Jacked Up to Try Jack’s Woodside Grill

 Jack's Woodside Grille

30065 Suite A Alicia Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

It was vacation week for Katie and me, so we took this rare opportunity to walk at the beach, get our house in order, go through the mail, and eat. We both have full-time jobs, so we only have one day a week to try a breakfast restaurant. During football season, that number dips to zero, as football takes up our entire Sunday from 10 a.m. until the last whistle of the Sunday night game, usually around 8 p.m. Yes, we are a little obsessed. 

We have wanted to try Jack's Woodside Grille since it opened in March of this year. In those eight months, Jack's has amassed a very impressive 4.7-star rating on Yelp and has a weekend wait for tables of anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the day. In the fifteen years I've been writing this blog, this address was the location of Legado Bar and Kitchen and Beach Pit BBQ, and before that, it used to be a Pick-Up Sticks.  

Jack's Woodside Grille is named after Jack Holder, a World War II veteran who opened his first breakfast restaurant in 1957. As the years passed, he and his children opened several other restaurants in Northern California. Jack Holder passed away, but his legacy lives on in the form of the restaurants his children have continued to run, including this one named in his honor and the first one in Southern California. 

Only open from 7 til 2pm, the menu here is geared towards breakfast, but they offer some lunch options, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The breakfast portion of the menu is broken up into egg dishes, griddled items, specials, omelets, classic breakfast plates, and benedicts. The average price per item on the menu's breakfast side is around $17, which is reasonable nowadays. Katie and I quickly made our selections, and here's how everything came out for us during our maiden visit to Jack's Woodside Grille. 

Katie took longer to decide what to order than usual, and I wonder if it was because so many things looked good or if she was just extra indecisive this morning. She finally selected the Jack's Special ($16). This scramble came with two scrambled eggs, ground beef, spinach, mushrooms, onion, and jack cheese. She stated that she would generally shy away from ground beef when having breakfast, but she found this to be very much to her liking. She enjoyed the lightness of the eggs, felt the ingredients were fresh, and loved the rye bread that came with her meal. Her only complaint was that the cheese was not melted, and there needed to be more of it sprinkled on top. 

When I eat breakfast out, I tend to look for the items on the menu that have the most breakfast meats. At Jack's Woodside, that meant I would be having the Supreme Omelet ($17). This omelet came with four kinds of meat: sausage, ham, bacon, and linguica, which is joined by some mushrooms, bell peppers, jack and white cheddar cheese, and Spanish sauce. The omelet had a souffle-like feel that I enjoyed, but I was not in love with this plate. The breakfast meats were cut too small to be noticeable, the Spanish sauce was bland and tasted like jarred spaghetti sauce, and the cheese needed to be melted. The outer portion of the hashbrowns was nice and crisp, but the inside lacked seasoning. I always enjoy it when a restaurant allows you to sub out toast for pancakes, and these were pretty solid pancakes. The buttermilk flavor came through, and they had maple syrup on the table, so you could add your desired amount of syrup instead of asking the server for extra. 

No, I did not have two meals on this visit; I returned recently with my friend to try their Chicken Fried Steak ($21). This was better than my omelet. I mixed my hashbrowns and eggs this time and added a good amount of pepper, making them automatically better than the first time I visited. The chicken-fried steak was good, but I would have liked the outer portion of it to be crunchier. The delicious country gravy helped save this from being just your run-of-the-mill chicken fried steak. The Swedish pancakes get a lot of love online, but I failed to see their attraction. They came out lukewarm at best, and the lingonberry butter did not add much flavor. They were okay, but the pancakes are the better option at Jack's.  

I really wanted to give Jack's a glowing review. The service has been stellar the two times I've been here, and the management team has been very hands-on in ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unfortunately, the food has not been up to the same standard. Even though the price point and portion sizes are more than fair, I have not found anything that has wowed me here, and the only thing left on their menu that intrigues me still is the Crab Benedict and maybe something off of the lunch menu. Jack's is okay, but not in my top 3 breakfast spots in Laguna Niguel. In case you were wondering, my top Laguna Niguel breakfast spots are still Mollies Country Kitchen, Plumeria Cafe, and Snooze. 

Out of five wildcats (because the sports teams for the Woodside High School sports teams are called the Wildcats), five being best to zero being worst, Jack's Woodside Grille gets 2.5 wildcats.  

For more information about Jack's Woodside Grille, head to their website by clicking here: https://jackswoodside.com/

Indian Food in Living Color at Rangeen Kitchen

 Rangeen Kitchen

28241 Crown Valley Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

Day number four of OC Restaurant Week has brought us to Rangeen Kitchen. This location used to be home to one of our favorite local Mediterranean spots that we would grab takeout from at least every other week. We were sad to see Zait Bistro close down at the end of 2021 but were happy to find out that the owners still have a restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga, a little far for takeout, but we never know where we'll end up these days. 

Rangeen Kitchen opened in March 2022. It's owned by Sukhi Nagpal, who left her corporate job in 2017 and followed her calling to start a catering company. After a successful run, she decided to take the next step and open her first restaurant. With help from her mother, mother-in-law, and husband, Rangeen Kitchen came into existence. Their cuisine stays true to the authenticity of Indian food, but they put their own spin on things. 

In the Ralph's/Chick-fil-A shopping plaza, Rangeen's menu is divided into sections featuring appetizers, plates, handhelds, curries, salads, and tawa rice. It's a diverse menu for such a small restaurant. Nothing eclipses the $20 price point, which is rare these days. Of course, we were here for the OC Restaurant Week dinner menu, a $45 four-course dinner for two. Let's take a look at their take on Indian food. 

Before we ordered, we were presented with Papadums and a dill-based sauce, which I believe was raita. The papadums were crispy like crackers and did not hold on to the thin sauce as much as I would have liked. They were free and helped us pass the time as we waited for our food after ordering. 

The Rangeen Restaurant Week menu started with Gobhi Manchurian ($12), fried cauliflower tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce. This also had some slightly spicy parts to it. The sauce was made up of ginger and chili, and then some cubed bell peppers, garlic, and sesame seeds were added to the dish. We've had something like this in Persian restaurants, called arnabit, but this one was made differently. I liked the big pop of flavor here, and the different flavor profiles came in waves. A must-try when visiting Rangeen Kitchen. 

We had to choose between one of five curries and two kebabs for the main course. It might seem basic, but I always veer toward Chicken Tikka Masala ($18) when eating in an Indian restaurant for the first time. If they can make this good, I will venture out and try something more adventurous the next time I return. This tikka masala was much lighter than others I have had, but it did not sacrifice the depth of flavor this dish possesses. The chicken was tender, and the sauce was very comforting. 

The Mango Habanero Chicken Tikka Kebab ($17) was a plate with a herbed salad, rice, and extra tikka sauce. I liked this, but not as much as the curry version. The chicken was in giant hunks, so some bites were less moist and tender than others. The mango habanero sauce would have been more front and center if it had been served like the tikka sauce in a ramekin instead of just placed on the platter. I enjoyed it but used it up too quickly, so I used the tikka sauce more frequently. The salad was fine and fresh but a little bland for my taste. 

The Garlic Naan ($4.50) was one of the better ones we have had recently. It was soft and included plenty of butter and garlic. It took some great willpower not to order another basket of it. 

Katie was a little concerned about the spiciness of the mango habanero chicken, so she chose to get her own entree instead of helping me with the restaurant week menu. She selected the Chicken Tikka Sandwich ($14). The sandwich was wrapped in what I assume was naan and filled with chicken, lettuce, tomato, lime pickled onions, and some herbs. Katie was thrilled with this sandwich and wants to return and get it again. She loved the chicken and produce included in it and the way the tikka sauce tied everything together. This usually comes with fries, but she got rice instead. 

Our last hurrah at Rangeen Kitchen was these Chocolate Puffs ($4). They were half dipped in chocolate and filled with mango pudding. Our server gave us instructions on how to eat them, but I was not listening and made a big mess when I bit into mine. Katie was listening to him and was much more demur when she had hers. Even though mine dissolved into a big mess, I liked the mango pudding and the crunchy outer shell of the puff. 

Rangeen Kitchen was an excellent local find, thanks to OC Restaurant Week. We live close enough that this spot will become our go-to for Indian food when we don't want to venture too far from home. I look forward to trying more of their curries and other proteins on future visits. We experienced outstanding service from Jaime on this visit, as he kept things moving and ensured our every need was met. The value for the money at Rangeen Kitchen was one of the best offers for Restaurant Week that I saw. We were saddened by Zait Bistro leaving, but Rangeen Kitchen is a worthy replacement.  

Out of five rainbow sprinkle donuts (because Rangeen means colorful in Hindi, and I can't think of a more colorful donut than one with rainbow sprinkles), five being best to zero being worst, Rangeen Kitchen gets three rainbow sprinkles donuts.  

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

Welcome to the Neighborhood Calo Kitchen and Tequila

Calo Kitchen and Tequila

28141 Crown Valley Parkway Suite A

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

The empty restaurant that used to be home to a TGI Friday's on the corner of Crown Valley and Greenfield seemed like it had been empty for decades instead of the five years it had really been vacant. There were plenty of rumors about what was going to happen with that space. I had heard a Raising Cane's was going to be a possibility. Another tip had led me to believe that a BJ's Brewhouse was going to be setting up shop there. I had even heard it was going to be converted into a bank. None of these tips proved to be true though. 

Early last year a chain-linked fence went up around the property. The building was stripped down to its frame. Some major work began. About three months later a few signs went up around the chain-linked fence ending all the speculation once and for all. Our new neighborhood restaurant was going to be Calo Kitchen and Tequila. 

A quick Google search answered a lot of my questions about this new arrival. This would be their second location, with the other spot being in El Segundo. That restaurant gets a very respectable 4.5 stars on Yelp with over 600 reviews for those that want to know. I also learned that this is the sister restaurant of Carmelita's Kitchen, which is probably familiar to those of you that have been to their locations in Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Beach, or maybe you were visiting Northern California and went to one of their two spots up there. 

Calo is a family-run restaurant. This spot appears to be run by their third generation in the restaurant business. From looking at the menu, I'd describe this as upscale Mexican food. Combo plates range between $16 to $21, while their Mexican favorites section of the menu is in the $14 to $25 price range. Specialties are listed last on the menu, and they go anywhere from $19 to $35 for a prime skirt steak served over chicken enchiladas. Sounds pretty good to me. 

Predictably, this place is unrecognizable from the old Friday's days with the total tear down of this former building. Calo shares a common wall with morning favorite Snooze AM Eatery, which might cause some major traffic and parking issues when Calo starts serving lunch in the early part of July. With the large doors opening up to the rather large patio and the abundance of white used on the painted and tiled walls, the inside of the restaurant feels bright and airy. We were seated in a comfortable booth on the patio for this special friends and family opening event. We enlisted our good friend Oz to join us to experience our first taste of Calo. Let's see if Calo will be a welcome addition to our neighborhood. 

Calo ups the usual humdrum Chips and Salsa that you get at most Mexican restaurants. The chips were nicely fresh, but the star of this show was the bean dip that came with them. I could not get enough, and they generously refilled our bowl numerous times during our visit. The deep earthy flavor mixed with some spices made up for the much more mundane salsa, which needed a little more chunk to it for my tastes. 

Katie has grown an affinity for Queso Fundido ($11) and is on a search for the one that will supplant her favorite one, which is presently from El Maguey, which is down in San Juan Capistrano, With its chipotle cheese, crumbled sausage, mushrooms, sliced onions, and poblanos, this fundido was fine, but did not match the cheesier version from El Maguey. The cheese was off a bit, and the sausage failed to pack much of a punch of flavor. This did come with some very well-made corn and flour tortillas, which helped things out a bit. 

When I'm eating at a Mexican restaurant for the first time, I use the Carnitas ($25) as a barometer to see if a restaurant is worth revisiting. After my first couple of bites of this pork, I can definitely see myself making return visits. These carnitas had exactly what I look for when having this dish. Crispy tips, a little fat running through it for flavor, and tenderness throughout made this plate a winner. The refried beans and rice went well with the pork in alternating forkfuls. A very solid meal, and due to a snafu in the kitchen they had brought out two extra plates that they allowed us to keep, which we enjoyed for lunch the next day. 

Katie is sometimes a wildcard as to what she orders in Mexican restaurants, and at Calo, she veered from her usual fajitas to order the Pollo Serrano ($23). The menu claims that this is a staff favorite, and after a couple bites, it's now one of Katie's favorites as well. The two good-sized organic chicken breasts were blanketed with a green-hued serrano cream sauce and served alongside a scoop of rice and a poblano pepper topped with cheese and avocado slices. The sauce was not only eye-catching but burst with flavor and was a good conduit with the wonderfully moist chicken. I steer away from chicken in restaurants because a lot of the time it's dry, but the bite I had of this is making me rethink this. 

Our good friend Oz was going to go with the carnitas, but I veered him gently to this Seafood Trio ($33) because I had ordered the carnitas already and had wanted a little diversity to this post. Being the awesome guy that he is, he agreed. This trio of seafood items included a shrimp and lobster chile relleno, shrimp taco with bacon, and rounding things out, a lobster enchilada. Oz was pretty impressed with the seafood at Calo, calling it fresh and everything here was well made. Big praise from Oz, whose mom ran a Mexican restaurant in this area for many years. He's very picky when it comes to Mexican food, so to get his seal of approval really means something.  

Even though we were pretty full from our entrees, appetizer, and way more helpings of the bean dip and chips than I care to admit to you, we needed to try dessert at Calo. Our server raved about the Flan ($8) and the Tres Leches Cake ($8), so that's the way we went. I'm not the world's biggest fan of flan, as I think it's a little on the boring side, and hard for restaurants to make it their own. This one was a little creamier than most, and the plentiful amount of caramel made this sweeter than others I have encountered. The tres leches cake was predictably moist, but Katie liked that it was more sturdy than she was expecting. The top layer of icing had a muted sweetness that went well with the yellow cake underneath. I'm looking forward to trying their churros on my next visit. 

Calo Kitchen and Tequila is definitely a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and with the groups of people I see out in front every time I drive by, I think I'm not alone in that sentiment. With the prices per plate, I admit that Calo Kitchen is not going to be an everyday option for a lot of you, but it's definitely one of the better upscale Mexican restaurants in south OC. The food was executed well, and even though this was a trial run for the official first day of opening, the service we experienced on this evening was exemplary. We look forward to many return visits. 

Thank you to everyone we encountered at Calo Kitchen and Tequila this evening for their friends and family event. It was an honor being among one of the first to see what you guys were all about and trying your food. From the management team to bussers, everyone seemed really proud of what they were a part of at Calo. Thanks again for a wonderful evening and we will see you again soon. 

For more information about Cal Kitchen and Tequila, head to their website here: https://www.calokitchen.com/

A Long Overdue Revisit to Chelas Mexican Grill - CLOSED

Chelas Mexican Grill

29975 Alicia Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

After I visit a restaurant, I very rarely go back unless it rocks my world or is close to where I reside. I have it in the back of my mind that I want to get to 1000 different restaurant reviews before I even think about taking a break from writing this restaurant blog. Just for the record, I'm sitting at 878 restaurants, and no, this one will not add to that total because I've already eaten at Chelas Mexcian Grill.  

It seemed like eons ago, back in 2011 when I first visited Chelas, located in the Albertson's shopping center near the corner of Alicia and Crown Valley Parkway when it opened that year. I admit that I was not too thrilled with that visit. They used lots of lettuce and cheese; the meats could have been more prominent. I shied away from a return until fate stepped in recently. 

I entered an Instagram contest for a Taco Kit on the Chelas and TacoTuesday.com pages, which fed 6 to 8 people. Against all odds, I won one of the two Taco Kits they gave away. I could have kept it all for myself and Katie, but I had a great idea to share it with some of my so-called hard-working co-workers. Since Chelas is located within ten minutes of where we work, it would work perfectly to grab it on a recent Wednesday. 

Chela's Mexican Grill is owned by Karla and Art Vasquez, with a notable assist from Art's mom, Roselia, who provided and taught her recipes to the couple during her legendary Saturday afternoon cookouts. Unfortunately, Roselia passed in 2005, but her memory lives on from the food made inside the kitchen at this tiny Mexican eatery. Chelas gets a respectable 4-star rating on Yelp, won a few awards over the last decade, and has been a fixture at many community events. I was excited to share my bounty with my friends at work and see what I've been missing in the nine years since I've last been to Chelas.  

No problems with pickup at Chelas, as everything was prepared, nicely wrapped, and ready at our agreed-upon 11am time. The Taco Kit  ($60) included two pounds of chicken, guacamole, rice, beans, a good-sized salad, tortillas, salsa, tortilla chips, chopped onion, and cilantro. Everything you would need to make your own tacos and feed 6 to 8 hungry people. My co-workers are a little hungrier than most, so I also got a pound of carnitas, just for good measure. Let's take a closer look at what we consumed before heading back to work.  

I was focused on the tacos while driving back to work. But don't sleep on this California salad. It included some fresh romaine, black beans, roasted corn, queso fresco, and sliced avocado. With the provided ranch dressing this salad was light, yet flavorful, I really enjoyed the way the beans, corn, and cheese provided little pockets of flavor throughout each forkful.  

Here's what made this a pretty good day at work: the Taco Kit and the extra pound of carnitas I purchased. Unlike my last visit nine years ago, the chicken and carnitas stood out. I usually avoid chicken in restaurants because they tend to overcook it, but this hit the sweet spot. The chicken was moist, tender, and spiced well. It made some delicious tacos. The carnitas was just the way I like it, some pieces were crispy, while others had a little bit of fattiness to them which helps with flavor. The guacamole and salsa were on point. The refried beans were a tad on the watery side but tasted delicious. There was not much wrong with this taco kit.   

I'm thrilled that I won this Taco Kit from Chelas. Not only did it help make me popular at work, at least for one day, but it also made me realize what I was missing by not eating at Chelas for the last nine years. Since we live so close, I will try more things off their menu soon. I may get another taco kit, which will be good when I win poker and have to feed the guys. 

Thanks so much to the great people at Chelas and Taco Tuesday for sponsoring this contest. I'm very grateful that I won and could share it with my friends at work. I'm glad I could introduce them to some good Mexican food around where we work for a change. Chelas gained some new fans on that recent Wednesday and won a spot in our rotation for lunch. 

For more information about Chelas Mexican Grill, head to their website here: https://chelasmexicangrill.com/

Third Time the Charm at This Address?

Asian Kitchen

30271 Golden Lantern Suite D

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

I know I've been doing this restaurant blog for a long time when I have reviewed three different restaurants at the same address. My trifecta of visits to this address started way back in 2010 when we had a pretty unforgettable meal at Chaparosa Grill. We then ate here again in early 2018 when it became breakfast spot Stacks and Yolks. They lasted only nine months, as they were plagued by mediocre food and some scathing reviews about their service on Yelp.

Fast forward to September of last year and there's a new restaurant that opened up to try to break the curse of this address, Asian Kitchen. From what I've been able to find out online, this place is owned by a couple who used to manage Little Kitchen Asian Cafe in Dana Point. Although they have similar-sounding names, they are not related. The couple, Lauren and Chris decided to branch out on their own and try their hand at ownership.

Asian Kitchen is located at the corner of Golden Lantern and Marina Hills, in the same shopping plaza as Albertsons, CVS, and McDonald's. We had made reservations for our party of five at 6pm on a recent Saturday evening. Good thing we had made those reservations, as the restaurant was pretty full when we arrived.

The dining room was nice and spacious, with a higher than I remembered ceiling. The center of the restaurant has a u-shaped bar in the center, with tables scattered around it. The chairs are not the most comfortable, as they are hard metal, but we made them work. The menu at Asian Kitchen is pretty much what you'd expect to see at any mainstream Chinese restaurant in OC. Fried rice, pork, beef, poultry, and noodle dishes dominate, but there are also house specialties, soups, and salads for lighter eaters. We were excited to see if Asian Kitchen would become one of our favorite Chinese spots in south OC.

Starting things off on this evening is the equivalent of chips and salsa in a Chinese restaurant, Fried Wonton Strips with Sweet and Sour Sauce. Yeah, chips and salsa are way better, but I can never resist eating more than my fair share of these before the food arrives. I wish the fried wontons were in bigger pieces, so you could get more of the sweet and sour sauce across more of the surface area of the wonton. They also offered spicy mustard, but I forgot to snap a shot of it.

We started our culinary journey at Asian Kitchen with some Eggrolls ($11.50). These were filled with veggies only, were fried really well, and lacked the greasiness that you would expect from your typical eggroll. They were, however, very bland and even the provided sweet and sour did not help out too much. To be honest, I've always thought of eggrolls as a placeholder before the real food hits the table, so I was not expecting too much here.

As is our custom when eating in a Chinese restaurant, we eat family style, with everyone choosing one dish from the menu. I'm pretty sure this was my uncle Jerry's choice, Orange Chicken ($13,50). This was a good version of one of the most American of all Chinese dishes. The chicken was nice and crispy, while the orange-tinged sauce was sweet and tangy. The green onions and chilis did a great job of cutting the sweetness a bit. Not an overly thick sauce on this either. Way better than the version at Panda Express.

My first time having Chinese food as a kid, I can remember being blown away by Sweet and Sour Pork ($12.95). It was like nothing I had ever eaten before. That was at the now-departed Yen Ching in Orange and is still my benchmark for this dish. This version was fine but not as good as the one from my childhood. The pork cubes could have been a little crisper and the sweet and sour sauce was not as striking as others.

Not usually something that I'd order, but my aunt Hiroko has shied away from meat the last year, so she opted for this Garlic Eggplant ($10.50). This had a whole bunch of veggies in it, red and green bell peppers, onions, bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms, and of course eggplant. The vegetables were fine, even though I'm not the world's biggest fan of eggplant, but what made this dish was the very good brown garlic sauce. Very flavorful and I found myself poking around the eggplant near the end of our meal.

This Black Pepper Steak ($16.95) was my selection this evening and ended up being the best dish of the night. I'm not sure what cut of beef they used to make this, but it was very tender. The mushrooms, bell peppers, and black pepper sauce rounded this plate out wonderfully. I ate more than my fair share of this. I hope no one noticed.

Katie is always down for a good time, so it was no surprise that she selected the Vegetable Chow Fun ($11.50). This big pile of flat rice noodles was joined on the plate by a lot of veggies and a light brown sauce. It was good, but I tended to leave it for the meat-centric dishes that we had on this evening.

I left Asian Kitchen pretty full and content. I'd say this is in the upper echelon of Chinese food we have had south of Irvine, but I think nearby China Moon edges it out as the best we have had around these parts. Everything was freshly made and came to the table very hot. The service was very good during our stay on this evening. This is definitely the best restaurant we have been to at this address, and it should be around for a while. If not, then maybe they should just turn this building into another Chase Bank. There seems to be one of those on every corner.

Out of five shopping carts, (because four of the top 10 biggest employers in Laguna Niguel sell groceries), five being best to zero being worst, Asian Kitchen gets 3 shopping carts.

Asian Kitchen has a very bare-bones website, but you can check out their menu and hours by clicking here: https://asian-kitchens.com/

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/