Not Overlooking Sancho Anymore

Sancho's Tacos

1101 South El Camino Real 

San Clemente, CA 92672

Since we live in the land of great Mexican food, it's understandable if some places get overlooked. That's kind of how I feel about Sancho's Tacos. I had recently heard about them from a coworker, who had asked if I had tried them. I said I had not, and immediately looked up their info.

Just checking out their locations I was a little surprised I had not eaten at one of their four OC locations, (they also have an outpost in Oceanside for those of you reading this farther south). Sancho's has locations in some of my favorite cities; Newport, Huntington, Laguna Niguel, and the city where we visit almost weekly to walk the beach trail, San Clemente. I actually had to use Google Maps to find out where their spots were in these cities. I decided right then that we needed to try them out the next time we were in San Clemente, and that happened just a few days later.

Sancho's Tacos is a little south of the majority of the business district in San Clemente. Just past Ralph's on El Camino, and sandwiched between a florist and Biggies Burgers. You can't miss the huge sign that stands above El Camino Real in this part of town. Parking is a bit tricky at this former site of Taste of China. They have just eight regular parking spots, and we did observe people parking at other nearby businesses, and walking here when there were no spots available.

We arrived here at just before 6pm on a recent Sunday and were met with a pretty full restaurant. There are three tables inside, and the majority of the seating options are located outside, maybe another ten or so tables. Ordering is done at the counter, and then the food is brought out to you. Their menu includes plenty in the way of tacos, burritos, breakfast, nachos, a quesadilla, and loaded fries. As far as prices, only one item breaks the ten-dollar threshold, and that's the surf and turf burrito, which goes for $10.25, just an extra quarter.

I thought we were living right when we snagged the last parking spot in the small lot and found an empty table out in front of the restaurant. That luck ended when we were informed that they were out of both guacamole and carnitas on this early Sunday evening. We were cool about it, but we did hear other customers grumble rather loudly about it. Enough about what we couldn't have, let's see what we did consume after our walk at the beach trail.

Katie started off with two tacos this evening. The Yardbird ($2.99) is the one in the middle picture, while the Flounder Pounder ($3.25) is the one right above. The chicken taco came with cubed grilled chicken, onions, cilantro, sour cream, and something called chubby sauce. The fish taco came with grilled fish, cilantro, cabbage, crema, chubby sauce, and salsa verde. Both tacos came on sturdy corn tortillas. Katie felt these were great representations of tacos you'd want to eat near the beach. The fish taco was her slight favorite, as the fish was moist and the condiments complemented it nicely. The chicken had a good flavor to it and they put so much in it that she had enough chicken for a second taco. Okay, maybe a street sized taco, but a taco nonetheless. 

Part one of my meal, since my preferred carnitas were not an option on this evening, was the first taco listed on their menu, the OG ($3.20). They use tri-tip here and dress the taco simply with cilantro, sour cream, chubby sauce, and onions. I liked the flavor and tenderness of the tri-tip in this. They were not shy about using a good amount of meat in this either. The simple condiment selection really let the tri-tip be the star here. Even though I was bummed there was no carnitas available, this was a great alternative.

For the second part of my meal, I went the burrito route with this Surf and Turf Burrito ($10.25). This had both shrimp and tri-tip, along with rice, beans, cheddar and jack cheeses, sour cream, cabbage, and pico de gallo. I liked this burrito but it did have a few issues. The tri-tip in this seemed like it was different than the taco I had. The beef was in bigger hunks and not marinated in the same stuff as what was in my taco. The result was a blander burrito. The shrimp was fine, but this needed that spark from the tri-tip. This also came out rather lukewarm, and in the early evening shade, it cooled very quickly. Very girthy, this did end up filling me up.

Katie was still a little hungry after her two tacos, so we decided to split their Pounders Carnal Fish Taco ($4.25). Glad we did. This was probably the best of the bunch, just edging out the tri-tip taco I had. This flour tortilla came out loaded up with pieces of fried fish, red and green cabbage, crema, pico de gallo, and some of their chubby sauce. The fish on this was fried nicely, with a crispy outer crunch and flaky and tender white fish underneath. The crunch of the cabbage and the combination of the chipotle and sour cream rounded this out rather nicely. A very well done fish taco, one of the better ones we've had recently.

This initial visit to Sancho's has really piqued my interest to return here very soon. I've heard good things about their breakfast burrito, and of course, I need to try their carnitas as well. I thought the prices were pretty good, considering the size of their tacos and burritos. I've also heard that they have a Taco Tuesday deal from 4 to 8, where some of their tacos are offered at $2 each. This might not be the most comfortable of restaurants to eat at, with most of the seating being outside and the rather small parking lot situation, but we will definitely be back very soon. Sancho's Tacos will not be overlooked by us anymore.

Out of five horses, (because one of the most successful racehorses of the early 19th century was an English horse named Sancho, which won 8 of his 12 races), five being best to zero being worst, Sancho's Tacos gets 3 horses.

For more information about Sancho's Tacos, head to their website here: http://www.sanchostacos.com/

Vacation Time in Torrance?

King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant

2808 Sepulveda Blvd. 

Torrance, CA 90505

Summertime is for vacations. It seems like almost everyone that I know has gotten out of town at some point during this summer. I've seen my friend's Facebook posts about their summer trips to Italy, Colombia, Vegas, Japan, Miami, Alaska, and more. Even my friend Carol, who I was dining with on this particular afternoon is headed to Chicago at the end of this month, and she never goes anywhere. I have extreme travel envy at this point. I was hoping that a birthday lunch for Carol at King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant in Torrance would transport me to the South Pacific, at least for an hour or two.

The King's Hawaiian story begins in 1950 in Hilo, Hawaii. This is where founder Robert Taira opened his first bakery, before moving his family business to the more metropolis Honolulu. His bakery restaurant became pretty well known for their Portuguese sweet bread, which would eventually become known as King's Hawaiian Bread. The mainland was introduced to this famous bread in 1977 when they opened their first factory in Torrance. This restaurant and bakery followed in 1988. In 2001 they opened The Local Place, which is a fast-casual version of their original restaurant and bakery.

Now that you are all caught up on their history, let's get back to our visit. As I mentioned earlier, it was my good friend Carol's birthday, and since she now resides in Torrance, it has given us a chance to visit some restaurants up this way. Besides Gen BBQ, King's Hawaiian is the most reviewed restaurant on Yelp in this South Bay city. Close to 3,000 reviews and a mighty impressive four-star rating.

The outside of the restaurant, which sits alongside busy Sepulveda Boulevard kind of reminded me of the house on Fantasy Island, for the few of you that remember that 70's and 80's TV show. Once inside I was a little taken aback by the very large bakery case. This could be one of the largest bakery cases I have ever seen. They had plenty of cakes, pies, cookies, donuts, muffins, pastries, large displays of their Hawaiian Bread, and other assorted desserts. I did not know this before coming here, but they also do quite a large amount of wedding cakes as well. Very impressive, but we were here for some more substantial food after my long drive.

Breakfast is served every day before 2pm, but some items are available all day long. Lunch begins at 11, and they have plenty in the way of choices; appetizer, Hawaiian bowls, Hawaiian local favorites, combination plates, burgers, sandwiches, noodles, and fried rice dishes. Prices hover right around the $12 mark for breakfast and lunch and dinner options will set you back on average $14. Let's see if my trip up the 405 Freeway to King's Hawaiian could help ease the vacation envy I have of all of my friend's vacation plans. 

Probably not shocking to anyone, but once you are seated you are brought out a six-pack of Hawaiian Rolls to start things off with. These came out warm, but with only two pads of butter, I had one and we packaged up the rest so Carol could take them home to her sister.

While looking at the menu, Carol had made mention of the Macadamia Nut Onion Rings ($11.25) and since it was her birthday, we needed to give them a try. This plate of rings could have easily served four. These were a very solid onion ring. The breading did not pull away from the thick onion underneath, which is my biggest pet peeve with onion rings. The panko and macadamia nut breading was very sturdy, but maybe due to the deep-frying, the macadamia nuts did not really come through flavor-wise for me. The ranch dressing and barbecue sauce were fine, but I was maybe hoping they would have gotten a little more creative with their sauces and done a sweet and spicy pineapple dip or something else. Still, if you are a fan of the onion rings, these are a must-order for you.

Carol very rarely goes out to eat for breakfast, so when we try new places, she likes to give breakfast a try. At King's Hawaiian, she tried what I assume is one of their most popular breakfast plates, the Big Island Breakfast ($11.75). This breakfast combination plate comes with two eggs, three strips of bacon, and their famous King's Hawaiian French Toast. The eggs were cooked to her desired wishes and the bacon was nice and crisp. I tried a bite of her french toast and thought it was fine, but it did not blow me away. Decent, but nothing that really made me think I needed to have more than one bite, which is a good thing since Carol ate all of this rather quickly. Man, that 73-year-old woman can eat.

When people talk about breakfast dishes from Hawaii, Loco Moco ($11.75) is definitely what I think of. This was a pretty traditional version, which starts with white rice as its base and is then topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and two over-easy eggs. A few of my bites of this were good, but this needed more gravy to bring it all together. The hamburger patty also needed to be seasoned a bit more to make it pop. The best part of this dish was the scoop of potato macaroni salad that came with this. It's the perfect mash-up for people who are fans of both macaroni and potato salad.

I was a bit disappointed with my visit to King's Hawaiian. I think I expected a bit more than just an average coffee shop. Nothing was totally awful, but nothing was really so great that it would make me want to drive up here again from OC. I can see why people like this place though. It does kind of put you in a vacation mood by helping you recall a long-ago vacation that you might have had in the South Pacific. There's definitely more traditional and better Hawaiian restaurants out there to eat at. King's, based on what we had on this visit, appears to me to be Hawaiian food for the masses, which probably is the key to their popularity.

Out of five cups of coffee, (because the state of Hawaii is the only US State which grows everyone's favorite morning pick me up), five being best to zero being worst, King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant gets 2.5 cups of coffee.

For more information about King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.khbakery.com/

Hoping Every Dog Has Its Day at Park Bench Cafe

Park Bench Cafe

17732 Goldenwest Street

Huntington Beach, CA 92647

My year-long nightmare with a boss that was the worst I have had in my 31-year career was finally over a month ago. I don't think this guy could manage to find his way out of a paper bag even if it was kept open for him. He was so awful that the best vacation we got was when he left to go on vacation. This guy was so unpopular that even his shadow refused to follow him. Have I gotten across how I felt about this guy yet? Anyways, he's gone and I could not be happier.

I bring this up because it means a change in my schedule most weeks. I have been getting a steady amount of Sundays off, which means both Katie and I have time to go on walks and of course, find some breakfast spots to try. I've had this one, Park Bench Cafe on my list ever since I read a cover story about old school breakfast joints in Orange County in the OC Weekly early last year. I made note of the ones I have not dined at and made a vow to visit all that I could in a timely fashion. Thanks to my ex-boss, I guess a year and a half is now a timely fashion. Thanks, guy.

Park Beach Cafe just barely qualifies as an old school place, since it was opened in 1988 by husband and wife team, Mike and Christie Bartusick. They were two young kids in their early twenties that had the vision to turn a shuttered bait and tackle shop in Huntington Beach Central Park into an outdoor cafe. Then in 1993 lightning struck twice when they had the idea to make their cafe dog-friendly and create a menu for dogs. This caused quite a stir in the media, and if it happened now, instead of in 1993, they would have said this went viral. Park Bench Cafe and the city of Huntington Beach gained a lot of attention for this action, being called one of the most dog-friendly cities and restaurants in the US by lots of media outlets.

The couple has done what many considered a one in a million shot and are still operating the Park Bench Cafe, along with another breakfast and lunch spot right at the beach, their sister restaurant to this one, Kokomos Surfside Grill, which is just south of the Huntington Beach Pier. I have never been there, but checking out their website it doesn't look like that restaurant has the dog menu, which includes the Bow Wow Wow, (cut up chicken filet), the Hound Dog Heaven, (simply ground beef), or the Rover Easy, (two fried eggs).

Katie and I do not have a dog, but we like walks in the park and the walk from the Huntington Beach Library to Park Bench Cafe was pretty flat, woodsy in parts, and shaded by plenty of trees. When we arrived at the restaurant on this particular Sunday at 10am we were quoted a wait time of 45 minutes to an hour, so we strolled around the remaining part of the park, and within 35 minutes they called Katie's cell and told us our table was ready.

We were sat at a long picnic table with an umbrella for shade, with another couple who had just been seated. Even though we were seated at the same table, there was enough distance between us that it did not feel too awkward eating with strangers. The human menu at Park Bench reads like pretty much every breakfast menu in OC. There's plenty of egg combinations, benedicts, items from the griddle, and scrambles. The lunch side of the menu, which is also served all-day has plenty of sandwiches, burgers, and salads to choose from. We were definitely feeling breakfast on this late morning, so here's how everything shook out for us.at Park Bench Cafe.

Cinnamon Rolls have always been one of my favorite things to have for breakfast, ever since I was a little kid, so when I see one on a breakfast menu, I am immediately drawn to it. This Cinnamon Roll ($5.75) came out warm, with plenty of icing, and easily fed both Katie and me. I liked this cinnamon roll, but it could have been better. It was a little on the doughy side and maybe needed to be baked a bit more. The icing also could have been a touch sweeter for my taste. Still, this was a nice start to our meal while we waited for our entrees to come out.

Both Katie and I got scrambles on this morning. She had the Park Scramble ($12.25) which included scrambled eggs, sliced mushrooms, onions, and bacon. She ate a good deal of this rather big sized plate. It was good, but she had wished for more flavor to come with each bite. She called this kind of flat. She did enjoy the home fries that she got as a side item. They were nice and crisp around the edges and softer in the middle, just you want your potatoes to turn out. The wheat toast she got was fine too. 

As is my custom when eating at a breakfast spot for the first time, I generally just order the item with the most ingredients in it, and at Park Bench Cafe that would be the Farm Breakfast ($13.99). This plate of food starts with a base of crispy home fries, scrambled eggs, bacon, grilled onions, mushrooms, melted jack, and cheddar cheeses, and avocado placed on top of it. Basically, this was Katie's meal, but without the avocado and with the home fries situated on the side instead of underneath the eggs and everything else. This was fine, but it lacked that big pop I thought it would have had. It also would have helped if this had been served hot instead of closer to lukewarm. I did like that this was very filling, and the home fries were cooked very crispy, which added a nice crunch to this. I did end up taking half of it home for breakfast the next day. This came with my choice of toast, which I got sourdough, and it was okay.

Park Bench Cafe was a solid breakfast spot, but food-wise nothing about it really made it stand out for us. It was a cool spot if you are in the area, want to eat outdoors, or if you want your dog to eat with you. Again, the food was fine, but not anything we couldn't get closer to home. Service was pretty solid, as they had plenty of servers for their 150 or so guests. So glad my old boss has moved on, and hopefully, Katie and I will get some weekend days off so we can discover more breakfast spots around OC. Oh yeah, don't worry about my old boss reading this and getting all angry. I'm pretty sure the guy doesn't even know how to read, I mean judging from the work I observed from him. Yep, I'm still a little bitter.

Out of five Frisbees (because Huntington Beach Central Park, where this restaurant is situated, is home to the only disc golf course in OC), five being best to zero being worst, Park Bench Cafe gets 2.5 Frisbees.

For more information about Park Bench Cafe, head to their website here: https://www.parkbenchcafe.com/

Chickening out at Rojo's Hot Chicken - CLOSED

Rojo's Pop-Up at McFadden Public Market

515 North Main Street

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Hot chicken is something I have yet to really embrace, and I'm not entirely sure why. I love chicken sandwiches, as it's my favorite way to eat chicken. I'm also very partial to spicy things. I've had several hot chicken sandwich places on my restaurant wishlist forever. It's a little perplexing why I haven't jumped on the latest trend of the last few years.

Maybe it's a geographic thing. My restaurant wishlist includes Howlin Ray's, Dave's Hot Chicken, and Firebird Nashville Hot Chicken, all located in LA County. My two favorite OC chicken sandwich spots, Crack Shack and Two Birds, both offer hot chicken sandwiches, but I usually end up getting something else while I'm at these chicken restaurants that you definitely need to try.

Recently, thanks to my good friend Anne Marie of the OC Weekly, Saute Magazine, and everything else food-related going on in OC, she messaged me about Rojo's Hot Chicken. Rojo is brought to us by her good friend, Chef Roland Rubalcava. His resume is pretty impressive. He started out in the food business at his family's Rubalcava's Bakery in Placentia, and then he did a sous chef stint at the multi-award-winning Taco Maria before landing at Playa Mesa as their Executive Chef.

From what I can gather, Rojo's Hot Chicken is Chef Roland's side hustle, which he does as frequently as possible. This pop-up event was held early in July at McFadden Public Market. He subsequently held other pop-ups at Irena in Santa Ana and one in Fallbrook. This was our first visit to McFadden Public Market, which has a good vibe. There's Mission Control, a cool 80's arcade on the second floor, a ramen restaurant, a vegan diner, and a tiki bar inhabiting the first floor. It appears that Rojo's was taking over the abandoned Rooster Republic space, which seemed poetic since they slipped chicken sandwiches from there until last year.

We arrived just before 6pm on a Saturday, and the place was packed with people already enjoying their chicken sandwiches at picnic tables in front of the Rojo's booth. The menu was simple, with three chicken sandwiches of varying hotness offered, a dirty version which meant that it was topped with queso, mac and cheese, and coleslaw for sides, and three kinds of fries, regular, spicy, and topped with queso Also, for those in the know, a secret menu item was offered that you will find out about as you scroll downward. There was also a red velvet cupcake for dessert, but we planned to pick up something sweet at the nearby 4th Street Market after this, so we skipped it. Our food took about ten minutes to come out, and here is how everything turned out for us.

Starting things off was the Naked Chicken Sandwich ($12) that Katie wanted. This sandwich contained no spiciness, which is unsurprising since Katie is a wimp in spicy things. It runs in her family, as regular black pepper can make her sisters run for a glass of milk to cool down their mouths. Ugh. Back to this sandwich, though, it came with coleslaw and a grilled nopal. The chicken was nice and crunchy, tender and juicy inside. This usually comes with cheese, but Katie opted to have it without it. The torta-like roll was a solid choice for this sandwich, as it holds everything together perfectly. Katie gave this sandwich a thumbs up.

I went a little spicier than Katie by getting the Rojo Chicken Sandwich ($12). This was listed on the menu as medium-hot, which was a fair description of the heat level here, according to my palette. I could have gone up a heat level, but this medium-hot allowed me to enjoy this sandwich more. Again, the breading had a nice crunch, and a tender and good-sized chicken was underneath. My sandwich came with coleslaw, pickles, a grilled nopal, and a slice of what appeared to be American cheese. I took the pickles off and ate them by themselves, something that I do with all my sandwiches and burgers. The nopal was not slimy like it could sometimes be and added a significant textural element. I'd ditch the American cheese next time, as it added nothing here. The bread was nice and soft and kept everything together structurally. This is right up there with some of the best chicken sandwiches we've experienced in OC.

Remember a few paragraphs ago when I mentioned a special hidden item on their menu? For fans of their Instagram account, they usually add a special item; this evening, it was a Pork Cutlet Sandwich ($12). I admit I liked this better than the chicken sandwich. The pork came breaded using the same breading as the chicken, so it had the same great crunch, but pork has a richness that chicken just can not match. This also differed in the marinade. It tasted like an excellent chili verde. The best thing I ate this evening and was one of the best sandwiches I've had in 2019.

We rounded out our meal at Rojo's with their Mac and Cheese ($6) and the Coleslaw ($4). I'm still stuck as to which one was better. The mac and cheese comprised a combination of parmesan, jack cheese, and scallions. The result was creamy but not in your face with cheese overload. The coleslaw was elevated to more than your usual humdrum coleslaw. The base was a chipotle mayo, which added a tinge of spice, while the cabbage, carrots, onions, and crushed-up tortilla chips added some nice crunch. Katie was a big fan of this one.

We both left this particular pop-up pleased with everything we had this evening. The chicken sandwiches here are number three on my list of OC chicken sandwiches I have had, with only Crack Shack and Two Birds being better so far. If the pork sandwich is available when you are here, you definitely need to ask for it. Keep an eye on their Instagram. The service was amicable, as it was staffed by many of Chef Roland's family members, and you can sense their pride in his food. This visit has gotten me psyched up to visit those LA hot chicken spots that have been sitting on my restaurant wishlist forever. Stay tuned.

Out of five pinball machines (because after eating, we went upstairs and played some pinball in the Mission Control Arcade), five being best to zero being worst, Rojo's Hot Chicken gets 3 pinball machines.

For more information about upcoming pop-ups and other Rojo-related events, it's probably best to follow their Instagram feed here: @rojoshotchicken. 

Ocean at Main, Where Great Food Intersects - CLOSED

Ocean at Main

222 Ocean Avenue

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

My birthday got a little lost in the shuffle this year due to the birth of my fourth niece, the fantastic Evelyn. She made her much-heralded debut to the world three days before my birthday. So with all of the hospital visits, first car ride, diaper changes, and sleepless nights for her parents, it's understandable that my birthday dinner with my inlaws got pushed to the end of the month. I'm definitely more than happy to share the spotlight with the newest member of our family.

Now that life is getting a bit back to normal for all of us, my inlaws wanted to know where I wanted to go for my delayed birthday dinner. I sent about five or six places I'd like to go to, and my mother in law got back to me very quickly. She demanded that we had to go to Ocean at Main in Laguna. To say that she's a fangirl of Chef Craig Strong is kind of an understatement. So we quickly made reservations at his new restaurant and waited for the big day to arrive.

For those of you unaware of Chef/Owner Craig Strong, (unlike my mother in law, who probably knows what he had for breakfast this morning), he's from San Diego, he's worked in luxury hotels and resorts for the last 25 years, the last nine at the award-winning Studio at the Montage, he currently resides in Laguna Beach with his family, and Ocean at Main, which opened last October, is his first crack at restaurant ownership.

Ocean at Main is located right in the heart of Downtown Laguna and took over the old Taverna spot. They did a physical refresh of the space, which used to be home to the Laguna Beach Federal Savings and Loan way back in the day. Entering the door, there's a ten-seat bar set off to the right, The dining room, with its high ceilings, exposed beams, and white walls exudes a carefully crafted beach elegant atmosphere. There's also a heated patio out to the left, which is where many patrons selected to sit on this gloomy late June evening.

Chef Strong has stated that he wants to serve food like he does at home for his family and friends. These are some very lucky people. His California coastal cuisine will utilize the diverse and freshest ingredients from local purveyors. The dinner menu features starters, salads, entrees, and utilizing the existing pizza oven, five flatbread options. There's also a new bar bites section of the menu, which debuted the day after our visit. Chef Strong was very excited to share it with us, which you will see as you keep scrolling downward.

Laguna is notorious for its awful parking, but Katie and I had no problem parking in the lot right in front of the restaurant. Mind you that this was before the start of the festival season, so parking might be worse now that the Sawdust Festival and Pagent of the Masters has started. Side note, Laguna Beach has released a new app that will hopefully make parking in the city easier, and you could find it here, https://app.lagunabeachparking.net/. Since we had no problem finding our spot, let's see if we had any problems with the food at Ocean at Main on this evening.

Chef Craig was very active in the dining room the evening we were here. I observed him going from table to table. When he got to ours my mother in law, of course, blurted out that I write a restaurant blog. We all talked for a while about how when I joined their family they only liked two restaurants, Mimi's Cafe and BJs. That led to a conversation about potato skins, and Chef Craig lit up and he said he was going to send something out for us, his version of Potato Skins. What came out did not look like any potato skin I had ever had, but all the components were there, just not like you would expect. Light and airy potato pillows were topped with a creme fraiche and green onion, and then dollops of cheese and bacon dust sprinkled around the plate. Very creative, and it brought the potato skin up to a whole new level. I wish these would make it to the bar bites menu someday.

Both Katie and her mom got the Scarborough Farms Mixed Greens Salad ($10) to start off with. This was not your typical run of the mill house salad. The mixed greens come from Ventura County's very own,  Scarborough Farms and are joined with some citrus segments, sliced radish, and nasturtiums, which are edible flowers that packed a peppery punch. The salad is finished off with a very well done honey-white wine vinaigrette. Katie loved this fresh and light salad. Even though it was light, it still was packed with flavor bursts from the citrus, edible flowers, and dressing.

Not in the mood for a salad, I opted to try the Oxtail Risotto ($18) off of the starter section of the menu. This ate more like a main course than a starter though. Filling with its kale puree and Parmigiano-Reggiano boosting the flavor profile of the risotto, but lighter than most risottos I have had. This made the inside of my mouth very happy. For lighter eaters not wanting a full entree, this could easily satisfy you.

My father in law is a soup-aholic. He loves hearing what soup is available at just about every restaurant he visits. He predictably tried this Prawn Potato Soup ($14) here at Ocean at Main. I was a little surprised this came out green, but then I remembered this contains basil. Dennis felt this was one of the best soups he has ever had. There were not any criticisms he could muster, with the nicely tender potato, the slight saltiness of the prawns, and the creamy broth with basil undertones. He called this soup a pure delight, which I'm sure is what he thinks about me marrying his daughter.

Chef Craig had another surprise for us when he sent out these Short Rib Cigars ($14). These are part of the new bar bites section of the menu which debuted the day after we visited. These were part taquito, part lumpia, and one hundred percent delicious. Served in an ashtray with a very well done horseradish creme fraiche, the outside had a great crunch to it, while the inside revealed the delicious short rib. A definite must-try.

Our entrees made their way out next, and the first one out of the kitchen was Lynn's dinner selection, the Pan Seared Halibut ($45). This halibut had Lynn raving. She called it one of the best seafood dishes she has ever had. Very high praise. The halibut had a delicate quality to it. They did not try doing too much with it, letting the natural flavor of the fish shine while allowing the unusual, but tasty rhubarb- tarragon-buttermilk sauce to be added to each diners' desired tastes. I would have used a lot more of the sauce than Lynn. The fish was accompanied by an almond saffron couscous, which I did not try, but Lynn let me know that it rounded out this meal nicely.

Both Katie and her father got the Grilled Salmon ($34) on this evening. Always a daddy's girl I guess. The crisscrossed grill marks made this high-quality salmon aesthetically beautiful, but the subtle technique that Chef Craig used here made this dish a winner. The salmon came in a bouillabaisse sauce, which enriched this cube of seafood. Along with the salmon were a side of shaved fennel, artichokes, and squash blossoms. The squash blossoms were the best of the bunch. Katie called this the perfect meal with the melt in your mouth salmon, the delicate squash blossoms, and the delectable sauce. A meal she will not soon forget. 

As is my custom before coming to a restaurant, I studied the menu numerous times zeroing in on what I wanted to have. From my initial pass checking out the menu to when I was sitting in the restaurant ordering from the server, I knew I'd be having the Short Rib ($45) for my birthday dinner meal. The first bite I had was a little on the tough side, but that must have been an apparition because the rest of this was tender and satisfying. I was not so excited about the forbidden rice when it came out, but it worked remarkably well with the short rib and the green curry sauce. Short ribs are almost always delicious, but very few are memorable. This one was unique and it has imprinted a lasting memory for me.

Since my mother in law made sure to mention it was my birthday about 83 times during our visit to Ocean at Main, we got to choose a dessert to try between the four of us. I had heard good things about Craig's Spice Cake ($12), so that would be what we ended up having. I'm not really one for deconstructed desserts, as it's always a challenge getting all of the elements together for one bite. This spice cake was good, but I really liked the banana ice cream with hazelnut crumble, which stole the show for me. A nice and light way to end this stellar meal at Ocean at Main.

After our meal here, my father in law, who has eaten at a lot of great restaurants across the country, proclaimed that this was the best restaurant he's eaten at. My mother in law is never one to back away from over-exaggeration also concurred. Katie, who has eaten almost every meal with me through the almost decade long history of this blog was over the moon about her meal at Ocean at Main. I was a little more reserved for my love for this restaurant, but that doesn't mean I was not in awe. Chef Craig has created one of the better restaurants in Laguna, and dare I say OC. Everything we consumed on this evening was well thought out, executed fantastically, and ended up tasting delicious. Sure, with prices like this it might make you think of this more as a special occasion spot, but consider that you are actually paying twenty dollars less per entree at Ocean at Main than you'd be paying at Chef Craig's last restaurant, the Studio at the Montage. It is like getting a super great deal for the same food, plus he's one of the most personable chefs that you will run across. Definitely, a birthday dinner to remember and one that we hope to relive many times over.

Out of five bank vaults, (because this location used to be the Laguna Beach Federal Savings and Loan, and of course they needed a bank vault), five being best to zero being worst, Ocean at Main gets a very strong 4 bank vaults.

For more information about Ocean at Main, head to their website here: https://www.oceanatmain.com/

Getting Lit after My Dentist Appointment - CLOSED

Lit Cafe

1071 North Tustin Street, Suite #100

Anaheim, CA 92807

Keen readers of this blog for the last nine years know that when I review a place in North OC for lunch, it's usually because I have a dentist appointment. That was the case on a recent early Thursday afternoon. After getting my teeth poked, prodded, and cleaned, I like to treat myself to a meal. This time, I enlisted my parents to come along with me to visit Lit Cafe in Anaheim.

Lit Cafe is a spot that's only open weekdays from 7 to 3pm, so this dentist appointment is one of the rare opportunities I'd be up this way during their limited hours. The cool kids all know that lit means something is popping, turned up, or awesome in every sense. Okay, I got those definitions from Urban Dictionary, so you know I'm not one of the cool kids.

This spot is a long time coming for the husband and wife team that opened it this spring. Chef David Fujimura and Chef Erica Tjangnaka met in culinary school. Talking with Chef David, he knew she was the one after she made him a cake, and he was blown away by her culinary talent and the woman behind the cake.

After graduating from The Culinary School at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, the duo has worked at some prominent restaurants. He's had stints at Cafe Hiro, 6ix Park Grill, Marche Moderne, Andrei's Conscious Cuisine, and Charlie Palmer at South Coast Plaza. Chef Erica has been very busy as well working with her mentor, Chef Stephane Treand of ST Patisserie in Costa Mesa, she's also held various positions at the St. Regis Hotel and Resort in Dana Point, Charlie Palmer, Marche Moderne, and has even taught classes at pastry school. All of this, and raising a family as well. That is impressive stuff for these two.

Now comes their first restaurant. Lit Cafe is right off the 91 Freeway, at the corner of La Palma and Tustin. They are between a nail salon on the left and a Taco Bell on the other side. There's plenty of parking at this restaurant, which they hope serves food that combines comfort and creativity. They see their food as a modern update on comfort food classics while using the freshest ingredients available.

Their menu bears this out. They offer breakfast toasts, three kinds of breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, and a couple of egg dishes. Lunch starts at 11 a.m. and consists of four varieties of salad, five sandwich options, two burgers, and a couple of out-of-the-ordinary items. Only their Lit Burger and Fries will set you back $15, while the rest of the menu hovers around the $11 mark.

I arrived at Lit Cafe at noon from my dentist appointment. Half of the 15 or so tables were occupied, one by my parents, who were waiting for me patiently to arrive. I quickly reviewed the menu, and we went to the register to order our food. You also might want to linger near the register just a bit because that's where the bakery cases are. I instantly liked the clean, high-ceilinged space. It was a bit sterile, but I found it comforting. Let's see if the food was comforting as well.

As you can see, I lingered a bit at the bakery case because we started out with two pastries to nosh on while we waited for our food to arrive. The Coffee Cake Crumble ($3.75) was done very nicely, with a subtle sweetness. The bottom portion was moist but not too damp, where it would lose its structural integrity. The crumble added just enough sweetness to not distract from the well-made pastry. The Almond Croissant ($3.00) was one of my best ones. It was light and full of flavor. Technically a very sound croissant, with quite a bit of almond filling inside and the sliced almonds outside added a nice textural element. If you like real-deal croissants, this is the one for you.

If there's one thing online that people rave about at Lit Cafe more than any other, it's probably these Chilaquiles ($12). From what I gathered, these started as a special item and were permanently added to the menu due to customer demand. My only problem with this was that my dad picked it up before I could. He saved me a few bites, though. They only have this green version, but what a version it was. Tortilla chips were layered with mozzarella and cotija cheese, salsa verde, and sour cream. The plate finished with some grilled smoked bacon, a cabbage cilantro slaw, and a sunny-side-up egg. A little different take on your traditional chilaquiles. The green salsa had an excellent heat, which the sour cream helped cool. The chips stayed crisp, even after spreading the egg yolk around. My dad's only complaint was about the bacon, which he wished would have been crisper. I will definitely call dibs on this one the next time I'm here.

My mom did not want breakfast, so she went with the House Greens Salad ($9). It consists of mixed greens, goat cheese, shredded carrots, candied almonds, and raspberries, and she swapped out the yuzu vinaigrette that usually comes with their ranch dressing. She could not have been happier with this salad. It had just the right amount of dressing coating the greens, the raspberries were at the peak of their freshness, and the goat cheese added a nice creaminess. It is a very well-balanced salad.

No chance that I was going to be a light eater at Lit Cafe. This Mr. Rosas Breakfast Burrito ($9.25) was the first of the two items I had this afternoon. This is the most traditional of the three breakfast burritos on the menu. One has honey in it, and the other has a maple syrup-soaked pancake bar in it, and I was not feeling either of those two. This Mr. Rosas burrito was filled with scrambled eggs, hash browns, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, chicken sausage, and bacon. It came with both red and green salsa. It was not a huge burrito, but it was a well-crafted one. There was no greasiness, the egg was cooked nice and light, and the caramelized onions shoved the sausage off to the side, but the bacon was present. The red salsa had a little more flavor than the green, which was odd since the green salsa on the chilaquiles had a pretty good amount of heat. Still, it's a solid breakfast burrito and one of the better ones I've had this year.

I'm a big fan of loco moco, so the Lit Loco ($12) would be my second entree at Lit Cafe. A bed of Japanese rice is topped with a hamburger steak, then finished with a teriyaki au jus, gravy, and a sunny side up egg, Also thrown in the bowl was a potato salad and a good amount of sliced pickles. This represented a moco loco well, but adding more gravy would have made it even better. The hamburger was tender, and the rice soaked up the yolk nicely. The pickles seemed out of place here, but at least they were not overly intrusive like many pickles can be. The potato salad was a definite star of this bowl. It was light and creamy, with some shredded carrots for a crunch. It was not meant to be the star here, but it might have been. It's easy to see why this has been moved to the permanent menu.

I might have been too drawn to the bakery cases because we finished with a Chocolate Eclair ($3.25) and a Brownie ($3). The eclair was the better of the two. It had little crunchy balls perched on top, adding a nice textural element to each bite. The eclair itself was a classic. A nice, slightly crunchy outer shell and then a rich cream inside. Tasty but a little too small to split among the three of us. The brownie was fine, but I needed something to make it pop. Maybe a little icing? 

My parents and I were excited about our visit to Lit Cafe. Yes, I have read the online reviews about the prices being a few dollars too much and that the portion sizes are smaller than expected, but Chef Erica and Chef David are both highly trained chefs, and they are turning out some delicious, high-quality food here. They have met their goal of creating comfort food with a modern twist. I also feel that this is just the beginning for Lit Cafe. It will be an evolving process, as it is with most new restaurants, especially with first-time owners. As of our visit, they had not yet gotten their beer and wine license, so they were waiting to open for brunch on Saturdays until they got it. There's an announcement on their website that brunch will be starting on August 3rd, from 10 to 2pm. Stay tuned. As for now, Lit Cafe has limited hours when I can make it up there, but it's still worth the trip, maybe after my next dental visit in six months.

Out of five suns (because before it became a slang word, Lit was an OC band that had a big hit with "Place in the Sun"), five being best and zero being worst, Lit Cafe gets three solid suns.  

For more information about Lit Cafe, head to their website here: http://www.litcafeoc.com/