Pardon My French, We’re at Bonjour Cafe in Dana Point

 Bonjour Cafe

24633 Del Prado Ave. 

Dana Point, CA 92629

I did a quick little search about what a French breakfast typically comprises. The average Parisian eats a lighter first meal of the day than their counterparts in the US. A croissant or a slice of bread with butter or jam, crepes, or yogurt are commonplace. They save their big meals for later in the day. This makes perfect sense because when I eat a breakfast of country-fried steak or pancakes, I suddenly feel the overwhelming need for a nap. Am I going to change my breakfast habits? You already know the answer; there's no chance. 

We had just finished walking in Dana Point Harbor and needed a place to refuel after our strenuous two-mile walk. My manager at work has always raved about Bonjour Cafe, so we plugged the address into our GPS and headed over to the Lantern District to give them a try on a recent Sunday morning. 

Bonjour Cafe has been around since 1992 when Pascal and Sandy LeVette wanted to create an affordable place for locals, employ a welcoming and consistent staff, and provide a good meal. The area was revitalized over the ensuing years, and the people of Dana Point and some out-of-town guests flocked to their little storefront near the corner of Violet Lantern and Del Prado. This past year, Pascal and Sandy decided to retire but found a buyer for their restaurant in a longtime server at their establishment, Cristian Gutierrez. 

This helped maintain the restaurant's continuity. There were no big shakeups in the staff. The menu stayed basically the same, and there did not seem to be any drop-off customer-wise, as they seemed to be busy, especially on the patio in front of the restaurant, which is packed most days. We were seated right away inside, right near the window. 

The menu items are listed in French, but the descriptions are all in English, so it's an easy menu to read. The one-page breakfast menu features five versions of eggs benedict, quiche, avocado toast, omelets, crepes, and French toast. Most items hover between the $15 to $20 range. Since we were so hungry, we quickly made our selections. Here's what we ate at Bonjour Cafe. 

I always like something a little sweet with my savory breakfast, so Katie and I decided to start with the Pastry Assortment ($6.99) at Bonjour Cafe. Included in the basket were a cinnamon roll, a chocolate chip twist, a custard croissant, and a cranberry twist. As is the case when eating authentic pastries from other parts of the world, these were less sweet than their counterparts from the US. They still did the trick, though. I enjoyed the chocolate chip twist the best and was surprised that the custard croissant was square and flat instead of what I'm used to a croissant looking like. Each of these tasted similar, as I believe that they used the same dough for each one. It's alright, but it's different from what I expected.  

They also brought out this bread basket as if we needed more carbs. Bread baskets are uncommon at breakfast, but we will never refuse more bread. It was presliced and came with some packaged butter. Nothing earth-shatteringly great, but we quickly scarfed this down right before our breakfast arrived. 

First was Katie's Brittany Omelet ($20). This large omelet was filled with smoked ham, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese. The cheese was not used in overabundance, so the ham and eggs could stand out more. She felt this omelet was much lighter than others from other breakfast spots. Katie is not a big mushroom girl, but she found these delicious and helped bring an earthiness to most bites. The potatoes were seasoned well; since they were not uniformly cut, they had different textures, which was pleasing. 

My manager at work always raves about the benedicts at Bonjour Cafe, so the Smoked Ham Benedict ($17 plus $4.50 for a side of potatoes) was a must-have. This benedict forgoes the typical English muffin for country bread as its base, then piles on the thinly sliced ham, perfectly poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce and chives to top everything off. I liked the use of bread instead of the usual hard-to-cut-through English muffin. The poached eggs melted into the ham wonderfully, but I did have one problem with this benedict, the hollandaise sauce. It was very thin and lacked the flavor punch you expect from hollandaise sauce. 

Even with the rather dull hollandaise sauce, Bonjour Cafe is worth seeking out if you want a French breakfast spot. Their prices are a few dollars higher than most places, but the portion sizes are not skimpy, and they use some quality ingredients. We experienced some excellent service during this visit, as they came to check on us regularly. It's good to eat a lighter breakfast occasionally, but I'll always be true to my US breakfast roots. Next week, it'll be country-fried steak and eggs with an extra side of bacon. 'Murcia

 Out of five pencil sharpeners (because the pencil sharpener was invented in France in 1828), five being best to zero being worst, Bonjour Cafe gets 3 pencil sharpeners. 

For more information about Bonjour Cafe, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.bonjourcafe.com/

An Upswing in Good Pizza in South OC

aPizza Doho

34255 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of writing this blog, it's that people are passionate about pizza. Except for barbecue, pizza gets the second most responses when I write about it. Most people write to tell me that they don't agree with me or I don't know what I'm even talking about. I'll add fuel to the fire in this review by saying that the best pizza in OC can be found south of Irvine. Yes, there are some good spots north of Irvine, but South OC has recently had an influx of great pizza places open up. I was hoping that aPizza Doho would continue this trend. 

aPizza Doho took over the old Parallel Pizza spot open for business from 2018 to 2021 and was one of the numerous restaurants that did not survive the pandemic. The space sat vacant for close to a year, and like the former tenant, they are going for an East Coast-style pizza with an emphasis specifically on the pizza from Connecticut. Unlike its predecessor, aPizza Doho does not offer a clam pizza, but maybe that's for the best, even though I enjoyed it.  

The owner of this restaurant is Marcos Costas, a first-time restaurant owner but definitely not a stranger to the restaurant industry. He's been employed at Salt Creek Grill, Glasspar, French 75, Andrea Restaurant, Savanah Steak and Chop House, and others. Marcos is joined by cousins Anthony and Christopher Christian, who are co-owners and also have restaurant experience. While we were here, Marcos was very involved in the dining room operations, running food, introducing himself to each table, and ensuring things went smoothly. 

The aPizza Doho menu is what you'd expect from a pizza place. There are six appetizers, salads, three sandwiches, and what has brought most people here: pizza. Their pizzas are 15 inches, so they can easily feed two people or three if they are lighter eaters than Katie and me. They have a 10-inch personal pizza offered only for lunch that also comes with a salad. There are 10 featured pizzas, but they also have a build-your-own option. Pizzas will set you back anywhere from $19 to $28. We were famished, so we quickly ordered from our server and waited for our food to arrive. 

Our salads were out within five minutes. I went with my usual Caesar Salad ($15) selection. This version used a black kale and romaine mix topped with grated grana padano cheese and garlic bread crumbs. Maybe the menu did not mention the dressing because they used it sparingly. They could have used a heavier hand when applying some dressing. The lettuce was fresh, and I liked the inclusion of the bread crumbs, which added a nice bit of texture to this salad. 

Much better was Katie's choice, the Simple Salad ($12). This came with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, gorgonzola, and an excellent spiced ranch dressing. Katie was generous enough to give me a bite of this, and after that bite, I wished she had wanted to trade salads. This was full of flavor. The gorgonzola and the pine nuts were excellent additions, but the dressing was the show's star. The salad was dressed perfectly, with just the right amount of ranch dressing covering each piece of lettuce. Very well done. 

Their appetizer offerings included meatballs, arancini, hummus, calamari, and these Zucchini Chips ($9). We picked these because we both got salads and wanted something on the light side to accompany our upcoming pizza. These are basically zucchini sliced thin and fried like a potato chip. They had a little crunch but were not seasoned enough with the promised sea salt. They might have been better with a creamy dipping sauce or their excellent ranch dressing.  

When I'm the one picking pizza, I usually gravitate towards the one with the most meat on it. Our server had suggested this Mia Mushroom Pizza ($25 plus $3 for adding sausage), and since I tasked Katie with choosing the pizza we would have this evening, she went with our server's recommendation. This pizza uses a rich garlic cream as its base and then builds on it with mushrooms, mozzarella, truffle oil,  pecorino romano, and plenty of arugula. I liked the crust well enough. It was crisp and light, with no soggy parts. For me, I'm all about the toppings. I enjoyed the way that the cheese, sausage, and mushrooms interacted. They were not trying to upstage each other, but rather, they were sharing the spotlight. I could have used more garlic cream, sausage, and cheese, but it was still a solid effort.  

Since we had a lighter appetizer and the pizza was more delicate than others, we had room for dessert. We had two choices: tiramisu or Banana Walnut Crumble ($8). You can see which we went with. This comprises sliced bananas in a banana pasty cream alternated with a walnut crumble in a small mason jar topped with whipped cream. It was okay, but it did not knock our socks off. It was not overly sweet, but I did like the unusual choice of the walnut crumble, which I assumed was the reason for the muted sweetness. 

aPizza Doho is another good pizza option for the people of South OC. Based on this visit, they sit just outside my top five pizza spots in South OC (Truly Pizza, Gibroni's, Brooklyn City Pizza, Terra Mia Pizza, and Lunitas Pizza are my current top 5). I look forward to a return visit to try more of their custom pizzas and to have that simple salad again. We experienced excellent service on this visit, as our server was warm and cordial but not too intrusive. A delicate balance to achieve. I found the prices here reasonable for a sit-down pizza place, primarily when one pizza will feed two, so you're paying only $13 per person. A steal in this economy. I hope 2024 will continue the trend of great pizza places opening up in South Orange County. 

Out of five phone books (because this restaurant is an homage to Connecticut pizza and the first phone directory was published in that state in 1878), five being best to zero being worst. aPizza Doho gets 3 phone books.  

For more information about aPizza Doho, check out their website by clicking here: https://apizzadoho.com/

A Pizza Spot to Good to Be True?

 Truly Pizza

24402 Del Prado Ave. 

Dana Point, CA 92629

I will give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at the food blogging/Instagram world. The more followers a person has, the greater the chance they are being paid to visit or promote the restaurant they are showcasing. This leads many top food influencers to over-inflate what they may think of a restaurant. The tell-tell sign of this is when they say something is the "best of my life" or "this is perfect."  I hear these phrases constantly while scrolling through Instagram, and these phrases lose their value after so many instances. 

My policy for my blog and social media posts is to always honestly convey what I think of a restaurant. Even though I have a very modest following on social media, I get invited to some restaurants for a free meal, but I only give them a rating once I return and pay for a meal. I want my brand to be more of a reference point for all of you instead of a commercial for whatever restaurant invites us in for dinner. That's why 946 of my 1088 posts on this blog do have a rating attached to them. 

I bring this up because, yes, we got invited to Truly Pizza in Dana Point for their media event before they opened. What follows will feel like I'm gushing about this restaurant, and I am. Since our initial visit, I have been pleading with anyone I encounter that they must try this place, and I've gotten three Truly Pizza gift cards for people. So, yes, I will shower affection on Truly Pizza, but it's not because we got a free meal. It's because it's excellent. 

Truly Pizza opened in June and was an instant hit. They had wait times of over 2 hours for walk-ins on weekends and peak meal times. Their reservations were booked solid, and they had to suspend online reservations briefly. They are back now, and as I'm writing this four months after their opening date, online reservations have become more accessible, which is great for pizza lovers in Dana Point and the surrounding area. 

It's not really surprising that people have flocked to this restaurant. The team behind this spot has an excellent pedigree. John Arena collaborated with longtime friend and hospitality industry veteran Donna Baldwin and her developer partner Steve Muller to co-found Truly Pizza. John is a third-generation pizza maker who brought New York-style pizza to the people of Las Vegas with great acclaim. Rounding out the team and helming the kitchen at Truly Pizza is Chris Decker, a renowned pizza champion and a new resident of Dana Point. 

They have created a menu that will not overwhelm you with too many choices, but most people will find something to satisfy their cravings. There are four starters and a quintet of salads to start your meal. Two sandwiches are available for the two people out there who are not fans of pizza. Speaking of pizza, there are two types to choose from at Truly. They have their round 12-inch American artesian, which they describe as crispy and airy. There's also a square pizza reminiscent of Detroit-style pizza but with a much lighter touch. Prices for pizzas range between $17 to $30 and can easily feed three people with no leftovers to be taken home. Let's look at the food that got me hot and bothered since I had it a few months ago. 

I know I promised food, but I wanted to give you a glimpse into the atmosphere that Truly Pizza has created. We were seated upstairs with a beautiful view of the surrounding Lantern District of Dana Point. The faux lemon lattice above us provided a garden feel to the setting. Downstairs, the dominant feature is the glass-enclosed kitchen, which gives an excellent view of the hardworking kitchen staff creating pizzas and other menu items. Now, I promise, here's a look at the food.  

We started things off at Truly with two salads and a starter. Katie selected the Salumi Chopped Salad ($22) to begin with. This salad uses little gem lettuce and Calabrian chili vinaigrette as a dressing. The dressing had a tinge of spice to it, which played well with the rest of the ingredients of this salad. The high-quality soppressata and sliced salami were plentiful and joined in the bowl with red onion, fresh mozzarella cubes, shaved fennel, beans, and olives. Katie called this a meal in itself and would not hesitate to get this salad again. I had the popular Dana Point Wedge ($18). This version of a wedge starts with iceberg lettuce portioned into six stacks of easy-to-manage lettuce and then is complemented with candied pecans, dates, shaved egg, chives, red onion, smoked bacon, cracked black pepper, Point Reyes blue cheese, and finished off with their unbelievably good herby ranch. Yes, the produce was fresh, and the inclusion of the pecans and dates made this their own, but their incredible ranch dressing really set this apart. It stole the show here and ruined me for the bottled stuff I use because I'm too lazy to make my own. This wedge is a must-get. 

We added the Garlic Pull Apart Bread ($12) as a last-minute addition to our order. It's baked in a cast iron skillet and is topped with garlic, butter, and a sprinkling of Romano cheese. I could have used more garlic on this, but I always favor plenty of extra garlic. The rolls were nicely done, with a crunchy outer shell and pillowy soft bread underneath. These were made even better when we asked for some ranch to dip them in. 

Pizza Time! I've never really been into supreme pizzas, preferring to go for pizzas with the most meats and leave the vegetables for someone else. Our server and Katie talked me into getting this beautifully presented Suprema Pizza ($30). This square pizza came with roasted mushrooms and peppers, cup and char pepperoni, sausage, garlic confit, and a spicy giardiniera resting on a whole milk mozzarella and a red sauce underneath it all. I'm not a crust guy at all. I almost always leave the crust alone, but the crust here at Truly Pizza is light and airy, and I found myself eating all of it. The toppings are of the highest quality and yield no grease whatsoever. I love the cup pepperoni, as it has a great crunch to it. I thought the giardiniera would overpower here, but it went well with the other toppings. Katie and I could have finished this pizza, but I wanted a few pieces for the next day to see how it would hold up. The next day, it was just as good, even heated up in the microwave. I have my eye on their Crispy Pepperoni or their La Foresta pizza, featuring sausage, mushroom, and ricotta, for my follow-up visits. 

A sweet treat to end your meal at Truly is a great idea, as I watched table after table trying their house-made Soft Serve Ice Cream ($8). They rotate their flavors, but they had the classic chocolate and vanilla when we were here. You can choose one topping, picking between olive oil and sea salt, sprinkles, grape nuts, chocolate sauce, Oreo crumbles, or pistachios. I had the vanilla chocolate swirl with olive oil and sea salt. The contrast between the sweet and salty was a nice balance. Katie got straight chocolate with grape nuts because it reminded her of her childhood. I liked the added texture that the grape nuts brought.  

Hopefully, this blog post will entice you to try Truly Pizza. People are really partial to the kinds of pizza they like, whether it's New York, Detroit, Chicago, or any other type of pizza that is popular at any given moment. I would characterize this pizza as Californian, with its fresh and high-quality toppings, light crust, and unique topping combinations. I definitely got the sense that they pay attention to every detail here and want to showcase their pizzas and other items' greatness. It shows in the pride that they emit when complimented about their restaurant. I will be back soon to do a proper review when we pay for our meal, but honestly, I can't imagine not being impressed with Truly Pizza on my next visit. 

For more information about Truly Pizza, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.trulypizza.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/ 

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/