Expanding Our Mediterranean Food Knowledge at Garbanzo Grill - CLOSED

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

6278 Irvine Blvd. 

Irvine, CA 92620

It seems that maybe the new "it" cuisine for 2014 will be Mediterranean food. It is only two months into the new year, and this is already the second Mediterranean restaurant we have visited. After these two visits, I have to say that I am hooked on Mediterranean food now. Not only is it delicious, but apparently it is healthy for you as well, (not that this is a major selling point to me, but to some of you out there, this may appeal to you). 

Anyways, we were recently invited to try Garbanzo Grill. They are relatively new to the restaurant scene, as they were founded in 2007. Started in Colorado, they have now expanded to nine other states, including our very own California which boasts two locations, (this Irvine location and another one in Aliso Viejo). Pretty big growth from a company founded just seven years ago, and they plan on expanding to other markets in the near future. 

Garbanzo Grill focuses on bringing fresh, healthy, and authentic Mediterranean food to their customers. They make almost everything on-site, including their own pita bread, which is made fresh every day. They also pride themselves on using only the freshest ingredients to make their shwarma, falafels, and babaganoush. Not sure what any of these items are? Don't worry, their menu explains what these are in explicit detail, so you will become a Mediterranean food expert in no time. 

It's probably no surprise since Garbanzo Grill is from Colorado, they have adopted a similar style of ordering to Chipotle, also from the Rocky Mountain State. The assembly line process of ordering has become all the rage lately. With foods that people are not familiar with, this makes much more sense. At Garbanzo Grill you start by choosing your entree, (stuffed pita, a plate, or laffa, which could be described as a wrap). You then select your protein, sauces, and sides. The girls behind the counter were very patient with us as we made our decisions.  They explained everything to us, and they even offer samples to help make your decisions easier. Let's see what Katie and I ended up with. 

I went the very traditional route with my choice, the Beef Shwarma Plate ($7.39). Shwarma is marinated beef with Mediterranean spices. The beef at Garbanzo Grill was pretty tender and flavorful. After deciding on the meat portion of your meal, you are offered your choice of salads. I went a little crazy here by getting the lettuce, red cabbage, babaganoush, and their signature vegetable salad. To round out this big plate, I also got their seasoned rice, which I really liked. Next time I would probably skip the salads, except for the babaganoush (which is a puree of eggplant and tahini), and the vegetable salad. I also got a white pita, which was puffed up and perfect for filling it with the shwarma and veggies. This was a good amount of food. 

Katie is always into wraps, so I was not surprised that she ordered the Chicken Shwarma Laffa ($6.79). I would call this a Mediterranean burrito. As with the plates, you have your choice of protein, and many other options to pile into this very thin flatbread. Katie thinks she has perfected the perfect flavor combination on her very first trip here. She added seasoned rice, tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, hummus, and vegetable salad to her laffa. She liked the lightness of this, but it did not sacrifice flavor. She is already counting on coming back here for lunches since it is so close to her work. I know for a fact, this will be her go-to order when she does come back. 

The sauces at Garbanzo Grill really need to be highlighted here. The night we were here, they had five to choose from. I really liked all of these different sauces. They each brought something different to the table, literally. Of course, I was partial to the Red Chili, but even the more mild Tzatziki and Tahini were good as well. If you are into garlic, the Mediterranean Garlic will become your go-to sauce here at Garbanzo Grill. Katie felt the Cilantro sauce went perfect with her laffa.

If you like a crunchy chip, you must get the Garbanzo Chips. These are fried in the store every day and are one of the side options to choose if you want to make your meal a combo. Other options include Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Falafel (a fried ball of ground garbanzo beans), and an Apple (a fruit, okay you probably already knew what that one was).

Also on the menu at Garbanzo Grill is something that is more well known to people, a Kabob Platter ($9.69). These platters are served two to an order, and each skewer is served with red and green peppers, onion, and your choice of steak or chicken. Each kabob is marinated in their special house marinade. Along with the kabob's, these come on a bed of rice, hummus, and their signature vegetable salad. Of the two that we tried, I enjoyed the chicken better. It was pretty tender, and the marinade really came through.

With restaurants like Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill popping up all over, it is just a matter of time before these foods become more well known to the masses. Ordering was easy, everyone was super nice, and they took the time to answer all of our questions. We had a great time, and we will definitely be back soon. 

For more information about Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill, go to their web site here: http://www.eatgarbanzo.com/

Not a Prickly Experience at the Wild Artichoke

The Wild Artichoke

4973 Yorba Ranch Road

Yorba Linda, CA 92887

When I saw that we were nearing a milestone on the blog, I was wondering how I could commemorate it. I figured I could do a top ten list of all the restaurants we have been to, or even maybe a ten worst list. Then I started to think that this milestone was really just a number. The 500th post of our journey together, experiencing restaurants. It suddenly hit me how I could pay homage to this momentous occasion. I went to my now five pages of restaurants that we want to visit and looked at the restaurant that was at the top of the list. The eatery that has been perched there for four years now, waiting patiently for us to visit. So we made plans to visit The Wild Artichoke.

I can remember when I put this restaurant on my list. I had just gotten a copy of Zagat's Restaurant Guide from Katie's sister and brother-in-law. Still one of my favorites presents that they have gotten me, besides my autographed Jaguars football helmet that is now proudly displayed in our bathroom. Some might say that is the most fitting place for it, but we are getting off-topic. For being relegated to a remote corner of OC, The Wild Artichoke has had some glowing reviews from lots of OC's best food writers. OC Weekly, Westways Magazine, the Orange County Register, Orange Coast Magazine, and the aforementioned Zagat Guide have made the trek up to Yorba Linda to experience what the Wild Artichoke has to offer. Now it's our turn.

This restaurant has been around for 14 years now. Owner/Chef James D'Aquila is the man in charge. James has been in the restaurant business since the age of 17 and opened this place in Yorba Linda because the city reminded him of his hometown in Connecticut. James is a true Renaissance man, as he not only is an accomplished chef but has also dabbled in music. I was hoping that our long-awaited trip here was going to be music to my taste buds.

The Wild Artichoke is in a very sleepy shopping center, not too far from my parent's house. This center is now home to Julie Lim's OC Wine Mart, along with a Yorba Linda favorite, The Ranch Enchilada. The Wild Artichoke is pretty small, maybe ten tables, so you might want to call for reservations on weekends. We arrived at 5PM on a recent Sunday, and there were about five tables occupied during our visit. The dining room is very quaint, with some artichoke paintings on the walls, darkened lighting, and some adult contemporary lightly playing over the speakers. The menu here was more diverse than I was expecting, for such a small place. Lots of pasta dishes, and a good selection of entrees to choose from. Let's see what we ended up getting.

The love of artichokes is definitely apparent as soon as you sit down here. Accompanying the customary bread basket is a warm artichoke spread. This kind of had the consistency of a dip and was pretty solid flavor-wise. The focaccia bread was soft, with enough sturdiness to support the artichoke spread. The four of us made quick work of both the focaccia and dip.

The artichoke theme continued with our choice of appetizer, the Artichoke Beignets ($8). Lucky for the four of us, these come four to an order, so we didn't have to count on my Dad to share. These beignets are filled with artichoke hearts and herb cream cheese, then coated with a lightly fried crust that I believe contained oats. They are then placed on top of a marinara and a beurre blanc sauce. These were a big hit at our table. I'm not the world's biggest fan of cream cheese, but the cream cheese did not overpower here. Maybe the two well-made sauces helped to cut the cream cheese taste. These were very delicate, and as soon as the fork broke the crust, they fell apart, thus making them hard to eat. Well worth the trouble though.

It's hard to snap a good picture of soup, and this Turkey Soup ($4) proves that point perfectly. This was the soup of the day while we were here, and my Dad's choice before his dinner arrived. This soup was packed with real hunks of turkey, elbow macaroni, and other assorted vegetables. Both my Dad and I agreed that this soup was not overly flavorful, but was more in line with being a hearty soup. He was pretty pleased with this.

Katie selected their namesake salad, the Wild Artichoke Salad ($5.25) to start off. Their version of a house salad starts with mixed greens, with baby artichokes, tomatoes, mushrooms, and carrots added. Topping the salad are some real good croutons, and a Modena balsamic vinaigrette. Katie really liked the inclusion of the mushrooms and the artichokes, but was not too fond of the dressing, calling it, "a touch too vinegary, which led to it overpowering the produce in the salad".

I did not want to be left out, while both Katie and my Dad were eating, so of course, I had to try a salad as well. I went with the Hearts of Romaine and Blue Cheese Salad ($7). This simple salad included about four hearts of romaine, with diced tomatoes, blue cheese crumbles, and a blue cheese dressing. I have to remember to always ask for this type of salad to be chopped. It was a lot of work cutting and slicing the romaine into bite-size pieces. When this was sat in front of me, I was afraid it was not going to have enough dressing, but it ended up being just the right amount. The produce was fresh, and the dressing was very well made. Had a nice tang to it.

Since my Mom did not have either a salad or soup to start with, let's begin our entree portion of the meal with her pick, Barbara's Bolognese ($17.50). This recipe comes from Chef James' own Mom. You choose the kind of pasta that you like, then it is covered in a tomato sauce that uses pork, veal, and beef in it. My mom could not be happier with this. The meats added a nice heartiness to this, the sauce was definitely on point, and the fresh, handmade pasta made this a lighter than you would expect dish, without sacrificing flavor. The serving size was more than enough for my Mom, who boxed up half of it and allowed my Dad to take the rest of it to work the next day.

My Dad did a little research on the menu before we showed up, and I was pretty sure that he had his mind made up that he would get the Davey D's Jambalaya Pasta ($22) before he even sat down. Here again, you choose the style of pasta you want, my Dad went with angel hair. This version of jambalaya comes with sausage, bacon, shrimp, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and okra, in a Cajun cream sauce. My Dad called this pasta dish, "excellent". He liked that this jambalaya did not try to overpower with spiciness like so many other versions tend to do. There were enough meats used here, and when I pressed him for one bad thing to say about this, he only said that he wished the peppers would have been cut smaller. I would say the big guy would get this jambalaya again on future visits.

It seemed like the pasta section of the menu was very enticing to my dining partners, and Katie did not want to be left out. She ordered the Jack's Mediterranean Chicken Pasta ($18.50). This big mound of food starts with a sauteed chicken breast, served in a marinara sauce, with white wine, mushrooms, capers, basil, and cream, then topped off with some grated cheese. Katie felt that the chicken was tender, the portion size was more than generous, and the flavors blended well with each other. A very comforting dish.

Yes, I made sure I did not order a pasta dish like the rest of them. I was torn between two items but eventually went with the Yogi's Crispy Buttermilk Battered Fried Chicken ($22.50). This good-sized plate contained four pieces of fried chicken, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a bacon-dripped gravy. The chicken was pretty moist, with a very crumbly breading. I was surprised at the lack of grease here, which led to a lighter version of fried chicken. The mashed potatoes were good, but a little too runny for my taste. I expected a little more from the bacon gravy, but it was passable. The veggies were cut very small, which was a plus in my book.

We decided on having two desserts to share between the four of us. I knew that one would be this Buddy's Brownie Sundae ($8). This was a very solid start to our dessert course. The well-made brownie was topped with ice cream, powdered sugar, and a caramel sauce then garnished with whipped cream, strawberry, and a cookie shaped like a dog. Maybe Buddy is the chef's dog, I am guessing. What made this better than most brownie sundaes was that the brownie was cooked all the way through, there was more than enough ice cream for the four of us, and the caramel sauce was a nice departure from the usual chocolate or hot fudge that is used on brownie sundaes. The only negative was the dog cookie, which really tasted dry and was devoid of flavor. Even with this one setback, we would definitely get this dessert again.

To say that my parents liked Janice Michelle's Creme Brulee ($7) would be an understatement. They almost came to blows while jockeying for positions with their spoonfuls of this dessert. This creme brulee was not over the top sweet, while it maintained its very smooth texture. The crystallized, sugary crust on top was nicely done. My Dad practically licked the bowl to get the very last drops of this.

My parents and Katie enjoyed Wild Artichoke more than I did. I liked it well enough, and I would definitely go back, but the items I had did not wow me like theirs did. My parents are already planning on having some special occasions at Wild Artichoke, and I would be totally fine going back. Maybe I just got the wrong thing, I maybe should have gone with the meatloaf, or maybe even the filet. The service on the night we were here was very personable, but with just one waitress for six tables, she seemed to be spread a little thin, and our food took a little longer to come out of the kitchen because of it. I thought the prices here were pretty fair for the amount of food you get, along with the quality of it. In the end, I am glad that we could finally cross this restaurant off of our list. Sorry, it took 500 posts to make it here.

Out of five globes, (which is the most popular variety of artichokes, and our great state of California cultivates nearly 100 percent of artichokes in the US), five being best to zero being worst, The Wild Artichoke gets 3.5 globes.

For more information about The wild Artichoke, go to their website here: https://www.thewildartichoke.com/

Swinging By the Vine Restaurant in San Clemente

Vine Restaurant

211 N. El Camino Real 

San Clemente, CA 92672

Writing this blog we have met some really nice people that work in restaurants. It seems that almost everyone that we come in contact with has such a passion for what they do, and they want others to experience their fervor for their food or restaurants. One such guy that we always look forward to seeing at his restaurants is, Russ Bendel. We met Russ when he worked at Fleming's at Fashion Island. We were shocked to learn that he had left early last year to pursue new endeavors. We recently learned that one of these new enterprises was Vine Restaurant in San Clemente. As luck would have it, we were recently invited to come down, try some of their food, and of course reconnect with Russ.

Vine Restaurant is located on the very busy, El Camino Real in San Clemente, right across the street from the Italian restaurant, Brick, and is a few doors down from Pizza Port. This is not a new restaurant. It has been around for ten or so years, but Russ recently took it over late last year, with a couple of his friends, who each have extensive pedigrees working in the restaurant industry. Add to this trio of friends, Chef Jared Cook, who previously ruled the roost at Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona Del Mar, along with two other stints at Vine, but now he's back here as Executive Chef. He was very proud to show off his garden on the hillside behind the restaurant, which helps inspire many of the chef specials on many nights.

We got to Vine at 3PM for our Media Lunch, with many of our favorite food writers in attendance, we knew we were going to be having a great time. Vine is only open for dinner, starting at 5:30 during the week, and at 5PM on weekends. Make a special note that they are closed on Mondays. I hate showing up to a restaurant, and finding out that they are closed on that particular day.

When walking into Vine, the bar will be to your right, as well as a look into the kitchen. There are high-top tables along the left-hand side of the room, which is where they had placed good-looking Charcuterie Boards ($18 for a full order, or $10 for a half order), for us to enjoy. I am not too much into sliced cheeses, but the domestic cured meats were very good. I really enjoyed the pepperoni and the prosciutto naturally.

The man in charge behind the bar is the very personable Gabe Whorley. Gabe has been in the restaurant industry since high school and has a ton of experience tending bar. He worked alongside renowned mixologist, Gabrielle Dion at Charlie Palmer. Gabe uses fresh herbs and fruits in many of his cocktails. We were lucky enough to try two of his craft cocktail creations. The Flaming Buffalo ($10) is made up of the unusual combination of Serrano chili, lemon, egg, and bourbon, and is then garnished with an orange peel and two cherries. I am not too much into bourbon, but this cocktail was delicious. The bourbon did not overpower, the egg kind of made this frothy, but I did not get much from the Serrano chili. Katie had the more fruity option, the Love Potion #9 ($10). This one used vodka as a base, then went with orange liqueur, lemon, cucumber, and raspberry, with an orange peel as a garnish. I was afraid this would be too sweet, but the cucumber and lemon probably helped keep this drink in check. Gabe even made Katie a virgin version of this drink, which he topped with an orange flower. Not into craft cocktails? Vine has 10 craft beers on tap, along with 25 wines by the glass, so there's something for everyone here.

After having our drinks and charcuterie, we went into the dining room for the next stage of our meal. First up was a very unusual item, Crispy Meyer Lemon and Honey Duck Wings ($14). We eat in a lot of restaurants, and I can not recall ever seeing duck wings on a menu. These were topped with a chili sauce and chives. They are butchered exclusively for Vine, and I will definitely be back for these. This duck was not as greasy as others can tend to be, with a nice crispiness. The chili sauce was not crazy overpowering and allowed the natural smokiness of the duck to shine through. Obviously more meat than a buffalo wing, these were one of the highlights of our meal here.

The second part of our appetizer course was this House Made Pumpkin Ravioli ($13). Accompanying the pumpkin ravioli was a white truffle with brown butter, crispy sage, and pecorino. I thought this ravioli was very well made, but a little too subtle for my palette. What brought this to life for me was the pecorino, which added a big boost of flavor that brought this appetizer to life.

We had the choice of three entrees at our media lunch, so I made sure that Katie and I got two different things. She ordered the Pan Roasted Loup de Mer ($27). For this French seafood dish, Chef Jared used Mediterranean sea bass and topped it with fingerling potatoes, Riesling raisins, cauliflower, baby endive, and pistachio brown butter. Katie felt this had very subtle flavors while being very juicy. She liked this rustic dish, that allowed the natural flavors of the fish to shine through. Just looking at this dish from across the table, you could not help but be drawn to the bright colors on the plate, and the wonderful aroma of the sea bass.

I was not expecting to have a burger at Vine, but it was one of the three entrees they were offering us, and I was told how amazing it was. The American Kobe Wine Country Burger ($13) did not disappoint. This good-sized burger was topped with caramelized shallots, Mahon cheese, marinated tomato, and pickled onions, on a brioche bun. I would describe this burger as a very good backyard burger. The Mahon cheese is very mellow, and the rest of the toppings were executed very well. When I saw the bun, I was afraid it was going to be too bready, but this was not the case. The bread absorbed the juiciness of the meat and the flavors of the other toppings. The fries here are made with real potatoes, and you can definitely taste the difference. They were seasoned with Parmesan and fresh herbs from their garden out back. Very tasty, and almost outshined the burger.  

When it was time for dessert, we were ushered out front to their patio that overlooks all the activity on El Camino Real. Here we were given Coffee and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Souffle ($10). This was not only a chocolate souffle, but it also included vanilla bean ice cream. This souffle was not overly sweet but still tasted great. I was pretty full from everything that we ate up until this point, but I ended up making quick work of this.

Vine was everything we thought it would be, especially after we had found out that Russ had taken it over. Not only was the stuff we tasted very good, but the rest of the menu looks promising as well. I am torn between a Pulled Lamb Sandwich and their Jidori Chicken on my next visit. Of course, there will probably be an amazing chef's special that Chef Jared has cooked up, that will throw all of my plans out the window, but I'm sure it will be delicious. Everyone at Vine Restaurant was a real pleasure to deal with. Even though this restaurant has changed ownership, a lot of the employees have stayed on, so if you have been to Vine before, you will probably recognize some familiar faces. Glad to see that Russ has turned up at Vine, and with this great team behind him, I am sure Vine has a bright future in store for it.

For more information on Vine Restaurant, go to their website here: http://www.vinesanclemente.com/index.html