Giving Sambuca a Shot - CLOSED

Sambuca Italian Bistro

31161 Niguel Road

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

I crave Italian food when the weather turns colder or as cold as it ever gets in OC. I think it's because the red sauces or the plates always come out steaming hot. It also might be how Italian food coats your insides, like a warm blanket. Whatever the reason is that I crave Italian when the temps go lower than 70 degrees, I'm always willing to try a new Italian place. This time, we met my in-laws at a new place for all of us, Sambuca Italian Bistro in Laguna Niguel.

Sambuca has been around for three years now. They might have yet to come across your radar, and ours, because they are located in a sleepy little shopping center on Niguel Road, a shopping center whose biggest draw has to be a Carl's Jr., and even that closes at 8pm. That tells you all you have to know about this area of town.

People have found this restaurant, though. They get a four-and-a-half-star rating on Yelp, and that's with 100 plus reviews. Even when we showed up here at 7, the dining room was packed with people, which might explain why the tables are so close to each other. The decor is understated and comfortable, which is good because it keeps your view of all the action in the open kitchen.

The menu at Sambuca is heavily dominated by many seafood dishes. Almost all of their plates of pasta contain something from the sea. Out of their 17 pasta offerings, 11 of those involve either shrimp, lobster, or calamari. The entree portion of the menu makes an about-face, with only one seafood dish offered out of the eight on their current menu. We arrived shortly after Katie's parents, who had already made their dinner selections, so we hurriedly made our choices as well, and this is how it all worked out for us at Sambuca,

Our meal started off with this La Caprese ($9). To be truthful, I'm not a very big fan of caprese, but the rest of our party loved this starter. All the key ingredients were here to make a good one; sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and olive oil balsamic. The three of them quickly worked on this, and all said they would get this again.

Since I was not partaking in the caprese, I ordered the Sambuca Classico Caesar ($6). Their version of a Caesar comes with garlic croutons, plenty of Caesar dressing, olives, and cubed tomatoes. I really enjoyed the relatively large size of this salad, and there was plenty of dressing included here, which I liked. The croutons added a lovely crunch, but I'm not a big fan of tomatoes on a Caesar, so they were quickly discarded. Overall, it was a pretty good salad.

It's a running joke about Katie's dad, Dennis, who always asks what the soup of the day is, and about 90 percent of the time, he does not get it. This Mushroom Soup ($5) must have hit him on the right day because he actually went ahead and tried it. Not exactly what he was thinking when he ordered this, he liked this twist on mushroom soup. He described this as very thin but big on flavor. A soup he would order again, providing it was available when he was here next time.

We could start the entree part of this review with the one I liked best, The Brandy Gorgonzola Roasted Chicken ($17). This plate had a lot going on with it. The good-sized portion of chicken was served over a bed of lemon risotto and then topped with a Gorgonzola brandy cream sauce. I was unsure how the lemon from the risotto and the Gorgonzola would interact, but it made an excellent flavor combination. The chicken was tender, and the veggies were crisp. A very well-done plate and a superb start to our entree portion of the evening.

The Spaghettini Bolognese is a straightforward dish for Dennis this evening ($14). When we asked our waitress what some of her favorites were on this menu, this was one of them, and she stated that they were very proud of this dish. They have every right to be proud. This was a very meaty sauce; the noodles were cooked well, and the sauce's flavor was on point. I would have added some cheese and red pepper flakes to make it pop, but Dennis enjoyed it just the way it came out.

If there was one thing the people on Yelp loved more than any other item at Sambuca, it was this Black Linguine with Lobster and Shrimp ($18). I was taken aback when Katie's mom, Lynn, ordered this dish. Black linguine is topped with seared lobster, white Gulf jumbo shrimp, basil, garlic, and tomato sauce. I can see why they have so many seafood dishes on their menu; they cook seafood well. The lobster and shrimp were tender, and the black linguine was excellent for a change. The sauce was okay, as it was plain tasting, but that suited Lynn just fine.

Unfortunately, the only clunker among the entrees was my selection, the Penne Filletto ($15). This bowl had such promise with its diced filet mignon, mushrooms, and creamy tomato brandy sauce, but it fell flat. The beef was way overcooked, and the sauce was not very good. I was only able to make this more enjoyable by adding parmesan and red pepper flakes to it. It was definitely not the right choice for me this evening.

I hoped we could finish with a bang by ordering this Tartuffle ($7), but it was not meant to be. This dessert was fair but not what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be more like other tartufos we have had. This was coated with nuts and more closely resembled a fried ice cream that you would find in Mexican restaurants. It was not bad, but it was probably not something I'd get again.

Sambuca was a solid Italian restaurant, even though I was not in love with my plate. From our experience, seafood is the way to go here, and it will be what I have the next time we visit. Be advised that this differs from the food most people consider when going out for Italian. This is more traditional, with no lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, or chicken parmesan on the menu. The service was warm and friendly during our stay on this night. This might not be everyone's ideal Italian spot, but it did help to warm us up this evening when it reached the bone-chilling 50-degree mark.

Out of five coffee beans (because when doing a shot of Sambuca, usually coffee beans are included in the shot glass), five being best to zero being worst, Sambuca gets 3 coffee beans.

For more information about Sambuca Italian Bistro, go to their website here: http://www.sambucabistro.net/

Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty of a Great Brunch - CLOSED

Grits

133 West Chapman Ave. #102

Fullerton, CA 92832

I don't think it's any big revelation that brunch is one of the best meals of the day. For one thing, brunch is almost always held on one of the days where you do not have to work. No one really has brunch on a Tuesday, which is my dream once I retire. Another great thing about brunch is the post-brunch nap that usually goes with it. Even growing up, when we would head home from El Torito's brunch, I knew my parents, and probably myself would be taking a nap. It was part of the ritual. Even with my natural optimism about heading out to brunch, I was a little more excited about this brunch, because we were headed to Grits in Fullerton.

Why so excited about Grits? A number of reasons. I had read some great things online about this place. They are mentioned every other week or so in OC Weekly, and I've heard such great things about their Owner/Chef, Cody Storts for years now. Chef Cody has been at Hopscotch, Bourbon Street, The Lime Truck, and Nieuport 17. It's no surprise that his first ownership gig would be in Fullerton since he is a long-time resident of this great city. Not relying on exotic ingredients, the restaurant website promises, "the food at Grits is slap yo momma good, and delivers unique, original, and flavorful comfort food." Needless to say, I am in for that.

Located just a block off the craziness that is Downtown Fullerton, Grits is in the perfect spot for brunch. Sandwiched between a Chronic Tacos and a Philly's Best, in a space that used to be a Mediterranean restaurant called Califire Grill, the space had a very welcoming feel to it. Lots of exposed woods, a vibrant patio, and an open kitchen that even had some counter seating available, so you could enjoy watching Chef Cody and his Culinary Militia work their magic.

We were going to be having brunch with my parents on this particular Sunday morning, and as we were driving up here, I was a little nervous that they would find the food a little too out there for their tastes, then I remembered that they have a section of their menu labeled, "Boring'" and that helped ease my anxiousness. Also helping to ease my anxiousness, the fact that I planned ahead, and made reservations. With these, we got right in with no waiting and avoided the 45-minute wait that was quoted to other patrons. Let's not wait to see the food here at Grits, and dive right in to what we had.

I really wanted to start things off with the pork belly plate off of their grazing portion of the menu, but I knew I'd probably be the only one to eat it, so I opted for the Crispy Chicken Skins ($7) to start off with. These skins were drizzled with maple, cayenne, and paprika salt, and were lighter than I imagined they would be. Kind of like a pork rind, these dissolved when ingested, and you were left with the sweetness of the maple. Tasty, but I'd definitely get the pork belly next time, even if I'm the only one eating it.

Not content with just one starter, we also tried the Skillet Cornbread ($4). This was served alongside a very well done maple and brown sugar butter that paired nicely with the salty bits of bacon that were baked inside of the cornbread. The cornbread itself was good but not as moist as I usually like. I was happy that it was not as crumbly as others I have had recently.

Entrees made their way out next for us, and we might as well start with Katie's good looking selection, the Breakfast Torta ($12). This torta contained plenty of pulled pork, and avocado sauce, egg on top, and some crumbled cheese. Katie loved this sandwich. She enjoyed the way that it combined all the flavors. She wasn't expecting this sandwich to be as messy as it was, but she didn't mind using her knife and fork to eat this. A very well done twist on a Mexican favorite.

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised/impressed when my mom did not order something off the boring section of the menu. She instead took this Grilled Cheese ($10) as her first meal of the day. This is unlike any grilled cheese she has ever had. It was made up of very sturdy sourdough bread, two kinds of cheese, cheddar and port salut, bacon, jalapeno grits, and jam. It was then placed in what we felt was the same maple, paprika and cayenne sauce that came with the chicken skins. A very rich grilled cheese, which she only managed to eat half of here, so my dad took it for lunch the next day. She was very satisfied with this, and would definitely get it again.

I let my dad pick his entree first, and this probably would have been my first choice as well, the Carnitas Chiliquilles ($15). My dad really enjoyed this dish and made quick work of it. There was plenty of pork here, the tortilla strips were nice and firm, and the green sauce did not overpower the rest of the plate. The egg was done well, and he felt he made a great choice on this particular morning. I'd probably try this on my next visit to Grits.

Not that I was complaining about my choice, the Pork Cheek Benedict ($15). This unusual benedict started off on a bed of jalapeno grits, and then was topped with two poached eggs, pork cheeks, and was finished off with two slices of toasted bread. I really enjoyed this balanced plate. The sauce was good, but not too thick, the bread was a great substitute for the humdrum English muffins, and the pork was cooked nicely. I wish there was more of it though, but that's my only complaint about this brunch item.

Katie could not resist trying some grits while we were here, so she got a side of Bacon Blue Grits ($4). To be honest I thought these were something else when we ordered them. I thought it was blue cheese for some reason, but these are grits made with blue corn, so when I first took a bite of these, I was kind of let down. They were topped with brown sugar butter and honey pebbles. I did not really get a big bacon feel out of these, but they were cooked correctly, and maybe because I was expecting more, I was not as satisfied with these as I might have been.

Another thing I love about brunch is that savory and sweet is not only an option, but it's also usually encouraged. We finished things off with this Milk and Cookies ($7). The milk was pretty standard, but these cookies were great. Chocolate chip with sea salt and get this, sauteed onions. Couldn't really pick up any flavor from the onions, but these had a real homemade taste, with a good outer crunch to them, and a softer center. A must-try when coming to Grits.

I have to admit, Grits really lived up to what I had imagined them to be. What everyone has been saying about them online is true, including what they proclaim on their own website, "they are giving Fullerton brunch a much-needed kick in the ass." Even my parents, who are pretty conservative when it comes to food, loved this brunch spot. Now be warned about one thing though. The menu items that you see here might not be available when you get to Grits. They are very clear about their rotating of items. I checked their menu on their website, and they now offer a lengua chilaquiles instead of carnitas, and it does not appear that the torta is offered either. We experienced some really good service this morning from our server Mariah and everyone we encountered during our stay. Some may also scoff at the prices here, but for an original brunch such as this, made with fresh ingredients, I'm willing to splurge every once in a while. It's brunches like these, that make brunch great. That, and of course the naps afterward.

Out of five yellow roses, (because Flo from the TV show Alice used to say, "kiss my grits," and her home state was Texas), five being best to zero being worst, Grits gets 4 yellow roses.

For more information about Grits, head to their website here: http://gritsfullerton.com/

Reliving a Bygone Era at Clifton's Cafeteria

Clifton's Cafeteria

648 South Broadway

Los Angeles, CA 90014

Not to give anything away, but I'm going to preface this review by stating that I'm not nostalgic about this restaurant. It's very rare for me to be able to say that, "I'm a little too young to have experienced something", but that is the case with Clifton's Cafeteria. Ask any one that is over 50 years old though, and grew up in Southern California about this place, and their eyes glaze over, like you just found their long lost baseball cards in your attic. 

Clifton's has a very storied history in Los Angeles. Clifford Clinton opened his first cafeteria in 1931, and in its heyday, they had eight locations going, with one even being located in OC, right across from the gates of Leisure World in Laguna Hills. That spot closed in 1999, much to the chagrin of the the nearby residents. The only remaining location is this one, located in Downtown LA's Jewelry District. 

This restaurant has been here since 1935, when it was called Clifton's Brookdale. Now under new ownership, and a remodel that took way longer than expected, they finally opened up to the public in late September of 2015. Back in the 40's they served more than 10,000 meals a day, but that trailed off to only 2,000 in 2009. The new owners hope that this remodel, along with a resurgence in the downtown area will bring people back to Clifton's. 

It just so happened that we were going to be coming down this way for my very talented brother in law's art exhibit at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Arts. To be honest, there were about ten other places that I had wanted to try while we were down here, but my in-laws were very excited to relive a part of their youth that they thought might be gone forever. So, who am I to ruin the day of these fantastic people? 

Entering Clifton's from the busy downtown street, you are transported to another world that takes a few minutes to adjust to. I got a mixed feeling from this space. Part Knott's Berry Farm's Log Ride, part Sequoia National Park, and throw in an antique mall vibe, and that's what this place felt like to me. Three stories are available right now for customers enjoyment, The fourth floor is going to be open in the future, as a tiki inspired bar. There's plenty of stuffed wildlife throughout the three levels, along with a large fake tree that rises through the center of each. Adding to the antique feel of the restaurant is some vintage furniture. Also, be on the lookout for some hidden pathways that are hidden around the space. 

The cafeteria is located on the ground floor, with the entrance to the cafeteria just to the left of the front door. True to cafeteria style, you grab a tray, and visit each station. There was a salad spot, a place for grilled burgers and pastas, a pizza station, a carvery in the middle, and desserts. Some items are grab and go, and some you have to wait for them to be prepared. After you've made your selections, you head to the cashier, pay, and then find a spot on any of the three floors to eat your meal. It was a little awkward walking with your tray up the stairs, but we managed. Workers were a little slow clearing tables, so it was kind of a challenge finding a place to sit. We settled on a second floor table, right next to the bar. Let's take a look at the food. 

Let's start things off with my meal. All six of us got our meals from the carvery in the middle of the cafeteria. I guess we should have gotten some variety, but I had heard that this was what Clifton's was famous for. I had the Sliced Roast Beef ($12), which came with two sides. and a roll. I should have aborted this meal when I saw the guy slicing this using too much effort getting his knife through this giant hunk of meat. One of the worst pieces of roast beef I have had in awhile. Dry, flavorless, and not made much better with the provided horseradish or when I tried to get it down with the mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes and gravy was pretty pedestrian. The stuffing was pretty average as well, and did not elevate this meal too much. The lone bright spot food wise here was the Chocolate Chip Cookie ($2). It was baked nicely, with a crunchy outer edge, a softer middle, and plenty of chocolate chips. Delicious, and it helped ease the pain of this lackluster meal. 

I should have known something was up when Katie's dad was basically begging people to try some of the Roasted Turkey ($12) off of his plate. He gave me such a big piece, and after trying it, I know what he was up to. This turkey was like sand paper going down. I made it through one bite, and that was it. My aunt was never such a whiz with her dry turkeys on Thanksgiving, but hers was way better than this. Absolutely awful. I heard the mac and cheese was good, but Katie's dad did not part with that. He probably needed all the moisture he could get after trying that turkey. 

The overwhelming favorite entree that we had on this evening was the Fried Chicken ($12) This was not great fried chicken by any means, but when compared to the other sliced meats, this was at least edible. I liked the dark meat piece that Katie gave me. It was moist, and had a decent breading around it. The piece of breast that I had was just like the turkey, dry as the Sahara. If you must get something from the carvery in the middle of the cafeteria, this is your best bet. 

When I told people of my experience at Clifton's, they all said the same thing, "what did you expect from a cafeteria?" To be honest, I expected it to be way better. A cafeteria is basically just like a buffet, and the buffets in Vegas are way better than this. I also understand that people love this place because it reminds them of their younger years, and that usually makes people happier. The harshness of this review is due to the fact that this was my first visit here, and I had no nostalgic bias when dining here. I did like the uniqueness of this restaurant, and would be open to coming back here to experience their cocktails and nightlife scene, but I'd skip the carving station in the cafeteria for sure. 

Out of five bowls of Jello, (because this is probably the most iconic of all the food served at Clifton's), five being best to zero being worst, Clifton's Cafeteria gets 1.5 bowls of Jello. 

If you'd like more information about Clifton's Cafeteria, go to their limited website here: http://www.cliftonsla.com/ 

 

Paying A Visit to the House of Chicken

Chicken Maison

3332 South Bristol St. 

Santa Ana, CA 92704

I'm not really a big fan of chicken. It's not that I don't think that's it's okay, but I think that out of all the proteins out there, it's usually kind of boring. A lot of places overcook it, and it tends to be dry. I also have a subliminal reason for not liking this particular poultry item, math.

When I was in 6th grade, my math teacher, Mr. Taravella was obsessed with chicken, and he included it in any math problem that he could. Without getting to psychological, I figure my low math score back then has something to do with my feelings towards chicken. Even with this hanging over my head, I simply had to try Chicken Maison in Santa Ana.

Chicken Maison has been on my list for a long time, and because the guys over at OC Weekly always wax poetic about their garlic dipping sauce, we had to make a visit. After Katie's work closed up shop in Ontario, she has been trying to find a restaurant in OC that has a great garlic dipping sauce. We were hoping that this spot would be able to replace what Katie called a medicinal garlic sauce that she used to enjoy out in the Inland Empire.

I did not know it at the time, but Chicken Maison is a mini chain, which is based in the South Bay, and has five locations, with this being the only OC spot. Their menu of course features their famous rotisserie chicken, but also includes other Mediterranean favorites, such as kabobs, gyros, falafel, soups, and salads. Ordering is done at the counter, and then you find a table in the larger than I expected dining room. Even at this later than average dinner hour, (8 pm), the restaurant was lively, with many people gorging on chicken.

Before we get to the rotisserie chicken, let's take a look at Katie's selection on this evening, the Chicken and Veggie Kabob ($9.50). This combination plate came with one chicken kabob, one veggie kabob, two side items, pita bread, and of course a cup of garlic sauce. A very good value for under ten dollars. Katie called this meal delicious, and loved the tenderness and flavor of the chicken. The garlic sauce was still not as good as the one by her former workplace, but she liked it, and she thought it kind of had a tzatziki feel to it. For her two sides she went with the Humus and Rice. She thought these were okay, and would probably get another one of their eight other side items on her next visit. She did not like the sweetness that was added to the rice in the form of golden raisins. She also felt the humus had a good texture, but the flavor was kind of flat. Still a filling meal at a great price.

Now the reason why I was here, and maybe everyone else, by the looks of the people eating here on this evening, the Half Chicken ($10.95). Chicken Maison offers three varieties of rotisserie chicken; original, lemon-basil, and the version I had, the spicy lemon-garlic. The first bite I had of the breast was a little on the dry side, but made much better with the more garlic than spicy coating surrounding the chicken. I also liked the garlic sauce, but wished that it packed more of a garlic punch. The dark meat pieces of the chicken were tender and moist. I'd definitely ask for all dark meat on my next visit here, as I'm always partial to dark meat. The spicy humus was on point, and went well with the pita that was supplied. Unlike Katie, who thought the rice was too sweet, I kind of liked this, and enjoyed mixing it with the garlic sauce. A very solid, and filling plate of food.

Eating here at Chicken Maison did not turn me into a chicken fanatic, but I would not shy away from the chicken when coming here to eat. This place is a great option for people in the South Coast Plaza area, looking to get out of the madness of that shopping center, and ready to have a good meal at a more than fair price. The service here bordered on great. Everyone was so nice, answered all of our questions, and seemed to genuinely care about how much we enjoyed our food. They also kept the tables cleared quickly, as it was still pretty crowded at 8:30 when we left. We would definitely not shy away from coming back here again when we are in the area.

Out of five coops, (because I learned that maison means house in French, and a house for chickens is usually a coop), five being best to zero being worst, Chicken Maison gets 3 coops.

For more information about Chicken Maison, go to their website here: http://www.chickenmaison.com/index.html