Changing of the Seasons at Hendrix

Hendrix

32431 Golden Lantern 

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

I've never really thought of it until recently, but for chefs at established restaurants, it's got to be a little repetitious making the same food over and over again, night after night. It's probably for this reason why they offer daily specials. Another way to keep things fresh and show off your creativity is to trot out new menu items when the seasons change. That's what the talented team at Hendrix has done, one of our favorite South OC restaurants.

We were lucky enough to get a chance to sample their new seasonal menu, which is a collaboration between Executive Chef Rainer Schwarz and new to the Hendrix team, Chef de Cuisine Allan Aguinaga. Chef Allan has previously done stints at Juliette Kitchen and Bar, Farmhouse at Rogers Gardens, and True Food Kitchen. This dynamic culinary duo has come up with a menu full of lighter than you'd expect fall dishes that highlight locally grown produce. We were definitely excited and intrigued to see what they had come up with.

We showed up at Hendrix at 6pm on a recent Tuesday and the place was filled with many customers enjoying cocktails at the bar in the center of the restaurant, and seated in the comfy booths with spectacular views of the rolling hills of Laguna Niguel. The decor at Hendrix has always brought a pleasing and relaxing feel to me. Beautiful natural light coming in through the skylights up above meld perfectly with the earthy tones and pop of blues from the booths and napkins. A beachy vibe, even though the waves are still a few more miles to the south.

On this evening we were seated with some of the best food writers in OC, most of whom I can call really great friends. I've known most of these people for the ten years that I have written this restaurant blog. It's always great catching up with them, gossiping about the restaurant industry, and finding out about where they have eaten recently. I was amazed to find out that we were one of the few that had actually been to Hendrix, which opened over two years ago. We all were eagerly anticipating the new menu items coming out of the kitchen for us. Let's take a look.

Our evening started out with a couple of seafood starters, the first of which was this Spanish Octopus Ceviche ($13). Katie, who is a little squeamish about octopus even gave this one a try. The octopus was sliced in thin pieces and added to garbanzo beans, fennel, some peppers, and finished with a refreshingly vibrant lime vinaigrette. It also had some spiced tortilla strips on top for crunch. Great textures with this, the octopus was prepared well, and all the ingredients stayed in their lane to provide an excellent first impression for all the newcomers to Hendrix.

Definitely the most colorful of dishes we were to have on this evening, the Hamachi Crudo ($15) was not only beautiful but tasted great as well. Diced fuji apples, cubed avocado, blood oranges, tangerine segments, and a yuzu dressing accompanied the raw yellowtail medallions here. I was afraid the citrus was going to steal the show, but it was way more subtle than I imagined. The fresh fish was amazing and there were some strings of pepper which gave this a surprising kick.

Every time I eat beets I always think to myself that they are very underused on restaurant menus. I love them and was happy to see this Roasted Heirloom Beet Salad ($10). The beets were presented on a bed of baby arugula with some nuts sprinkled on top for a textural element. The beets were delicious and the arugula worked well here, despite me not being the biggest fan. I do confess that I also think of The Office TV show when thinking about beets as well.

Cauliflower is a pretty versatile vegetable. It's not just for veggie trays anymore. At Hendrix, they serve it as Roasted Cauliflower Steaks ($9). It is placed on a tasty salsa verde and spiced with Morrocan seasonings for a Mediterranean vibe. No, you're not going to think your dining at Mastro's while eating this, but the cauliflower was tender, had great flavor from the spices, and was more substantial than any piece of cauliflower you've ever dipped into ranch dressing at a Superbowl party. 

I have never really had a bad association with brussels sprouts. It's probably because my parents never served them to us as kids, so I've only been exposed to them as an adult. I loved these Fried Brussels Sprouts ($11). The sprouts had a great crunchiness to them and were accented by dried cranberries and Marcona almonds which added to the earthiness of this bowl. It was finished with a dollop of mint yogurt which tied everything together wonderfully. A definite must-try when visiting Hendrix.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms ($12) is not something that I'd see on a menu and order most of the time, but I might have to rethink that based on this one. The breading had an excellent crunch and more substantial than others I've had in the past. This was stuffed with a ricotta cheese that was tinged with lemon and mint and placed in a tomato sauce which added just the right acidity to balance things out. A unique dish, but very well executed.

When I saw that this Tomatoes and Soft Mozzarella Salad ($12) was coming out next, I knew I'd probably skip this one. I have an aversion towards sliced tomato, (a textural thing for me), so I let my tablemates enjoy this salad which also came with plums and fresh basil. Katie enjoyed this oil and vinegar dressed salad very much and gave glowing praise to the creamy mozzarella.

Due to Katie's shrimp allergy, I do not get to partake in shrimp as much as I like. Oh, how I missed these little crustaceans. This Grilled Mexican Shrimp ($24) entree hit all the notes for me. Big succulent shrimp, a savory white butter bean puree, a garlic-infused nage, and crispy shallots made this plate a winner in my book. I've now made a vow to have shrimp more often. Sorry, Katie. 

Many of us at the table were not big fans of this Potato and Ricotta Cheese Ravioli ($17). My problem with this was that it was a bit on the dry side. Not enough of the brown butter sauce and the inside filling of the ravioli was kind of bland. Not my favorite item. 

I really liked the creativity of this Kale Pesto Spaghetti Carbonara ($18). Kale is not my favorite thing to see on a menu, but Chef Rainer and Chef Allan have made this leafy cabbage something I would not try to avoid. This is a carbonara you can feel good about eating with lots of greens included here, like the aforementioned kale, and cut up asparagus, broccolini, and of course the pesto. The inclusion of the parmesan on top is like the icing on the cake.

Hendrix is best known for their rotisserie proteins and you can try them all in one fell swoop with this Hendrix Rotisserie Meat Platter ($26 per person, with a 2 person minimum). This platter includes a Colorado leg of lamb, lemon garlic chicken, and a bone-in pork loin. You may also add some prime rib for an extra $8 per person. This is a great way to get a taste of Hendrix in just one visit. It also comes with fingerling drip potatoes, au jus, and pickled veggies. I was partial to the lamb, but the pork is also very good.  A must-try if you are a meat lover and this is your first visit to Hendrix.

As if we needed any more food, we were presented with a dessert sampler as a grand finale. All were good, but the Peanut Butter Cookie blew me away. One of the better ones I have had. It was so good I asked for an extra one for the road. I wish they had them all the time, but I did not see them on their dessert menu. Hopefully, more people will inquire about them and they will be more readily available.

This media dinner proves that even though Hendrix has now been around for two years, they are not resting on their laurels. These new menu items show that they are trying to keep things fresh at one of South OC's premier restaurants. Make sure to hurry in to try any of the above new items, as I'm sure next season they will switch things up again. Which I'm sure will be just as fantastic as this season's new items are.  Thanks to Chef Rainer and Chef Allan for the wonderful evening of food, and to our long-time foodie friends, it was great getting a chance to catch up with all of you. I can't wait to do it again very soon.

For more information about Hendrix, or to make a reservation, head to their website here: https://www.hendrixoc.com/

Enjoying Our Hendrix Experience

Hendrix

32431 Golden Lantern

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

This is the last of my birthday weekend reviews. I guess the people in my life know me pretty well. I'm not really one for presents. I admit I'm pretty hard to buy for, so that might be why people usually just take me out to a restaurant, which is definitely something that I enjoy almost more than anything. This time it was Katie's parents turn to take us out, and as is their custom, they allowed me to make the decision on where to go. I did not have a hard time coming up with a place, we were headed to Hendrix in Laguna Niguel.

Hendrix is part of the Sentinel Restaurant Group, which also runs Driftwood Kitchen and The Deck in Laguna. It's been almost two years since we visited Driftwood, but I still look back fondly on not only one of the most impressive restaurant views anywhere in OC, but also the food of Chef Rainier Schwarz, which shined on that night.

His new joint is located in the Ocean Ranch Plaza, which used to host the now-shuttered Savannah Chop House, and is located right next door to the Cinepolis Movie Theater. This used to be the site of Fred's, which I never had the pleasure of eating in, but judging from the reviews on Yelp, I wasn't missing out on anything.

Gone is the garage sale meets TGI Fridays look that Fred's had going for it. and it's been replaced with a more grown-up style, which is comfortable, airy and light. Hendrix is going for a neighborhood kind of feel to it, and I feel they nailed it. High ceilings with exposed beams, comfortable seating options, an indoor firepit, and at the restaurant's centerpiece is a very busy and lively bar.

Before even walking in the front door of Hendrix you get to see what they are all about, rotisserie. The highlight of the menu is front and center, with a rotating rotisserie filled with chicken, pork, lamb, and drip potatoes. The aromas once inside the restaurant are intoxicating and made me hungrier than I imagined I was. Not a fan of rotating meats, okay I guess we can still be friends, but Hendrix has you covered. Their menu features a good number of small plates, soups, salads, and entrees, with an emphasis on seafood options. Enough talking about the menu here, let's see what we ended up ordering.

We started wth two options from the small plates section of the menu, the first of which was this Creamy Spinach ($9). This started our evening off wonderfully with a good amount of not your grandmother's creamed spinach mixed with hazelnuts and topped with parmesan cheese and a lightly fried egg. I'm a big fan of spinach and this was a nicely done twist to a dish that can sometimes be a humdrum side item. The leafy green veggie was light, with a good textural element from the hazelnut and it was all brought together with the yolk of the fried egg. Very well balanced and definitely something I would get again.

I was not as much in love with the second of our two starters, the Roti Chicken and San Daniele Proscuitto Fritters ($9). The structure of these fritters was fine, but the chicken and the prosciutto kind of got lost here. I also wasn't feeling the mustard and honey aioli sauces that came with these. This would be one of the few misses for me on this evening.

Entrees were up next, and Katie and her mom split this good looking Rosemary-Lemon Chicken ($19). Both she and her mother were pretty impressed with the juiciness and flavor of the chicken here. It did have hints of lemon and rosemary throughout and was incredibly tender. I'm not really into ordering chicken in restaurants because they are often dry and overcooked. Not the case here, even I would consider getting this neatly stacked half chicken on my next visit to Hendrix. Also hiding beneath the poultry were these little yellow potatoes, which also get their turn in the rotisserie, right underneath the chicken, so they soak up the drippings from the chicken above. The result was a fork tender, and bursting with flavor potato that was tossed with chimichurri. A very satisfying meal.

After reading a review in the OC Weekly I really was torn between the lamb and the pork, but ultimately the Porchetta Pork Roll ($21) won out. This plate came out neatly stacked with those drip potatoes as a base, the next level of this included a rich slice of pork belly wrapped around a slice of pork loin, and then perched on top of that in the penthouse position was some pickled veggies. This plate blew me away. The pork belly was fatty and since it absorbed most of the heat from the cooking process, it got nice and crispy and gained a sweetness that made it taste like pork candy. The pork loin was not to be overlooked either. It came out moist and tender. One of my favorite pork dishes to date. It was rounded out by the pickled veggies which balanced out the richness of the pork with a little acidity. I'll be hard pressed to pass this up to try the lamb next time.

I guess Katie's dad was not in the mood for anything from the rotisserie, so he ordered this Baked Lobster Mac and Cheese ($18). I did not get to try this, but there were no complaints from her dad about this dish. It looked hearty from across the table, with its browned bread crumb topping and cheese hanging over the side of the small iron skillet it was housed in.

Just in case we did not have enough food, we also ordered two other items off of the small plates menu. The Cornbread Zucchini ($14) was stellar, and I'm pretty picky when it comes to cornbread. This one held together nicely, maybe because of the inclusion of the zucchini. It came with some very spreadable butter and honey, which went well with the warmed bread. Katie was over the moon with the Fried Brussels Sprouts ($8). These dolled up sprouts were a textural delight with crunchy almonds, chewy dried cranberries, and a mint yogurt sauce, which bound it all together. I believe that there was also possibly some parmesan cheese added to this. The result was a winning side item that still has Katie looking back fondly even a few weeks past our visit to Hendrix.

After my mother in law let the cat out of the bag that I was here doing a review, we had a very pleasant conversation with General Manager Pete LaCava. We talked about how excited they are to be in Laguna Niguel, his past employers, favorite restaurants, and of course about the food that we had on this evening. He told us he would send us out something for dessert, and we were excited when this dessert sampler made its way to our table. I was super excited to see that the same Sticky Toffee Cake that I had at Driftwood all those years ago is now available at Hendrix. It was still as good as ever but was upstaged by the Hendrix Midnight, which has a layer of peanut butter and jelly and then is finished with a chocolate glace. Decadent and definitely it needs to be shared. Another winner was the Apple Strudel, which should come as no surprise since Chef Schwarz hails from Austria, which is the birthplace of strudel. This was a very traditional version which did not rely on overly sweetened apples heavy in syrup to make its point. A very good group of desserts and a very nice gesture from Mr. LaCava.

I left Hendrix liking it more than I thought I initially would, and I did have high hopes for this restaurant. It exceeded all of our expectations. The meats from the rotisserie were all worth trying here, and the small plates and desserts were almost equally as good. I've read online that one of the criticisms of Hendrix is the portion sizes, but I left here very full and even had some leftovers for the next day's lunch. Our server and everyone we encountered on this particular evening was bright and cheerful and kept our needs met throughout our stay on this evening. I will not let another birthday go by without another visit to Hendrix.

Out of five roses, (because this restaurant is named after Hendrick's Gin, which uses rose petals to add flavor to its libation, and that's the brand of gin that's used to make their martinis here), five being best to zero being worst, Hendrix gets 4 roses.

For more information about Hendrix, head to their website here: https://hendrixoc.com/