678 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780
As I near my 1000th review, I've been trying to hit as many restaurants on my wish list as possible. I have knocked out a good amount in the last few months, but I can not cut my list to fewer than three pages of places I want to try. As we are in the post-pandemic era, new restaurants have sprouted up more frequently and have been added to my list. One recent addition to my list is Nosh House in Tustin.
Nosh House opened its doors in late 2020 and bills itself as OC's first Glatt kosher restaurant. They are from the same people that run OC Kosher Market a few doors down in the El Camino Plaza shopping center at the corner of El Camino and 6th Street in Old Town Tustin. This is the same shopping plaza that features Cream Pan, Acai Republic, and Kitajimia Sushi.
So, you are asking yourself what Glatt kosher is? I didn't know either until I looked it up. It's meat that is slaughtered kosher, and the animal's lungs must be adhesion-free, which is another way to say smooth. Also, you will not find cheese included with any sandwich or burger that features meat due to Jewish dietary law. Also, remember that they are closed on Saturday to observe Shabbat.
The menu at Nosh House is pretty diverse for such a small place. The menu includes appetizers, deli sandwiches, salads, paninis, salads, shwarma, entrees, hamburgers, and specialty sandwiches. The specialty sandwiches are priced right around the $20 price point, the same for the burgers. Dinner entrees will run you anywhere between $25 to $40 for the lamb chops. There's also a small children's menu.
We arrived at Nosh House on a recent Sunday afternoon at half past one. We were met with a nearly empty restaurant. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. The dining area is sparsely decorated, and most tables seat two people but can be pushed together to accommodate larger parties. We waited about five minutes for our food to arrive. Let's see how everything turned out for us.
Katie has never met a Hummus Plate ($9.95) that she hasn't wanted to order, which held true on this visit to Nosh House. The hummus here was very creamy and had an excellent depth of flavor. The pita was one of the most fluffy versions I have had. It could best be described as pillowy soft, making this version stand out more than others.
I've not had a more photogenic Tuna Salad Sandwich ($12.95) on my blog than this one. Even though I'm not inclined to order tuna sandwiches at restaurants, this one was pretty stellar. The tuna salad was joined with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and Katie substituted the whole wheat bread for toasted rye. The tuna was incredibly fresh and was mixed with just the right amount of mayo and other seasonings. She would definitely get this tuna sandwich again.
From everything I've heard about Nosh House, the sandwich that gets the most love here is the Reuben Sandwich ($18.95). After my first bite, I can see why people love this sandwich. Hot corned beef, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing are placed between two nicely toasted pieces of rye bread. This version of the classic Reuben comes without Swiss cheese due to the Jewish dietary law observed here at Nosh House. It's a sandwich that will not overwhelm you with its heaping piles of corned beef like other places tend to do. They also do not slather on the kraut or the dressing, instead choosing to let the bread and lean meat be the show's star. A very understated but nicely constructed Reuben. With my sandwich, I could choose from Israeli salad, cole slaw, or my eventual choice, potato salad. This was well done, with an addition of herbs that elevated this from the regular humdrum potato salads I have recently had.
With just this little taste from the Nosh House menu, I have already made plans to return for their shwarma plate, hungry man burger, or OMG fried chicken sandwich. The only thing that's prevented me from returning sooner is that they are only open until half past six Sunday through Thursday and are only open half the day on Fridays. The guy at the counter was not the friendliest, but he brought our food out to us promptly. I'm glad I could cross this spot off my wishlist as I march toward restaurant review number 1000. Seven more to go.
Out of five schmucks (because that's a Jewish word for a fool, and I'm sure that some people feel that I'm a schmuck for still writing this restaurant review blog for over 14 years now), five being best to zero being best, Nosh House gets 3.5 schmucks.
For more information about Nosh House, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.koshernoshhouse.com/
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