Long Live the Breakfast Republic

Breakfast Republic

4213 Campus Dr. Suite P166B

Irvine, CA 92612

The invasion of San Diego restaurants coming to OC continues. For all but one restaurant that has made the migration north on the 5 Freeway from America's Finest City, almost all have been hits in my opinion. Crack Shack, The Taco Stand, The Kebab Shop, Burger Lounge, Luna Grill, Puesto, and I'm sure there's a few more that I'm just not thinking of right at the moment, have gotten some very positive, if not glowing reviews from the people of OC. The lone clunker has been The Broken Yolk, but let's not focus on their very mediocre food.

I had a good feeling that Breakfast Republic would not be anything close to mediocre. It's part of the Rise and Shine Restaurant Group, which is owned and founded by Johan Engman. He's originally from Sweden and moved to San Diego when he was 16. Finding out that he was passionate about the restaurant business, he opened his first restaurant, Fig Tree Cafe at the age of 27. After a few struggles, he opened other locations in 2011 and 2013.

The concept for the Breakfast Republic came to Johan when he was waiting out a rainstorm in Borneo. The name, logo, a menu that was unique but still offered classics that customers would be comfortable with, hidden puns and quotes spread throughout the restaurant, and their famous egg chairs were all born in that hut along the Danum River. Pretty incredible to come up with all of this while waiting for the rain to lighten up, especially since most of us, including myself, would have just taken a nap.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when Breakfast Republic opened up their eighth location, and the first in OC, at the University Center at UCI. There will be another outpost opening later on this summer in Costa Mesa. I was a little worried that this Irvine location is a little tucked away, but those fears subsided when my friend Joe and I arrived here for a late breakfast on a recent Friday and were met with a full restaurant and a stated wait time of 45 minutes. Mind you, this was on a weekday, and we've heard that waits for tables on weekends have exceeded an hour and a half for most of their 7am to 3pm operating hours. I guess the word is out about Breakfast Republic.

I was a little overwhelmed with the menu here. There are lots of things that piqued my interest. The menu is broken up into Benedicts, Scrambles, Omelets, Pancakes, French Toast, and another section which is titled Playing Fare, which has some unusual things that you would not expect to see on a breakfast menu. There's a Breakfast Jambalaya, Turkey Meatloaf Hash, Breakfast Hot Dogs, Shrimp and Grits, and a Breakfast Burger to name a few. Prices range between $8 to $19 for the Steak and Eggs. I felt a little pressure picking out what to have here, so let's see if I made a great decision for my first meal of the day.

Let's first take a look at what Joe tried on his maiden voyage at Breakfast Republic. He kept things pretty simple by trying the Traditional Benedict with Avocado and Tomato added ($14). This Benedict, as with all of them listed on the menu, starts with their sourdough English muffin and then is layered with Canadian bacon and a poached egg and is topped with a gluten-free hollandaise sauce. Joe really enjoyed the fresh and vibrant flavors that came on this plate. This was served with House Potatoes, as all the Benedicts are. I thought they looked pretty basic from across the table, but these spuds were nicely seasoned and had a very pleasing crunch to the outside of each cube, and a softer inside. Next time we will upgrade these potatoes with Brussels sprouts, parmesan, bacon, onion, and balsamic for an extra $2.

It seems to be a trend with me that I always veer towards scrambles when I'm trying a breakfast spot for the first time. It held true at Breakfast Republic when I got this Portuguese Linguisa Sausage Scramble ($12). Three light and fluffy eggs are mixed with plenty of green bell peppers, tomatoes, a splash of hot sauce, garlic, bacon, and linguisa sausage. This was one of the lighter of scrambles I have had. The produce was very fresh, the linguisa had a nice little bite to it, and the hot sauce added a little spark. I was happy this was not as heavy as other scrambles, because I would have been in trouble with what we had coming next.

Instead of getting toast with my scramble, I opted to get this Mr. Presely's French Toast ($4 upcharge). One of the wisest food decisions I have made in a long while. I was pretty much blown away by this french toast stuffed with peanut butter, then topped with crumbled bacon and bananas foster. Wow, sweet and savory at its finest. I'll be getting this again for sure, especially since I've thought about it almost every day since I had it last week.

As if I needed even more sugar to jumpstart my day, we also tired their Pancake Flight ($13). With eight pancakes on their regular menu, plus a monthly special pancake, this pancake flight is the best way to get a good lay of the land at Breakfast Republic. We tried the Strawberry Cheesecake, Oreo Cookie, and the special of the month, the Tres Leches. My favorite predictably was the Oreo, which is a chocolate pancake with cream inside and pieces of Oreos on top. Very decadent. The Tres Leches is a buttermilk pancake with cajeta (a kind of caramel sauce) and strawberries on top and then finished with whipped cream and tres leches cream. It didn't really taste like tres leches to me, but I still liked it. Joe was partial to the Strawberry Cheesecake which had plenty in the way of strawberries and a cheesecake cream.

This was an excellent first visit to what I'm sure will become a lot of people's favorite breakfast place in OC. Hopefully, with the new Costa Mesa spot opening soon, it will alleviate the wait times at the Irvine spot, which is closer to our place. I really look forward to trying more of their menu and getting a little more adventurous in my selections. I'm glad Breakfast Republic has moved north from San Diego. I think they are going to fit right in with the other superior San Diego restaurants that have expanded to OC in the last year or so.

We'd like to thank everyone at Breakfast Republic for making us feel so welcome and sharing what they are all about with us. Both Joe and I had an excellent time and a lot of that was due to our server Megan and Manager Karmina, both of whom took turns checking on us and making sure our every need was met. They not only did it for us, but they were very busy checking on other tables as well. We'd also like the thank the excellent Casey Sorrell at Alternative Strategies for reaching out to us and setting up our visit to Breakfast Republic. She's one of the best in the business.

For more information about the Breakfast Republic, head to their website here: https://www.breakfastrepublic.com/

This Little Pig Feels Right at Home at El Cochinito - CLOSED

El Cochinito

3508 Sunset Blvd. 

Los Angeles, CA 90026

Keen readers of this blog know of my love for Cuban food. Unfortunately, being based in Orange County, there are only a few options for Cuban cuisine there. There's the solid Bella Cuba in Santa Ana, the good, which includes Habana, Porto's, and Moros, and then there's the highly overrated Felix in Orange. You won't find much more than the occasional Cuban sandwich on a menu in OC.

So, since I was on vacation, we made a little weekend getaway trip to LA. We had a family event the next day, and I have had a Cuban place on my list for a long time. So we brought one of my favorites among Katie's cousins, Steve, and his somewhat average wife, Yvette, who just happens to be Cuban. She claims to be quite the Cuban food expert and is always ready to voice her opinion, whether right or wrong, as she is wrong almost 90 percent of the time. We headed to El Cochinito on Sunset Boulevard with their remarkable daughter, Gabbi.

El Cochinito got my attention when it was mentioned in this well-written article as one of the top 7 places for Cuban food in LA and also when it won the award for best Cuban sandwich in the world. Since Cuban sandwiches are the most balanced of all sandwiches, I quickly added this restaurant to my list, and the perfect time to visit finally came about six months later.

Situated in a small strip of stores anchored by a Baskin Robbins and a Subway, El Cochinito blends into the scenery almost perfectly, so it's easy to spot if you know it's there. Gladys Gutierrez opened this little restaurant in 1988, but unfortunately, she passed away almost five years ago. It's now run by her grandchildren and has not missed a beat.

We arrived here on a Saturday at 7pm and waited about five minutes. The restaurant is long and narrow and not conducive to big parties, but they managed to squeeze our party of five near the back of the restaurant. There are ten to fifteen tables here, all ideal for two to four guests. El Cochinito was doing a booming take-out business this evening, as there was a steady stream of people picking up their orders throughout our stay.

El Cochinito means the little pig in Spanish, so pork is well represented on the menu. Plenty of traditional sandwiches and entrees, desserts, Cuban coffee, Cuban soft drinks, and tropical milkshakes are listed on their menu. Prices for entrees range between $13 to $18, and a sandwich will set you back at most $11. Excellent for the wallet, but how would everything taste? Let's check it out.

We attacked this Bread Plate when it was placed on the table before we ordered. It was nicely toasted and made even better with plenty of softened butter. The bread had a pleasing crunch as well. They were not shy about bringing us more and did not even charge us the 85 cents the menu listed.

After our short drive from Glendale, we were hungry, so we ordered some Tostones ($5). These smashed and fried plantains were fine but made even better with the mojo de ajo (garlic sauce). They were fried nicely, with an absence of grease. Well done, but I was more eager for the following item that came out for us. 

The world's best Cuban sandwich? This Cubano ($11) is the best I have had in California and rivals the few I've had in Florida. I'm a big supporter of the Cuban sandwich, calling it one of the most balanced sandwiches. It's a sandwich that has everything. This traditional version included some well-flavored and savory ham and pork, Swiss cheese for a bit of creaminess, mustard added for tang, garlic sauce for a flavor booster, and pickles to round everything out. The bread is nice and crunchy due to toasting, which compresses the insides of the sandwich together to form a flavor bomb when you bite into it. The only thing I did not like about this was that I had to share it with Katie. I should have gotten another one for just myself. No wonder El Cochinito won that huge trophy you see when you walk through the door. They definitely earned it with this sandwich.

Steve and Gabi split this Bistec Empanizado ($17) this evening. Gabbi split this with her dad because she was heartsick over an impending breakup with her boyfriend, Blaine. Oh, to be 16 again. This breaded steak reminded me of a country-fried steak with a little more heft. Even though the breading was a little more puffed up than a regular breaded steak, the beef under it was still present. I had one bite and liked it, but I might have become bored if I had the whole thing. This came with Black Beans and Rice. The beans were rich and flavorful, which may have had a hint of garlic. No complaints from either Steve or Gabi about this, so I assume they were happy campers.

Even though El Cochinito is known for its pork dishes, it's even in their name that Yvette wanted to try their Palomilla ($16). This is a thin steak, sirloin, covered with sauteed onions on top. Hard to please, Yvette said this was not as good as her mom's, but she did admit it was one of the better ones she's had in a restaurant. Of course, she was selfish and did not share with anyone, so I'll take her word for it. The Madures were delicious here, and I'm not usually a big fan of plantains, but these struck just the right balance of sweetness for my palate.

The Lechon Asado ($18) is listed as a house specialty, and after I tasted this, I can see why. This is the best pork dish I've had in a while, and I often order pork often. I've heard they roast their pork for ten hours, which shows in the finished product. The shredded pork is nice and tender, very flavorful, and has just the right amount of little pieces of fat running through it. Not a bad bite on the plate. This came with some Congri, a mixture of black beans and rice, which is the way to go here. Also sharing the plate was some Yuca, which I have never liked, but this version was excellent. It was not dry and starchy like others I have had. A very impressive plate.

Flan ($6) is not something I've ever been too fond of. I only usually order it if there's nothing else on a dessert menu I like. This is one that I would get again and again. This was the best flan I've ever had. It had the perfect texture, a very good caramel sauce, and just the right amount of sweetness. We all agreed that this was a special flan and we never agreed on anything.

Special is definitely the way I'd describe this visit to El Cochinito. This was the best Cuban meal I have had in California, and they definitely rival the Cuban restaurants I've been to in Florida. They even recently opened a spot in West Palm Beach, so they are confidentto go toe to toe with the heavyweights of Cuban cuisine. No complaints with the food or service this evening. They took great care of us, even though we had Yvette at our table. The only drawback I can see about this place is that their parking lot is tiny, and I'm sure it's frustrating at peak times. It will be challenging to come back up this way again and not stop by for one of the world's best Cuban sandwiches.

Out of five reservoirs (because this restaurant is located in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles,,, named after a local politician who helped build the reservoir that surrounds this area), five being best to zero being worst, El Cochinito gets 4 solid reservoirs. 

 For more information about El Cochinito, head to their website here: http://www.cochinitola.com/

WR Kitchen and Bar Now Open in Laguna Niguel

WR Kitchen and Bar

28061 Greenfield Dr.

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, (more than likely you have since this is a restaurant blog), but the cost of eating out has been going up rather steadily over the last couple of years. Katie and I used to be able to get two meals off of the $50 gift cards my parents get us for Christmas every year from Chili's, Islands, BJ's, and Ruby's. These days those same $50 cards get us one meal, and then we still have to put some money towards the tip. As a result of this and the impending dollar increase to the minimum wage for the next three years, upscale casual restaurants are going to have to find some creative ways to adjust.

Sure you can replace wait staff with I-Pads on the tables, or maybe do the whole Chipotle ordering process where you go through an assembly line while getting your food, and then you are left to your own devices once you get to a table. With labor costs rising, a lot of your favorite restaurants are going to be tinkering with ways to keep menu prices manageable, while not sacrificing service. One of my favorite restaurant chains is being proactive about all of this and recently opened a new concept right near where we live. We were recently invited to try it out before their grand opening a few days later.

The team behind Wood Ranch has not just been sitting on their hands in these unpredictable times. They have studied their guests' dining preferences and tried to figure out ways to keep menu prices down. WR Kitchen and Bar is the result of all of their studies and consumer surveys. This initial location in Laguna Niguel will be followed by another in the Bressi Ranch section of Carlsbad later this year.

WR Kitchen and Bar is situated in the old Knowlwood's spot, which sat vacant for a good long while. After a major remodel, the restaurant is definitely not recognizable from its days when there were Knowlwood's mediocre burgers and other subpar food coming out of the kitchen. As you walk in the door to WR, you'll notice a long 16-seat, fully stocked bar, which is also where you order your food. A water and soda station are to the left of the bar. After ordering you gather your own utensils and napkins at the service carts and find somewhere to sit at this 140-seat eatery. With the table tracker, you were given when ordering, your food will be brought out to you whether you are seated inside, or on their covered patio. They are shooting for the food to be delivered within an eight to ten-minute window after ordering.

Speaking of the food at WR, they have a lot of your favorites from Wood Ranch but have also added some new items to distinguish themselves from their sister restaurant. Their famous Crispy Shredded Onions are on their snack menu, but they have also added a crispy Buffalo Cauliflower and a Brisket Caramel Popcorn, which we will feature in due time. WR has five salads to choose from, including their wildly popular BBQ Chopped Salad, which is available with protein add-ons. The famous Wood Ranch barbecue meats are available ala carte in varying sizes. Rounding out the rest of the menu are some tacos, sandwiches, and sides, which are meant to be shared. Let's check out what we ate at this friends and family preview event.

Here's a quick overview of some of what we were able to sample this evening. Yes, I went home bursting at the seams. Let's take a closer look at everything.

I admit I tried this Brisket Caramel Popcorn ($6) just because I wanted to see what it came out looking like. After a few bites, I realized this was not just a novelty item thrown on a menu to get people talking about it on social media. It really worked. Fans of sweet and savory will not want to miss this one. A very good caramel-coated popcorn is studded with pieces of rich brisket. I found my perfect bite of this consisted of three pieces of popped corn and two shards of brisket. A unique little snack to start off with at WR Kitchen and Bar.

I'm not sure, but I'd bet this is the most popular salad at Wood Ranch and it will probably be the same story at WR Kitchen and Bar. The BBQ Chopped Salad ($10) contains a whole cavalcade of things in it. The base is mixed greens which are joined in the bowl with some tomatoes, carrots, black beans, tortilla strips for crunch, roasted corn, jack cheese, cilantro, scallions, and a mix of both ranch and bbq sauce. Very vibrant and fresh flavors in each bite. Easily made into an entree for a few dollars more with the addition of a protein.

The specialty section of the WR Kitchen and Bar menu contains a lot of your favorite barbecue and other heftier items from Wood Ranch. Here you have the option to control how much you want of each item, with weights ranging between a quarter of a pound to a full pound for heftier eaters, like myself. The Baby Back Ribs ($14) are offered as four or eight bones, or a whole slab. These were gently brushed with sauce, came out nicely tender, and were gone almost immediately after they were sat down at our table.

I know it might be a little hard to veer from the barbecue at WR Kitchen, but these tacos are screaming for attention. The Smoked Brisket Taco ($14) was wonderful. The oak smoked brisket was joined in the very well-made organic corn tortilla with some mashed potato, cabbage, cilantro, and a habanero peach barbecue sauce which added a touch of sweetness and then a little heat on the back end. The meat was predictably good and flavorful, and I was afraid I was going to miss the absence of cheese, but the potato was a great substitute, adding a bit of creaminess and moisture to the taco. Very well done and my favorite item of the afternoon.

Sandwiches are a great option at WR Kitchen and Bar, especially this Western Tri-Tip Sandwich ($12). I say that they are a great option, but due to my love of their barbecue, this was my first time having this sandwich. I'm now a convert. So good with its award-winning tri-tip, Monterey jack cheese, onions, and peppers. It comes with an au jus for dipping which makes this one part cheesesteak and part french dip. The bread absorbs the au jus nicely creating a flavor bomb with the insides of the sandwich.

Not that we needed them, but Executive Partner Alex Benes was eager to show off their Fiery Chicken Tacos ($12), and after the delicious brisket tacos, we were not going to argue. These packed a punch with a chili garlic sauce that had a heat that lingered after each bite. Definitely inspired by the Bahn mi sandwich, these tacos included pickled carrots and onions, cilantro, cucumbers, radishes, and of course chicken. Great textures and that chili sauce made these a must for anyone that likes things a little spicy.

Sides are not to be ignored at WR Kitchen. We tried two of their 11 offerings, the Lauren's Favorite Mac and Cheese ($4) and the Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($4). The mac and cheese is a classic with a  thick cheese sauce over the noodles. I definitely preferred the brussels sprouts, which picked up some flavor from the grill and had a great balsamic glaze that was present but did not interfere with the crispy sprouts. I've got my eye on the Garlic Roasted Cauliflower and the Mashed Potatoes on my next visit.

One of my favorite desserts of all time is something I always look forward to when I eat at Wood Ranch. Unfortunately, the Oreo Cookie Crunch is not available here at WR Kitchen, but they have another stellar dessert that I'm crazy about, Warm Butter Cake ($6). I've always described this as a Twinkie on steroids. Rich and buttery with a nice crunchy outer portion make for an awesome representation of this. Ice cream topping this dessert would make it even better, but alas, no ice cream is available.

I think the guys behind Wood Ranch have another winner on their hands with WR Kitchen and Bar. In these uncertain times, you have to consider guests' preferences, keep menu prices from skyrocketing, consider labor costs, and still turn out fantastic food to keep people coming back. Based on this one visit, I think WR Kitchen has achieved that delicate balance. It will be interesting to see how the community reacts to this version of a brand that they love so well. I know we will be back frequently when we have those hunger pangs for barbecue.

For more information about WR Kitchen and Bar, head to their website here: https://www.woodranch.com/restaurants/laguna-niguel/

Pino's Cucina the Only Italian in Town - CLOSED

Pino's Cucina

27522 Antonio Parkway

Ladera Ranch, CA 92694

The end of April and the first part of June is the start of the busy time for both Katie and me. It starts with our anniversary in mid-April, and then the family birthdays, anniversaries, and the usual Mother's and Father's Days keep us very busy through the middle of June. One of the few benefits of this time is that it allows us to try new restaurants, often with someone else picking up the tab.

That brings us to this visit to Pino's Cucina in Ladera Ranch. Katie's mom wanted me to find somewhere local for Katie's birthday, and I was more than happy to oblige. I quickly searched nearby restaurants on Yelp and found this place with a respectable 4-and-a-half-star rating, over 200 reviews, and a chef with quite the pedigree.

Chef Pino grew up in Sicily, learning his way around the kitchen from his mom, Giovanna. He left Italy to travel the world as a chef for Princess Cruises for nearly a decade. After the cruise ship stint, he settled in Orange County in 1995 and has been here ever since. He's worked at Stella's Serious Italian in Dana Point, Antonello Ristorante, and Nello Cucina in Costa Mesa. He has moved inland a bit to be the head chef at his namesake restaurant. The owners, Frank Domicolo (Pino's nephew) and Giovanni Magro (Pino's longtime friend), round out the team at Pino's with their own experiences working in casual and fine dining establishments in Europe and the States.

Pino's Cucina opened two years ago and is next to the 24-hour local favorite, Corky's. Before Pino's took over, this used to be a vegetarian restaurant. Predictably, I never came here when it was the veggie place. The restaurant is more significant than it appears from the outside. It has twenty tables, pictures of Italy on the walls, a high ceiling, and a Renaldo Juventus jersey prominently displayed on the back wall. 

The menu at Pino's is what you've come to expect at an Italian restaurant. There are plenty in the way of pasta options, with nearly twenty being offered and more substantial entrees featuring chicken, veal, beef, and seafood available for guests who want a little more heft to their meals. Entrees range between $18 to $35, and pasta dishes go for $14 to $25 for a lobster ravioli. There are also soups, salads, and starters for customers to consider. Enough with the buildup. Let's check out what we ate on this one of many birthday dinners for my beloved Katie.

Most Italian restaurants will start you with a bread basket, and Pino's Cucina was no different. They use soft ciabatta bread cut into manageable cubes, just the perfect size for dipping into the provided olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The waitstaff efficiently refilled the bread and dipping sauces regularly throughout our stay.

Man, we have been having some good luck with salads recently, and that trend continued at Pino's. Salads are not included with entrees or pasta dishes, but you should still get a salad here. This Caesar ($7) was traditional with its chopped romaine, croutons, delicious Caesar dressing, and thick parmesan squares. It had the perfect amount of dressing coating each leaf of romaine, and the cuts of parmesan were plentiful and added a nice touch. Katie and her mom were pleased with their House Salads ($7) of mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, croutons, parmesan, and a fresh basil tomato vinaigrette. Katie praised the freshness of the produce in this salad, while her mom remarked that it was a pretty good size for a dinner salad.

For some reason, I had yet to hear the appetizers speak to me this evening, so I acquiesced and let Katie select one that she wanted to try. She chose the Arancini ($12), which she claims that we have had at another restaurant before, but I had no recollection of it until I searched our blog and saw that we had Arancini at Bruno's in Brea last summer. Sorry for doubting you, Katie. These at Pino's were shaped differently than the ones we had a year earlier. These were cone-shaped compared to the ping-pong ball-sized ones we had at Bruno's. These were filled with rice, meat sauce, mozzarella, and peas and deep-fried. I thought these were just okay. They needed more of a pop of flavor for me to take notice. Not awful, but nothing that memorable.

I'm always intrigued by what Katie's mom, Lynn, orders when we eat. It's almost always something I would not expect, like this Chicken Piccata ($18). She was all set to get the Chicken Marsala, but her neighbor convinced her that the piccata was the way to go at Pino's. She was happy she went with her neighbor's advice. This lightly breaded chicken was nice and tender in a traditional yet delicious piccata sauce of garlic, white wine, lemon, shallots, and capers. This also came with a dollop of mashed potatoes and some squash.

I went back and forth about what I wanted on this evening and eventually settled on this Mushroom and Sausage Risotto ($19). This was a very earthy dish with mushrooms and little bursts of flavor from the sausage coming through each bite. The risotto was cooked nicely also. I thought I got shortchanged when I saw the serving size, but it was more than enough, as it was very filling.

The birthday girl opted to get one of the first things I made for her when we first started dating: Spaghetti Carbonara ($18). She claims my carbonara is still the best she's had, which is untrue. This one was way better than mine. The cream sauce, finished with egg yolk, was rich and decadent. The chopped pancetta added a little heft to the dish, and the parmesan tied it together. It is a very comforting and filling version of a classic dish that means a lot to Katie and makes her very happy this birthday dinner.

There were three options for dessert, and not being a big fan of cannolis or tiramisu, that left us with the Profiteroles ($7) this evening. These were delicate cream puffs but did not really blow me away. The outer portion of these seemed too rigid, and there was not nearly enough chocolate drizzle on the plate to make it worthwhile for dipping. The inside cream was soft and sweet and was definitely the best part of this dessert.

Even though our ending dessert failed to impress, we loved our visit to Pino's Cucina, each of us vowing to return very soon. I quickly searched full-service Italian restaurants in Ladera Ranch, and it only yielded one result, Pino's. But this restaurant is good enough to be included on any list of great Italian restaurants in South OC. The Italian cuisine served here is definitely authentic and done, just like you'd expect from someone who learned to cook from their mother in Southern Italy. Service was pleasant and efficient, and we were even treated to a visit to our table by Pino himself, which was an excellent treat. Pino's was a great choice for one of Kaie's birthday dinners and getting us ready for lots of family time in the upcoming two months.

Out of five zebras (because it is easy to see from the decorations hanging on the walls that they love the Series A team Juventus here, and their mascot is a zebra), five being best to zero being worst, Pino's Cucina gets a very strong 3.5 zebras.

 For more information about Pino's Cucina, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.pinoscucinainladeraranch.com/

Woodfire Kabob Grill Breaks the Curse of the Old Elephant Bar Spot - CLOSED

Woodfire Kabob Grill

24155 Laguna Hills Mall #1055

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

I never thought I would be walking through this restaurant door again. The restaurant that houses Woodfire Kabob Grill in Laguna Hills used to be home to one of the worst restaurants I have ever been to, the Elephant Bar. The food there was so awful that I rated it as one of the ten worst restaurants two years in a row. I'm wondering how they still have seven locations in operation, but I'm just happy that OC has none left so we can be spared their awful cuisine. Sorry Torrance, you still have to avoid Elephant Bar. Good luck.

Another reason I was not sure I would be coming back to this address is the simple fact that the Laguna Hills Mall is all but a shell of its former self, and its existence is very much in doubt. It was going to be torn down and rebranded as the Five Lagunas, but that project has been suspended. They have recently been holding public meetings to decide what to do with this space, so everything is still pretty much up in the air.  Luckily, the restaurants surrounding the abandoned mall are still operating, for now, so we headed to Woodfire Kabob Grill to give them a try.

Woodfire Kabob has been in operation for close to half a year now, and with the uncertainty of their space, I'm not sure how long they will be here. Even with all of this uncertainty, Woodfire has garnered some very good reviews both online and in print media. Their Yelp rating is a mighty impressive four and a half stars with over 200 reviews. They have been featured in both the OC Weekly and the OC Register with glowing reviews for their Mediterranean cuisine. With praise like this, we quickly grabbed our new friends Mazi and Marita and headed to Woodfire on a recent Wednesday evening.

They have not done too much to the dining space of the old Elephant Bar. The restaurant is huge, with a tinge of a jungle theme running through it. There's a big bar in the front portion of the house, but with no liquor license, it's just wasted space now. The menu at Woodfire Kabob is full of kabobs predictably, but there are also other lesser-known Mediterranian specialties and appetizers, and for people that are not into this kind of food, there are even burgers, hot dogs, and chicken strip options. Prices for entrees range from $14 to $28 with some suggesting that plates are able to be shared between two people. No sharing for me this evening since I was pretty hungry, so let's see how everything turned out for the four of us.

Before we had even ordered, this plate and basket of bread were brought out to the table. From reading Edwin's always excellent restaurant reviews, I learned that this plate is called Noon Panir Sabzi, which translates to Bread Cheese Herbs, and is commonly eaten for breakfast in Iran. It is paired with a basket of lavash, which is thinner than pita, but still a great vessel to help you build your perfect wrap from the feta cheese, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and walnuts. Be sure to check out Edwin's more comprehensive review in the OC Weekly by clicking here.

Whenever we are in a Mediterranian restaurant, Hummus ($5.99) is a must-order. This was a very solid version of one of our favorite dips. It was very smooth, with a slick of olive oil floating on top of it. It was not the most flavorful we have had, but I liked the subtleness of it. This also came with plenty of lavash to dip with.

Let's start the entree portion of the night with what I had, the Koobideh Combo Plate ($14.99). This came with one skewer of ground chicken and another one of ground beef. Think of it like a seasoned meatloaf in strip form. This was a good-sized plate that also came with roasted tomato, onion, and a big scoop of basmati rice. The meats were tender and the seasonings were on point. I actually saved half of this for lunch the next day and it was just as good. The rice was excellent and I liked mixing it with a little bit of the hummus in alternating forkfuls. I would have liked a little more in the way of the roasted veggies, but this ended up being one of the better Mediterranian plates I've had.

Mazi went with the Barg Kabob Plate ($21.99) for his main meal on this evening. At Woodfire they use tender filet mignon to create this delicious strip of meat, which Mazi was generous enough to share a slice of this with all of us. I'm going to be getting this on my next trip here. I was a little surprised it was not in chunks, but it did not affect the taste at all. Mazi has pretty much grown up on Mediterranean food, and he was pretty impressed with the meal he had here. High praise.

Katie kept the kabob train rolling with this Chicken Soltani Kabob Plate ($20.99). This combo plate included a ground chicken koobideh and a chicken kabob. Katie, much to her surprise enjoyed the ground chicken better than the regular chicken kabob. The seasoning on both was good, but the chunks of chicken were not as tender as she would have liked. The koobideh was moist and flavorful throughout. She loved the rice and roasted veggies as well. She would have liked a garlic sauce to go along with this, but it was not offered here.

Last but not least was Marita's selection this evening, the Fesenjoon Plate ($18.99). This was a walnut and pomegranate sauce with chicken breast. Kind of like a stew to me. The sauce was a little nuttier than I thought it would be, but it worked well with the chicken. Our major gripe with this, especially from Marita was that there was not too much in the way of chicken in this. Unlike the other meals we had up until this point, this one was skimpy in comparison. After she shared with the three of us, she was left with a couple of bites and then had to resort to picking off Mazi's plate. This ended up being the only hiccup of our evening at Woodfire.

I was pretty happy leaving Woodfire, something that I'm sure rarely happened when this used to be home to the Elephant Bar. It definitely never happened when I left this building before Woodfire opened up here. These were some of the best kabobs I have had in recent memory and I look forward to many more visits to Woodfire to explore more of their menu. Service was fine, as there were not a lot of people here, but our server was a little slow in checking back on us and with refills. Prices seemed more than fair, especially when you consider how much food you actually get, except for Marita's selection this evening. Even though their location is in peril, to say the least, we look forward to many more trips to Woodfire in the very near future.

Out of five mint juleps, (because it's the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby and when the Laguna Hills Mall opened in 1973, Secretariat had the most dominant win in that race's long history, winning by 31 lengths) five being best to zero being worst, Woodfire Kabob Grill gets 3.5 mint juleps.

For more information about Woodfire Kabob Grill, head to their website here: https://woodfirekabob.com/