was not only the year that I turned 50, it was also the year that my fantastic inlaws celebrated their golden anniversary. If this was any other year, I'm sure their children would have thrown a big lavish party in a hall or a larger venue. A party that would start out big and grandiose, and then as the night dragged on, with the help from the free-flowing alcohol, it would dissolve into long-ago stories of family lore and maybe some family drama would make an appearance.  

Luckily, we were spared that raucous event in favor of this smaller, more intimate affair at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point. My wonderful sister-in-law Sara selected Salt Creek Grille because my in-laws have always enjoyed this restaurant, which sits at the end of Crown Valley Parkway and intersects with Pacific Coast Highway in picturesque Dana Point. 

Salt Creek Grille was established in 1996, and in those 25 years, they have amassed quite a loyal following. They earned a four and a half star rating on Yelp with well over 2,000 reviews, their bar, porch, and lounge areas are packed for happy hour daily, and their Sunday brunch gets people out of their comfy beds and into their restaurant to end their hectic week. 

Back to our family dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cornerstone of our family, my inlaws. Sara and our event coordinator, Paige had every detail perfect as the fourteen of us all arrived at Salt Creek at 4pm precisely. This family can be a bit hard to handle, but Paige was a pro as she shared with us what they had in store for us on this very joyous occasion, and made sure our every need was met.  

We were seated in the Mason Library, which is one of three private dining spaces at Salt Creek. The long rectangular room could seat up to 40 people but was very comfortable with just the 14 of us. This private room had its advantages for us because it allowed the toddlers in our family to have some room to roam, without disrupting other guests. 

Before we get to our three course meal, we started things off with a trio of appetizers, which was good because I had eaten very little in anticipation of this meal. We had a Grazing Board with three kinds of cheese, prosciutto, salami, whole grain mustard, candied walnuts, dried fruit, pickled veggies, crackers, and berries. This was ideal as we hovered around it as everyone arrived. The Bacon Wrapped Shrimp were nicely done with a tinge of horseradish stuffed inside of them. Not too overpowering, the crispy bacon and shrimp were still the star of the show. The saltiness from the bacon and shrimp was balanced out with the provided chipotle honey sauce that accompanied this. The French Loaf is always a must-order at Salt Creek, with roasted garlic and asiago cheese baked on top of this dome of bread. Lather it with the whipped butter, and you won't be able to stop at just one piece. 

Our first course was either a Classic Caesar Salad or the Salt Creek Grille House Salad. It's probably no surprise to anyone that's read this blog for any length of time that I selected the Caesar. This was a good version of my favorite salad. Chopped romaine is used as the base and then asiago cheese, focaccia croutons, and a very traditional caesar dressing is added to the mix to make up this salad. I really enjoyed the crunchy croutons and the cheese on this, but it could have been dressed a bit more evenly as some of the greens were lacking in the dressing department. 

The House Salad had a little bit of something for everyone. Mixed greens are joined by sliced apples, tomato wedges, gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette. I'm a big fan of combining a multitude of flavor profiles, and this had the tang from the dressing, along with the sweet tinge from the apples, and the savoriness of the gorgonzola. Very balanced and well-liked from all that picked this salad on this early evening. 

I'll go through these entrees pretty quickly because I was not offered any bites, which is par for the course with this bunch. Very selfish. Here's a shot of the veggie option, the Seasonal Vegetable Ravioli with pesto. Rachel, who was lucky enough to sit right next to me, really enjoyed this plate. It really smelled good, and I had to fight back the urge to run a piece of bread through the pesto sauce. Yes, I was on my best behavior for once.  

The second option that we had to choose from was the Rotisserie Chicken in an herb au jus. This was a pretty good-sized portion, which was paired with broccolini, a few cherry tomatoes, and mashed potatoes underneath it all. A very comforting plate, but of course, I went for the third option below. 

When given the option, almost every time I'll jump at the chance to go for the red meat selection. Whether it's at a wedding reception, luncheon, or in this case, an anniversary dinner, red meat is my first choice almost every time. After my first bite of this Wood Fired Filet Mignon, I knew that I had made the right decision. It was predictably tender and boosted in flavor by the nice cabernet demi-glace topping it. The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy, while the broccolini was crisp and fresh. The tomatoes added a nice color splash to the plate, but I left them alone due to my aversion to this seedy fruit. 

Rounding things out was dessert, and somehow I talked my way into having both options. I guess I become very persuasive when dessert is involved. I love a good butter cake, but I think I liked their Chocolate Molten Cake even better. A very moist mini chocolate bundt cake was filled with warmed chocolate in the middle and topped with both whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. Very decadent. The Butter Cake here was good, but I've had better. I think the problem with this one was that there was too much going on in the way of the strawberry sauce and mixed berries. They both kind of detracted from the ice cream and the cake. Still, a sweet ending to our evening at Salt Creek Grille. 

I pretty much had to be wheeled out of Salt Creek when everything was all said and done. We all had a great time, with minimal squabbles during our time here, which is way better than most parties that involve my wife's family. Sara hit a homerun with her executive decision to hold her parent's 50th anniversary at Salt Creek Grille. Our event coordinator Paige was a pleasure to work with, and Megan, our server was right on top of every whim that any of us had. Salt Creek Grille is definitely a great place to hold your next event, like maybe a 51st-anniversary party next year. See you then. 

For more information about Salt Creek Grille, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.saltcreekgrille.com/