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/

A Family Favorite Moves South

Rockwell's Bakery Cafe and Bar

101 Avenida Vista Hermosa #116

San Clemente, CA 92672

Rockwell's is a pretty well-known place in North OC. The bakery opened in Villa Park in 1987 and became pretty famous for their Chocolate Curl Cake. In those 32 years, my family has gotten cakes from Rockwell's sporadically for various family events that call for cake. My path crossed with this bakery again when we were eating at Jeff's Inviting Food and Spirits in Orange, and our server let it slip that her mother works for Rockwell's and she makes the cakes for Jeff's.

It was just about that time that I realized that there was a new Rockwell's located in the Outlets at San Clemente. Much closer to where I live, and another option for dinner after one of our favorite walking jaunts on the San Clemente Beach Trail. It was after one of those recent strolls that we made our maiden visit to Rockwell's.

Rockwell's is more than just a bakery, although the bakery case will tempt you with its brownies, muffins, macaroons, pies, cakes, and more. Located to the far right in the Outlets at San Clemente if you are coming from any of its entrances, I can imagine Rockwell's can get a bit overlooked with the high visibility of its restaurant rivals here, namely Slapfish, Blaze Pizza, and Ruby's Diner.

The menu is a little more elevated than those other casual spots, as they offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Their lunch and dinner menu has quite a few appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and even six more substantial entree options. Entrees go for $14 to $24, while sandwiches and burgers will set you back less than $15. There's also a happy hour for those of you making it here on weekdays from 2 to 6pm. They have specially priced appetizers and drink specials from their bar.

When we arrived at Rockwell's on a recent Thursday evening around half past six, we were met with a half-full restaurant, which seemed surprising with the lack of shoppers we encountered in the rest of the outlet stores. Since it was a pretty mild evening, with slight breezes coming off of the ocean, we decided to take a seat on their pretty good-sized patio area that sits in the front of the restaurant and overlooks the parking lot. Too bad they could not swing it around a bit to take advantage of the wonderful view that overlooks the hills and twinkling lights of San Clemente. Enough of the backstory here, let's see how the food turned out for us on this evening.

I have to admit that I've never really enjoyed pickles all too much. I have always felt that they overpower burgers and sandwiches, but I do enjoy pickle relish on my hot dogs, go figure. I do have an appreciation for fried pickles, or anything that's fried really. At Rockwell's, that means their Crispy Pickles ($8) would be the first thing we'd try on this evening. These were very slender pickles encased in a crunchy breading and served with an interesting dijon aioli. The pickles were a little on the mellow side, maybe because they were a bit smaller than we usually encounter with this appetizer. I was a little hesitant about the dijon aioli, but it worked out fine and I did not miss my preferred ranch dipping sauce.

Katie was in the mood for some carbs when she selected this Blackened Chicken Pasta ($18). Egg noodles are the base here, along with mushrooms, tomato, and a very spicy cajun alfredo sauce. There was quite a bit of chicken buried beneath the mound of noodles, but the sauce shined here when I stole a few bites off of her plate. It had a great spiciness to it and really woke up the plate. It was a little too spicy for Katie, but she weathered the storm to eat most of this. Our server alerted us that she could ask for the heat to be turned down a bit if she wanted to get this again, which she would.

I've been craving comfort food recently and when I saw Mama's Meatloaf ($17) offered at Rockwell's, I knew that's what I'd be having for dinner. This meatloaf came covered in gravy, which I think might have been mushroom-based. It was very tasty and helped the slightly overcooked meatloaf by boosting its flavor a bit. It was good, but I've had better meatloaf in other places. The mashed potatoes and green beans were both very solid, but I wished that the potatoes had some gravy on them as well. Still, a very comforting plate of food that was not too heavy.

Along with Slapfish, (which I also really enjoy), Rockwell's is the best option for lunch or dinner for the hungry shoppers that inhabit the Outlets at San Clemente. With what we experienced on this evening, the food is not going to blow you away, and it's probably not destination-worthy dining, but if you are near the area and looking for a solid lunch or dinner spot, Rockwell's will fit the bill nicely. I've also heard that breakfast is pretty good here, and we are definitely going to put that on our list to try in the very near future. Service was nice and relaxed, and our food came in a very timely manner. I'll give their good looking burger or the homey sounding pot pie a try the next time we are down this way. I'll also pick maybe one, two or ten things from their bakery case as well.

Out of five telescopes, (because every time I hear the name Rockwell, I think back to the 80's singer of the same name, and his big hit, "Somebody's Watching Me", and you'd be able to spy on someone with a telescope. I know I'm dating myself), five being best to zero being worst, Rockwell's Bakery Cafe and Bar gets 3 telescopes.

For more information about Rockwell's Bakery Cafe and Bar, head to their website here: https://www.rockwellsbakery.com/

The Great OC Barbecue Shortage Is Coming to an End - CLOSED

Jav's BBQ

500 South Anaheim Blvd. #D

Anaheim, CA 92805

It's happening people! After a decade of writing this restaurant blog and lamenting the fact that there are very few above-average places to get barbecue in OC, we now have several places dotting our great county. Unfortunately for me, most of them are north of Irvine, a little bit more of a trek from where I live in South OC, but for good barbecue, I'll definitely drive.

As of right now, my favorite barbecue places are The SmoKING Ribs in Garden Grove,  Firestarter Barbecue in Lake Forest, Leadbelly's in Fullerton, Blake's Place in Anaheim, Meat Up Barbecue in Placentia, and the long-departed Lillie's Q in Brea. Guess they aren't coming back to OC after all. I was hoping that this visit to Jav's BBQ could add another restaurant to my favorite barbecue list.

I heard about Jav's from my cousin Kevin, who works at KTLA as a sound guy. I was not watching at the time, but he texted me and told me that the guys from Jav's were in the studio and making food for all the crew. Kevo told me that we had to check them out and that their barbecue was amazing. This comes from a guy that is very particular about his food. I'll leave it at that.

Anyways, it took us quite a few months to finally find the time to make it to Jav's BBQ. We combined this trip with a long-overdue double date night with our very good friends Rebecca and Martin. I've known them for over 25 years, met her at work, and they have become lifelong friends ever since. They had never been to this area of Anaheim, which includes the Anaheim Packing District, Farmer's Park, Center Street Promenade, and the Make Building which houses Jav's and a few other businesses situated on the corner of Santa Ana and Anaheim Boulevard, right across the street from the always busy Packing District.

Javier Gomez is the man behind Jav's BBQ. He was born and raised in Anaheim and has spent most of his life studying barbecue from around the country. He's used what he's learned to bring what he hopes is great barbecue to the people of his hometown. Jav's BBQ started as a caterer and was selling their barbecue at the Anaheim Farmer's Market on Thursdays. They opened their brick-and-mortar spot in early 2018 and have gotten glowing reviews for their meats that are always cooked for at least 12 hours over an all-wood pit.

Their menu is like the greatest hits of the barbecue world.  They offer six proteins, which they sell by the pound or you can get them as a plate, and they come with two sides. There are three sandwiches to choose from and they also offer wings, pulled pork nachos, and fries. Sides are what you've come to expect at a place that serves barbecue. Their restaurant is really more of just a counter, and then you take your food and find a spot at one of the tables in the common area of the center of the building. Enough chatter, let's see if we would be able to add Jav's BBQ to our list of great barbecue in OC.

A Pulled Pork Sandwich ($12.48) was Katie's choice on this early evening and will lead us off. This was a pretty good-sized pulled pork sandwich, with a nice-looking brioche bun. They did not skimp on the delicious pork here, as it was falling out of the sandwich when she picked it up. She described the pork as tender and juicy, with just the right amount of smokiness. Katie was also a fan of the coleslaw here, as it was a vinegar-based version, which had a nice tang to it.

My goal at every barbecue restaurant is the same, try as much of the menu as I can on one plate. I had the Two Meat Plate ($19.76) and added a Sausage Link ($3.64) just for good measure. These three portions of meat were pretty incredible. If I had to pick a clear winner it would be the brisket for the gold. One of the best I've had. Nice smoke ring running around the outside edge of each slice, just enough of a ribbon of fat to boost the flavor, and not dry at all. The pork back ribs nab the silver medal here. Each of the four ribs was tender and easily pulled off of the bone with a little tug. The outside had a nice crust to it, while the meat inside was just the right amount of moist. A lot of meat on these as well. The sausage link had a nice snap to its casing and a little bit of heat was present at the end of each bite. The sides should not be ignored at Jav's BBQ. I got the Brussel sprouts and the mac n cheese. The sprouts were honey glazed which was a good contrast with the earthy green bulbs. The mac n cheese was some of the best I have had in a long while. Elbow noodles were used here and they were coated with a very good cheese sauce that clung to the noodles perfectly. The cheese was not too runny, which is a big pet peeve of mine when it comes to mac n cheese. I almost went and got a pint of this to take home for lunch the next day. I really should have but I would have had to lug it around while we went to the Packing District after dinner.

Martin is a pretty straight shooter when it comes to what he likes. He did not really debate at all when he picked the Chicken Plate ($15.60). Chicken is never something that I'd eat when at a barbecue joint, but different strokes for different folks. Martin was generous enough to allow me to try a piece of his chicken, and it was surprisingly moist and juicy. For his two sides, he went with coleslaw and creamed corn. The coleslaw was alright, but the cream corn shined here. It was a tad sweet, but not like the famous one at Gulliver's. I liked the slight subtleness of this one and it conveyed a hominess that I enjoyed.

Last but not least, Rebecca finishes things off for us this evening with her Tri-Tip Sandwich ($13.52). The meat was cooked just about medium rare, which allowed for it to be very tender and nicely spiced on the ends. Again, they did not skimp on the amount of meat included with this sandwich. Rebecca definitely had plenty to keep herself occupied with this rather large sandwich. For her side items, she opted for the Baked BBQ Beans and cornbread. I did not get a chance to try the beans, but she really enjoyed them. The only slight hiccup of the evening was probably the cornbread. It was a little on the dry side, too dense, and really did not have too much in the way of flavor. Maybe the jalapeno version might have been the better option.

If you've read this far, you might have noticed that I have not mentioned barbecue sauce yet. They have it, but as it says on their website, they urge you to taste the meat, not the sauce. The meats here are so good you will find yourself only using a little bit of their sauce. That's the mark of great barbecue, and this really is great. Yes, the prices are a bit high, but barbecue always costs a bit more than you'd expect, and this is definitely worth it. The serving sizes are pretty solid as well. Since it's open seating here for all the places in this building, I could imagine that peak times could be a bit of a hassle to find a place to sit, so be prepared for that. This was a good tip from my cousin who lives in LA, about what I think is the best barbecue I've had to date in OC. Thanks, Kevo.

Out of five catcher's masks, (because whenever I hear the name Javy, it brings to mind the Atlanta Braves catcher from the '90s, Javy Lopez), five being best to zero being worst, Jav's BBQ gets 4 catcher masks.

For more information about Jav's BBQ, head to their website here: https://www.javsbbq.co/

Welcome to OC Vaka Burger - CLOSED

Vaka Burger

1705 Flight Way 

Tustin, CA 92782

Nothing gets me quite as pumped as a new burger spot coming to OC. Okay, maybe a week off from work, but you get what I'm saying here: I love burgers. Especially if that burger concept was popular elsewhere before they came to OC. That's the case with Vaka Burger, which came across my radar when I saw a review about their glorious burgers when they were serving them to the hungry people of Whittier.

Brad A. Johnson, who also loves a good burger, wrote in the Orange County Register that the burgers here could be the best he has ever tasted. He has also named Vaka Burger one of the top ten places for cheap eats in OC. This is high praise, but I have been burned a few times by some of his recommendations, so I had to check out Vaka Burger for myself.

If you haven't heard, there's a new food hall in Tustin. Located near the corner of Barranca and Red Hill, Mess Hall is situated right next to three soon-to-be-inhabited office buildings. The two times I've been here, the food hall was filled with plenty of people exploring the nine stalls. I can only imagine that Mess Hall will get even busier once these office buildings are filled with hungry workers.

Vaka Burger started out as a popular food truck back in 2013. Two years later, they set up shop in a Boyle Heights liquor store, where they grew to cult status. After a disagreement with the liquor store owners, they opened a spot in Whittier, where their iconic rise continued. That location closed as they returned to another liquor store in Boyle Heights. Then, lucky for all of us in OC, they took one of the stalls at Mess Hall, and hopefully, they will be here for a long while.

As I mentioned earlier, I have visited Mess Hall two times now, both trips at about 11:30, to avoid the lunchtime rush, which I highly advise. Vaka is easily the most popular of all the food purveyors, which also include Slapfish, Big Parm, Sandwich Society, a Greek spot, a chicken sandwich stand called Fowl Play, Fonda Moderna, Saigon Kitchen, a coffee and tea spot, and a full bar. I've tried other food stalls but will probably review them later. For now, I was all about Vaka Burger.

The Vaka Burger menu features nine burgers, two sandwiches, sides, a salad, and wings. Prices range between $10 to $13 for their burgers, which come ala carte. Sides will set you back $3 to $7. Now that you've got the lay of the land here let's share our thoughts on this much-hyped burger spot.

Starting things off on visit number one was my dad's pick, the Blu Burger ($13). This burger was right up his alley. It came with soft blue cheese, mushrooms coated in a balsamic glaze, butter lettuce, and garlic aioli. My dad was in love with this burger. He called this one of the better burgers he has had in OC. He loved how the blue cheese was present but did not overpower the rich 6 ounces of grass-fed beef. The burger patty was the show's star, and the condiments and toppings complimented it awesomely. Definitely a great start to our visit.

I panicked when it was my turn to order at Vaka Burger. I showed up to Mess Hall knowing what I would order and then switched it up at the last moment. This El Porky Burger ($13) made me do an about-face when I saw that the menu said it contains two proteins; a hamburger patty and pork belly medallions. I was sold. Also added were sliced provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and a good barbecue sauce. It's definitely a knife-and-fork burger, although I did try it with my hands at first. I think the barbecue sauce kind of overpowered everything here. It was hard to understand how good the pork and beef were on this. The bread is worth spotlighting here. Even with this being a messy burger, the bun maintained its structural integrity while staying soft and pliable. A great accomplishment to whoever provides their buns at Vaka Burger.

My niece Lillie, like most kids, is pretty basic regarding the food they like to eat. She got the Lencho Jr Burger ($5) from the kid's section of the menu. This cheeseburger featured sharp cheddar cheese, and she 86'd the ketchup that usually comes with this. Even though there were no condiments on this, it showcased their burgers' quality. The beef is ground nicely, comes out juicy, and is very high quality. I thought the sharp cheddar was an odd choice for a kid's burger, but I had no complaints from very picky Lillie, who usually leaves half of her food uneaten, but that was not the case here at Vaka Burger.

Lillie's kid's meal came with fries, which were nice and thin but unremarkable to me. Even though the menu states they are twice-fried, they were your basic fast-food fries. The lone blemish on our first trip to Vaka Burger was the Dirty Fries ($6) I had ordered. They use the same fries as Lillie's meal but top them with feta cheese, Russian dressing, caramelized onions, and garlic aioli to finish them off.  These came out lukewarm at best and were not helped out by an overabundance of feta cheese, which overwhelmed me here. I would never have known if the menu had not alerted me that Russian dressing and garlic aioli were included here. Again, this was my only disappointment with visit number one.

Visit number two started out with these Maui Rings ($6). These were the reasons that two trips to Vaka were needed. We had these on our first visit, but my pictures of them were unusable. It's not a shame since it gave me a second chance to have these awesome rings. They are huge and give you plenty to share with anyone you choose to bring here. The outer portion has a nice crunchy beer batter, which breaks away easily from the large onion underneath when bitten into. I liked the smaller ones better, as they were even extra crunchy. They gave me both housemade ketchup and garlic aioli for dipping sauces, which were good. I wish they had ranch dressing, which I imagine would be even better with these above-average rings. 

I went a little more subdued on this visit to Vaka with the Truff Burger ($13). This burger featured arugula, sharp white cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, truffle oil, and garlic aioli. I really liked this burger. The truffle was very present, the cheese melted over the patty perfectly, and I could taste the garlic aioli. There was a little too much arugula, but it did help to cut the richness of this burger. Are you a truffle lover? Then this one is for you.

Even though we had no kids on this trip, I had to order the Lechon Jr ($5). I figured for five dollars, plus you get fries, it's a pretty good deal worth having. This time, they gave me sharp white cheddar instead of the yellow one they had put on the earlier kid's burger. Maybe they were out of the yellow. This was a very good burger, nonetheless. As you can see from the picture above, there was plenty of cheese on this, the ketchup added a nice and pleasant flavor, and the beef was again first-rate and cooked to a delicious medium. Definitely the best bargain at this food hall.

Vaka Burger did not disappoint. It's easy to see why this is the most popular of all the food stalls here at Mess Hall. The burgers are in the upper echelon of the ones I have had in OC. I'll include them in my mythical Mount Hamburgermore of OC Burgers, which now includes G Burger, Burger Parlor, Hopdoddy, and Vaka Burger. The burgers are excellent, but I wish they were a little more flexible when it comes to customization when building your perfect burger. Reading their Yelp reviews, that's one of the things that people complain about the most, while the other is price. Which is really silly when you think about it. I went to Wendy's today for lunch, got a large-sized combo, and spent  $12 for a far inferior burger and fries there. I'd gladly pay the extra $8 for the quality of the burger and onion rings at Vaka when I'm near the Tustin area. No issues with the service on either of these two visits. Glad the hype was warranted, and I hope Vaka Burger has a very long tenure in OC.

Out of five outriggers (because the term Vaka describes the multihull seafaring vessels popular in the South Pacific), five being best to zero being worst, Vaka Burger gets 3.5 outriggers. 

For more information about Vaka Burger, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.vakaburgers.com/

Getting Our Fill at Filomena's

Filomena's Italian Kitchen

2400 Newport Blvd. 

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

I guess you never truly know where you are going to end up when you head out your front door. Katie and I were headed out for long-overdue date night down in Newport on a recent Saturday. I had made reservations at a restaurant I have wanted to try forever. We even got all the way down there and were trying to find parking when my cell phone rang.

It was the restaurant we were going to, and they informed us that they had lost power due to a transformer blowing up, and they were not sure when they were going to be up and running. I was pretty surprised that they had taken the time to call us and let us know, a very nice touch. Now the question was where to eat now? We were quickly getting off the very busy Balboa Penninsula when it hit me that we should try another spot on my restaurant wishlist, Filomena's Italian Kitchen.

We had run across the food at Filoomena's many times at food and wine festivals we had attended. Their food that they were passing out was always very tasty, almost a rarity at these food festivals. It shouldn't be shocking that Filomena's food was so great when you consider the accolades that they have achieved in their six-plus years of being in business.

They have named one of the 75 best places to eat in OC by Brad Johnson, the notoriously tough restaurant critic of the Orange County Register three times in the last four years. Filomena's has also gotten rave reviews for their pizza, as they were listed as number four on the Orange Coast Magazine's list of best pizzas in OC. Their customers have even gotten into the act, bestowing a very respectable four-star rating on Yelp with over 500 reviews written.

The woman behind this restaurant is Chef Linda Johnsen. She grew up in South Philly, loved going to the Italian Market, and learned to make the perfect pasta and sauce from her aunt Rosemary and this restaurants' namesake, her grandmother, Filomena. In 2017, Chef Linda expanded to incorporate a true Italian deli and market as well. Here they sell imported meat and cheeses, salads, pre-packaged dinners, gelato, cookies, pastries, and more. Since we had about a fifteen-minute wait before the OC Fair concert-goers headed out to catch their show, we had plenty to keep us occupied in the market until a table was made available to us.

The menu at Filomena's is just what you'd expect from an Italian restaurant in OC. There are a good amount of starters, salads, a varied selection of pasta dishes, five seafood offerings, more hefty entree options, and their award-winning pizzas to round things out. Prices for entrees and pasta dishes range between $13 to $25, very reasonable. Let's see if our unexpected change of plans turned out to be a blessing.

Just like in almost all Italian restaurants in OC, bread service was our first stop at Filomena's on this evening. They use a crusty Italian style bread in their breadbasket. It had a thick crust, while the inside was light and airy. This came with very nice garlic butter, which was easily spreadable, a big plus in my book. The garlic was not too overwhelming, more on the subtle side, but not lacking in flavor. A difficult balance to achieve with an ingredient as strong as garlic.

From the starter section of the menu, I convinced Katie that we needed to try the Sausage and Meatballs ($12). This iron skillet contained two golf ball-sized meatballs and two sausages topped with melted mozzarella and light and fluffy ricotta cheese perched on top like whipped cream. I liked the well-crafted sausage between the two portions of meat here. The meatball needed to be a tad more tender and flavored a bit more, which the cheeses and sauce definitely helped with. A solid, heavy starter for big eaters. 

When a salad is listed on a menu as going for less than $10, it usually entices me into ordering it, even if we were already having an appetizer. It must have gotten Katie as well since she tried the House Salad ($8). This salad came with iceberg lettuce as its base and then is enhanced with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, sweet peppers, and carrots with a house vinaigrette serving as the dressing. Katie felt this was a very good starter salad, with its fresh ingredients and very good vinaigrette. Way better than the much-ballyhooed salad at Olive Garden. Why do people still eat there?

I'm always game for a Caesar Salad ($7) as many of you long-time readers know from my probably hundreds that I've eaten in the last ten years. This one at Filomena's had an excellent parmesan cheese, but fell flat when it came to the croutons, which were hard and flavorless. The dressing also needed to be a bit more present. Definitely not the worst I've had, but room for improvement. 

Katie zeroed in on her meal very quickly at Filomena's. She went with the very popular Pappardelle Bolognese ($18). Reading the online reviews, this gets a lot of love from the regulars here. They got this one right. This was pretty much a perfect plate of pasta. The pappardelle pasta was fresh and cooked just right. The meaty ragu was absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of meat and sauce in this to keep us interested throughout the very short time the food was on this plate. She ate this very quickly, with some assistance from me.

Definitely not one of the most photogenic of dishes, but I wanted to give their Veal Saltimbocca ($25) a try on this evening. I've had a pretty average streak of veal in Italian restaurants lately. I always think if you are going to pay the extra money for veal, it should be exceptionally tender. Lately, that has not been the case when I've ordered it in Italian restaurants, including this trip to Filomena's. This veal was not as tender as I hoped it would be, and the prosciutto really overwhelmed with a very salty taste to it. The sauce was good, and this really mellowed when I had it for lunch the next day. Definitely better the day after. I'm still in search of a veal dish that can rival the one I had at Pina's Bistro in Tustin four years ago.

Even though there were a few minor hiccups during our visit to Filomena's, both Katie and I left here wishing that we had an Italian restaurant like this in our neighborhood. With a menu as varied as this, it will probably take a few more visits to come up with my perfect meal here, even though that bolognese was fantastic and I've thought about it a number of times since our trip to Filomena's. The garlic bread, pizzas, lasagna, and other pasta dishes are in my sights for future visits. Another thing this restaurant has going for it is their hospitality. We had two servers during our stay, and they provided some of the best service we have received in a restaurant in quite some time. They met our every need and answered all of our queries seamlessly. Even though we had not originally intended to eat at Filomena's on this evening, we are very happy we ended up here, and look forward to coming back again soon.

Out of five miracles, (because the night of our visit was also the night when Smokey Robinson was playing at the OC Fair, and his former band was called The Miracles), five being best to zero being worst, Filomena's Italian Kitchen gets 3 miracles.

For more information about Filomena's Italian Kitchen, head to their website here: http://filomenasoc.com/