Another Stellar Night at Taste Of Anaheim

Taste of Anaheim 2012

321 W. Katella Ave.

Anaheim, CA 92802

I know I have said it before, and I will probably repeat it, but the Taste of Anaheim is one of my favorite times of the year. It really feels like Christmas in May. I was lucky enough to make it back again this year, which makes it three years in a row for me.

This was the 17th annual Taste of Anaheim, held May 10th at the Garden Walk shopping center near Disneyland. This food festival features great restaurants from in and around Anaheim. What makes this one of my favorite food festivals is that you get to eat as much as you would like from almost 50 restaurants for one admission price. No tickets to buy food samples. You just wait in line and get food from the numerous vendors. I have a big appetite and was full after making the rounds of almost all the vendors.

Three bands played throughout the evening for those so inclined to dance off the food they had just consumed. Other non-eating events included numerous community group tents, art exhibits from local artists, and a silent auction that included some really great items donated by community members. These were some great diversions, but let's be honest, I was here for the food. So let's see what we ate.

K'Ya Street Fare was passing out BBQ Meatballs at their booth. These had a delightful sauce. I could have eaten a lot more of these, but this was our first booth of the night. Too much to eat in too little time.

OC Greek Fest was out to show how they do desserts, with this Baklava and Kataifi. Both were very rich and sweet.

Anaheim Regional Medical Center showed that they not only cure people but could also cure your sweet tooth with these beautiful desserts.

I give Katie's sister a lot of grief about a bad dinner we had at Bubba Gump Shrimp a while back. I was not expecting to like their offering at the Taste of Anaheim, but it was pretty good. They called these Seafood Hush Puppies. Fish and shrimp are fried, then served with a remoulade sauce. One of the better things I have had at Bubba Gump.

Ruth Chris offered up one of the more extensive samples of the night, with their Prime Burger and Sweet Potato Casserole with a pecan crust. The burger was moist, the sweet potato casserole was very sweet, and more of a dessert item. Very tasty.

Pepz Pizza had all-you-can-eat pizza all night. I had a slice of their Pepperoni Pizza, which was not too bad. Served hot, this had a good crust and plenty of pepperonis.

Bowling alleys were well represented here, and 300 Anaheim was serving up its 300 Hot Wings. The mild was very bland, but the hot had a nice kick to them.

Anyone that has read my blog knows my love for Slater's 50/50 has no bounds. I was happy to see them on the list of participating restaurants but was even more delighted to see them give out their Vampire Dip and Peanut Butter and Jealousy Sliders. Both were on point here. Well worth the price of a ticket for just these two items.

Bar Louie, located at the Garden Walk, was passing out their Bruschetta Pomodoro and Tabbouleh. I am not a fan of either of these, so I left these for Katie to try.

The Honda Center is not just for mediocre hockey teams. They also feature at one of their concession stands, Outlaws Steakhouse. They were dishing out a mini version of their loaded potato and a pulled beef slider. Both had a delicious sauce.

It was not time for dessert yet, but we could not resist the Melting Pot. They sampled their Chocolate Fondue with Rice Krispies Treats, strawberries, and brownies. Very rich, but we could not stop at one plate.

I have not been to Joe's Crab Shack in years. They had Crab Dip that they were pedaling. Had a smooth flavor.

Here's another restaurant I have not been to in years, Alcatraz Brewing Company. They gave out samples of their hand-crafted beers along with their Dark Ale Smoked Ribs. Beer and ribs are the way into every man's heart.

Concourse Entertainment Center always provides an exciting offering; this year was no different. This bowling alley was hawking its Carnitas and Chicken Tacos.

Not a restaurant, but Farm Fresh To You had some of the best Caramel Covered Popcorn I have had recently. Every kernel was covered with sweet caramel. Really good.

One of Anaheim's stalwart restaurants, The Catch, was giving out their Vera Cruz Chopped Salad and their Baked Peach Crostata. The salad had fresh ingredients, and the crostata was not overly sweet.

If you have read my blog recently, you know I was very impressed with The Ranch Restaurant. They did not disappoint this night either. They were very generous in handing out Lamb Chops, which I greedily took three of. So good.

This was one of Katie's favorites of the night, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen. She enjoyed the soft bread of the sandwich, and I was happy with the delicious-sounding Bacon and Jalapeno Potato Salad.

It would not be a Taste of Anaheim experience if we did not go over and try one of Hooter's Nearly Famous Wings and BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. It was also really just a chance for me to talk to the pretty girls.

Catal Restaurant is located in Downtown Disney, and they supplied us with this Arroz Con Leche in a waffle cup. I liked the waffle; Katie was more partial to the fresh fruit here.

OC Brewhouse is a restaurant I had never heard of before. They are located in the Hyatt and served up some of their beers, and this BBQ Pulled Pork Slider. Not a lousy slider at all. Good sauce on this one.

Cantina Lounge might be in Fullerton, but they have been at the Taste of Anaheim each year we have been here. They sampled their Steak Fajitas, Shrimp Ceviche, and Queso Fundido.

Ruby's Diner did something different, going after the breakfast angle. They passed out their delicious Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Tasted great and made me want to go to Ruby's for breakfast.

House of Blues has recently introduced some new items to its menu. This is the White Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding. Big on banana flavor here.

By this time of the night, we were really full and could not eat much more. So, we called it a night after listening to the music and checking out the art. Another fantastic event was put on by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. Special thanks go out to Russell Lahodny for providing us with press passes. Can not wait for the next one. May 2013 can not get here soon enough!

For more information about Taste of Anaheim, click here: http://tasteofanaheim365.com/TOA10.php?page=home.php

Headed Down Memory Lane to Knowlwood - CLOSED

Knowlwood

5665 E. La Palma Ave

Anaheim, CA 92807

There are not too many restaurants that are still in business for the people of the OC to be nostalgic for. A lot of the restaurants that I grew up with have shuttered a long time ago. There are some exceptions though. Mama Cozza's, Jolly Roger, Mexi-Casa, Farrells, and Benjie's come to mind. Ironically these have all been reviewed by us, and you can read these reviews by clicking on the right-hand side of the page, under our restaurant roll call section. Back to this post though, and another restaurant I have memories growing up with, Knowlwood.

My family and I used to go to the original Knowlwood. Same location as they are now, but completely redone from the ground up. Knowlwood has been around since 1957.  To show how long ago that was, consider that Dwight Eisenhower was President back then. I really just wanted to reference the 34th president once in this blog, mission accomplished.

Back in those days, there was no 91 Freeway, there were orange groves all over the place, and  Roy and Faye Knowlton, along with Gene Wood opened a hamburger stand on Imperial Highway that served road-weary travelers. As the county grew around them, they kept serving burgers, which the locals called, "the worlds best!". I remember going to the old restaurant. Gravel parking lot, lights strung up over picnic benches outside, old screen doors that clanked shut behind you, and a fireplace that was outside, and might have been part of the restaurant at one time, but was just a place for little kids, like myself to climb all over.

Those days are long past. Knowlwood now has a more modern feel, even though they are trying to replicate the restaurant being in an old barn. They still have some picnic tables and benches here, but there are booths as well. Ordering is done at the counter and then your number is called when your order is ready to be picked up. The restaurant was pretty packed when we got here at 6 on a Wednesday night. Let's see if the food is as good as we remember.

Judging from my niece's face, you can see that Lillie is very happy with her Kid's Corn Dog Meal ($3.79). My other nieces got the Kid's Chicken Strip Meal ($4.39). The kid's meals come with a refillable beverage, cookie, and fries or oranges, (what kind of kid will pass up fries in favor of oranges?). The girls had no problem finishing these baskets of fried goodness off in record time.

The birthday boy, aka my Dad, was not in the mood for a burger, so he selected the French Beef Dip ($5.39), served with au jus on the side. He told me that he always gets this sandwich when eating at Knowlwood. He likes the fresh bun, the quantity of the meat, and the au jus is always served hot.

Maybe my family forgot that this place is nicknamed, world's best burgers. My sister Kristin ended up ordering the Fish and Chips ($6.39). At Knowlwood they hand batter, then deep fry cod, and serve it with tartar sauce. Kristin called this, "okay, not fantastic or exciting". She also mentioned that she expected a little more from this fish and chips that was just a step above frozen grocery store fish.

Hey, what do you know, we finally got an actual burger. Our good friend Todd got this World's Best Burger ($4.19) with a whole wheat bun. The burgers came with all the usual; tomato, lettuce, grilled onions on request, pickles, and your choice of either thousand island dressing or their signature creamy mustard. Todd felt this burger was just a step above a burger you could get at a fast food place. I did not try this burger, but it did look as appetizing as a fast-food burger. He did enjoy the fries though.

Jarrod kept the burger parade a coming when he got the World's Best Cheeseburger ($5.69). He was very pleased with this burger. You can not see it in the picture, but he got his burger with a thousand island dressing and bacon. The picture does show the perfectly melted cheese.

Katie would make a vegetarian very confused when she ordered the Veggie Cheeseburger ($5.69). This meatless patty was served on a wheat bun. She was not a fan of this burger, calling the meat, "mushy", and the cheese, "kind of like plastic". Not one of the top 50 veggie burgers she has had.

I went with one of Knowlwood's most popular sandwiches, the Frisco Burger ($5.99). This burger had a little bit of everything on it. Bacon, lettuce, cheese, tomato, pickles, grilled onions, and thousand island dressing all on grilled Parmesan sourdough bread. I liked half of this burger. The first half I had, the beef covered the whole slice of bread, while the other half of my sandwich barely covered a quarter of the toast on the other side. This really needed a bigger patty. I should have paid the extra dollar and gotten the half-pound patty, instead of the one-third pound. The sandwich also came out lukewarm, almost like it was sitting for a while.

One thing I will always remember about Knowlwood is that they were the first place I ever had Irish Nachos ($4.29). I am not sure if they invented the cheese and bacon covered french fries, but I always recall enjoying this appetizer as a kid. It is still a pretty good concoction. Worth noting is that they make their own Ranch dressing, and it is still one of the best I have had in a restaurant. They got the consistency of the dressing down to an art form. Not too runny, good and subtle flavor, and thick enough to coat a french fry. It helps make this a go-to side item here.

Knowlwood is not the same as I remember growing up. Maybe it is the fact that my tastes have evolved. What I thought tasted good at age 7 does not even sound good anymore. I mean I even liked putting mayonnaise on my hot dogs as a kid. I could not even stomach that now. I am not saying anything here tasted like a hot dog with mayo on it, but I am saying tastes change. It could also be that I have become accustomed to much better burgers. I mean Slater's 50/50 is in the same neighborhood as Knowlwood, and there is no comparison between the two. I know bacon makes everything taste better, but even Slater's regular patty, without bacon had more behind it than the burgers at Knowlwood. The service and atmosphere here were pretty good, but the food did have temperature issues. Prices have remained pretty decent here. Glad to see one of the restaurants from my childhood still up and running. It makes me feel a little less old.

Out of five Frisbee's, (because the same year that Knowlwood started was the same year as the Whamo Company introduced the world to the flying disc, the Frisbee), five being best to zero being worst, Knowlwood gets 2.5 Frisbee's

For more information on Knowlwood, click here: http://www.knowlwoodrestaurants.com/

On Safari to Pita Jungle -CLOSED

Pita Jungle

1200 Bison Avenue

Newport Beach, CA 92660

It was Katie's birthday, and where does she want to go to eat? That fancy steak place in Corona Del Mar? Maybe an Italian Bistro in Stanton? No, she wanted to try Pita Jungle in Newport Beach. Is there any doubt now why I love this girl? She makes everything so easy for me.

Pita Jungle is new to the area. This Arizona transplant was started in 1994, by three friends that gave up their jobs in broadcasting and engineering. This turned out to be a great move for them. They now have 14 locations in their home state of Arizona, and 3 in California, (the other two CA locations are Pasadena and San Diego).

Their first OC location is located where the old Blockbuster Video was. The building is now transformed into a much bigger space than I had imagined. The restaurant not only is larger than I expected, but also features high ceilings, plenty of space between tables, and as an added bonus they have large artworks on the walls for sale and display.

We arrived at 12:30 on a Wednesday and the place was packed with urban professionals having their lunch hours. We were seated immediately though. The menu here is definitely geared towards a more healthy individual than me. The menu is dominated by pitas, wraps, salads, and wood-fired pizzas. Even with my anti-healthy eating campaign, I was hoping that I could find something here to eat. Let's see what we came up with.

Starting us off is the Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus ($6.69). For you humus rookies, this was made with chickpea puree, roasted red bell peppers, tahini, and seasoned with garlic and lemon juice. If I had ordered plain hummus I would have been more pleased with this. The red pepper was not evident at all here. We should have ordered the Jalapeno Hummus instead. Other than the lack of flavor, the hummus had a great, smooth texture and went well with the fresh pita bread. We ran out of bread before all the dip was gone. We should have ordered more, but did not. It would have only cost us an extra 50 cents. A good-sized portion of humus though.

Fair warning, both Katie and I got hot pita sandwiches. Sorry, for the lack of variety that we ordered here. I could not make her change since she was the birthday tyrant this day. She went with the Mediterranean Roasted Chicken (Shawarma) ($7.29). I am one of three people in the world that has not seen The Avengers, but even I know this movie makes reference to shawarma. We ate here before the movie came out, so we could have been the trendsetters, but more than likely it was the Avengers with their large box office totals. Anyways, this hot pita sandwich came with grilled marinated chicken breast, mixed greens, pickles, onions, tomatoes, garlic sauce, and tahini. Katie liked the pickles and onions on this but felt the garlic sauce was a little on the thin side. She also felt the chicken could have been more tender. The pita bread really held the contents inside well, while being very fresh.

As promised I got a hot pita as well, the Philly Steak Pita ($7.99). With the Pita Jungle menu, this was as close to a no brainer choice for me as there has ever been. This pita came with steak sauteed with onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. When I saw this pita, I thought I was going to have to order another one to fill me up. This was not the case though. This was packed with steak and cheese, but the meat needed to be seasoned a lot more. It tasted real plain. The bell peppers were tender, and the pita bread was a little on the doughy side but did its job of keeping things intact.

Pita Jungle is another place that is not really geared towards a guy like myself, but it was easy to find something for me to order here. The menu is large enough that I would definitely come back and give other items a try, including the aforementioned jalapeno hummus and their pizzas. The service the afternoon we were here was pretty good, for how busy they were. I was surprised that they used waiter service here, and not counter service. As you can see, prices were not too bad considering the area. In fact, I might even call this place a bargain, just based on the prices alone. Glad I could make the birthday girl happy with her birthday lunch.

Out of five capes, (because superheroes wear capes, and according to the Avengers movie, superheroes love shawarma), five being best to zero being worst, Pita Jungle gets 2.5 capes.

For more information about Pita Jungle, click here: http://www.pitajungle.com/

Moseying Down to the Ranch

The Ranch Restaurant 

1025 E. Ball Road

Anaheim, CA 92805

It is all about change. For the last six years, my family has been going to Mr. Stox to celebrate our family holidays. The months of May and early June are filled with birthdays and anniversaries, almost every other day during this time of year for us. Wanting something a little different, my Mom made reservations for a new restaurant in Anaheim, The Ranch Restaurant and Saloon. 

The Ranch Restaurant could not be in a stranger place. Located in an industrial area of Anaheim, on the ground floor of the six-story Extron Headquarters. This restaurant is the lifelong dream of the owner and founder of Extron, Andrew Edwards. He wanted to create a place that honors his love of dancing to country music while paying homage to some of the great country clubs of OC's past, the Crazy Horse and the Palomino Club. 

The Saloon and the Restaurant are under the same roof but have different entrances. Both have different menus as well. We were actually going to be eating at the Saloon until my parents found out there was going to be a five-dollar cover charge per person. Not wanting to spend an extra $30, (and sparing my ears from listening to country music), we opted to eat in the Ranch Restaurant instead. 

We got to the Ranch at 5:30 on a Sunday night, just after they had opened. Being in such an awkward place, the restaurant and mainly the saloon were filling up quick. The restaurant is dominated by polished dark wood. The feel is very contemporary. The seasonally driven menu is anchored by American regional cuisine, and the kitchen is led by Chef Michael Rossi, formerly of Napa Rose, and numerous other great restaurants. His resume is rather impressive. Keeping his family close, his brother is the pastry chef here.  With these guys at the helm, I was really looking forward to what they had in store for us, so let's take a look.

After we were seated we were brought their bread basket, or as they call it, The Wagon Wheel. 7 different kinds of rolls, Jalapeno, Squaw, Multi-Grain, and others that I could not write down fast enough as they were recited to me. I tried three of these, and they were all really good. The jalapeno was my favorite. I know, big shock. They were not shy about refilling this bread basket either. 

Even after the Wagon Wheel, we were presented with even more carbs, in the form of their signature item, Freshly Baked Popovers ($6), served with creamy butter and preserves. The popovers really reminded me of a Yorkshire pudding. I was not as happy with these as others at the table. The house-made preserves and the butter helped, but I felt these needed more substances behind them. They were hollow inside, and I thought the outside was a little overdone. Everyone else really liked these, so I was definitely in the minority about these popovers. 

I was the only one to order a salad at the Ranch, and that was a good thing because this Caesar Salad ($11) may not look big in the picture, but it was very good-sized. All six of us tried at least a few bites of this, and there was still plenty left over when the bowl got back to me. I enjoyed the subtle creamy garlic dressing on here, and there was plenty of it, along with a good amount of Sonoma dry jack cheese also. A good combination. My one complaint would be the size of the lettuce, it was too hard to handle because of its large size. Needed to be cut into smaller leaves. Good salad though.

It is entree time, so let's start with Katie's dinner for the evening, the Maplewood Smoked Free Range Chicken ($22). This half chicken was served on top of a rustic bread salad, which seems like just a fancy way of saying stuffing. I usually do not order chicken in restaurants because most are very dry, not the case here. The bird was juicy, had a great au jus to accompany it, and went well with the bread salad. One of the best chicken dishes I have had in a restaurant. 

After much perusing the menu, my Dad settled on the British Columbia Skuna Bay Salmon ($25). This hunk of fish was served with an interesting assortment of items including, black quinoa, pistachios, vine-dried grapes, and a tangerine nage. My Dad called this good and moist, with a light sear to it. The sauce was a little on the fruity side, but it all went well together. He was pleased with his choice.

Unlike the rest of us, my Mom knew she would be getting the Classic Pub Style Fish and Chips ($21) before she even sat down at the table. The fish and chips at the Ranch are made with Icelandic Haddock and covered in a batter made with Anchor Steam. The result was a light breading that was very flavorful, and not greasy at all. Not only were the fries stacked Jenga style, but they were well seasoned as well. My Mom would not hesitate to get this again.

This handsome-looking entree belonged to my Brother in Law, Jarrod. The Colorado Grass Fed Lamb Chops ($35) drew praise from him, and everyone that tried this plate. The lamb was served with sweet potatoes, whole grain mustard, and pecan spatzle. Jarrod felt this was a well-put-together plate. The lamb was tender and cooked perfectly, but he felt the portion size of this was a little light. 

I needed two pictures here because I wanted to show you the thickness of this Prime Rib ($44). Not only was this thick, but it was called, "the best prime rib I have ever had!", by my brother-in-law. It was cooked a wonderful medium rare and melted as you were eating this. The meat was paired with a white cheddar scalloped potato. My sister was a big fan of these potatoes. Very cheesy, without losing the taste of the well-cooked potatoes. 

Confit of Muscovy Duck Leg ($26) was my dinner on this night. I never thought ducks had such meaty legs. There was a lot of meat here. Not as greasy as some duck dishes can tend to be. The skin here had a great crispiness to it. The meat, while not greasy, still provided a great amount of smoky flavor. The duck was served with baby root vegetables and Beluga lentils. I had a hard time envisioning lentils with this plate, but they worked very well here. The root veggies were also cooked fork tender. Great plate.

Side dishes are sold separately at the Ranch. We ordered three for our table of six and had plenty to pass around and share. The Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole ($7) was definitely a crowd favorite. This is actually Grandma's recipe, and it reminded my sister of the holidays. It had a wonderful creaminess and came out scalding hot. The Creamed Spinach ($7) was a solid side item. I am in search of my favorite creamed spinach in OC, and this one is in the running. Like the green bean casserole, this needed some time to cool down. I would have liked a little more creaminess, but the spinach was spot on good. The Idaho Russet Mashed Potatoes ($6) were light and fluffy and full of butter. A winning combination. 

I am not usually a big fan of deconstructed desserts, but we ordered two of them. The first is this PBJ and Milk Chocolate Bar ($8). This peanut butter and jelly-based dessert had a little bit of everything. Concord grape jelly, caramelized banana ice cream, and of course peanut butter and chocolate. Very good, but a little hard to get all of the tastes into one bite. 

The S'More with a Twist was the other dessert we got. I love s'mores, and this dessert really nailed the taste of the campfire treat. The chocolate was twisted alongside a graham cracker ice cream, hazelnut crunch, and marshmallow fluff. The ice cream really did have the graham cracker taste down. I would have liked a little more marshmallow on this though. 

To be honest, when I heard we were going to the Ranch Restaurant I was not too excited. I had looked at the menu and was not wowed by it. After eating here though, I can say they have a new fan. I have been won over. Everything that I tried was so great. The menu is not huge, there are 12 items to choose from, but whichever one you choose you will be in for a treat. The service was outstanding. Our waiter Arron, really made us feel welcome, and he gave us some great suggestions. You can tell he takes great pride in his work. The vibe at the restaurant was not what I had expected either. I thought it would be a honky tonk atmosphere, but it was more of an upscale country vibe. Music did not drift into the restaurant at all, even though the Saloon is under the same roof. The Ranch Restaurant made for a great place to celebrate our family holidays. I think they have not seen the last of us. I feel bad for them already!

Out of five dinner bells, (because on a ranch they ring the dinner bell for dinner time, and if they are serving food as good as this, you will not want to be late), five being best to zero being worst, The Ranch Restaurant gets 4.5 dinner bells. 

For more information about The Ranch Restaurant, click here: http://www.theranch.com/

Turning a New Page at Chapter One

Chapter One: the modern local

227 N. Broadway

Santa Ana, CA 92701

I have recently connected with my second cousin after nearly twenty years. He is a great guy. He likes to partake in some alcoholic beverages, he likes some great movies and music, he also likes to eat at some places that I have been wanting to try for ages. Hip, cool places that I read about in the OC Weekly, and have yet to try. When we texted each other setting up our long awaited meeting, he suggested meeting at Chapter One: the modern local. Needless to say I was very excited with his suggestion.

We arrived at Chapter One at 6:30 on a Friday night. We did not have a reservation, but were sat immediately. The decor of this restaurant felt more like a den or bookstore. That supposedly is not by coincidence. Chapter One is paying homage to the fact that their present location used to be home to a bookstore for many years. A very nice touch remembering the past.

Chapter One is the brainchild of former partner of Haven Gastropub, Jeff Hall. As you may recall, (or probably not, since it was a long time ago), I was not too big of a fan of Haven. I thought they might be trying to hard with their tobacco ice cream and blue cheese and apple tart. I admit that since that time, my tastes may have evolved a bit more. I am planning on returning to Haven in the near future for a revisit, but for now we we turn our attention to Jeff's current venture, Chapter One.

The culinary cocktail list at Chapter One is quite the assortment of mixed drinks. To be honest I was a little intimidated by the list. A lot of these concoctions are new to me, and I have been drinking for twenty plus years. I felt a little out of touch, so I asked our helpful waitress to bring me the most popular, so she brought out the Moscow Mule. This drink features a house made ginger beer, Russian vodka, and a lime, in a copper cup. This was a great choice. Very refreshing, with a mild taste. You could get a little taste of the ginger after every sip. The copper cup kept the drink very cold throughout it's stay at our table. There must be quite a problem of thievery with these cups, because the menu asks for an ID or $25 deposit for the cup. We must have looked honest, because our waitress did not ask for either from us. Guess we fooled her, just kidding.

We made it to the Modern Local a half hour before happy hour ended, so we quickly ordered two tapas from the menu. The first of which was the Tempura Frog Legs above. I admit I ordered this mainly for the shock value. They were heavily battered, and served with a lemon grass oyster sauce, radish sprouts, and julienned ginger. I likened this to a greasy chicken drumstick. Not a bad flavor, but nothing that I would probably order again. Plenty of meat on these though.

Katie went with a safer pick off of the happy hour menu, The Min Mac and Cheese. The mac and cheese here is made with white cheddar and Fontina cheeses, a smoky bacon and caramelized onion relish, toasted panko, and truffle oil. She felt this was a rich and creamy mac and cheese. She was very fond of this, but was happy she had a smaller version of this, because it was very rich.

On to the entrees, and first up is Daryl's dinner, the Skirt Steak Chimichurri. He really wanted this steak well done, but they would not do it that way. Are you sure we are related? Well done? Anyways, they compromised and got this medium well. Some pieces of this were more on the medium side, and I was lucky enough to have gotten some of those pieces. I liked the flavor of this meat. The steak was marinated in an apple chimichurri sauce. Very nice subtle flavor, which still let the natural flavor of the meat shine through. This steak was served with red pepper yucca fries. I am not really a big fan of yucca fries, but Daryl finished most of these off.

Katie's dinner may look like a pizza, but this was the House Flatbread. At the Modern Local they include grilled chicken, spinach, caramelized onions, blue cheese beciamel, arugula, and an interesting bacon infused powder on their flatbread. Katie liked all of the ingredients on top of this flatbread, calling everything, "well balanced and fresh".  She was not as excited about the bacon infused powder. This did not pack the bacon punch it promised, and begged the question to be asked, "Why not just use real bacon?" Not sure of the answer to this, but Katie ended up liking this anyways.

I am not sure if you have heard, but starting on July 1st, Foie Gras will be banned in California. So a lot of restaurants are making the goose or duck liver a featured item on their menus for the next few months. At Chapter One they had a special burger this night, the Foie Gras Burger. This burger was great, and it disappeared quickly. The foie gras was very rich and complimented the burger patty wonderfully. The caramelized onions and brioche bun rounded this burger out perfectly. I would not hesitate ordering this again. I had higher hopes for the duck fat fries, but they were just okay. The house made ketchup was more of a marinara instead the red tomato ketchup we are used to.

After the entrees we went with three very unique desserts, including this one, the Milk and Cereal. This tasted exactly like it sounds. Vanilla panna cotta is layered on the bottom of the bowl, along with kataifi, Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream, and fresh berries. Very light dessert with a mild flavor. The ice cream really had the Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor nailed down. The berries were fresh, the panna cotta was ice cold, and the kataifi added a great cereal texture. Katie really enjoyed this.

Daryl's dessert was another kind of interesting take on Elvis's favorite flavor combination, the PB and B. Here peanut butter ice cream was topped with maple bourbon caviar, then placed alongside a bruleed banana, topped with candied bacon, and a drizzle of chocolate oil on the plate. As odd as all of this sounds it actually went well together, and created good flavor combinations. This is another dessert that was not very heavy, like a lot of other desserts tend to be. This kind of dessert will not replace a big old slice of cake or an ice cream sundae for my tastes, but it was nice for a change.

My dessert was probably the biggest disappointment of the night for me here. Not really even a dessert, it is listed on the bar menu. This was a version of a beer float made with Banana Bread Beer. This whole thing was just odd to me. I was not a fan of the banana beer, and the peanut butter ice cream really got lost here. I should have stuck with one of their other desserts.

Chapter One was a hip dining experience that I was not so sure I would like, but ended up enjoying. It is really not the kind of place that is for everyone though. I can see how some people may think this place is trying too hard to be artsy with their food pairings and flavors. They do seem to care about the quality of their foods, and the customers taste experience. Prices were not as crazy as I had expected. Most dinners will set you back about $20. Their happy hour is a great way to go here. They have drink specials, and on some appetizers they offer almost fifty percent off of the regular prices. Happy hour is weekdays 3 to 7. Our service was really good. Our waitress was very bubbly, and was very patient with us. The menu does change here four times a year, so be prepared for one of your favorite items not being available for sure. Glad we met my cousin at Chapter One, and glad he has such good taste in food.

Out of five encyclopedias, (because on the bookshelf right by our seats, there were a few World Book Encyclopedias that were identical to the ones my parents had when we were growing up), five being best to zero being worst, Chapter One: the modern local gets 3.5 encyclopedias.

For more information on Chapter One: the modern local, click here: http://chapteronetml.com/