Hoping for a Red Letter Day at Scarlet Kitchen

 Scarlet Kitchen and Loung

30865 Gateway Place

Rancho Mission Viejo, CA 92694

This would be Katie's third and final birthday dinner for those keeping track at home. We went out alone for one, then my parents took her out, and now it was her parent's turn to celebrate the well-deserved birthday girl. As is par for the course, restaurant selection duties were handed off to me. I gave seven suggestions in a group text, and the consensus was that we would celebrate Katie's birthday at Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge in Rancho Mission Viejo. 

Scarlet Kitchen, much like this area of Orange County, has been around for a while. They opened for business just before the pandemic hit and are still going strong. This might be due to the numerous articles and features I have seen about this restaurant. They were written up in the OC Register, Orange Coast Magazine, Voice of OC, Los Angeles Times, and Forbes named one of their cocktails one of the best brunch beverages. Very high praise. 

This is truly a family restaurant. The Executive Chef here is Paige Riordan, a former dancer, and choreographer who gave up dancing to graduate from culinary school in New York. Her father went to culinary school at the same time as her in California and handles the day-to-day operations at Scarlet Kitchen. His wife runs the business side of the restaurant, while Paige's husband is the General Manager. I always envy people who can work with family because I'm not sure I'd be able to do that with mine. 

The menu at Scarlet Kitchen opens with a trio of raw bar options and then goes on with bites, salads, tacos, sandwiches, main dish offerings, and sides. Appetizers and salads hover around the $15 to $20 range, while main dishes are priced from $25 and up. With only four restaurants that I could find in this newish city, I would imagine that Scarlet Kitchen is valued by residents of Rancho Mission Viejo for its diversity and varied offerings on its menu. I was curious if I would also become a new devotee of Scarlet Kitchen. Let's check out the food and see if this was a good pick for Katie's birthday dinner. 

Katie's dad is an aficionado of chowder. He orders it almost every time he sees it on a restaurant menu. The one here at Scarlet Kitchen is Marty's Clam Chowder ($10), and it's Chef Marty's concoction. It's a creamy chowder, rich and substantial, topped with real bacon and chives for an added flavor boost. Dennis enjoyed this immensely, calling it one of the better chowders he's had in recent memory. 

The rest of us tried the Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($10), which is not actually a starter but is listed as a side. We felt like rebels. This was a muted version of what we usually get when ordering Brussels sprouts at other places. These were not drenched in sauce. I would have liked a little more maple, but these allowed the sprouts to be the focal point, which is nice if you are a big sprouts fan. They also added currants and pine nuts for a burst of sweetness and texture. 

Katie's mom will start us off with the entree portion of our meal, as she selected the Chicken and Corn Rissoto ($33). The pan-fried chicken breast came out tender and juicy and lacked any dry bites that I usually associate with chicken when I order it in restaurants. It came with a corn puree streaked across the plate and topped with some chimichurri sauce topping it. The two sauces kept things interesting when used in alternating forkfuls. The risotto was creamy and studded with roasted corn, while some sauteed spinach, not visible in this picture, was plated directly underneath the rather large chicken breast. An interesting plating of the spinach.  

The birthday girl opted for the Blackened Fish Tacos ($23) for her birthday meal. I did not catch what kind of fish was used in these, but it was grilled and was joined in the tortilla by some sliced avocado, tomatoes, slaw, and a cilantro sauce. Katie felt these were very clean-tasting tacos. They did not rely on anything other than the blackened fish to do the heavy lifting flavorwise. The fish was plentiful, but she'd try something else on her next visit to Scarlet Kitchen. 

It must have been seafood night because Dennis continued the trend when he got the Fish and Chips ($25). This came with three beer-battered pieces of cod and tarter sauce and scarlet sauce, which resembled the sauce from Raising Cane's but less peppery. The batter on the fish was crispy, and the fish underneath was flaky and tender. Again, I liked that they offered two dipping options, which helped keep this interesting. The french fries were nicely done as well. Hand-cut, fried to perfection, and seasoned simply with salt. It is a nicely done fish and chips. 

I walked into Scarlet Kitchen, knowing precisely what I'd be having this evening. It's not uncommon since I study menus online before eating anywhere, but every once in a while, I do waver. I stuck to my guns and ordered the Scarlet Burger ($23 plus $2 for adding avocado). This burger utilizes grass-fed beef and is joined between the brioche bun with Irish white cheddar cheese, maple bacon onion jam, and garlic aioli. The burger was good, but did not blow me away. The beef was very clean tasting, but the inside condiments fell flat. Bacon onion jam never really meets my expectations, and the garlic aioli could have been applied with a heavier hand to make this pop. I did like the inclusion of the white cheddar, which melted wonderfully over the patty. This came with rustic fries, which were thicker and not as good as the fries with the fish and chips. I did enjoy my fries better with the scarlet sauce, but I still found myself sneaking most of the fries from the fish and chip plate. 

Dessert is a must when celebrating a birthday, so we went big with a trio of sweet treats. The Classic Creme Brule ($15) was exactly as it sounds: very straightforward. A crystallized crust topped it, revealing a creamy custard base when broken. This was not as sweet as others, but we all enjoyed it. The Strawberry Cheesecake ($14) was the same. It was a traditional cheesecake that did not overwhelm you with sugar. I'm not the biggest fan of cheesecake, but everyone else enjoyed this. Much more to my thing was the free birthday sundae they gave Katie. Vanilla ice cream with hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. I ate most of this while they were eating the other two desserts. 

Scarlet Lounge made an excellent first impression on us. I enjoyed that they had a wide array of choices to pick from. Even with this wide variety, Scarlet Kitchen is a restaurant you'd visit only occasionally. This is the place I'd envision more for date nights, girl's night out, and, like us, birthdays and other special occasions. The food was on point, and as this area grows, Scarlet Kitchen will become a favorite of all the people who are moving into this area. 

Out of five dice (because in the board game Clue, Miss Scarlet is the first person to roll the dice to get the game started), five being best to zero being best, Scarlet Kitchen and Lounge gets 3 solid dice. 

For more information about Scarlet Kitchen, head to their website by clicking here: https://scarletkl.com/ 

Celebrating Restaurant Review Number 1000 at Bourbon Steak

 

Bourbon Steak

1 Monarch Beach Resort North

Dana Point, CA 92629

As my restaurant reviews began piling up, especially in the early days of this blog, I started to think about where I'd like to review for my 1,000th different restaurant. I wanted to pick a place that was fitting for such a milestone. I wanted it to be something other than the latest hot chicken spot or a run-of-the-mill chain restaurant. Even though there are no guarantees, I wanted a place that I believed would be memorable and one of the better restaurant experiences in Orange County. Around a year ago, I decided my 1,000th restaurant would be Bourbon Steak. 

Bourbon Steak is located inside the Waldorf Astoria Resort in Dana Point. It's been open for five years and comes to us from celebrity chef and restauranteur Michael Mina. His website lists 14 restaurant concepts spread across the US and one international location in Dubai. This is one of seven Bourbon Steak restaurants operating today. Bourbon Steak is Chef Mina's riff on a traditional steakhouse. He strives to elevate his steak and seafood offerings to a new level with his technique and creative flair.  

We arrived at the Waldorf Astoria at 8pm on the Saturday of my birthday week. We usually do not eat so late, but this was one of the few time slots available when I made my online reservation. Parking is valet, and the Bourbon Steak entrance is to the left as you pass by the front desk in the lobby. If you were familiar with Stonehill Tavern when this resort was St. Regis, that's where you head for Bourbon Steak. 

Bourbon Steak's dining room is much brighter than other high-end steak restaurants in OC. The lighter wood walls blend nicely with the tan booths and chairs, and even though we were seated as the sun dipped into the sea, the natural light streaming in through the numerous windows added to the brilliance of the space. We sat at a booth towards the back of the restaurant, just adjacent to the patio overlooking the pool area, golf course, and the magnificent Pacific Ocean. 

Every Bourbon Steak has a different menu based on their locale and because they are chef-driven. The menu at this location is led off with shellfish platters and a caviar selection. There are then five appetizers and salads to select from. Entrees include Angus and Wagyu steak options, seafood, and four highlighted entrees shown prominently in the menu's center. Eight signature sides close out the menu. Prices for appetizers and salads range between $21 to $45. Entrees, of course, only come ala carte and will set you back anywhere between $41 to $294 for the 50-ounce Wagyu tomahawk. A little rich for my blood, but let's see if Bourbon Steak was an excellent pick for restaurant review 1000. 

When eating at Bourbon Steak, you will be presented with some extras throughout your meal. Amuse Bouche and the much-raved Duck Fat Fries. The amuse-bouche offered this evening was a mushroom truffle soup, which was rich and flavorful, and a foreshadowing of what we had in store for us later in the evening. The duck fat fries are brought to every table right after your order. They come out hot and crispy and are all explicitly seasoned to correspond with the sauce in front of them. The dipping sauces included a green goddess with tajin, a parmesan truffle aioli, my favorite, and rosemary thyme ketchup. I was astonished to see that the couple next to us had barely touched their fries, and I fought back the urge to ask them for theirs until they were taken away by their server. 

We went without any appetizers and dove straight into the salad portion of our meal. Katie selected the Baby Artichoke Hearts ($21). This mini tower was full of flavor, with the artichokes complimented with creamy avocado, puffed quinoa, Marcona almonds, and a subtle red wine vinaigrette. This was delicate but still packed a punch. I loved how the other ingredients played nicely with the artichokes but did not overpower them. Katie called this one of the best salads she has ever had. Very high praise. 

While reviewing restaurants on this blog, I've eaten my fair share of Caesar Salad ($21), so it was appropriate to have at least one more, as this was our 1000th restaurant. This upscale Caesar utilized baby gem lettuce, a garlic streusel, and plenty of parmesan reggiano sprinkled on top. The muted dressing was evenly distributed on each piece of lettuce like it was applied leaf by leaf. The garlic streusel added a nice flavor boost, but I did miss the absence of croutons, which would have added a bit more texture to this salad. 

Another treat from the kitchen was the Roll served with our salads. It was pillowy soft, and filled with rich truffle butter that I ate way too quickly. The top was salted just enough to not become a distraction. I should have asked for another one, but I had a big meal coming up.  

It pained me to not get a steak here, but we were celebrating, so I decided to treat myself to this Lobster Pot Pie ($140). This Michael Mina signature item was finished tableside with a staff member removing the top part of the buttery crust and placing it on the plate. He then completed the brandied lobster sauce and mixed it with the seasonal vegetables before expertly separating the lobster meat from the shell. It was quite the performance. 

The lobster was one and a half pounds and was very tender. The sauce was unusual, as it was less rich than the drawn butter that has become commonplace when eating this crustacean. The seasonal vegetables on this evening resembled more of a crab boil than what you'd consider for a pot pie. I spied large chunks of red potatoes, celery, pearl onions, and some sliced carrots instead of the more traditional peas and smaller cuts of carrots and onions. Placing the top crust on the bottom helped let the lobster shine even brighter. A rich meal, but one that was very well balanced. 

Katie went the more traditional route at Bourbon Steak when she settled on the 8 Ounce Filet Mignon ($76). Our server did not even bristle when she asked for this medium well, which has happened plenty of times at other steakhouses in OC. It might have been because she also upgraded to the optional Blue Cheese Crumble ($8), but this was delicious, even though the steak was cooked to a medium well. Something that only happens sometimes at other spots. When I asked how she liked her steak, Katie threw out adjectives like delicious, perfectly cooked, and unforgettable. 

As is the case at all high-end steak places, sides must be ordered separately. We chose the Brussels Sprouts ($19) and the Black Truffle Mac and Cheese ($19). Both were adequate but did not make me swoon like the lobster mashed potatoes at Capital Grill or Fleming's Potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were crunchy, but more gastrique was needed to liven things up after my initial forkfuls. The truffle mac and cheese was better, but I expected a bit more richness, and while the truffle was present, I had wished for a bit more. A little more cheese would have helped things out here. I might have better luck ordering the baked fingerling potatoes and the mushrooms in a soy glaze.  

The pastry chef at Bourbon Steak is brought to us by Rebekah Eastman, who also worked at the St. Regis Resort and Bottega Angelina. The most mentioned item out of the four on her dessert menu is the Spiced Beignets ($15). This was two desserts in one, as you get four beignets and a small bowl of vanilla creme brulee. The beignets were light and fluffy and dusted with plenty of powdered sugar. A more grown-up version of the ones at Disneyland. The creme brulee was good but could have been a tinge sweeter for my tastes. I also received a special birthday dessert, bagged caramel corn, and a piece of salted dark chocolate for each of us. A lovely touch. 

Our visit to Bourbon Steak was like being on vacation for the three hours that we were here. Our every whim was catered to, service was first-rate, and the food was delicious. I must mention our fantastic server Jaci, who kept things moving without making us feel rushed. Lyle, the captain of the restaurant, was quite the character and is definitely someone that made sure our visit was as memorable as he was. The food at Bourbon Steak is just as good as what you get at the big chain steakhouses but might be even better due to the techniques they use in the kitchen. Bourbon Steak is the ultimate special occasion restaurant and was the perfect spot for our 1,000th restaurant review. Here's to the next 1,000.  

Out of five pillows (because the world's most expensive bottle of bourbon is Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old, which now sells for $50,000 or more, and it's named after a character in a story that sleeps for 20 years, and if you are going to sleep for that long you better have a good pillow), five being best to zero being worst, Bourbon Steak gets 4.5 pillows. 

For more information about Bourbon Steak, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.michaelmina.net/restaurants/bourbon-steak/orange-county/