Best Restaurants of 2022

We made it! 2022 has now been whittled down to a few more hours. Thankfully, this year has been a closer return to normal. People are back out going to sporting events, amusement parks, traveling, and most importantly, eating in restaurants. With all that has gone on in the world over the last two years, I'm so happy for the restaurants that have persevered through all of this, and I still mourn the restaurants we've lost, even the bad ones. 

With the upcoming new year, it's the natural time to reflect on the past. It's hard to believe that I've been at this for 13 years. When I started this restaurant review blog in 2009, I had no idea I would still be doing this and enjoying it as much as I do. My last review was for restaurant number 980. That makes this coming year the moment I will finally fulfill one of my goals of 1,000 different restaurant reviews on this blog. I have a few plans for that milestone, but I will wait to reveal them. 

As most of my contemporaries in the blogging world have ditched their websites, stopped writing about food for other pursuits, or gone on to bigger and greater things, I have no plans on stopping my quest for great eats in Orange County and beyond. I have always envisioned this website as a resource tool for all of you. A place where you can see pictures of the food, get a little insight from me, and then decide if you want to spend your hard-earned money at the places I visit. As time marches, this site will become a time capsule for restaurants no longer in business and what foods were hot at a particular time. Like, remember when quinoa was all the rage? Good times. 

I hit my modest goal of writing at least one restaurant review weekly in 2022, which will become my norm. Unfortunately, as it sits now, I'm running a couple of months behind from when I visit a restaurant to when I finish a review. I plan to rectify that timespan in the future, as I'll skip binge-watching TV shows, abstain from social media as much, and be more focused when I sit down at my desk to write. We'll see how that all works out. 

Before I get to the best 10 restaurants I ate at this year, I'd like to thank my family and friends who supported my modest hobby of eating out in restaurants over the years. I'd also like to thank Katie, my forever dining companion, for her continued support not only of this blog but in everything that I do. Lastly, I'd like to express gratitude to all of you who have taken the time to read or at least checked out the pictures of what I've eaten over the last 13 years. You all mean the world to me. Happiest of New Year to all of you!

Here are the best ten restaurants I've eaten at in 2022. 

#10 - PorchBox - Laguna Hills

PorchBox makes this list because I love their concept. Their menu changes with the seasons. You get the main course and three sides to choose from, all for $15, or what you'd spend at your local fast food spot, and this tastes like food should taste. A very convenient place to pick up dinner for you or the family, and something you will feel good about giving to your loved ones. 

#9 - Mattern's Sausage and Deli - Orange

German food is not readily available as much in OC these days, with the recent closing of Jagerhaus and the Phoenix Club, but Mattern's is still churning out sausages, smoked pork chops, and one heck of a Reuben sandwich. They also have a small market, where you can find some hard-to-find German specialty items. Definitely worth a stop. 

#8 - Vox Kitchen - Foutain Valley

One of the most reviewed OC restaurants on Yelp, and with a mighty 4.5-star rating, I'm ashamed I didn't make it here sooner. Vox Kitchen serves up Asian comfort food with a Peruvian influence. Their food has broad appeal, and they get it to your table almost at warp speed. Slow it down, guys. We want to enjoy your delicious cuisine. 

#7 - La Super Birria - Santa Ana

2022 continued the birria trend that has taken hold of OC. The best we had this year was from La Super Birria, a mini-chain that has now sprouted to four locations. The quesabirria and all the tacos are stellar but don't sleep on the birria ramen, which is delicious, and not just a novelty dish to show off on Instagram. 

#6 - Folks Pizzeria - Costa Mesa

The best pizza we had this year can be found at Folks Pizzeria, located at The Camp. It's easy to see why this place always seems to have a long wait. High-quality pizza, their chopped salad with a lot of shaved parmesan, and their bread and butter to start will make any time you have to wait worth it. 

#5 - Solstice - Irvine

Another fine dining gem for the city of Irvine. Solstice is predictably a seasonally driven restaurant. Their menu changes four times a year, highlighting what's fresh during each quarter of the year. Unfortunately, they had to delay their opening due to pandemic material shortages, but the management team and their staff hit their stride during our visit in June. 

 #4 - 17th Street Deli - Costa Mesa

Every neighborhood needs an excellent deli, and Costa Mesa is lucky to have this one. 17th Street Deli makes some killer sandwiches, but the best I've had so far is the Bomb Pastrami. Made with Boar's Head pastrami, sauerkraut, coleslaw, and swiss cheese, all on rye bread, this is one explosive sandwich. Easy online ordering and excellent friendly service are just an added bonus. Well worth navigating the busy 17th Street traffic. 

#3 - Centro Storico Spaghetteria - Tustin

You won't find fresh pasta at most places, but it has made Centro Storico popular. After your first bite, you can taste the quality. There are sixteen pasta dishes to choose from, along with eight more substantial main dishes which look amazing. I'm waiting to try them after I eat through all the pasta options. After eating here, it's easy to see why they were on so many best-of lists last year and now they are featured on my list this year. 

#2 - Mario's Butcher Shop - Newport Beach

I rarely make return visits to the same restaurant, especially if I live forty minutes away. That should tell you how much I enjoyed Mario's Butcher Shop. It's a butcher shop, but since I don't own a barbecue, it's way more convenient to have Mario and his team make my burgers, sandwiches, and the best potato salad you will ever put in your mouth. The pastrami sandwich has already reached legendary status, and keep an eye out for their rotating specials, especially their Cuban sandwich. 

#1 - Craft by Smoke and Fire - Anaheim

The only four-star restaurant I dined at this year in OC. Their Mac Rib sandwich, equal parts grilled cheese, smash burger, and barbecue platter, will set you back over $30, but you will not eat a better sandwich in OC. The rest of the menu exudes comfort food that you just gotta have right now. The Brisket Grilled Cheese, Birria Quesadilla, Short Rib Burrito, and barbecue platters are all beckoning me to return soon. 

2022 is now in the books. I look forward to sharing many more excellent restaurants like these with you well into 2023 and beyond. Happy new year and have a delicious 2023. 

Coming up Smelling Like a Breakfast Burrito?

 Rose Cafe

20672 Lake Forest Drive, Suite B 

Lake Forest, CA 92630

It's been a hot minute since I reviewed a breakfast burrito. It's not that I've grown tired of them. However, since football started, Katie and I have become lazy on our only day off together. We usually just get one of our favorites from a nearby place and sit in front of the TV watching grown men tackle each other from 10am til almost 8 at night. It's gotten a little ridiculous, and I feel guilty about wasting the day. 

Our team had a bye week this Sunday, so we decided to get up earlier than usual, walk one of our favorite trails in Irvine, go to Costco, and then grab breakfast somewhere. I had been obsessed with an Instagram account belonging to Rose Cafe in Lake Forest. Their breakfast burritos looked so good, and they had been active on that photo-sharing platform for a while. They have since cooled off a bit with their posting, but that sometimes happens. 

We arrived at Rose Cafe just before noon on a Sunday and were met with a line of about four people deep waiting at the register to place their orders. They opened in June 2020 near the Weinerschnitzel, Fuji Grill, and Los Cabos Bar and Grill on Lake Forest Drive. I wonder if there's any connection to the other Rose Cafes in Corona Del Mar or San Clemente. Their burritos look similar and are wrapped in the same red and white paper. 

Their breakfast menu features 13 breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries and donuts, which are only offered on weekends. Rose Cafe has a lunch menu for late risers, including burgers, grilled and deli sandwiches, and wraps. Be advised that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and only open until 3pm the rest of the week. We quickly ordered at the counter, grabbed our number, and found a table. Let's see if the burritos tasted as good as they look on their Instagram feed. 

I promised breakfast burritos, but we started with this Pecan Roll ($4). This was fresh and not overly sweet. Lots of chopped pecans on top, with a limited amount of the sugary sauce pooled on top. It could have been heated a bit more, but an excellent way to start things off while we waited for our breakfast burritos. 

Katie has an affinity for breakfast burritos, and she went straightforward with her pick here at Rose Cafe with their Classic Burrito ($9.75 + $4.75 to make it a combo with a side and drink). This burrito comes with egg, hashbrowns, cheddar cheese, and your choice of protein. She selected bacon. Katie liked the balanced nature of this burrito and that it was well crafted. She could get elements of each part of this burrito in each bite. Not her favorite breakfast burrito, but she'd get this one again. It could have had a bit more cheese for her taste, but still good. She chose the hashbrowns patty as her side, which was very reminiscent of the one served at McDonald's. 

I went a bit more complex with my breakfast burrito this early afternoon, with the Supreme Breakfast Burrito ($11.50 + $3 adding avocado). This burrito included the trinity of breakfast meats; ham, bacon, and sausage. It also came with egg, cheese, and hashbrowns. This is one of the most photogenic breakfast burritos, but how did it taste? The first half of the burrito was excellent, but it was a little too greasy as I got to the end. I liked how they crafted this burrito, allowing each bite to include a little bit of everything. However, there needed to be more cheese included to make this more balanced. Not a bad burrito, but not as great as it looks. 

I liked Rose Cafe, but their breakfast burritos are not drive-worthy like the ones from Nate's Corner, LJ's Lil Cafe (review coming soon), Glee Donuts, and Pepe's, to name a few off the top of my head. However, Rose Cafe will satisfy your craving if you are in the area and feel like a breakfast burrito. The price of these burritos is reasonable, considering you will not be hungry until right before dinner or later after eating one. The service was good, as they quickly got the food to us even though they were busy when we arrived. I'm glad we could tear ourselves away from the NFL for at least this Sunday. 

Out of five parade floats (because this is the time of the year when people line the streets of Pasadena for their famous Rose Parade to see all the floats decorated with roses), five being best to zero being worst, Rose Cafe gets 3 parade floats. 

For more information about Rose Cafe, head to their website by clicking here: https://rose-cafe-be7e9d.webflow.io/

There’s a New Seasonal Menu at El Torito

 El Torito Mexican Restaurant

18512 MacArthur Blvd. 

Irvine, CA 92612

1954, way before I was born. Gas costs only 21 cents a gallon,  Swanson's began selling frozen dinners, and Elvis Presley started his singing career. It's also the year that Larry Cano, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, managed a Polynesian restaurant in Los Angeles. The owner died suddenly, and his widow asked if he wanted to take over the restaurant. He did, and he immediately switched it from the tiki bar theme to a Mexican food restaurant, and El Torito was established. 

El Torito became an instant hit, and Larry quickly added more locations. Celebrity clientele, along with the average Angelino, discovered the frozen margaritas, tableside guacamole, the combo plates that flew out of the kitchen, and the decor that featured plenty of ferns, pottery, and archways that showcased what many Americans believed to be what they'd find in Mexico. Larry sold the restaurant in 1978 but stayed on as president for ten years after that. 

Not one to rest on its laurels, El Torito is moving forward. Now under the Xperience Restaurant Group, which also is home to Las Brisas, Chevy's, Acapulco, and two of my favorite Mexican spots, Sol Mexican Cocina and Solita Tacos, El Torito is not only honoring their past, they are moving forward by forming a partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, showcasing the talent of local artists. and adding new happy hour items and limited-time specials. 

The latter has brought me and my friend, Owen, to El Torito, just steps away from John Wayne Airport. We were invited here to try their seasonal menu and their new happy hour specials. We met with Ana Toledo, a friendly manager who knew many of her customers by name. She was very active in ensuring every guest was being taken care of, running food out to tables, and even filling in at the hostess stand when we walked in. 

We arrived at half past five on a recent Thursday evening. The Cantina was crowded, with many patrons taking advantage of the happy hour, which occurs every day from 3pm-7pm. Happy hour prices start at $4 and go up to a very reasonable $10 price point. Taco Tuesday is also a big draw, with $3 tacos and drink specials bringing in the people. We were seated at a booth with a great view of the hustle and bustle of the airport across the street. Let's see what El Torito has in store for us this evening. 

As dependable as me coming home to a pile of Amazon packages on my doorstep every day in December, you are most certainly going to start your meal at El Torito with their famous Chips and Salsa. Also, you will likely go through at least three baskets if you are anything like me. There's something just so addictive about them. So to go along with the chips and salsa, I selected their seasonal Sunset Margarita ($12) to start my evening with. This margarita is made up of El Jimador Silver tequila, agave nectar, and lime juice and is then topped with Line 39 Cabernet tableside. 

Since El Torito has been around for 68 years, you would assume they would have had a Mexican Pizza ($10 during happy hour) on their menu at some point. This, to my understanding, is the first time they have served this. A large crispy tortilla is topped with black beans, plenty of jack cheese, chorizo, pico de gallo, cilantro, red onion, cotija cheese, sliced jalapenos, and finished with a drizzle of crema fresca. Think of this as one really large nacho cut into pieces, but easier to eat than nachos. The toppings were spread out nicely, and the chorizo was a pleasant surprise. The cotija was a little distracting, so I might omit it the next time I visit. This could be a satisfying meal for most of you, but I had more to eat. Definitely an excellent value for only ten bucks. 

As the winter months have hit Southern California, more people are looking for ways to warm themselves up with soups and stews. El Torito has you covered with their Albondigas Soup ($8.75). This hearty soup comprises potatoes, fresh veggies, onion, cilantro, and meatballs. A comforting soup that will heat you up from the inside out.  

If you've read my restaurant reviews for any length of time, you can see a pattern in how I order. Most of the time, I only visit a place once, so I try to get as much variety on one plate as possible, which means combo plates are my go-to. This Chef's Combo ($17.50) allowed me to try their Birria Taco and Potato Chorizo Taquitos, both featured on El Torito's seasonal menu. This plate was rounded out with their classic cheese enchilada, black beans, and rice. The birria taco was nicely done, with equal parts jack cheese and beef birria filling the handmade tortilla. When dipped into the provided consomme, this became my favorite item on the plate. The taquitos could have been more balanced. The potato really overwhelmed the chorizo, making it obscured. The cheese enchilada, a true classic, is always a favorite. An excellent plate to try if you want to switch up your usual El Torito meal or if you want to get an overview of their seasonal menu. 

Not on the seasonal menu, but it would be nearly impossible for me to end my meal at El Torito with anything but their Home-Style Flan ($8.25). Their vanilla custard is topped with caramel sauce and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream. A perfect end to our meal, as it was not too heavy but still allowed us to have a little sweet treat at the end of our evening. 

I give props to El Torito for its longevity and willingness to keep things fresh by introducing new items on its seasonal menus. It keeps things interesting for their returning guests, and they always know they can return to their classic combinations, fajitas, and specialties on subsequent visits. This visit also highlighted their commitment to providing an excellent guest experience. From the time we entered until we left, we felt that every employee we encountered was here to make us as happy as possible. They also seemed to take great pride in their workplace, which is very rare nowadays. 

I would like to thank Ana Toledo and her team at El Torito Irvine for making us feel so welcome, providing us with anything we could possibly need, and ensuring we had a great evening. Our server  Juan, needs to be spotlighted, as he was on top of his game, refilling drinks, getting the food out quickly, and answering our questions. One final thank you goes to Mia Schaffel from Cinch PR for contacting me and coordinating this visit. You are a rockstar, Mia, and it's much appreciated. 

For more information about El Torito, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.eltorito.com/

** I was provided this meal for free in exchange for an honest review of their service/food. No other compensation was received. 

An Embarrassment of Riches in Huntington Beach

 Santa Maria BBQ

7144 Edinger Ave. 

Huntington Beach, CA 92647

I've been working on a quest to find the best chocolate chip cookie in OC. It's what has brought me to Huntington Beach this early afternoon. Man cannot live on chocolate chip cookies alone; believe me, I've tried, so I needed to get some lunch nearby. A quick Yelp search steered me toward Santa Maria BBQ. 

This intersection of Goldenwest and Edinger is one of my favorite unassuming food destinations in all of OC. Not only is John's Philly Grill serving up what I consider to be the best cheesesteaks around, but one of my favorite sandwich spots, DeSimone's, is also located here. I hoped this trend of finding good food in this area would continue when I visited Santa Maria BBQ. 

I do not know a lot about this spot. Their Yelp page dates from 2011 when this location was known as BT's Southern BBQ, and then in early 2018, they changed their name to Santa Maria BBQ. I wonder if that's because there was an ownership change or if they just wanted to rebrand. Also, the former OC Register restaurant critic, Brad Johnson, visited their Buena Park location and gave a glowing review of their tri-tip and brisket. That location is now catering only, FYI. 

Santa Maria BBQ is not a big restaurant. As you enter, a small bar runs alongside the right-hand side of the restaurant, and there are probably six or so tables for people choosing to dine-in. Ordering is done at the counter. I was taking my food home with me and was met with a wait of five minutes for my order to be all packaged up. 

They offer tri-tip, brisket, pulled pork, sausage, chicken, pork ribs, and a beef short rib. Most of these are available as a plate or sandwich, with the lone exception being the short rib. For the three of you who are not a fan of barbecue, they also serve burgers and wings. There are also ten sides to choose from to accentuate your barbecue. I might have been driving a little above the speed limit back home because I was so excited to try this place, so let's see if the food here is worth a potential speeding ticket. 

As is my custom when eating barbecue, I get the biggest combo plate on the menu. At Santa Maria BBQ, that means the 3 Meat Combo ($31). I chose tri-tip, brisket, and pulled pork for my three types of meat. I would usually add a sausage, but the guy who took my order told me they do not sell their sausage ala carte. No worries, I felt I had enough food to keep me full until dinner. For sides, I selected Mac and Cheese and Potato Salad. Let's take a closer look at each item. 

Out of the three types of meat that I got, my favorite was the brisket. It was nice and tender and spiced very well. I would have liked a little more fat, which adds flavor, but a top-notch brisket. The pulled pork was also stellar. It was moist but without being too mushy. I liked the different textures that I got with this. The skin had a little crunch to it, while other pieces were a little more what you'd expect from a typical pulled pork but with a little more flavor. I was surprised that the tri-tip was not as good as the other two, mainly because Santa Maria is most known for tri-tip. While the tri-tip had a nice pinkish smoke ring, it lacked the flavor of the brisket and pork and was a tad on the dry side. Not awful, but a little disappointing. 

Yes, two starches. Please don't judge me. I love my carbs. The Mac and Cheese held up wonderfully on the thirty-minute car ride home. Santa Maria BBQ uses elbow pasta which the cheese sauce clings to perfectly. The cheese sauce had a good flavor and was enhanced by adding some bacon crumbled on top. A delicious mac and cheese. The mustard-based potato salad was good, but I was hoping for a bit more of flavor to come through, but the texture I liked was there. A little chunky, but with some tender potatoes. 

I have to admit that I visited Santa Maria BBQ with a bit of apprehension. I was not expecting it to be as good as it was. They surprised me. Yes, this is different from what you'd get from Heritage BBQ in San Juan, but for those who do not want to drive that far or wait in line, Santa Maria BBQ will fill in nicely. The brisket, pulled pork, and the two sides I had were all delicious and will satisfy your barbecue cravings. This spot belongs in the top ten barbecue restaurants in OC. This area of Huntington Beach continues to be a hotbed of some of my favorite food purveyors. 

Out of five swords (because Zorro was based on a murderous bandit who hid out in the Santa Maria hills, and he often used a sword to make his distinctive Z mark), five being best to zero being worst, Santa Maria BBQ gets 3 swords. 

For more information about Santa Maria BBQ, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.santamariabbqshack.com/

Refueling at Dick Church’s on Race Day

 Dick Church's

2698 Newport Blvd. 

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

We were fresh off our second 5k of the year and needed some nourishment after we had probably burned ten calories by leisurely walking 3 miles at the OC Fairgrounds. My sister, brother-in-law, and one of my nieces joined us for this race. After we collected our participation medals and gulped down some water, they left it up to me to find a place to get breakfast. I suggested the nearby Dick Church's

This was my first time ever at Dick Church's, which is incredible since I lived nearby for over ten years and because this place has been open for business since 1972. Even before that, this location has been a couple of different restaurants since 1948, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating restaurant locations in OC. 

Dick Church's sits at the corner of Fair Drive and Newport Boulevard, across the freeway from the OC Fairgrounds. It could best be described as a diner with vintage decor, which attracts a wide range of clientele. The wood paneling, orange upholstered furniture, and brightly colored walls bring to mind what I always wanted for my game room while growing up. 

The breakfast and lunch menus at Dick's are pretty straightforward. Egg dishes, griddle items, and breakfast faves are available for people who enjoy the day's first meal. The lunch portion of the menu features sandwiches, salads, burgers, and small plates. Nothing on these menus is over $20, with most items hovering around the $15 mark. The dinner menu is a bit more extensive, with salmon, bacon-wrapped meatloaf, and steak available at just over $20. 

When we arrived at Dick Church's at half past nine, we were met with about a ten-minute wait for a table, which was not too bad. We were seated in the roomy booth at the front of the restaurant, with a window looking out onto their makeshift front patio. Our server was friendly, taking our drink order and coming back promptly to see what we wanted for our meals. So let's see if Dick's was a good choice for our post-race meal. 

My sister is not the biggest fan of breakfast foods, or maybe she was just trying to be a trendy millennial by getting this Avocado Toast ($11). The toasted sourdough was smeared with plenty of avocados mixed with garlic and perched atop some arugula and pickled red onion on the side. She enjoyed this tremendously. I have never really gotten the fascination with avocado toast. Yes, it's okay, but it's not over-the-top fantastic, and its upcharge is unreal. Maybe 20 cents to half a dollar for the bread, avocados are going for $2 in the markets, and the rest is profit. No wonder almost all restaurants have this on their menus. They make a killing on it. 

Katie, of course, loves breakfast, and she selected the Westside Scramble ($15). Two scrambled eggs with bell peppers, bacon, ham, and sausage, then finished with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. The plate was rounded out by some hash browns and her preferred choice of toast for breakfast, rye bread. She felt this was a very well-done classic breakfast plate. She liked the crispiness of the hashbrowns and the unique marbled rye bread option. 

People love a Monte Cristo ($14), and my brother-in-law Jarrod can be added to that list. This sandwich comprises two slices of french toast with ham, melted swiss cheese, and fresh preserves. The only problem was that they were out of their fresh preserves, so Jarrod had to settle for packets of Welch's strawberry jam. He enjoyed this sandwich nonetheless, as it had plenty of ham and cheese, and the french toast added to the richness of this sandwich. He splurged for the $1 upcharge to get sweet potato fries instead of regular fries. Monte Cristos are disappearing from menus across OC, so if you are a fan of this sandwich, bookmark this place as another spot where you can get this sandwich. 

My niece Kaylie is not the world's biggest eater, but maybe she needed to refuel after our race. She selected this French Toast Combo ($14) to do just that. Two slices of french toast dusted with powdered sugar, two scrambled eggs, and two strips of bacon made up this plate. She ate most of this, and I was strategically seated beside her to sample what she did not finish. I found the french toast to be pretty good but heavy. The bacon was nice and crisp. A well-deserved breakfast plate after walking three miles. 

When eating breakfast, I like to have a savory and sweet part to my first meal of the day. It's almost impossible to take a bad picture of Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs ($18). The beef was nicely breaded and topped with a slightly chunky and delicious sausage gravy. It was just tender enough and paired well with the breakfast potatoes. The Short Stack of Chocolate Chip Pancakes ($9) satisfied my sweetness requirement for breakfast. It might not look like it, but a good amount of chocolate chips were included here. I liked these pancakes better than the french toast, but I'm always more partial to pancakes over french toast. 

We all left here very satisfied. No, this is not a destination-worthy breakfast spot, but if you are in the area and craving breakfast, it's worth your consideration to visit  Dick Church's. The food was good, with the chicken fried steak and the Monte Cristo as highlights, and everything else was solid. However, what might have been even better than what we consumed here was the service we experienced. Our server was friendly and on top of things, even though she was pretty busy with numerous tables. I'm glad I finally made it to Dick Church's after all these years, and now it's off to our next race.  

Out of five Plinko chips (because the same year this restaurant opened up, 1972, was also the year that The Price is Right premiered, and probably the most popular game on that show is Plinko), five being best to zero being worst, Dick Church's gets 3 Plinko chips. 

For more information about Dick Church's, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.dickchurchs.com/

Burger Time at Cassell's in Downtown LA - CLOSED

 Cassell's

421 West 8th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90014

It was another wild Saturday night up in Burbank with Katie's family. Since we knew it would be a late night, we were lucky enough to snag a hotel room, so we didn't have to drive back to OC at a late hour. It also gave us a chance to wake up fresh for the long trip back to OC. Not wanting to let this opportunity go to waste, it was also a chance for me to cross another LA restaurant off of my restaurant wishlist. I knew just the place, the fabled Cassell's. 

Cassell's made my list because it's pretty legendary. It's been around since 1948, with only a brief closure of two years between 2012 and 2014. Al Cassell opened his lunch counter at the corner of 6th and Berendo, serving up what many people called the best burger in LA at the time. He ground his beef daily, used quality ingredients, and made as much from scratch as possible, including his mayo, potato salad, and pies. After 40-plus years in business, Al sold, and his place stayed open for a while but ultimately closed. 

Enter Chef Partner Christian Page and Jingbo Lou, an architect who had recently bought and begun renovating the Normandie Hotel, a mere five blocks from the original Cassell's. Lou felt this hamburger concept would be perfect for the ground floor of his hotel project. Chef Page had worked at Short Order at the Original Farmer's Market. Page and Lou felt protective of Cassell's concept because they bought all the old recipes, retained the signage, and even kept the old meat grinder from the original location. 

People must really enjoy the revamped Cassell's. They have four-star ratings on Yelp and added another location, the one we visited, in Downtown LA near the corner of Olive and 8th. It's a bi-level restaurant with a fifties vibe going for it but without the over-the-top kitsch of a Ruby's or Johnny Rockets. The menu is expanded with burgers, melts, sandwiches, sides, desserts, and even breakfast offered. Even though he was mistaken, our good friend Ed found his way to meet us and went first to the Hotel Normandie location. So, let's see if Cassell's is still one of the best burgers in LA. 

Katie is definitely a breakfast person, which is funny because she's asleep almost all the hours when breakfast is served. She's lucky that Cassell's serves breakfast all day, so she could try this Breakfast Burger ($16.50 plus $2.50 for bacon). This unique burger had two crispy hashbrown patties substituted for the bun, with a fried egg, some avocado, and cheddar cheese blanketing the hamburger patty. I'm still determining how most people eat this, but Katie mashed it up and ate it with a fork. It would be too messy to be eaten with your hands. Nevertheless, she enjoyed this and thought it would be greasier than it actually was. 

Part one of my meal at Cassell's was this Patty Melt and Fries ($17 plus $3.25 for the fries). As you can see from the picture above, this was the best-looking patty melt I've had. It was cooked perfectly to a nice medium rare, and the outer layer of the patty had some nice caramelization going on with it. The Swiss cheese was nice and melty, and the caramelized onions added sweetness. The toasted rye bread was sturdy and had a great crunch to it. A classic patty melt and one of the best I've had in a long while. The fries were good but needed more seasoning to make them more enjoyable. 

I also ordered this 1/3 Pound Cheeseburger and Macaroni Salad ($15.50 plus $3.25 for the Mac Salad) for research purposes. The burger was like a smash burger, with its crispy outer crust and more substantial middle area. The lettuce, tomato, and onion, along with the condiments, are served on the side. I really enjoyed the way the cheddar cheese melted over the patty. I suspect it was Tillamook cheese, but I could be mistaken. This burger came with a very well-made Thousand Island dressing, but I should have experimented with the other seven sauces they offer. Again, it was a very clean and tasty burger, but the bun-to-meat ratio was a little off. The bun overwhelmed in most bites. The macaroni salad was good, with a thick mayo-based dressing covering the macaroni and some diced red peppers and olives. I should have gotten the potato salad, which seems more popular online. 

As you can tell from the above, Ed is much more health-conscious than Katie and I are. He went with the Chicken Sando ($13.25) and a Market Salad ($10). At Cassell's, they use Naked Truth organic chicken breast and add cheddar cheese, plenty of lettuce, tomato, and ranch to complete the sandwich. Ed's not one to express his views on food, but he enjoyed his sandwich. His salad contained mixed greens, celery, cherry tomatoes, onion, and ranch dressing. A basic but fresh salad. 

I had read somewhere that Cassell's had some pretty good pie baked daily on the premises, so we all split a slice of Apple Pie Ala Mode ($9.50). They used the traditional granny smith apples mixed with cinnamon sugar and a caramel streusel sprinkled on top. The pie was good, but I liked the one from Pie 'N Burger better. This one was way better than the one we had at The Apple Pan a few years ago. They also get bonus points for serving Fosselman's ice cream.   

The folks behind Cassell's revival have done things right. I got the sense that they have taken great care in preserving the heritage of what Al Cassell had built. The quality of the food and the way they make things from scratch while expanding their menu to cater to the tastes of the modern consumer is reason enough to visit. I'm sure a good number of you are looking at their prices and thinking they are way too high, as I was walking out of here $72 poorer. Still, this is a great place to get one of the best patty melts in LA and a nice treat when you just got paid. 

Out of five speeding tickets (because 1948 was not only the year that Cassell's opened, but also when Porsche was founded, and I'm sure drivers of those sportscars have gotten their share of speeding tickets), five being best to zero being worst, Cassell's gets 3.5 speeding tickets. 

For more information about Cassell's, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.cassellshamburgers.com/

In Full Phlight to Whittier

 

Phlight

6724 Bright Avenue B

Whittier, CA 90601

We are in Whittier visiting our good friends Melissa and Kyle. Melissa is my former boss who made the trip from her hometown of Whittier to Aliso Viejo five days a week for nearly two years. 75 miles round trip a day and at least three hours of commute time. That's a lot of driving. I was sad to see her leave but was happy that her new commute would only be about five minutes. Katie and I decided she had driven enough, so we tried a restaurant in Whittier. 

It's crazy to think that after 13 years of writing this blog that this would be our first restaurant in this city.  Whittier is not exactly very convenient to get to, though, especially for people living in OC like ourselves. The only freeway that skirts its city limits is the 605, which only hits OC way down in Los Alamitos. That's a lot of surface street driving to get here, but Melissa and especially Kyle are worth it. 

They are not the only reason we made this trek. Don't let them know, but I also heard Whittier's dining scene is worth the hour-plus drive from our place. I've read plenty of articles on the LA Eater website that mention Whittier as having a burgeoning restaurant scene, and they predict it will only get better in the future. One of the restaurants that get a lot of credit for kicking off the restaurant renaissance in Whittier is Phlight, which seemed like the perfect spot to be our first review here.  

Phlight opened for business in 2005 when this street was underdeveloped, and the area was much bleaker than it is now. It's brought to us by restauranteurs Jay and Nikomi Arroyo, Whittier natives and Whittier College alumni, who also run the nearby Deli Up, and ran Otra Taqueria, which closed back in 2018. 

The concept for Phlight can best be described as tapas style, with a Spanish/Mexican influence on most menu items. Speaking of the menu, there are plenty of things to choose from. By my count, there were 36 items listed, which ranged from sweet potato fries all the way up to lamb chops and a ribeye. Prices per plate range between $7 to $39. Their wine and beer lists are almost as extensive as their food menu, with wines available by the bottle, glass, and, yes, "phlights." 

When we arrived at Phlight on a Saturday in the early evening, the restaurant was sparsely occupied but filled in as the night went on. The restaurant's focal point is the open kitchen that runs alongside the right-hand side of the rectangular space. The high ceilings and the windows allow natural light to pass through from the entrance, conveying a pleasing openness. Enough build-up. Let's check out the food. 

The most talked about item online at Phlight is these Bowie's Bacon Wrapped Dates ($11). People go crazy for them. The dates are wrapped in bacon with some manchego cheese and placed in a tamarind-honey glaze. I'm not a big fan of dates, but even I was a fan of these. They reminded me of the rumaki that my mom used to make on New Year's Eve, but better. I was afraid the date and the glaze would be too sweet, but adding the manchego cheese cut the sweetness nicely. 

Grilled Bread ($4) has been sprouting up on menus at a quickening rate lately, and Katie's a big fan. This bread was grilled well, as it was not too hard but still had a nice crunch. I was also glad that they provided plenty of butter to go along with this. There's nothing worse than holding back on the butter because you have three other people you have to share with. Fortunately, that is not the case here. 

I was not expecting to enjoy these Patats ($7) as much as I did. These fried cubed potatoes were all different sizes, so each bite varied. Also, keeping things interesting was switching between the well-made aioli and the bravas sauce, which is a traditional Spanish sauce that had a slight spiciness to it. A simple dish and a welcomed break from fries. 

Melissa must know my affinity for Caesar Salad ($9), as she suggested we get one to share. From the picture, it might not look like it, but this Caesar was pretty darn good and unique. The romaine was chopped finely and mixed with some manchego and substituted the usual tangy caesar dressing for a macadamia dressing that was a little smoother. Looking at this when it was sat on our table, I thought it would need more dressing, but it ended up being the perfect amount. This is probably misnamed because it's not a caesar, but delicious nonetheless. 

Not to ruin any suspense, but this Corn Esqutte ($10) might have been one of the best tastes of the evening for me. They nailed the Mexican street corn feel with this unique dish. The sweet corn was joined on the plate with a cotija foam and a delicious chipotle aioli. It was finished with a chili powder sprinkle and a lime squeeze. A nice take on one of our favorite Mexican snacks. 

Adobo Chicken Wings ($18) were next up for the four of us. I've been having a lot of buffalo wings as of late, and these slightly sweetened marinated wings were a nice change of pace for me. They had plenty of meat on them and were moist. Not a dry bite of chicken in the bunch. 

Again, when we ordered mac and cheese, I was not expecting what was sat down in front of us. Satchel's Mac and Cheese ($10) was made with not macaroni but with what I think was orecchiette or ear-shaped pasta. It utilized a vibrant cheddar bechamel sauce and some prominent Spanish chorizo. The chorizo is cured and has a good flavor burst to it. Very rich, but I enjoyed this more than I expected. A very grown-up mac and cheese. 

A rare miss for us on this evening were these Benson's Brussels Sprouts ($10). The menu promised garlic, brown sugar, and olive oil, but it tasted like they left the kitchen without any of these things. The charred sprouts lacked any detectable sauce and were relatively dry. The provided lemon wedge could only do so much to save this. 

There seemed to be some dissension between Melissa and Kyle the last time they were here about these Pork Belly Tacos ($6 each). She seemed to like them, but he was not a big fan. So, I was happy to be the arbiter in their little disagreement. The pork belly was a little too overcooked and lacked the spongy quality I look for when having it. I liked the tomatillo puree and the pickled onion, but the red cabbage was a little intrusive in this taco. Not awful, but I'd have to side with Kyle on this one. I'd probably skip this next time. 

The last dish for us was this Albondagus ($13). I was again thrown a screwball at Phlight because I did not have their menu in front of me and was expecting soup. So instead, this was grilled bread with a golf ball-sized meatball perched on top, with a little chili flake, capers, manchego cheese, and a white dijon sauce. The meatball was pretty tender, and I liked how everything worked together nicely. A delicious savory end to our meal at Phlight and another dish not to be missed. 

Not that we needed it, but we finished off our night with this Creme Brulee ($8). From what I remembered, it was fine, but I did not write anything about it in my notes, and as I recall this dessert, I don't really remember too much about it. I'd probably try their banana donuts next time. 

For our maiden voyage to a Whittier restaurant, Phlight set the bar relatively high. I really enjoyed the uniqueness of this restaurant. The tapas format is a great way to eat with friends and try a good amount of their menu offerings. Except for the brussels sprouts, and our dessert, everything else was above average here. The service was pretty solid and unobtrusive. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to catch up. A perfect night with friends, even if one of them is Melissa. 

Out of five poets (because the owners of this restaurant both went to Whittier College, and their athletics teams are named the poets), five being best to zero being worst, Phlight gets 3.5 poets. 

For more information about Phlight, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.phlightwhittier.com/