Solita Searching

Solita Tacos and Margaritas

24201 Valencia Blvd. #3470

Valencia, CA 91355

Whenever we come up this way to see Katie's cousins our plans always seem to go out of whack. We had these great intentions to hit a brunch spot in Sherman Oaks or Glendale on the way home, but after a late night of drinking, laughing, and not getting back to our hotel until close to 2 am, we threw our ambitions out the window. Wanting to sleep until right near our 11 o'clock checkout time, we instead chose a brunch spot near our hotel and one where we knew we could get a table right away. We ended up at a restaurant that was very familiar to both Katie and me, Solita.

Solita opened up in Huntington Beach almost four years ago. Man does time fly. We were there for a media dinner a few weeks after they opened and really enjoyed our experience. We have been back to the HB location sporadically since that first visit, but never for brunch. This Valencia outpost, which is situated at the front of the Valencia Town Center has been open for three years now.

Our love for Solita is probably not much of a surprise to any of our long-time readers of this restaurant blog. Solita is headed by Partner and Executive Chef Deborah Schneider, who we fell in love with, and her cuisine at Sol Cocina in Newport Beach. She's been nominated for a James Beard Award for her cookbook, Cooking With the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta, written five other cookbooks, was instrumental in the farm to table movement and has over 25 years worth of professional cooking experience.

As Sol Cocina is more of a polished and upscale Mexican restaurant, Solita was created to cater to the neighborhood as a more casual and relaxed concept. They want to become your local go-to spot for Mexican food. Their menu is filled with a bunch of appetizer options and Mexican favorites. There's only one item that is over the $20 mark, and they are well thought of for their bar program, with margaritas and the frozen horchata being favorites. Still having to drive 2 hours home, a drink was not in the cards for me, but I was excited to spend some quality time with Katie's cousins and try Solita's brunch for the first time.

I devoured my fair share of these tortilla chips and duros when they were sat in front of us. I could not control myself, and while they were delicious, the crunch also prevented me from having to listen to the birthday girl Yvette, who was rambling on about how good she feels for turning 80. Both the duros and the lightly fried tortilla chips were a great vessel for the salsa which provided a nice and steady heat to it.

Since Steve wanted to keep the party going from the night before, he ordered two of these Watermelon Margaritas ($11) on this early afternoon. They are made with Agavales Blanco Tequila as a base and then crushed watermelon and lime juice is added. Very refreshing and it probably did the job of numbing the pain of being married to Yvette.

Entrees made their way out to us, and up first was Katie's choice, the colorful Mad Scramble ($14.50). With this one, you have the choice of chorizo, carnitas, or chicken, which is what she went with. The scramble is also made up of tomatoes, spinach, onions, potatoes, peppers, chipotle chiles, Mexican crema, melted cheese, and of course scrambled eggs. Katie felt that the sauce on this was a bit too spicy for her palette, and she'd ask for it to be on the side next time. She claimed that this was filling and she also was a big fan of the tortilla strips topping this, as they added a nice crunch to most bites. I really enjoyed the bite I had of this. The sauce was a bit spicy, but not overbearing.

Not the most picturesque plating, but how can you really make a burrito visually stunning without cutting into it? Steve was feeling the Breakfast Burrito ($10) on this early afternoon at Solita. This red flour tortilla was wrapped around refried black beans, scrambled eggs, and cheese. Steve did not really seem too jazzed about this burrito, as he tried to trade half of it to his wife, but no dice. Yvette was having no part of it. I would have added some meat to this burrito to give it a little more substance.

I can not get chilaquiles off of my mind lately, so it was a foregone conclusion that I would get the Chilaquiles ($11.75) at Solita. I have to say this was a pretty satisfying version of my favorite Mexican breakfast. I did add the carnitas at a $2.75 upcharge, but it was totally worth it. The fried tortilla chips were nice and firm like I like them, and I had the choice of green or red salsa, so I went with the red. Scrambled eggs, sliced avocado, cheese, and crema topped the chips. When this was sat in front of me I thought the serving size was a little on the small size, but it was a very filling plate. The pork was nice and tender, the wedges of avocado were fresh and creamy, and the red salsa gave this a little spark of heat which was appreciated. I got to choose a side item to go with this, and I went with the beans, which were a little too watery, but they ended up tasting fine.

Even though we did not plan on coming to Solita on this trip to the valley, it ended up being a pretty good brunch. We got in and out rather quickly, my chilaquiles were well above average, and we got to spend a little more time with our favorite cousins, Yvette, Steve, and Gaby. Service was efficient and friendly, just like we have come to expect from our trips to Solita in Huntington Beach. I'd like a little more variety to choose from with the brunch menu, and I think they would put out a killer brunch buffet. We will try to hit the brunch spots we were supposed to try on this trip the next time we are up this way. Of course, with Katie's family, it might not happen.

Out of five Vikings, (because the mascot for Valencia High School is Vick the Viking), five being best to zero being worst, Solita Tacos and Margaritas gets 3 Vikings.

For more information about Solita Tacos and Margaritas, head to their website here: https://www.solitatacos.com/

Going Back in Time at Antonio's

Antonio's Pizzeria

13619 Ventura Blvd. 

Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

When we drove up to Antonio's Pizzeria, I took one look at the green neon sign above and had a good feeling about this place. After walking inside this restaurant that is celebrating their 60th year in business, the good vibes continued to grow inside of me. We had just driven the two-hour trek up from Orange County and were ready for a good, sturdy Italian meal. Just being inside of Antonio's, a nostalgic feel washed over us, and we felt we were in for a real treat.

When I knew we were going to be up this way for a birthday party, I did quite a bit of research on where to eat on the way up to the valley. One of my favorite web resources for LA restaurants is Eater LA. They have many interactive restaurant maps, with many different genres. I have particularly become enamored with the 28 Classic LA Restaurants for 2017, which you should totally check out after finishing reading this review. I like this site because I'm not too familiar with all parts of Los Angeles, and it's easy to find restaurants near where we will be or driving by.

Antonio's was our pick on this trip, and man did they nail the old school feel of this place. Located on busy Ventura Boulevard, near its intersection with Woodman, Antonio's has been here since 1957. For the first year of its existence, it was known as Miceli's, but after a family rift, it has been known as Antonio's ever since. Antonio retired in 1988 and has been owned by siblings Steven and Alexandra Lunardon since then. They have made a few changes since then, mainly for their customer's tastes, but for the most part, this restaurant is just like the way it was when it opened 60 years ago. Their mantra is to keep things simple, real and tasty.

After finding the tiny parking lot in the back of the restaurant, we were lead to our small, red and white checkered clothed table in the corner of the restaurant. I was instantly charmed by the colorfully stained glass windows of Antonio's, the hanging Chianti bottles strewn around the dining room, and the charming murals depicting the Italian seaside lining the wall above our head. Antonio's really felt like a step back in time, but at present, we were pretty hungry, so let's see what we had in store for us at dinner.

With Katie's meal, she got her choice of soup or salad and went with this House Salad option. She was pretty excited by this dinner salad which included sliced cucumbers, kidney beans, garbanzos, a tomato wedge, beets, and mixed greens. The dressings are all made here, and she was impressed with their Italian dressing. Not a bad dinner salad at all.

Since we did not get an appetizer, I justified getting this Individual Sized One Topping Pizza ($10) to start off with. Yes, I did share some with Katie. At first, I was not in love with this pizza. It had something to do with the crust. It might have been a little too doughy for me, but as I ate it I kind of liked it more and more. They did not go overboard with the cheese, and the pepperoni was pretty solid. Not really as heavy of a pizza as I was expecting, maybe that's what threw me off at the start as well.

Part two of my dinner, and if you can not tell from the picture above, under all that sauce was the Lasagna ($15). The lasagna at Antonio's came highly recommended from the online reviews and our server. I liked it but was not in love with it. They have three kinds of lasagna here, chicken, veggie, and you all know I went with the beef selection. What threw this all out of whack for me was the sauce. It was a little too tangy for my taste and with the amount they poured over this it really overpowered the lasagna. I also like a more cheesy lasagna, and with all of that sauce, I did not notice too much cheese involved with this. Next time I'd definitely ask for light sauce, or maybe gets some bread or rolls to help sop up some of the sauce.

Last but not least was Katie's meal, the Chicken Romano ($20). This homey dish started with a boneless chicken breast as it base, which was blanketed with mozzarella cheese and surrounded with onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms in a marinara-wine sauce. This was the best entree of the evening. Very comforting, almost like a stew. The chicken and veggies were nice and tender, and the sauce worked well with this. Again, some rolls or bread would have been appreciated for sopping up the excess sauce, but I dipped some of my pizza crust in it. This dinner also came with a side of spaghetti with meat sauce, which Katie picked at sparingly.

Okay, I think my expectations might have been a tad too high for Antonio's based on the nostalgia of this restaurant. It was good but did not knock my socks off. Of course, this is just based on one visit, and maybe if we had gotten other things, we might have liked Antonio's better. Service was good, and they really did make us feel welcome. I thought the prices were pretty fair for the amount of food that you get, and we saw lots of people taking leftovers home. Lots of old-school charm here, and worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.

Out of five railroad cars, (because Sherman Oaks is named after Moses Sherman, who made big money in the railroad business), five being best to zero being worst, Antonio's Pizzeria gets 3 railroad cars.

For more information about Antonio's Pizzeria, head to their website here: https://www.antoniospizzeriala.com/

Finally Listening to Mom

The Empanada Maker

26131 La Paz Road

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I've never understood why empanadas have not had their moment in the sun. Filipino food is the wildly trendy thing right now, and rainbow-colored foods, poke, avocado toast, cupcakes, bacon, and even the equally awful kale and quinoa have had their time to shine. So why not empanadas? They are versatile, relatively easy to eat while driving and are way better than their inferior, Hot Pocket cousins that you can find in the freezer section at your local grocery store.

Lucky for the people of South OC, there's a chance to experience empanadas before they make it big. The Empanada Maker has been around for coming up on four years now. To be honest, my mom had eaten here about three years ago and wanted me to try it out. Being the son that I am, I, of course, put it off until now. I had their menu on my desk for all those years and decided that I would finally make my mom happy on a recent Friday night and visit the Empanada Maker. She, of course, will never know this, as she stopped reading my blog long ago, but that's a story for another day.

The Empanada Maker came to be when the Owner, Cameron Davis, lived in Argentina during his late teens. He fell in love with the handheld empanada, and once he returned to the US, he made them for parties, and friends and family would tell him to make them for a living. Finally, after some time in real estate, he made his empanada dream a reality when he opened up this restaurant. Not only is he serving up traditional, South American empanadas, but the product line also includes more non-traditional empanada options from different areas of the world. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

We arrived on a Friday evening, and they were doing a steady takeout business. I was surprised that there were not more people eating here, as there was a football game at Mission Viejo High School across the street. This small restaurant was very comforting, with its purple walls, red trim, and the warm glow of the empanada case, which houses the 12 varieties of empanadas available. The guy manning the register was very patient, explaining the menu to us and what some of the favorites of other customers happened to be. We observed him doing this over and over again with first-timers like us. We made our selections, and our food was brought to our table within a few minutes.

When Katie's Combo #2 ($7.99) was sitting in front of her, I was surprised at the size of these empanadas. They stretched from one side of the basket to the other. Way bigger than others I have had, by almost double the size. I did not snap pictures of the inside of Katie's empanadas, as I was trying to be respectful and wanted her to enjoy her meal. I know, first time for everything. She had the Chicken and the Chicken Florentine. She thought these were good and gave the nod to the chicken one as being her favorite. It was stuffed with tender chicken, peas, potatoes, onions, peppers, and a touch of garlic. It surprised her how filling these empanadas were. She also enjoyed the Deviled Egg Potato Salad, which she picked as her side item. This was a different take on a potato salad, which pushed the egg to the forefront. The menu claims that this is better than grandma's recipe; in my case, that's true, but my grandma was not that good of a cook.

I also went the combo route at the Empanada Maker with this Combo #3 ($9.99). I had ordered the Spinach and Cheese, the Diablo, and the Philly Cheesesteak. Unfortunately, there was a mix-up in the kitchen, as I got a Chicken Florentine instead of the Philly. As for my side item, I opted for the Chimichurri Rice. The chimichurri rice was a good option, with its diced onions, peas, red peppers, and chimichurri sauce. This will sound like a backhanded compliment, but this tasted like a more flavorful version of Rice A Roni, which I have no problem with. I grew up on the San Fransisco treat, and it always reminds me of my childhood, which is not bad for me. Let's take a look at the insides of these empanadas.

Since you can't really judge an empanada by its outer shell, here are a few shots of the inside of each of the ones I had. Yes, I got to try the Philly Cheesesteak when I returned and ordered one for myself and a ham and cheese one for Katie. I was pretty impressed with all of these, as they were all very flavorful, tasted like they were described, and had a good amount of fillings. The spinach and cheese version was better than I anticipated. It had a creamed spinach feel, as the cheese was an excellent binding agent for the leafy spinach. The chicken florentine was OK but probably my least favorite out of the four that I consumed. It was kind of drab, and even though this one had the most ingredients included inside of it, this empanada was the only one I would not consider getting again. That can not be said for my evening favorite, the Diablo. This spicy pulled pork, cheddar cheese, onion, and cilantro concoction woke my taste buds with a not overbearing but slow burn, making me very happy. The cheesesteak version was dead on and probably my second favorite of the evening. They got the essence of the cheesesteak right, and this will be one of my go-to's on future visits to The Empanada Maker.

A word about the Sauces ($.49). I liked them but felt they were secondary to the empanadas. They had five to offer, and we tried them all. The Chimichurri was too oily and did not add too much in the way of flavor. The Tomato Salsa was fine, but it did not seem to jive with any of the empanadas I had. The Cilantro Avocado was a favorite of Katie's, and she used it generously with her two empanadas. My two favorites were the Salsa Verde and the Chipotle Ranch. I'm always a sucker for anything ranch, and this one had a nice tinge of spice at the end of each bite. The salsa verde was the same, mellow at first, and then you get a gentle burst of heat near the end. Again I did not feel the sauces were necessary other than adding another flavor profile to the already delicious empanadas. 

There are also dessert empanadas. We ordered the Coconut Cream Pie ($2.89) and the Cinnamon Apple ($2.89). The apple version reminded me too much of an upgraded McDonald's pie we all had when we were kids. I enjoyed the chilled coconut cream version better, with its toasted shaved coconut and a generous amount of coconut-tinged cream inside the outer casing of the empanada. Very good and a definite must when craving dessert here. Next time I have the chocolate creme brulee empanada in my sight.

After leaving The Empanada Maker, I felt terrible that we had not made the time to come here sooner. It's so close to our house, and I can see this restaurant becoming one of our usual haunts when we just want to stay close to home and don't want to drive anywhere to explore new restaurants. The menu is varied enough, with 12 kinds of empanadas and five dessert options, and they even offer breakfast versions until 11 am. The sides were fine, but I'll try the fries and the jalapeno black beans next time. Service was very cordial, and the kids behind the counter explained what empanadas are, what some of the favorites are, and getting the food out quickly. We will be back, and empanadas will be the next big thing with any luck. But, of course, I'm usually pretty bad at predicting the next big thing. I just hope kale and quinoa don't make a return to glory.

Out of five golden chalices (because the empanada originated in Galicia, the northwest portion of Spain, and that area's symbol is a golden chalice), five being best to zero being worst, The Empanada Maker gets 3 golden chalices.

For more information about The Empanada Maker, head to their website here: http://theempanadamaker.com/

Sabroso, It's All in the Name

Sabroso!

13129 Harbor Blvd. 

Garden Grove, CA 92843

I almost had to do a double-take. I kind of felt that I let this place slip through the cracks. Whenever we are going out of town I automatically check for restaurants that have been featured on TV. I guess I had not checked to see what places around our county had been featured on one of the numerous restaurant-focused TV shows airing almost 24 hours a day. After checking out one of my favorite websites, TV Food Maps, I found out that I had overlooked Sabroso in Garden Grove.

This restaurant got the star treatment in July of 2014 when Guy Fieri and his crew came to their restaurant to film an episode of Diner's, Drive-In's, and Dives. On that particular day, Guy sampled the pork tamales and the Chamorro plate. Of course, we did not try either of these, as I asked our waitress for her suggestions, and she steered me in a different way, which you will see in a bit.

Sabroso opened up in 2012 and is run by the Munoz family. After losing his job at Claim Jumper a few years ago, the patriarch, Tito Munoz and the rest of his family decided to pool their money together and achieve their lifelong dream of opening their own restaurant. Using their grandmother's recipes, the Munoz family has created a menu that is made up of fresh, quality ingredients. Nothing here is served from a can. Customers have taken note, as a lot of nights, there is a wait for a table.

We must have hit Sabroso at the right time, as we only had to wait a couple of minutes while they cleared a table for us on a recent Saturday night. Even with the tables pretty close together, and a very active restaurant with lots of servers, bussers, and management on the floor making sure their guests every need is met, this was a comfortable, unpretentious restaurant. The menu features tacos, burritos, and tortas, but there are also some intriguing house specialties like quail in a red sauce, an Italian inspired lemon chicken that comes with parmesan bread, and seven seafood options. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to see what our experience would be at Sabroso.

As is usual in most Mexican restaurants, you are presented with Chips and Salsa to nosh on before your meal comes out.  Unlike other Mexican restaurants though, the salsas here were full of flavor, with the green salsa offering a lot in the way of spice. The red was a favorite of Katie, as it was a bit milder, but offered a depth of flavor that made it one of the better salsas that we have had in a restaurant. The chips were a good vessel for the salsa, but on their own, they were kind of off to me. A little boring, as I like a greasier tortilla chip.

As is her custom, Katie always orders a Guacamole Appetizer ($7.95) when we are having Mexican food. The guacamole here was one of the better ones I've had. A lot of that had to do with the chili flakes that studded the mashed avocado, which provided an excellent burst of heat in each bite. Sabroso also got the consistency right, as it was still a bit chunky, but able to be scooped with a tortilla chip.

Katie will start us off with the entree portion of our evening at Sabroso, with her selection, the Chicken Tamale Combo ($11.95). They offer pork or chicken tamales, and Katie went with the chicken. These tamales were leaf-wrapped and filled with plenty of moist and flavorful chicken, then topped with sour cream and queso fresco. My biggest pet peeve with tamales is that there's never enough meat inside of them, but that was not the case with these, as I got a bite of chicken in each forkful. The masa was not dried out either, which helped create one of the better tamale experiences we have had.

Not the most beautiful plate I've had set in front of me but after my first bite of this Chili Verde ($14.95), I felt like I was eating a masterpiece. These large, tender pork chunks were covered in a wonderful green tomatillo sauce, which I could not get enough of. I mixed it with the pork, I mixed it with the rice, and I did the same with the beans. I could not get enough. When I was taking the rest of my plate to go for the next day, I made sure to scrape my plate clean, as not to waste a drop of the sauce. The rice was nice and light, but the beans were where it was at. Not your normal refried beans, these were Peruano beans. Peruano beans are like the more common pinto, but provide a creamier texture when cooked. After a few bites, I wish the Peruanos would become a lot more common. They were excellent.

As excited as I was for the chili Verde, the Carne Asada Taco ($3.50) I ordered was kind of uninspiring. The beef really did not pop with flavor like the chicken or the pork, and the overabundance of iceberg lettuce did not really help things out here. The best part of this taco was the handmade corn tortilla, which was soft and pliable, but kept everything together structurally. I'd get a taco again here, but probably just get one with pork, onion, and cilantro next time.

With the exception of the taco, I was over the moon excited about our visit to Sabroso. It's definitely in the upper echelon of Mexican restaurants we have tried during the 8 year run of our restaurant blog. Of course, this is just after one visit, so more trips to Sabroso are in order to try their carne asada fries, carnitas, tortas, and others. It's a tough job, but someones got to do it. Service was family-friendly, and Lizet, our server, made a great call on the Chili Verde. I'm really glad we finally made it to Sabroso, but now I feel like we have to make up for lost time and eat here again very soon, and many times over.

Out of five chocolate-dipped ice cream cones, (because sabroso means tasty in Spanish, and whenever I hear that word it reminds me of the Tastee Freez by my house when I was a kid and my favorite frozen treat at that time), five being best to zero being worst, Sabroso gets 4 chocolate-dipped ice cream cones.

For more information about Sabroso, head to their website here: https://www.sabrosomexicangrill.com/

A Cut Above the Rest?

The Cut

3831 Alton Parkway Suite C

Irvine, CA 92606

Irvine is quickly becoming the burger capital of Orange County. In a city that already touts G Burger, Burger Lounge, Mooyah, The Stand, Mick's Karma Bar, The Counter, Umami Burger, and others, Irvine has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to ground beef sandwiched between two buns. Until this point, the leaders in the clubhouse are The Counter and G Burger. I like the others, but these two spots are in my upper echelon of burger spots in OC. I always get a little giddy trying a new burger restaurant, as I hope it will be able to overtake my latest favorites. I had that same giddiness when we recently tried the newest kid on the block, The Cut.

I admit, I had no idea that this restaurant started as a food truck. My food truck game is a little rusty, I guess. The three business partners started their food truck in 2014 and have won much praise and accolades for their burgers. In 2015 they won a critics choice award from the OC Register as Best Food Truck, and a year later, they were nominated as Best Burger in OC. As is the case with most successful food trucks, they eventually achieved their goal of opening a restaurant, and that recently happened for the guys at The Cut when they set up shop at the Westpark Plaza in Irvine three months ago.

They say on their website that they want to serve simple burgers without gimmicks. They use free-range, humanely raised, hormone and antibiotic-free beef in their burgers, which are ground fresh daily in their restaurant. Don't feel like a burger?  Go somewhere else. Just kidding. The Cut also has four sandwiches, a good assortment of starters, and three salads for you to choose from. Prices range between $7 to $12 for appetizers, and burgers run in the $9 to $16 range.

In its former life, this location was home to a Smashburger but is unrecognizable from those dark days. There's an eight-seat bar where I imagine the register might have been during the Smashburger era, an estimated 15 tables in the well-lit, white-bricked walled dining area, and a small patio out front separated from the dining room by a sliding glass door. Refreshingly, this is not a quick-service restaurant. Instead, you are seated by a host and order through a server. A nice change for a burger spot at this price point. So now you have the lay of the land here, let's check out the food we consumed on this early evening.

I was a little skeptical when Katie ordered this Hummus ($7) at a burger restaurant, but I have to say I was blown away by this. The smashed chickpeas surrounded a small pool of cilantro and roasted jalapeno pesto, giving off a tremendous burst of heat with each dip of a carrot, celery stick, or toast point. I was also a big fan of the slivered almonds, which added a bit of unexpected texture to the smooth hummus. A wonderful start.

We might as well stay with Katie's selections, as she was on a roll. She decided to try the TBD Cutlet ($11). I'm not sure what the TBD stands for with this sandwich, but it came with plenty of jidori chicken, aioli, fennel slaw, and shaved parmesan. The buns at The Cut are pretty stellar and keep everything together. The chicken was moist and tender, with a good flavor.  Katie loved that they did not over-sauce, allowing the chicken to shine.

When I'm at a new burger spot, I usually do not shy away from my classic bacon cheeseburger love, but I decided to go a little bigger for my maiden burger at The Cut. I had the Sweet and Spicy ($12) with bacon and pepper jack cheese, aioli, arugula, and a honey sriracha sauce. They should have called this the sweet burger, as there was no spiciness detected in any of the bites I had. The honey sriracha sauce really dominated this burger and neutralized everything else on this burger. Blindfolded, I would not have even known that this burger had bacon, cheese, or anything else. I'll get one of their other seven burger options on my next visit.

It gets on my nerves when a restaurant calls something poutine when it's just loaded fries. Don't get me wrong, I love loaded fries like the next guy, but poutine is a different animal. Poutine is a traditional Canadian dish that uses fries as a base and then tops them with cheese curds and gravy. Something that is very seldom found in Southern California. This so-called poutine at The Cut had sliced brisket, mozzarella cheese, and a delicious cilantro chimichurri topping the fries. Even though this was not technically poutine, I still enjoyed it. The chimichurri was reminiscent of the good ones I've had in Argentine restaurants but not as oily. I liked the cheese and brisket but had hoped it would have been better layered. Near the end of this plate, we were left with a plate of fries, and all the toppings had been consumed. Whatever they call this, it was still worth getting.

The Cut has two dessert options: a cookie ice cream sandwich and a Tres Leches Bread Pudding ($6). This was not really what I had anticipated when we ordered this. It was more like a Pizookie than a bread pudding. It came out scalding hot in an iron skillet with chocolate pieces and a scoop of vanilla ice cream drizzled with salted caramel. The tres leches feel they were going for with this did not really come through, but it was good nonetheless. I would have liked the chocolate to have been more prominent instead of just in half of the bites. Also, a little more ice cream would have been preferred, but I say that with almost every dessert that features ice cream.

The Cut is a welcome addition to what is becoming the OC Capital City of Burgers, Irvine. Is it the best we have had in Irvine? No, but it was excellent. I might change my mind if I have a different burger on my next trip here, but for now, The Cut still ranks behind The Counter and G Burger, in my opinion. The sides were impressive, especially the hummus, which I packaged up to go, and ate the next day. As I said earlier, I liked that this was a full-service restaurant, as it was a nice change of pace from how other burger spots are operating these days. Service was stellar, and our server gave us excellent recommendations and kept tabs on us all throughout our visit. Welcome to Burger Town USA. I think The Cut is going to fit right in. 

Out of five ribeyes (which happens to be my favorite cut of beef), five being best to zero being worst, The Cut gets 3 ribeyes.

For more information about The Cut, head over to their website here: https://www.thecuthcb.com/