Superb Steak in San Clemente?

 Rare Society

226 Avenida Del Mar

San Clemente, CA 92672

Man, these birthdays roll around way too quickly these days. It feels like just a month ago when we celebrated my birthday at Bourbon Steak in Dana Point. That meal was one of the best I have had in a long time, and not only was the food great, but the service was first-rate. Very memorable. I wanted the same thing for this birthday, so I picked another restaurant that has gotten lots of great press, Rare Society in San Clemente. 

Rare Society burst onto the San Clemente dining scene in May 2023. It is the brainchild of Chef and Restaurateur Brad Wise, who has five restaurant concepts up and running, most of which are in the San Diego area. Rare Society is his breakout hit, with six locations operating or opening soon. Be on the lookout for one in Las Vegas, poised to open sometime this year. It is across the street from the Durango Casino and Resort, about fifteen minutes west of the Vegas Strip, depending on traffic.

Back to the Rare Society in San Clemente. This restaurant was the hottest in OC for the first six months of its operation. Reservations were booked months in advance, and I made my reservation two months early for my June birthday. I recently checked for tables, and they have reservations for most nights. However, Saturdays appear to be their busiest night by a mile. If you eat here on a Saturday, plan ahead at least a few weeks in advance and place your reservation for your desired dining time. 

This is Chef Brad's homage to the vintage steakhouses of a bygone era, which evoke the specialness of upscale dining. Each of the Rare Society locations includes an on-premises dry ager filled with cuts of beef prominently displayed near the hostess stand and a wood-fired grill that utilizes American red oak to cook these cuts. The bar area is the focal point of this two-story restaurant, with stunning circular lighting hovering above the bar to the top of the second-level ceiling. Even though it's close to the ocean, you'll have to crane your neck to glimpse the Pacific. 

I was hoping that the food at Rare Society would be enough to make up for the lack of ocean views. The menu here has plenty of options, leading off with chilled seafood and a wide array of starters, and then you get to the star of the show, the proteins. They offer six steak options ranging between $52 to $91, along with pork, seafood, and a fried chicken option. Also of note, and quite popular from what I've seen online, are their two boards featuring a selection of chef cuts. These did not work for us, as Katie is one of those who likes her steak way too cooked for my tastes. Next time I'll have to bring someone else. Ha! Ten sides are available, which are served family-style. So, now that you know what's going on here, let's see how my birthday dinner was. 

Salads are listed under the starter portion of the menu, so we took the subtle cue to start our meal with those. Katie selected the Iceberg Wedge ($18), while I had my usual Caesar ($19). Of the two, I liked the iceberg version better, but barely. This quarter of iceberg lettuce was topped with plenty of bacon, grape tomatoes, red onion, and Danish blue cheese and drizzled with balsamic. Even though this did not have a dressing other than the balsamic to tie it together, it was one of the best versions of a wedge I have had. The bacon was crisp, the onions and blue cheese added a nice flavor punch, and the balsamic provided its usual flavor profile of sweet and tart in equal parts. Very well-balanced, and I was grateful for each forkful that Katie allowed me to have. I did not even have to throw out the birthday guilt to get more bites. She's the best. 

The Caesar was not to be dismissed either. As described on the menu, it includes a lot of pecorino, but under all that cheese, there is some romaine, fried anchovy, and lemon. The cheese is present but does not overpower, as it's light and almost melts in your mouth. The romaine was fresh, and the fried anchovy added a nice textural element. I'm a big dressing guy, but these salads did not need to be doused with dressing to be among some of the best we've had in recent memory. 

Our server highly recommended the Parker House Rolls ($15), so we ordered them while waiting for our main course. They come five to an order and come out scaldingly hot on a cast iron skillet. They are topped with truffle butter and herbs. These were everything that you want when eating Parker House rolls, soft, slightly sweet, and a cloudlike texture when bitten into. I would have liked the truffle butter to be served on the side, as it pooled around the top of the rolls and could be more evenly spread if served on the side.  

Chef Brad has ties to the Central California coast, and Santa Maria tri-tip is king in that area. It's no wonder that his menu features this Snake River Farms Wagyu Tri-Tip ($53), and it came out so well. This 10-ounce meat plate came sliced from the kitchen, allowing for easy eating. The tri-tip is known for its rich, beefy flavor, and this one did not disappoint. It was incredibly tender and lean. It was cooked perfectly medium, the way that Katie had requested. Our server suggested that their Santa Maria Salsa ($5) be paired with this, but it didn't need it. The salsa was watery, with no big flavor bump. 

I've always been a ribeye guy, and that held true this evening when I got the Cedar River Prime Bullseye Ribeye ($68) at Rare Society. This sixteen-ounce steak glistened on the plate before cutting. I liked the seasoning on the outside of the steak, and most bites were very satisfying. I know ribeye steaks include a lot of marbling, but this one had too much fat in the center. I felt a little cheated. I tried the Bearnaise Sauce ($5), which was way better than the salsa. It was rich and creamy and went well with the steak. 

Sides are always a must at a steakhouse, so we tried two. The better of the two was the Potato Au Gratin ($28). This version of this classic side was laden with black truffle and a truffle mornay sauce. It was very rich, as you'd expect, and it was lava-hot when it hit our table. If you'd like to skip the richness, the whipped potatoes might be more your scene. The Truffled Cream Spinach ($14) was a big letdown. As you can see from the picture above, the consistency was more like soup. The spinach was drowning in the sauce and did not cling to the spinach. I almost wanted to ask for a straw to eat this. This was very disappointing.  

The only thing more disappointing than the spinach was this Butter Cake ($15). I sing the praises of Buttercake wherever I go. It's easily my favorite dessert, and I've had many good ones, but this was not one of those. This was served with sour cream ice cream on top, which melted over the cake. The sour cream ice cream really hijacked this dessert. It's all I could taste, and I was not a fan. The cake portion was soggy and, again, overwhelmed by the sour cream taste. If you've never had butter cake before and want to try this one, just know that this is a unique version and might not be for you. It definitely was not for me, but it was comped for my birthday, which was very nice. 

Pun intended, but the dessert left a real sour taste in my mouth towards Rare Society. But, while writing this review, I softened my opinion of this restaurant. Things started out strong with the salads and Katie's tri-tip, but maybe I just got a lousy ribeye with too much fat in the middle. I did have some delicious bites, so maybe my steak was a fluke. The potato side was nicely done, but the creamed spinach was not one of my favorites. The butter cake was brutal and would be a hard pass on future Rare Society visits. There's enough on this menu that I'd visit again and try other things like their blue crab dip, steak boards, New York strip steak, and the pork tomahawk. As is true in most steakhouses, the service here was exemplary. Our server and food runners met our every need during our stay. Was this birthday meal as good as last year's at Bourbon Steak? No, but that dinner was also over a hundred dollars more, which makes Rare Society more approachable to most of us. 

Out of five footballs (because San Clemente was once the home of Pop Warner, a successful college football coach, and he is memorialized in the youth football league that bears his name), five being best to zero being worst, Rare Society gets 3.5 footballs. 

For more information about Rare Society, head to their website by clicking here: https://raresociety.com/

Horsing Around in Downtown Fullerton

 High Horse Saloon

102 North Harbor Blvd. 

Fullerton, CA 92832

No one would ever consider me a country boy. I've never been a fan of country music. In my early twenties, I took a country line dancing class, but that was to impress a girl who ultimately started dating the class instructor. If I were a songwriter, that story would make for a great country song, but that experience might have altered my view of the country music scene. My scars have healed from that event thirty years ago, enough that I had no problem entering High Horse Saloon in Downton Fullerton. 

I needed a place to have an early dinner with my parents, and as they have gotten older, I find myself picking spots closer to their home so they don't have to drive so much. High Horse gets excellent reviews on Yelp (4.3 stars with over 400 reviews), frequently helps out at community events, and was mentioned by OC Register Restaurant Columnist Brock Keeling as having one of the best patty melts in OC. I was sold. 

We met my parents at 5 pm on a Saturday, a couple of hours before Fullerton gets slightly rambunctious. We have been to this location before when it was Florentine's Grill, and even farther back, when my sister used to work here when it was Pete and Tony's. Due to the early hour, we had no problem finding parking behind the restaurant. I'm sure that's not always the case, but Fullerton has done a great job adding parking structures, which helps alleviate parking struggles. 

High Horse Saloon comes to us from Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel, who know a little about bars and restaurants. Their roster of spots includes Muldoon's, Malarkys, Madero 1899, Playa Mesa, Wild Goose Tavern, Country Club, and Mickey's Irish Pub, which is located right next door. Predictably, they did a great job transforming this place into a country bar/restaurant. Plenty of exposed wood, hanging wagon wheel lighting fixtures, saddle seat bar stools at the bar, and a stage that features live music most nights and a DJ later in the evening. 

We were, of course, more interested in the food scene at High Horse Saloon. The lunch and dinner menu includes starters, soups and salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, sides, and desserts. Items are modestly priced, all under $20, except four entrees that will set you back a bit more. Their happy hour menu is offered from 3 to 7 pm and includes many of the same food items as their regular menu but at three to four dollars less per item. I don't know if happy hour is limited to the bar area or the whole restaurant, but it's something to be made aware of. Let's check out what we had on this visit. 

I'm not the world's biggest cornbread fan, but everyone else wanted to try this Corn Bread Skillet ($9). This came to the table scalding hot in the cast iron skillet and was brushed with honey butter. I liked the contrast between the sweet honey and the cornbread itself, but the menu mentioned some jalapeno, which I did not detect. It would have been better if it had some heat to accompany the sweetness. Not a bad cornbread, though. 

Katie was not content with just the cornbread, so she ordered the Ranch House Salad ($10). For ten dollars, this was a good-sized salad. It came with a base of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, avocado, cheddar jack cheese, cornbread croutons, and a choice of dressing. She went with the blue cheese dressing, which she enjoyed, and found it was distributed evenly throughout the salad. The cornbread croutons were also a treat, but the avocado was turning brown, as seen in the photo above. However, it was not a deal breaker as Katie would get this salad again. 

These Pa's Pulled Chicken Potato Skins ($14) were listed under the starters section of the menu, but my mom had them as her entree. The potatoes were fried nicely, filled with jack and cheddar cheese, pulled chicken, green onion, and drizzled with a ranch crema. My mom generously offered me one, and I rather enjoyed it. The chicken-to-cheese ratio was on point, and the potato was nice and crunchy. I would have liked the ranch crema to be served in a ramekin instead of drizzled over the top, as it was unevenly applied. This would have allowed the guest to control how much went on each potato skin. 

I've said it before, but my dad is always a wild card when eating in a restaurant. When I look at a menu ahead of time, I'm never quite sure what he will get. This time, it was the Tri-Tip French Dip ($19). The tri-tip was piled high between ciabatta with Swiss cheese and fried scallions.  It came with a side of horseradish sauce and an au jus. The tri-tip was average by itself but made better with the cheese and sauces. I really enjoyed their bread, which held up to the contents of the sandwich, au jus, and the creamy horseradish sauce. With the sandwich, you can pick between fries and onion rings. I did not try their fries, but the onion rings are the way to go here at High Horse Saloon. They had a nice breading, seasoned well, and the onion stayed encased inside the outer shell of the breading. The provided ranch crema was an excellent dipping sauce for these rings. 

Katie also chose the sandwich route when she picked this Nashville Chicken Sandwich ($16). This large piece of chicken was joined on the brioche bun with slaw, pickles, chipotle aioli, and Nashville oil, which I just learned is a concoction of cayenne and other spices mixed with oil from the fryer and then brushed over the chicken. Katie liked that this sandwich had a muted heat, which allowed the tender chicken to be highlighted. I found this to be a very mellow spiced chicken sandwich, so if you are expecting more heat, you might be able to ask for that. The coleslaw added a good texture, and the pickles added some tanginess. Next time, a little more of the aioli could be added to the sandwich. 

Since I had just had a burger the night before, I decided to try one of their entrees. I settled on the Saloon Steak ($25). This was good for a mid- to lower-priced steak. The flat iron steak is grilled or blackened and served with chimichurri, pickled red onions, seasonal veggies, and garlic mashed potatoes. The steak was cooked nicely to my desired temperature of medium rare and was reasonably tender. The chimichurri was not as pronounced as others I have had, but still added a nice flavor boost. The veggies were seasoned well, and the mashed potatoes had a good texture but could have used more garlic. 

After reflecting on our meal at High Horse Saloon, I was delighted with everything we tried on this early evening. Food at bars is usually pushed to the background, as the primary focus is to sell cocktails and other libations. This was not the case here or at any other bars/restaurants these guys operate. The food was well thought out and surprisingly affordable. Nothing here will blow you away and demand that you return immediately, but if you are here for some country music or to soak up the pleasing atmosphere, you will not have to eat before or after you leave High Horse Saloon. We also experienced outstanding service, but I did not catch our server's name. I'm not going to be running out to buy cowboy boots anytime soon, but this visit helped me put my sorted past with country music to rest a little more. 

Out of five suits of armor (because the term "high horse" originated in medieval times when soldiers wearing suits of armor rode on high horses to show their superiority over everyday people), five being best to zero being worst, High Horse Saloon gets 3 suits of armor.  

For more information about High Horse Saloon, click here to visit their website: https://www.highhorseoc.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/ 

Making Pigs of Ourselves in Oceanside

 Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen

509 Mission Ave. 

Oceanside, CA 92054

Yes, it was that time again. Katie has turned another year older, which means that we made the trek down the 5 Freeway to the Carlsbad Outlets to get her a new Coach purse. It also means I get to choose a restaurant in the surrounding area. This year I disregarded my restaurant wishlist and instead went to Yelp to see what was one of the most loved restaurants in the area. I barely had to scroll before I found exactly what I was looking for, Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen. 

Flying Pig checked all of my boxes when judging a restaurant's popularity on Yelp. They have over 2000 reviews and possess a four-and-a-half-star rating. I could not make a reservation because I was unsure when Katie would be done shopping, so we chanced it that we'd be able to snag a table on a recent Saturday night at 7pm. We had luck as we were seated right away at the table closest to the front door. 

Opened for business in 2011, Flying Pig moved to their current location on Mission Avenue two years ago. Things must be going good for them because they are in the process of taking over the neighboring storefront, turning it into a wine shop and tasting room. This current location features a ten-seat L-shaped bar to the right of the entrance, exposed redwood beams add height to the ceiling, and even though the dining space is long and narrow, the tables are spaced just enough so you do not appear to be right on top of other tables. 

The compact one-page dinner menu will not overwhelm you with too many choices. It's broken up into starters and salads, of which there were fourteen options when we visited in late April. There were eight entrees to go along with the four sides. From what I can gather online, their menu changes with the season, but some items are mainstays. Starters hover around the $15 price point, while entrees range between $25 to $35, with only the steak listed as market-priced. Now that you have the lay of the land, let's see what we pigged out on here. 

Brussels sprouts have gone from being a vegetable that most people despised as kids to gracing almost every trendy menu in southern California. Most restaurants add a balsamic reduction, some parmesan cheese, and maybe a pecan or two and call it a day. The Brussels starter ($16) at Flying Pig was a breath of fresh air. This visually appealing dish came with chunks of blue cheese, cranberries, and tasso ham tossed in a garlic dressing. The blue cheese woke up what has become a very predictable dish. I also was a big fan of the contrast between the garlic dressing and the tartness of the cranberries. I expected more from the ham, but this was still a solid start to our meal. 

The Mac N Cheese ($17) also looked beautiful on our table. The menu lists this as made up of mornay sauce, bacon, and provolone as the lone cheese listed. The skillet was scalding hot, and I enjoyed that they used orecchiette pasta, which has a better surface area for the cheese to cling to, rather than macaroni. The mornay sauce was good, while the provolone was too mellow. I hoped the promised bacon would help, but our skillet seemed devoid of bacon, or maybe Katie had it all on the side she was eating from. Rude.  

Katie had her eye on two items at Flying Pig, the salmon and what she eventually went with, the House Bolognese ($26). From what I can gather, this is prepared differently daily based on the chef's whim. This evening, the handmade pappardelle included a tinge of lemon, giving this a unique twist. The bolognese was meaty and flavorful, and adding the Fried Egg ($2) tied everything together wonderfully. Katie has called this one of her top meals of the year so far. 

I have been in the mood for a steak for some time now, and after enduring the outlets for an hour and a half, I felt I deserved to pamper myself with The Steak ($49) at Flying Pig. This is another of the chef's whims based on the day. On this Saturday evening, it was a 14-ounce ribeye that was offered. The steak was topped with what I assumed to be enoki mushrooms, and I felt pretty neutral about the dark brown sauce topping the meat. The steak was cooked to my preferred preference of medium rare and was just tender enough. It was not as good as what you'd get in a high-end steak house, but if you are in the mood for a steak when eating here, you will be satisfied with the ribeye if it's available when you visit. The mashed potatoes were buttery, but I wish they were a little more solid in texture. The spring veggies rounded out the plate nicely. 

Desserts, like the pasta and steak we had earlier, are rotated based on what's available. We had three options this evening, but I was most intrigued by the Apple Fritters ($12). The sliced apples were fried in a batter and then dusted with powdered sugar and a small drizzle of maple syrup. This was a miss for me, as I expected more of what you'd find in your local donut shop. This was less sweet than I had wanted, as the apple underneath the fried batter was too tart, and there needed to be more sugar and syrup to balance things out. It was creative, but not something that I'd try again. 

We have come down this way to celebrate Katie's birthday for the last ten years, meaning we have eaten at least ten times in this area. I'd rank Flying Pig in the upper echelon of restaurants we've been to in Oceanside/Carlsbad. Only That Boy Good BBQ is better, but unfortunately, they closed last month, making this place number one in my book. We received warm and friendly service on this busy Saturday night, and everyone working here is very proud of what they got going here. Please be aware that Flying Pig appears to have a seasonal menu, so these items might not be available when you visit. It'll be hard to pass this spot by the next time we are down this way next year for Katie's birthday. 

Out of five frogs (because one of the most iconic pigs of all time is Miss Piggy from The Muppet Show, and she definitely had a thing for the head muppet Kermit the Frog), five being best to zero being worst, Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen gets 3.5 frogs. 

For more information, head to the Flying Pig website by clicking here: https://flyingpig.pub/

Our Beef Wellington Quest Brings Us to Yucaipa

 Hickory Ranch

32971 Yucaipa Blvd. 

Yucaipa, CA 92399

My mom told me she wanted beef wellington for her birthday. I scoured almost every restaurant menu in OC but came up empty. Some restaurants have it as a special during the holidays, but my mom's birthday is in early December, and I needed to make sure it was available for her big day. So I decided to broaden my beef wellington search to all of Southern California. 

I hit pay dirt. It's available at Hell's Kitchen at Harrah's Rincon, but they were not accepting any reservations for three months. I also found beef wellington on the menu of the Cat and Fiddle Pub and Restaurant in Hollywood, so I quickly made a reservation. With about a week to go, my mom messaged me about another place she had heard about having this English steak dish. I quickly pivoted and made a reservation for Hickory Ranch in Yucaipa. 

Hickory Ranch started out as A Bit of Country in 1988. It was owned and operated by Fred and Matoula Dallas. Ten years later, they decided to retire and turned over the reigns of this restaurant to their daughter and son-in-law, Helen and Mark Haro. After a remodel, Hickory Ranch opened its doors in 1998. Since then, they have amassed a solid four-star rating on Yelp with close to 600 reviews. 

Not knowing how long it would take to drive out to Yucaipa on a Saturday evening, I made reservations at 6pm. With the lighter-than-expected traffic, we arrived about 45 minutes early for our reservation time. This rather large restaurant was filled to the gills with people. We finally were sat about twenty minutes later in a large comfy booth in the center of the restaurant. This ambiance was reminiscent of a Cask and Cleaver if you remember that place from back in the day. A little dated decor, a dark interior, and a down-home feel to the place. A far cry from the modern steakhouses of the present, like Mastro's, Capital Grill, and Morton's. 

Their menu at Hickory Ranch is way more varied than any of the steakhouses mentioned previously. First, there are plenty of appetizers, then the menu is divided into salads, seafood, chicken, steaks, prime rib, pasta dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and of course, my mom's holy grail beef wellington. Prices for most entrees hover around the $20 price point, while beef options average about $10 to $15 more. So let's see how my mom enjoyed her birthday dinner. 

Every meal at Hickory Ranch starts off with some Dinner Rolls. These were pretty good. They were served warm and with some softened butter. The tops were nicely browned, while the insides were fluffy and light. Suitable for a free roll to start things off. 

Not content with just rolls, we also went with two appetizers, the first of which was the Onion Blossom ($9). Fans of the discontinued Awesome Blossom from Chili's will want to try this version. The onion is battered and deep fried, then served with ranch dressing for dipping. I liked the first bites, but then it became too much with all the greasiness. No matter where I have this, Outback Steakhouse, Crimson Coward, or at the local county fair, I always tire of it after the first five mouthfuls. It is best to have this with a large group who will help you eat it all. We left about one-third of this uneaten. 

As if we needed more carbs with the rolls served to open our meal at Hickory Ranch, we also selected the Half Garlic Bread ($4) as a starter. The bread was okay, but I expected a lot more in the way of garlic. So, again, not awful, but it is nothing worth ordering again. 

Let's start with what has brought us to Yucaipa, the Beef Wellington ($38). For those who don't watch Hell's Kitchen or don't know what beef wellington entails, it's a tenderloin steak coated in a mixture of mushrooms, thyme, and shallots cooked in butter and then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. At Hickory Ranch, it's served with red-skinned garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. My mom seemed pretty happy with her birthday dinner, even though she only ate half of the wellington and did not touch her sides. She is a pretty dainty eater, though. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to try her main dish, but from where I was sitting, it looked that the tenderloin was cooked to an excellent medium and that it satisfied her enough that she took the other half of the wellington home for lunch the next day. 

Lobster in Yucaipa? Even though it is over 50 miles from the ocean, my dad decided to get the Lobster ($72) at Hickory Ranch. It helped him decide on getting this most expensive item on the menu by knowing I was paying for the dinner. He's lucky I love him so much. It also helped take some of the sting out of spending so much for what I assume was frozen lobster that he ate everything on his plate and seemed to enjoy it. It's also not every day that you see lobster paired with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and gravy, but my dad has some unique tastes. Glad I could make him and my mom happy with their meals. 

Katie selected the 8 Ounce Filet Mignon ($35) as her entree. She got this steak served medium well, which is her preferred, but the wrong way to eat steak. She will never learn. She did add parmesan-peppercorn compound butter to the top for an extra $2. She was surprised at how tender this filet was, and t was full of flavor with it being bacon wrapped and adding the compound butter. She felt the mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts ($2 upcharge) were average. 

I'm very predictable when it comes to steak. I almost always order a Ribeye Steak ($38), which I consider the best steak to judge a steak restaurant on. The ribeye at Hickory Ranch is 14 ounces, and I also chose to get the smokey blue cheese compound butter added to the top of this for an additional $2. This steak was acceptable but did not wow me. It was cooked to medium rather than medium rare, but the compound butter helped a bit. The butter needed a bit more blue cheese to provide a flavor boost. I went with the garlic mashed potatoes and a Caesar salad for my sides, hoping to get the salad before the meal. It came out after I had eaten half of my steak, though. It was not a very good Caesar. The dressing was way too tangy and overpowered each forkful. 

Hickory Ranch served its purpose this evening, providing my mom with her first time having beef wellington while also keeping us from battling LA traffic on the way to Hollywood. Other than making my parents happy, the food here was just average. The meats were okay and just a few notches above what you'd expect from Black Angus. The sides were unremarkable, but our server was friendly and personable during our visit. Most importantly, my mom left the restaurant happy with the other half of her beef wellington. 

Out of five thunderbirds (because the mascot for nearby Yucaipa Hgh School is the thunderbirds), five being best to zero being worst, Hickory Rach gets 2.5 thunderbirds. 

For more information about Hickory Ranch, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.hickoryranch.com/