Taking the Plunge at DivBar - CLOSED

DivBar

2601 W. Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92663

It's another week in the early part of the year, and another city is hosting a restaurant week. This time it is a city where I lived for over ten years, Newport Beach. Newport not only holds special memories for me, but the city also has some of my favorite restaurants located within its boundaries. So, it was no big surprise that we would make a special effort to try as many restaurants as we could during this week long culinary event. Unfortunately, as is usually the case with our busy schedules, we only had time to hit one of the restaurants on our list, so it was a done deal that we would be heading to DivBar for our only Newport Beach Restaurant Week experience.

DivBar is located in the old Josh Slocum's location on PCH. In fact they still have the Josh Slocum's sign on their fence by the valet stand. Josh Slocum's is of course the restaurant that Dennis Rodman famously owned about ten years ago. This is not the only reference to a long gone Newport restaurant, there is also an Arches sign up by the bar. I kind of liked the slight nod to local restaurants that have since met their doom.

Now back to the present though. DivBar opened their doors in the middle of last year. They are owned by Jeff Reuter, of 3-Thirty-3 Waterfront fame. We have not been able to try that restaurant yet, but have heard some good things, and it is definitely on our list of places to go. DivBar kind of had a rocky start to its business, much like lots of other restaurants. They opened in early July last year, and on-line there were many people who were complaining on Yelp about their service, food, and anything else they could think of. This must have just been early growing pains though, because lately almost all of their reviews have been glowing, and then the cherry on top must have been this review from Brad A Johnson, the award winning food journalist at the Orange County Register, who had lots of nice things to say about DivBar here.

We got to DivBar on a very busy Saturday night in Newport. The parking here is valet, but it is probably worth the hassle due to the lack of parking in this Mariners Mile section of Newport. They have definitely made some improvements to this restaurant since it was Josh Slocum's. There is a nice patio out front that has maybe six tables, the inside is decorated with lots of stuff on the walls, and they have a bar placed right in the middle of the restaurant that dominates the space. The noise level in this restaurant is pretty loud, while the restaurant lighting is on the dark side. I mention this so you do not judge my pictures too harshly.

We are seated right next to the bar, and are promptly welcomed by the now former Consultant of DivBar, Bill Bracken. Bill was in charge of setting up the kitchen at DivBar, after very successful stints at the Island Hotel in Newport and The Peninsula in swanky Beverly Hills. Bill was very personable, we talked barbecue and he seemed very excited that we were here. He was eager to show off DivBar's three course $20 restaurant week menu, so let's get to the real reason we are here, the food.

Not part of the restaurant week menu, Bill sent this appetizer out for us to try. The BB's Original Mac ($8.95) came out in a cast iron skillet that contained macaroni combined with Taleggio cheese, crushed truffles, and Parmesan tuile. I will admit that I had to look up what tuile is when I got home. It is a thin crisp of cheese, and in this case the cheese used was Parmesan. This mac and cheese was pretty rich, but straddled the line of not being too rich. It was not overly cheesy, but the truffle was a good substitute for the absence of cheese. I would sum this mac and cheese up by calling it simple, but with a little kick.

Also not on the restaurant week menu, but we had to order the Kaylie's DivBar Artichoke Dip. This dip was also served in a skillet, along with a side of Frito's. This was a pretty smooth artichoke dip. No big pieces of artichoke were found here. If you are sensitive to salt, this dip might not be for you. It did have a nice spice, and the Frito's were a nice touch here. We liked this appetizer and would get this again on future visits.

Okay, two items in and we finally will start with the $20 Restaurant Week dinner. The first course was a Sampling of DivBar Appetizers for us to share. This sampler platter came with three different appetizers. The DivBar Fries with Chipotle Aioli, Ahi Tuna Tartar, and a Crispy Calamari. The fries were cut into wedges, which were fried perfectly. The chipotle aioli was very good, but these fries needed some more of it, or maybe it should have been put on the side instead of on top of the fries. Katie is no fan of calamari, so I got all of this squid to myself. This calamari was buttermilk soaked, then quick fried and finished with a chili lime sauce. The breading was not too heavy, the calamari was pretty fresh, and the chili lime sauce really hit the spot here. Very good, and they definitely made this calamari their own. I am not too much of a tuna tartar guy, but this one was not too bad. It was served oddly enough with tortilla chips, but it was very fresh and almost had a tuna salad feel to it. Not something I would probably order again, but I was glad I got a chance to try it.

So naturally we are in a restaurant that features barbecue, and Katie opts to get a fish dish. The fish offering on the restaurant week menu was a Potato Crusted Black Cod. The fish was paired with an orange reduction and fresh dill oil. It also had shredded veggies hiding underneath the fish. Katie felt that the cod here could not stand on its own. The fish in her opinion was tender, but was not remarkable in any other way. She liked the citrus and dill sauces that came with this, because she felt these were more of a necessity than just a side condiment. The vegetables were fresh, but more of an afterthought.

I was not going to come to DivBar and not try their barbecue, so I went with their Smoked Meat Combination. This combo included smoked brisket and baby back ribs. Both meats were very good. The smokiness of the meat was very evident, so if you are not partial to that, these would not be the meats for you. I do like the smokiness, and it was very apparent that they actually do smoke their meats for at least 12 to 18 hours before serving. The meats were both very tender, and full of smoky flavor. The sauce here was good and subtle. It allowed you to still taste the meat. I would definitely come back here for barbecue. This plate also came with Asian Slaw and a hunk of Jalapeno Corn Bread. I enjoyed the corn bread, but wish that it came with some butter. The slaw was fresh, but I am not sure what made it Asian. It was still a decent side dish though.

It seems like almost every restaurant we have been to lately has had a skillet cookie dessert. DivBar was no exception. Here they call it the Kast Iron Kookie. This skillet was not very big, maybe six inches, but the cookie was cooked a little longer than other skillet cookies I have had in the past. It made for a crunchier cookie, which I liked. Of course there is never enough ice cream on these desserts for us. Both Katie and I ended up fighting over the forkfuls of ice cream. It almost got heated, but cooler heads prevailed.

As far as restaurant week menus go, this one was a winner. Both Katie and I left feeling very full, and at only $20 this was practically a steal, and a great way to try a bunch of items at a restaurant we have never been to. This visit really piqued our interest in returning to DivBar. They not only have barbecue, but they have pizzas, chicken and burgers that grabbed our attention. The vibe here is a little on the cool Newport Beach kind of scene. Lots of good looking people in front of the bar and behind it. The service was very good for us on this night. Our waitress really made sure we were taken care of, which can sometimes be tricky when you are seated in the bar area of a restaurant. One last thing, it is not too late for you to experience this restaurant week menu for yourself. Starting on Sunday, February 24th til March 2nd, DivBar will be featuring this same restaurant menu for the upcoming Orange County Restaurant Week. A great deal, so there is no excuse not to go.

Out of five worms, (in honor of Dennis Rodman, since he used to own the restaurant in this same location, and that was his nickname during his NBA career), five being best to zero being worst, DivBar gets 3 worms.

For more information about DivBar, click here: http://www.divbar.com/index.html

A Burger So Nice, They Named It Twice - CLOSED

Islands

27741 Crown Valley Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

Islands holds a very special place in my food history. It is one of the restaurants that helped me bridge the gap between the food I used to eat as a kid and the food I now eat as an adult. As a kid, of course, you love McDonald's and think it is the best hamburger in the world. However, islands opened up in Orange County in the mid-eighties, when my taste buds opened to more adult food. Islands helped me understand that there are way better burgers than just fast food cheeseburgers.

Now that I am of adult age (even though I still feel and act like a kid sometimes), I still visit Islands probably four to eight times a year. This might not seem like a lot, but writing this blog, it is hard for us to hit a restaurant more than once. We usually save Islands for nights when we do not want to go too far from home and want a good burger in a relaxed atmosphere. I say relaxed because the tropical island/surfer theme always brings me to a tranquil place after a hard day's work.

Islands started in West Los Angeles in 1982. Now in its thirty-first year in business, they have over 50 locations in four western states. The restaurant is still privately held, and they are pretty busy whenever we are here. Gone are the flowered shirts that the young staff used to wear, but the TVs showing skiing, surfing, and other extreme sports still live on. Though Islands started with a very basic menu of burgers back in the 80s, they have now expanded their menu a bit to include salads, tacos, sandwiches, and some new burgers. One of these new burgers brings us here today, as Islands invited us to come in and try their latest creation, the Nalu Nalu Burger.

Of course, right after we sat down, I knew we would not be starting with the Nalu Nalu Burger immediately because there were Cheddar Fries to eat. On this trip to Islands, we got crazy by adding bacon to the top of the mound of fries, cheddar cheese, and scallions. This appetizer always tastes great, but the added bacon increases the flavor quotient. They are always very generous with the cheese; the fries stayed crisp, and the ranch dressing went well. A great appetizer for sharing, we quickly worked on these cheddar fries.

Katie did not feel like having a burger, so she decided to have the Island Fish Tacos. These tacos are offered in pairs or as a trio. They were stuffed with fried fish, cilantro, cabbage, a white chipotle sauce, and tomatoes. Katie called these tacos "solid." The fish was flaky, the tortilla was sturdy, and the white chipotle sauce added flavor. However, in Katie's opinion, almost overshadowing the tacos were the Ranchero Beans that came with these tacos. She loved the taste of these beans and thought they were spiced very well, with a little kick.

Now the real reason that we came to Islands the Nalu Nalu Burger. I would describe this burger as a Philly cheese steak in burger form. This giant burger, of course, started with the great Islands patty, then was topped with garlic aioli, provolone cheese, sauteed onion, mixed peppers, lettuce, and spicy pepper rings. All items that I love on cheesesteaks. This burger has just been added to the Islands menu for a limited time, but it is already an employee and customer favorite. I am always partial to their Big Wave with Cheese and Bacon, but even I would have difficulty passing this up on future visits. The burger was messy but in an excellent way. The bun did an admirable job keeping these contents together while being fresh. Even though I had my fair share of fries with our appetizer, I still got the endless Island Fries with every burger and sandwich. These fries are cut fresh every day; as a bonus, they have zero grams of trans fat. So eating these are actually good for you, almost.

We rarely get dessert when we come to Islands because we are always full by this point of the meal. This time though, we sacrificed to have the Chocolate Lava Sundae. This sundae's base is made of a rich chocolate brownie, then topped with ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry. What set this brownie sundae apart was that they put plenty of ice cream on this one. So there was no need for Katie and me to fight over the ice cream because there was enough on here for both of us.

Our experience at Islands could not have been better. The Nalu Nalu Burger really lived up to its billing, but again, be advised that this burger is only available for a limited time. So get going to Islands to experience one for yourself. The service was first-rate on this visit. Our waitress, Erica, was on top of her game this afternoon. She created a good pace for our meal, anticipated our needs, and made our lunch enjoyable. In fact, everyone we encountered on this visit made us feel welcome, from the hostesses to the manager, Steve. For these reasons, we always find ourselves returning to Islands from time to time. We would also like to thank the fantastic Maggie Holmes for letting us know about the Nalu Nalu Burger and for arranging for us to try it. Thanks for everything, Maggie.

If you would like to find your nearest Islands restaurant, go to their website, which is right here: http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/

Restaurant Week Comes to Irvine

Cucina Enoteca

31 Fortune Dr.

Irvine, CA 92618

I love the month of January for a few reasons. One reason of course is because the month of January signifies the end of the holiday season. Everyone gets back to their normal routine, and there are no presents to buy. Another reason to love the first month of the year is because it features the football playoffs, culminating in one of my favorite sporting events, the Super Bowl. Another January event that resembles the Super Bowl, for food bloggers at least, is that this is the month that many cities hold their Restaurant Weeks.

On this particular January night it was the city of Irvine's turn to showcase some of their best restaurants with Restaurant Week menus. When I heard that Irvine would be hosting a restaurant week, I immediately went to the web site to look for a restaurant to try. As soon as I saw the list of restaurants, I knew where we would be eating, a restaurant I have wanted to try for a long time, Cucina Enoteca.

Cucina Enoteca comes to the Irvine Spectrum by way of San Diego. Their sister restaurant down south goes by the name Cucina Urbana, while there is another Cucina Enoteca being planned for the Del Mar area. This location of Cucina Enoteca has been around the Spectrum for a little over a year now, and I have heard some really good things, so I was pretty excited to try them out for Irvine Restaurant Week.

We got here at about six on a Wednesday night. They had about a forty-five minute wait, which was a good sign, because as we walked around the Spectrum waiting for our table almost all of the restaurants were half full, with no wait for dinner. Cucina Enoteca has a large retail wine shop in the front of their restaurant, which offers a very affordable $8 corkage fee, or you can purchase wine to go at close to a retail price. The rest of the restaurant is decorated rustically. On the verge of having a hipster type feel to it, Cucina Enoteca does not cross that line, but creates a very comfortable atmosphere in which to dine. We were really looking forward to trying their Californian inspired Italian cuisine, so without further ado, this is what came out of the kitchen for us during our Irvine Restaurant Week visit.

Both Laura and I started with an appetizer to start our meals. She ordered one of the most talked about dishes on-line, the Stuffed Fried Squash Blossoms ($9.75 for the non-restaurant week menu price). These squash blossoms are stuffed with a herb ricotta, then topped with a purple basil pesto and a light cured lemon aioli. I really enjoyed this appetizer. The squash blossom itself was fried well, with little grease, and a very light breading. I thought that the aioli and pesto would overpower the squash, but that was not the case.  Instead they complimented it wonderfully, enhancing the earthiness of the squash blossom. Very well made appetizer. I selected the Ricotta Gnudi ($10.50) to start my Cucina Enoteca experience. This dumpling like item is made with ricotta cheese, then rolled in sage brown butter, and topped with parmigiano. I liked the first few bites of this, but then the cheese inside became too much. It was very dry, and while the flavor of this was pretty good, the dryness that resulted from eating this could not be overcome. Not awful, but not my kind of appetizer.

Katie felt like having a salad to start her meal, so she went with the Farmer's Chopped Salad ($9.50). This salad had a little bit of everything in it. Radicchio, artichoke, pepperoncini, Gorgonzola, borlotti bean, and a black olive crouton was joined in the bowl with the fresh greens. This salad was dressed with a garlic oregano vinaigrette. Katie felt the white beans took this salad to another level. She liked the freshness of the produce, and felt this was a very good start to her meal.

Our friend Laura is not into eating beef or chicken, so it was no surprise that she ordered fish as her Irvine week entree. She seemed pretty pleased with her choice of Pan Seared Ocean Trout ($20). This fish was paired with Umbrian lentils, spinach, and a rarely used root vegetable, salsify. She was very happy with the large serving size of this plate, and felt that the fish was cooked perfectly. The prosecco butter sauce went very well with trout.

Rob was being difficult and did not want to take advantage of the great value that was Irvine Restaurant Week. Okay, maybe that was not true, he really just wanted to eat a steak, so he got the Brandt Farms Ribeye ($25) off of the regular menu. We were a little confused because this steak came in the form of a filet, but we were assured this was the ribeye. Adding to our confusion was the fact that this did not have the usual fat that a ribeye has. Even with all of this confusion, Rob still managed to enjoy this steak. The meat was topped with some spinach and a smoked tomato vinaigrette. The two side items, the Gorgonzola potato croquette and the baked shallot added some big time flavor to this plate. In the end, Rob said he would get this again.

Back to the Irvine Restaurant Week items that we had, and probably the tables favorite meal of the night, the  Short Rib Pappardelle ($19.50). This was Katie's pick, and she could not have been happier. Along with the short rib and pasta, this came with cremini mushroom and parmigiano. This dish had a real comforting feel to it. The short rib was of course very tender and the pasta was cooked very well. The sauce held to the noodle well, and helped round out this dish. Katie would have a hard time deviating from this plate on future visits here.

I usually shy away from getting chicken dishes in restaurants, because most places tend to over cook chicken, but I decided to tempt fate at Cucina Enoteca. I am sure glad that I did. This Roasted Jidori Chicken ($19.50) was superb. This well rounded chicken dish started with a very moist and flavorful chicken. It was made even better with a well made fontina polenta, a pistachio pesto, and a poached hen egg. These items added plenty to this dish, along with some asparagus and Swiss chard to round out the meal. Like Katie, it would be hard for me to not order this again. I almost ordered another one to take with me for lunch the next day.

To complete our three course restaurant week meals, the three of us each selected a different dessert to try. Katie was feeling like chocolate, so she had the Bittersweet Chocolate Budino ($8.50). This dessert was very rich and smooth, but the richness was cut a little bit by a salted chocolate cookie. Laura went with the Panettone Bread Pudding ($8). This bread pudding had a lot going on with it. It had a very nice spiced streudel on top of it, along with some candied orange bits, and then for good measure it was topped off with some rum raisin gelato. I am usually not a big fan of bread pudding, but this one was pretty moist, with some good bursts of flavor. I have never met a doughnut I didn't like, (okay maybe those awful maple bars), and the same holds true after having the Zeppole ($8) at Cucina Enoteca. These Italian style doughnut holes came filled with a chocolate and Nutella mixture. How can that ever be bad? They were then rolled in sugar and served with a cappuccino crema. I am not too big of a fan of cappuccino, but even my distaste for coffee flavoring could not dampen my love for these zeppole. They were served warm, and they did not last too long on my plate. A very good end to this meal.

Our trip to Cucina Enoteca really lived up to the hype. I really enjoyed this new take on Italian food. There were no heavy sauces, or lots of cheese here. Not that I mind traditional Italian food at all, but this was a nice change of pace. Leaving here I did not have the overly stuffed feeling that you normally get after eating a big, heavy Italian dinner. Everything that came out of the kitchen on this night really had a great freshness to it. The service we had on this night was very solid. Our waiter really kept things moving along at a nice pace. Participating in Irvine Restaurant Week really worked for Cucina Enoteca. It got us in the door, and really piqued our interest in the food that they serve here. We really look forward to exploring more of their menu on future visits.

Out of five corks, (because wine plays such an important aspect at this restaurant, and because I learned while writing this review that enoteca means wine in Italian), five being best to zero being worst, Cucina Enoteca gets 3.5 corks.

For more information about Cucina Enoteca, click here: http://www.cucinaenoteca.com/home

Untying Our Thoughts About Twisted Gourmet - CLOSED

The Twisted Gourmet

163 W. Ontario Ave.

Corona, CA 92882

It was another night out with our good friends Anthony and Sabrina in Corona. We were out here to see their new backyard. They poured concrete and now have a very nice area to hang out when it gets a bit warmer. At least this was the undercurrent of the reason they wanted us to come over. I really think they just want us to show them a new place to eat in the city that they live in. Some restaurants I have chosen for our dinners together have been hits, and some have been misses, so let's see how The Twisted Gourmet turned out for us.

We have been out to Corona numerous times, and have driven by Twisted Gourmet almost every time we come out here. I have had this place written down on our list of restaurants to try in Corona for almost six months now. They average about four stars on Yelp and an 85 percent approval rating on Urbanspoon, but when this gets posted they will be closed down at this location for good.

Yes, it is true. They had some landlord issues, and as of the last weekend of January, they have now left their original Corona location. They are going to be opening at a new location, still in Corona, in the middle of February. The new location will be on Hidden Valley Parkway, in the Kohl's Center. Back to this original location though. We got here on a Saturday night at about 8 and were sat right away. They have live music on Saturdays, but it was not too loud where we were sitting. The twenty or so tables here were half full, with people eating, drinking, and listening to the music. Sabrina took a few shots of the interior of the place, but true to form, they did not turn out. Ansel Adams, Sabrina is not. Good effort though Sabrina, (Stevie Wonder would have taken better pictures).

The menu at Twisted Gourmet is dominated by Italian options; including pizzas, pasta, salads, and sandwiches. The menu is not huge, but some of the offerings are interesting, thus the "twisted" name. It took us very little time to decide what to have, so we ordered, listened to the guitar player, and waited for the food to come out. This is what popped out of the kitchen for us.

We started off with two of their appetizers, The Pepperoni Chips ($5) and the Bread Knots ($5). The pepperoni chips were pretty solid. The pepperoni is baked in the oven to make it crisp, then served with a marinara and pesto sauce. I liked this simple starter. The serving size was not huge, but the pepperoni had a little spiciness to it, and it worked surprisingly well with the pesto sauce. I also liked that these were baked, so there was not any of the greasiness that I expected. The bread knots were a much more generous serving size. These were pretty good as far as bread knots go. I'm pretty sure this is the same dough that they use for their pizzas. These had some decent garlic flavor but could have been a little softer for my taste. 

Anthony actually selected my first choice for dinner here, but I was gracious enough to allow him to order it. What a giver I am. The pizza we were fighting over-ordering? Vinella's Pugilist ($9.50). This pizza came with spicy sausage, garlic, tomato, and a blend of cheeses. When this pizza was first sat down in front of Anthony, I was surprised by its size of this. It was a lot of pizza for under ten dollars. Anthony seemed to like this pizza, and Sabrina was a fan of the crust that he gave her. I had a slice of this and thought that the cheeses were pretty good, but the sausage needed to be spicier and more of it was needed on this pie. Not a bad pizza, but nothing that woke up my taste buds.

Both Sabrina and Katie ordered the same pasta dish, which helps me write this review up quicker. They both got the Baciata Dal Sol ($10 or $14.50 with chicken). This pasta dish featured spaghettini, olive oil, basil, garlic, capers, sundried tomato, and chopped tomato. Again, this was a large serving of pasta that both girls found hard to finish. They both liked this but were not wowed by it. Katie liked the freshness of the ingredients but did not like the shaved chicken that was added to hers. She would have been happier with bigger hunks of chicken on this.

I am a sucker for anything on a menu that says it is their most popular item. If a menu item says this, I will probably get that item 90 percent of the time. This was the case with this Love Potion Pie ($10). This pizza came with an unusual assortment of items; diced tomato, dried cranberry, chicken, Gorgonzola, and white sauce. Not even close to anything I would usually order. Needless to say, I was not too happy with my selection. All of the items of this pizza did not go together for me. I really needed a big pop of flavor which this pizza did not provide. It was a very mellow pizza. I am not sure why they use shaved slices of chicken here, but bigger hunks would have worked out a little better. The white sauce was okay, but I have now made a vow that I will not be having any fruit on my pizzas from now on. No, not even pineapple. This was not the pizza for me.

Dessert time and we ordered the Lemon Glaze Cake ($4) and a Peanut Butter Bar ($2.50). I am not too big of a fan of lemon, but this cake had a subtle lemon flavor. It was not over the top with citrus flavor. The cake was moist but could have used some more icing, The peanut butter bar was described to us by the waitress as Reese's on steroids. She was right. The peanut butter in this bar tasted just like the candy bar. The chocolate was a little tough to get a fork through, but this would be the dessert to get at Twisted Gourmet if you enjoy peanut butter and chocolate like I do.

Twisted Gourmet has some good going for it, and then some not-so-good. First the positives. I thought that the prices here were very good for the portion sizes you receive. For the four of us, our bill was under $70, and that included two appetizers, four drinks, two desserts, and four entrees. We definitely left Twisted Gourmet feeling full. I think almost all of us would choose something different to eat on subsequent visits to their new location. I would like to try one of their red sauce pizzas with some meat on it next time. The service on the night we were here started out really well, but they seemed to forget about us as the night went along. Everyone we encountered here was very friendly though. On one of our next visits to Sabrina and Anthony's, we will have to check out their new location once it is open.

Out of five circles, (because the city of Corona is also known as the Circle City), five being best to zero being worst, The Twisted Gourmet gets 2.5 circles.

For more information about The Twisted Gourmet and its new location, click here: http://www.twisted-gourmet.com/index.html

Around the World In One Night at the Globe - CLOSED

The Globe Dine Bar

12926 Main St. 

Garden Grove, CA 92840

People always ask how we choose the restaurants that we go to. There are many ways that we hear about places to dine in OC. My favorite is to hear from you, our great readers, whether from an email, a comment on one of our reviews, or a suggestion on our Facebook page. I am diligent about writing down all of your tips on our "must try" list. Other ways we hear about great places to eat are by reading other people's blogs, knowing we will be in an area, looking up hot spots to try on Yelp or Urbanspoon, or the way we found The Globe Dine Bar. They simply asked us to come to give their food a try.

In our three-plus years of doing this blog, we have only visited Garden Grove four times. Yes, GG is far from where we live, but we need to make more effort to get to our county's fifth most populous city.  This was the perfect opportunity to do that. The Globe is located just a few doors down from another place we visited on Main Street, Doug's Downtown Grill. We came to The Globe on a very blustery Friday night. Main Street was blocked off due to a car show, but there was plenty of parking behind the business's on Main.

The Globe Dine Bar is owned by a Belgian husband and wife team, Michael Pauwels and Marijke Adam. They have a very unique story. They opened a Mexican restaurant in of all places Belgium. In 1992, it was one of only two Mexican restaurants. They accepted this challenge of showcasing Mexican cuisine to the people of Belgium, and it became a hit.

Now on this side of the world, they are undertaking a similar challenge, introducing global cuisine with a Belgian twist to the people of Orange County. The Globe Dine Bar opened a year and a half ago. The world cuisine vibe they are going for here is evident from the maps on the walls, the table tops that each depict a different country, and finally, the monthly Chef Specials that focus on a different area of the world each time the calendar turns to a different month.

When we arrived on this cold winter night, the twenty-seat bar was definitely the most happening spot in the place. The restaurant had periodic tables here and there, but most of the action was at the bar. Many of the bar patrons seemed to be regulars. We found a table close enough to the action and sat down. I had no problem picking out what I wanted because I had looked at the menu online, but Katie was flip-flopping between a couple of things. This is what we finally decided on.

The first area of the Globe Dine Bar menu features some hoppa's, explained on the menu as Hops + Tapas. I would classify these as small plate offerings. Out of the seven offered, the one that piqued our interest the most was the Skirt Steak Florets ($7.50). Along with the skirt steak, this came out with roasted pearl onions, blue cheese, and a red wine au jus. The beef was tender, and the wine sauce and blue cheese added a big-time flavor. I really liked the use of pearl onions on this small plate. I wish more places would incorporate pearl onions into their dishes. I like them. The only minor complaint about this dish was that the steak needed to be cut into more manageable pieces. These pieces were a little too large, but still a great start to our meal.

I was not going to be getting a beer, but the Globe Dine Bar is really focused on their unique to OC beer selection. Not surprisingly, they are really into Belgian beers. I sometimes find these European beers too heavy, but the owner, Mike Pauwels, helped Katie and me select lighter beers that would pair up well with our ordered meals. For me, we went with the Blanche De Bruxelles ($6). This smooth beer kind of reminded me of a less intrusive Hefeweizen. Very good, and if I did not have to work the next day, I could have drank a few more of these with no problem. Katie is not a beer drinker, so I was skeptical that she would like the Leffe Brune ($6) that Mike picked out for her. That skepticism was not merited. This beer may have been dark in color, but its fruitiness and sweetness made this taste more like a lighter beer. Katie, of course, did not finish this, so I happily polished the last half of this off. Each table had what Mike called "the beer bible." This book briefly described each beer and what you could expect to taste with each selection. Very lovely for Belgian beer novices like the two of us.

Katie and I were pretty hungry, so we started with salads to curb our hunger until our entrees arrived. Katie selected the House Salad ($5) to start. This salad featured mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, carrots, and croutons, along with ranch dressing on the side. Again, nothing too out of the ordinary here, but the produce was fresh, the dressing was well made, and the serving size was pretty good for five dollars. I have been having rotten luck with Caesar's lately, but the Traditional Caesar ($6) helped to break the slump. Along with the fresh lettuce that came with this salad, the dressing was flavorful and just the right amount. I was also pleased with the shaved Parmesan cheese that topped this Caesar.

Let's tackle Katie's dinner first. She went with the Coq Au Vin ($16). This was Katie's first time having this French dish, and she could not have been more pleased. The braised chicken was tender, and the flavor was enhanced with the beautiful red wine sauce, mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon. The serving size for this dish was very generous. For a side item, this entree came with Potato Gratin. These were not like the ones that came out of the Betty Crocker box. These came in their own baking dish and were rich and scalding hot. They were covered in cheese, but you could still tell that the potato was to be front and center. I would not hesitate to get this meal the next time I come to the Globe.

Every time I eat in a restaurant, I am immediately drawn to a short rib entree. That would be the case again on this night. The Globe Short Rib ($18) is just what I needed on this cold night to warm me up. I always describe short ribs as the most tender piece of pot roast you have ever had. This was what the short rib at The Globe brought to mind. This rib did not have much au jus to come with it, but it did not need it. It was very moist already. The veggies were a tad undercooked, while the Belgian fries I got with my dinner were slightly disappointing. I was expecting a crisp fry, like other Belgian fries I have had, but these fries came out pretty limp. I would forgo these on my next visit and get the much better potato gratin.

By this time, we were pretty full, but the waitress talked us into trying one of their desserts. She was talking up the Checkerboard Chocolate Mousse ($7)., so that's the one we went with. She said this dessert takes a long time to make, but it disappeared from our plate rather quickly. This mousse is made of white and dark Belgian chocolate. The mousse was smooth, while the chocolate was overpowering, but the raspberry sauce that came with this helped keep the chocolate in check. An excellent dessert.

The Globe Dine Bar was well worth the drive to Garden Grove. The main dishes that we had on this night were both phenomenal. For the most part, the other items we had were good. Most of the food served here is known to Americans, but the added European flair is much appreciated. I am sure having a restaurant in this location can be challenging, but once people get a taste of what is coming out of their kitchen, getting people to come back will not be such a challenge. The owners, Michael and Marijke, were very hands-on the night we were here. They really tried to make everyone feel comfortable in their restaurant. With the introduction of new menu items from different countries every month, their is no chance that the menu will become stale. We are looking forward to more frequent visits to Garden Grove in the future.

Out of five passports (because you can not travel the globe without a passport), five being best to zero being worst, The Globe Dine Bar gets 3.5 passports.

For more information on The Globe Dine Bar, click here: http://www.theglobeoc.com/index.html