Veering From Our List in Ventura

Immigrant Son Caffe

543 East Main St. 

Ventura, CA 93001

A good rule of thumb when traveling is to be flexible. In other words, go with the flow. Don't be locked into what you decided at home. For me, that means forgetting about the research I did on the restaurants I wanted to check out. The locals always seem to know the best places to eat, and I was hoping our server from last night was not going to lead us astray with her suggestion that we had to give Immigrant Son Caffe a try. 

This downtown Ventura spot comes to us from Alessandro Tromba, and the name of his restaurant is a homage to his nickname growing up, as his dad came to the US from Italy in the late '60s. He has restaurants in his blood, as his dad and he have been in the restaurant industry for as long as they can remember. 

Immigrant Son just opened at the first of this year, and they have tried to adapt, as all restaurants have, to the challenge that is 2020. They erected an elevated platform in the front of their restaurant when we were here in late October to provide additional seating for their guests. They must be doing something right, as they were just named best new restaurant by the Ventura County Reporter, and they had pretty much a full house when we arrived on that Saturday morning just after 10. 

It's funny when I think of Italian cuisine, breakfast never crosses my mind, but they must eat breakfast in Italy, right? Immigrant Son Caffe is open daily from 8 to 2pm. Their breakfast menu does have most of what you'd expect from your typical breakfast places, but there are some nods to Italian fare. The compact lunch menu includes both hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and a trio of desserts, We were here for breakfast though, and needed a good base for our day of exploring Venturra, our adopted home for the weekend.  Let's see how everything turned out for us on this visit. 

Starting things off for us is their most popular starter, the Bacon Flight ($8). This quartet of bacon came with a strip each of jalapeno, sesame honey, smoked applewood, parmesan garlic, and the spiraled one, pancetta. The bacon itself was pretty high quality and the dusting of the toppings added a nice change of pace to regular bacon. I was partial to the jalapeno, which provided a muted heat, nothing I could not handle, and the sesame honey, which provided a nice contrast between the saltiness of the bacon and the tinge of sweetness from the honey. Definitely, the way to start your meal at Immigrant Son.  

Katie zeroed in on the Roberto Omellete ($15) for her first meal of the day. This well-made egg dish was filled with chicken, some strips of poblanos, and mozzarella. She enjoyed this very much. It was filled with plenty of tasty chicken, the poblanos blended a slight amount of heat, and the mozzarella was a nice change of pace from the usual cheddar that most places utilize. Thanks to her keto diet, I was able to have her potatoes and sourdough toast. The toast came with homemade preserves, which were not as sweet as the usual jelly packets you see everywhere else. The potatoes were cubed and seasoned simply. I'd have liked them to have a little more crunch to them, but they were still pretty good. I'm not a fruit person, so we both left the fruit alone, but it did look pretty fresh.  

I was really torn between the breakfast carbonara and this Homemade Breakfast Lasagna ($16), and I guess you can see from above which one won out. A breakfast lasagna might seem a little crazy to some, but if you think of it as a distant cousin to the egg casserole you just made for the holidays, it's really kind of the same thing. This was delicious. It was layered with perfectly cooked pasta, spinach, prosciutto, bechamel sauce, folded egg, and crowned with a runny egg on top surrounded by a pool of light marinara and parmesan cheese. It was not as heavy as I was expecting. The yolk from the egg on top tied things together nicely, the bechamel was rich, and the pancetta added just a tinge of savoriness. I'd still like to try the carbonara, but this was a very satisfying and unique first meal of the day. 

This Strawberry, Nutella, and Banana Crepe ($15) was a special on the day we were here. I always like to have a sweet and savory item when I go out for breakfast, so this fit the bill perfectly. The crepe got a little overshadowed here because the toppings were so plentiful, but I did not mind that at all. The bananas and strawberries were fresh and sweet, and they did not skimp on the Nutella. 

Even though Immigrant Son Caffe was not on my radar before we left for our little weekend getaway, it was an excellent choice for breakfast. The service was warm and friendly, the food we encountered was wonderful, and they were very diligent in practicing all safety protocols. This made for a wonderful start to our day of exploring Ventura before finding time to take a three-hour nap later in the afternoon. Thanks again to our server Taylor from the night before at Lure Fish House for steering us this way. A great suggestion. 

Out of five seagulls, (because the Ventura Pier is one of the longest wooden piers in California, providing plenty of space for seagulls to hang out), five being best to zero being worst, Immigrant Son Caffe gets 3.5 seagulls. 

For more information about Immigrant Son Caffe, head to their website here: https://www.immigrant-son.com/

Hoping for a Tempting Meal at Lure Fish House

   

Lure Fish House

60 South California Street

Ventura, CA 93001

Ventura was going to be our home for the next two days. We were going a little stir crazy at home and needed a quick getaway. We did not really have much planned for ourselves. Maybe a walk along the boardwalk, or a quick jaunt to see the San Buenaventura Mission, or even a few naps with an open sliding door so we could faintly hear the waves over the roar of passing trains. Food was, of course, going to play a big role in our weekend as well, and we decided our first meal would be at Lure Fish House. 

It wasn't until I did a little research after we got back home that I realized that Lure Fish House has five locations, (Santa Barbara, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Scottsdale, and this one in downtown Ventura. This spot opened their doors in 2012, and in those eight years, they have amassed four and a half stars with over 2,100 reviews. Very impressive, especially when you consider how many cranky customers use that platform to complain. 

We were visiting Ventura in late October and at that time they had blocked off their downtown area to vehicle traffic, so the restaurants could provide plenty of outside dining to their customers. We walked a couple of blocks from our hotel to Lure Fish House and were met with about a fifteen-minute wait on a Friday night. We made good use of the time by strolling around the area and looking in the shop windows. Right before the 15-minute estimate, we were alerted by text that our table was ready. 

If you are not into seafood, you might want to keep on walking past Lure Fish House. They only have one thing on their dinner menu that does not include seafood, and that's their hamburger. I, however, love seafood and had a hard time narrowing down my choices. Their menu is pretty impressive, with lots of specialties, grilled options, pasta dishes, and fried fish plates available. Prices were pretty modest for a seafood restaurant, as most entrees were in the $20 range. Let's see if Lure Fish House will be a great opening meal for our weekend getaway in Ventura. 

Since Katie was abstaining from carbs, this Bread Basket that came before our meal was all mine. I managed to scarf down two of these three well made sourdough rolls in record time. They were light and doughy on the inside, with a nice amount of softened whipped butter on the side. I'm always partial to whipped butter instead of the butter packets that almost every other restaurant uses. 

Usually, it's me that gets a Caesar, but on this evening it was Katie. Changing things up a bit to keep you guessing. She started things off with this Half Caesar ($5.95). This was a pretty traditional version with chopped romaine, shaved parmesan cheese, sourdough croutons, and a housemade Caesar dressing. She loved the lightness of this salad, which did not sacrifice flavor. They used plenty of parmesan too, which helped out a bit. 

On this slightly chilly evening, a Cup of New England Clam Chowder ($3.95) felt like it would hit the spot. It definitely did. This was a very creamy version, which was a tad light on the number of clams included, but the flavor of this made up for that. I detected maybe some smokiness in some bites, maybe from some chopped bacon? This went very good with my one remaining sourdough roll, which I used to sop up the remaining chowder before our entrees made their way out to us. 

I don't remember what the other dish Katie was contemplating on getting this evening, but she was very pleased with her eventual selection, the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna ($24). She liked the freshness of the ahi and the slight kick that the sesame added, but what really made this for her were the two sauces this came with. The contrast between the sesame ginger sauce and the Sriracha aioli kept her interested throughout her meal. For her two sides, she got Organic Brussels Sprouts and Pesto Cauliflower, both of which were a two-dollar upcharge over their usual sides. Both got raves from Katie, but she was partial to the big time flavor of the pesto and cauliflower.  

I've only had sand dabs at King's Fish House, which I have enjoyed, but I wanted to see how Lure's version compared. These Sally's Sand Dabs ($23) was prepared similarly, with capers and a light lemon sauce. They were breaded a bit less, which allowed the natural flavor of the sand dab to show off a bit more. I had the Sauteed Spinach and Parmesan Potato Cake for my sides. The standout was the potato, which had a nice crunch to the outside and was creamy inside. Parmesan was found in each bite. The spinach was good also. 

Even though I was not overly hungry when we visited Lure Fish House, due to a late lunch, I was pretty impressed with the food here. The seafood was pretty solid, and the sides were stellar. I thought for the price we paid, the portion sizes were generous. Service was excellent, as our server Taylor took great care of us, and even gave me some excellent recommendations for other restaurants in her hometown of Ventura. With our stomachs full, we walked the short distance back to our hotel and were perfectly content with our first meal on our mini vacay. 

Out of five lima beans, (because Ventra was the first place outside of Peru to produce lima beans), five being best to zero being worst, Lure Fish House gets 3 solid lima beans. 

For more information about Lure Fish House, head to their website here: https://www.lurefishhouse.com/

Best Restaurants of 2020

Well, what can I say that hasn't already been said about the year that we just went through together? It's been said way too many times that 2020 has been the most challenging year. The year started off normal but spiraled in March. Mask wearing, hoarding, political strife, hand sanitizer, covid, vaccines, and social distancing became part of our vernacular for the last nine months of the year, and probably well into next year.  

It's an understatement to say that this year has been extremely difficult for the restaurant industry. An industry that I have such an affinity for, one that I've written about on this blog for the last 11 years. It's been a roller coaster ride for the servers, kitchen staff, bussers, owners, management, suppliers, and anyone else who makes their living in restaurants. With the shutdowns, the pivoting to outdoor dining, and then to-go orders, restaurants have had to adapt on the fly, all the while trying to keep up with all of their bills. It's become not just a matter of making a profit, but just surviving. 

Unfortunately, with everything I've read, the prognosis for restaurants is not good. Massive closures of restaurants have already taken place, and others will follow in the coming months. It was already a tough business, but now with months of only making it by on takeout orders and a limited number of customers allowed on the premises, restaurants are facing a tough uphill battle just to get by. 

That's the reason I have continued to write this restaurant review site. I feel it's essential to promote places and let you and everyone else know that local spots are still operating and serving our local communities. Restaurants have sponsored your kid's schools and youth programs all these years, and now it's time to return the favor. Also, as you will see when you scroll down, this might be the most impressive group of restaurants that I have had the pleasure to eat at and write about in any of the 11 years of this blog. Very impressive spots.  

Yes, indeed, I have only reviewed 47 restaurants this year, far below what I've been averaging the last several years, and there are a few reasons for this. First, since I work in a supermarket, and while the restaurants were shut down, we were very busy and it made for some very long days, and that curtailed my writing. We also tried to limit our time out, eating more meals at home, finally unwrapping some of the kitchen stuff we got at our wedding... five years ago. 

So here's to a better 2021. May things get back to a semi-normal state as soon as humanly possible. As usual, I'd like to thank all of you who have faithfully read this blog, or at least looked at the pictures. I'd also like to thank all my social media followers, who put up with me not updating things quite as often as I would have liked. My appreciation also goes out to restaurant workers, who have sacrificed their health to ensure that we have places to eat. You guys are true heroes. I'd also be remiss not to mention my partner in crime, my forever dining companion, Katie, who I know was a little uneasy when we ate out at times this year, but was a trooper as we stayed safe during these turbulent times. You are the best. 

So without further ado, here are my top ten restaurants of 2020. 

#10 Gonzalez's Restaurant - Orange

This is the only Mexican spot to land on my top ten list this year. I loved the family feel of this restaurant that is tucked into the back of a nondescript shopping center off of busy Chapman Avenue. The food was pretty stellar, and this was my first introduction to an alambre, and it won't be my last. 

#9 Ahba - Laguna Beach

This is another blink and you'll miss this place. Located in South Laguna, far from the hustle and bustle of the busy downtown area, we had a great brunch during our visit. It was excellent, but I am yearning for their delicious looking burger that I've seen online. Going back very soon. 

#8 Da Hawaiian Kitchen - Huntington Beach

I feel like Hawaiian cuisine is kind of having its moment in OC right now. There used to be only a handful of spots to get your island fix, but recently some very good spots have set up shop in OC. This place is not new, but it's definitely a standout. Loved their poke and mixed plate, along with an excellent rendition of potato mac salad. 

 

#7 The Ramos House Cafe - San Juan Capistrano

Katie and I are not big Valentine's Day people, but this year we snuck out for brunch at this South OC favorite. Yes, it was a Prix-fixed menu, but very impressive egg dishes, which had us clamoring for more. Situated on the oldest street in California, a visit to Ramos House is like a little mini-vacay. 

#6 Hammer Burger - Orange

Smashed burgers are pretty popular right now, and the best burger I had this year was this one. They were doing pop-up events in front of their house in Orange for a time, but now they have a steady gig working out of the Heritage Barbecue spot in San Juan Capistrano on Sundays. More on Heritage in a bit. 

#5 Cluck Kitchen - Irvine

It seems like almost every time I turned on my computer there was another hot chicken place opening up. The best I had this year was this one, which comes to us from the guys that started the very good burger restaurant The Cut. The chicken here is juicy, had an excellent heat to it, and the fried pickles and potato salad were fantastic as well. I was also a fan of all of their housemade sauces. 

#4 Oliver's Osteria - Laguna Beach

Our visit to Oliver's could not have started any worse. Being sat an hour after our reservation time and then having to change tables because they sat our party of four at a table that was meant to seat two snuggly. The food that made its way out of the kitchen and to our table more than made up for the first impression that we had here. This is the most authentic Italian food in OC by a long shot. As the Italians would say, ottimo cibo!

#3 Oliboli Donuts - Tustin

My love for donuts is well known. I've driven at least an hour to try what people consider a great donut. Luckily, this place is less than 20 minutes away from most points in OC. These are easily the best donuts available in OC and they always rotate new and delicious flavors to keep things fresh.

#2 Porch and Swing - Irvine

Not sure what Charleston, South Carolina food entails? It doesn't really matter because all you really have to know is that whatever you order here, it's going to be delicious and well-executed. You can count us as big fans of Chef Justin Werner and his impressive resume. OC is lucky to have him right in our own backyard. 

#1 Heritage Barbecue - San Juan Capistrano

As if there was going to be any doubt which spot was going to be number one this year. For years I've lamented the fact that there wasn't a great barbecue place in OC. That all changed when Heritage came on the scene in San Juan Capistrano. I waited for two hours for my first taste, and it was definitely worth it. Go during the weekdays for shorter wait times, and they also offer curbside service to eliminate the line altogether. You'll never be able to go back to mediocre Lucille's ever again. 

So there's my list for the best restaurants of 2020. I'd have to say that even though it was a crazy year, this group of restaurants might be the best year-end list I have put together in the life of this blog. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you and yours have a great new year. 

 

Hiho Hiho up the Coast We Go

Hiho Cheeseburger

1320 2nd Street Suite B

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Katie and I were breaking free. She took a vacation day on a Friday, I had been off all week. We were flying the coop. Getting out of dodge. Breaking free of the shackles of our normal routine. For the first time in what seemed like forever, we were taking some time for ourselves. 

I had booked a hotel by the beach in Ventura, so it was natural that we'd stop somewhere in LA to get lunch on the way up. When we are going to be eating in LA, my go-to guide is always Eater LA, and more specifically, their map section. I was definitely feeling like a great burger, so I used the 19 Essential Los Angeles Burgers Map to narrow my search. I had a handful of places to choose from that were close in proximity to the 405 Freeway. I decided we'd give Hiho Cheeseburger a try. 

Hiho is situated on 2nd Street, right next door to their sister restaurant Uovo on one side, a casual pasta place, and Mediterranian favorite, Cava on the other. From what I can gather Hiho Cheeseburger started out in Ojai some time ago, and then that location closed. They moved farther south to Santa Monica in 2017, then opened another location in Mid-Wilshire late last year. 

In that time they have garnered tons of awards. They were deemed the winner in LA Magazine's Burger Bracket in 2018 and again the next year, they were a people's choice winner in the LA Times, named an essential burger by Eater LA, and they own a four and a half star rating on Yelp, with close to 900 reviews. Pretty impressive stuff for a spot that's been open for just three years. 

What makes Hiho special? They're the only restaurant that exclusively uses 100% grass-fed wagyu from New Zealand for their burgers. They add only salt and pepper to it and let the beef, cheese, and ketchup speak for itself. They hand-cut their potatoes for their fries. Buns are baked daily with locally milled flour and zero preservatives. Lastly, their pies are made from scratch every day. This all must be working as they have had great success in such a short time. 

We arrived here at just after 1pm on an overcast Friday in late October. Ordering was done inside the restaurant in an orderly fashion. The menu at Hiho is pretty easy to navigate. They have three burgers to choose from, fries, a caesar salad, a kid's grilled cheese, and a trio of desserts.  After ordering, we were given a pager as we went to get a table outside. Not sure if they are still doing outdoor dining here, but they were back in October, and it allowed for some great people watching as we awaited our food. After about ten minutes our food was ready. Let's see if this truly is one of the better burgers in LA. 

I'll share my meal first. I went with the Triple Hiho Cheeseburger ($10.95). This half-pound burger came mustard grilled and dressed with two slices of cheese, ketchup, lettuce, onion jam, and pickles. After my first bite, I knew this was a very special burger. The bun was fresh and had a nice crunch along its outer ring due to a short amount of time on the flattop. The beef patties were juicy and rich, but not greasy. Obviously a high-quality beef. The cheese was melted perfectly over the beef. They could have been a little more heavy-handed when it came to applying the condiments, but maybe that helped to showcase the beef and cheese. 

The hand-cut, twice-fried French Fries ($3.95) are not overshadowed by the burger. These fires were addictive. A great crunch to them because of being twice-fried, while being soft and pillowy on the inside. Every one a practically perfect french fry. Other restaurants should study what they do here and copy it. 

Yes, I know. It's not the most appetizing thing you have ever looked at, but there's a good reason why Katie got this Lettuce Wrapped Hiho Double Cheeseburger ($7.95). She's been on a program to help reverse her type 2 diabetes. After just a few short months, I'm happy to say she is doing great and taking only a quarter of the insulin that she was in July. I'm really proud of her and am in awe of her willpower, especially when my burger and fries were so stellar. Even though she had no bun, she was completely satisfied with her experience at Hiho Cheeseburger. She claimed that her burger was extremely juicy and that the onion jam was a great compliment to the beef and cheese.  

I had heard good things about the pies at Hiho Cheeseburger, and with my banana cravings growing by the day, I had to finish up my meal with a slice of their Banana Cream Pie ($7.00). This well-crafted pie was full of sliced bananas with a fluffy layer of cream topping it. This is not an overly sweet pie. It relies on the natural sweetness of the bananas to sweeten up each bite. I admit I was not overly in love with this slice, as I like my desserts to be a bit more sugary. This did have a good crust though, which was not soggy in the least.  

Hiho Cheeseburger definitely has its place alongside the great burgers of LA. It seems that anytime you make a statement like this, people always wonder if a place is better than In-N-Out, which seems to be the gold standard for almost everyone in LA, (not in my opinion, but that's a post for another day). Even though burgers have different price points, options, and varying quality of sides, what should really matter is how a burger tastes. After my first bite of my burger here, I knew this was in the upper echelon of burgers I've had in Southern California. Add in the hard to stop at just one french fries, and this is a place I would definitely visit again and again. Hiho Cheeseburger proved that Eater LA knows what they are talking about, and it was an excellent place to get some nourishment for the rest of our drive up the coast. 

Out of five baskets of cherries, (because the name of this restaurant brought to mind the board game Hi-Ho Cherry-O, which had players try to collect cherries in their baskets, yes, a simpler time), five being best to zero being worst, Hiho Cheeseburger gets 4 baskets of cherries. 

For more information on Hiho Cheeseburger, head to their website here: https://www.hiho.la/

Starting off Vacation at El Durango Grill - CLOSED

El Durango Grill

730 East Imperial Highway 

Brea, CA 92821

For those of you that are unaware, my real job, the one that makes me just enough money to eat at all of these restaurants, is working in a grocery store. I'm probably one of the few people that you will meet that is still working at their job they had while in high school. Yes, that's right, 32 years and counting at the same place. The end is near, as I think I have about 3 more years left in me before I can retire and head off to my next chapter. 

I bring this up because this is the time of year that really drains me. Holiday time in a supermarket is not a fun place. You can see people's eyes glaze over when they are deciding what kind of butter to buy, they forget basic things like nonfat and fat-free means the same thing, and they are so rushed for time that common courtesy goes out the window. So, as we approach the last couple of months of the year, I try to sneak in a vacation, and that's why I was meeting my mom and dad on a recent early afternoon at El Durango Grill in Brea. 

El Durango Grill came across my radar after reading an article from Brad A. Johnson in the Orange County Register a year and a half ago. As I faintly recall, he was very high on their carne asada, calling it one of the best around. I'm not usually one to order carne asada, as I prefer pork, but I was pretty impressed because Brad is a pretty tough critic. 

I arrived at the restaurant right at 11am, and true to form, my parents were way ahead of me patiently waiting. El Durango Grill is Brea Mall adjacent, as it's just past it if you are coming from the 57 Freeway on the left side of Imperial Highway. There's a 99 Cents Only Store, Fitness 19, and a Lamps Plus in this center if that helps you out a bit. 

This is an order at the counter place with a pretty good-sized menu. Their offerings include a good number of burritos, tacos, tortas, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas, and breakfast items, which are served all day long. Almost everything here is in the single-digit range, except for a couple of entrees and a lobster burrito. They have moved some tables outside into their parking lot during these challenging times. Good thing too, since they had a very steady stream of people throughout our visit coming here on their lunch breaks. I was excited to find out if it was the great food that brought everyone to El Durango Grill. 

Since it was Tuesday, it was logical that my parents would take advantage of the Taco Tuesday specials that they have here all day long at El Durango Grill. My mom went with the Carnitas Taco ($1.50), while my dad had the Adobada ($1.50), Chile Verde ($1.50), and the Chicken ($1.50). They seemed pretty happy with their $6 lunch. My mom liked the carnitas and was impressed with the amount of pork that they included in the corn tortilla. My dad liked the chile verde and adobada tacos the best, while he thought the chicken was nothing to write home about. Not sure why he's still writing letters in the digital age, but to each his own. 

The taco train kept on chugging away with my three selections. I selected the Carnitas ($1.50), Asada ($2.75), and the Chicken Taco ($1.50). I'm not sure why mine came with salsa and chips on a real plate, while my parent's tacos came out on a paper plate without any chips and salsa. They probably just liked me better. The asada was as advertised, as it was the best of the bunch. Moist and tender, dressed simply with a sprinkling of onion and cilantro. I usually find asada to be a bit bland, but this version wasn't. The chicken taco was fine, but the tortilla on this one did not stand a chance as it ripped apart as I picked it up. I ended up just eating the insides of it with my fork. The carnitas was the weakest link here, as it was bland and dry. The salsa did end up helping though.  

Man can not live by tacos alone, or maybe they can, and I was just ravenous during this lunch. When I saw this Frontera Burrito ($11.99) online, I knew that I was going to have to give it a whirl, as it was one of the most photogenic burritos I have seen recently. A homage to the Mexican flag, the insides of this burrito was steak, onions, and peppers. It was fajita-style, wrapped in a tortilla. The steak was good, but as is the reason I avoid fajitas in most places, they used too many onions and peppers and the meat did not shine through. I was also a little disappointed with the size of the burrito for the price. It was a little on the small size, as I was expecting a bigger version. I'd save the three dollars and just get the regular steak burrito on my next visit.  

My parents did also get this Chicken Taquito ($1.50) to round out their meal at El Durango Grill. This was not a frozen then fried taquito you get at a lot of places. It was hand-rolled, filled with plenty of chicken, and then fried. Nicely done. I'm getting their beef taquitos next time. 

A few hiccups at El Durango Grill for me, but for the most part, this is a solid Mexican spot alongside busy Imperial Highway. Their Taco Tuesday deals are pretty stellar, and they do not skimp on the meat like you see at a lot of other Taco Tuesday spots. There's much more I'd like to try on return visits, like their alambre taco, adobada quesadilla, and chilaquiles. If I lived in the area this place would definitely be in my rotation of restaurants I'd return to on a fairly consistent basis. This was a good place to start off my vacation of eating, catching up on things around the house, and getting ready for the busy holiday season. 

Out of five scorpions, (because the state of Durango in Mexico is famous for their abundance of these dangerous arachnids), five being best to zero being worst, El Durango Grill gets 3 scorpions. 

El Durango Grill does not have a website, so click here to visit their Yelp page for more information: https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-durango-grill-brea

Swinging by for Some Carolina Vibes - CLOSED

Porch and Swing

2010 Main Street Suite #170

Irvine, CA 92614

When I first met Katie's family back in 2009, I have to admit I was not in love with their restaurant choices. They'd head to Mimi's Cafe, Cedar Creek, El Ranchito, and Coco's on a reasonably consistent rotation when Papa was in town —not exactly top-notch spots. I always found things to eat at these restaurants, but I knew there was better out there. 

I might have been the one to gently push them to expand their culinary horizons, but the real catalyst for better restaurant experiences was Katie's mom, Lynn. She became enamored with food and restaurant programs on TV. As Netflix became more popular in the later years of the last decade, she became entranced by immersing herself in Chef's Table, The Great British Baking Show, Salt Fat Acid Heat, Ugly Delicious, and others. 

Seeing these shows and the creativity that the chefs possessed got her to expand her restaurant repertoire by trying new places she read about in magazines, newspapers, and, of course, her son-in-law's fantastic restaurant blog. When I mentioned Porch and Swing as a possible dining option for a long-overdue meet-up with her and her cantankerous husband, Dennis, she could not say yes quickly enough. 

It was a slam dunk, especially after I mentioned Chef Justin Werner's impressive resume. He won Chopped on Food Network, worked at Noma, the Copenhagen spot called the best restaurant in the world, spent significant time at high-end restaurants in New York, and then moved to OC to work for Jason Quinn at Playground DTSA for the last four years.  

Venturing out on his own now, Porch and Swing is his tribute to the cuisine of Charleston, South Carolina. This city borders the Atlantic, so it's a mixture of seafood and soul food. Chef Justin highlights this cuisine with the highest-quality ingredients, a seasonal menu that changes quite often, and a relaxed and cozy atmosphere at his restaurant. 

Burger lovers will remember this space as the old Mick's Karma Bar at the Irvine Concourse Office Towers. It has been expanded a bit, with a lovely patio for al fresco dining, which is about 300 days per year in OC when the weather permits. 

The inside has been very open since they were serving hamburgers here. The ceiling has been raised, the walls painted white, and a 12-seat bar in the corner conveys a very open and airy space. The one-page menu is divided into four parts: a bread section, then salads and starters, an eight-pack of entrees to select from, and a trio of sides to finish things. Instead of writing about the menu, let's look at what we had this evening. 

Since I was eating with three people in keto life, I was surprised when Lynn suggested we start with this Skillet Cornbread ($10). This skillet came out scalding hot, with a dollop of spiked honey butter melting rapidly atop the cornbread. I'm not positive what it was spiked with, but it added just the right amount of muted sweetness to each bite of the cornbread. My first bite was okay, but as I ate this, I warmed to it. It's not a sweet cornbread, but I liked the dense texture of it. 

Lynn called the shots this evening as she jumped to try these Suncoast Farm Figs ($16). The fresh figs included creamy goat cheese, pistachio pieces, and a gastrique. I'll admit I'm not much into figs or goat cheese, but I found myself coming back for my fair share of forkfuls. The figs were fine, but what made this for me was how the other ingredients enhanced them. You get the earthy feel from the pistachio, the creaminess of the goat cheese, and the sweet and savory from the gastrique. It became a winning combination. 

Katie will lead us in the first of our four entrees this evening. Even though she requested that the Imperial Farms Wagyu Flank Steak ($36) be cooked well, it was actually edible, which is not always the case in some restaurants. Maybe someday she will venture into having her proteins cooked in the medium range. The steak had a good crust on the outside, while the inside was juicy, even though it was well done. It made me think that if they could make this well-done piece of meat taste this good, their medium rare flank steak has to be out of this world. This came paired with some crispy kale with shallots strewn on top. This kale was much to Katie's liking.  

It's always a crapshoot about what Dennis will have for dinner when we go out. His tastes run the gamut from soup for dinner to a big entree. He again surprised me this evening by going for the Seared Scallops ($27). These three scallops were perched above a very tasty corn puree. The scallops were done perfectly, with a wonderful tenderness to them. The whole plate did not last long, as Dennis enjoyed it very much. 

The Braised and Glazed Short Rib ($26) is what made an appearance in front of Lynn. As is the case with everything we had from the entree portion of the menu, it was plated in a sauce, puree, or, as you will see in my upcoming meal, grits. The puree was composed of sweet potato and brown butter for the short rib. It featured a tinge of sweetness, which helped counteract the slight savoriness of the fork-tender short rib. I liked the give and take of the bite that Lynn allowed me to have. The flavors were vying for my attention. A very well-crafted plate. 

Not every day do you see Roasted Pork Jowl ($26) on a menu. Hopefully, that will change after this stellar plate. The pork was juicy and tender, with all the bites resembling the moistest bite of carnitas you've ever encountered. The richness was broken up by adding a surprisingly spicy pepper jam. The grits were one of the best I've had in OC and paired nicely with the pork. Definitely, a meal that will keep you comfy on these colder winter evenings. 

Our last hurrah at Porch and Swing for the night was the Rice Pudding Cloud ($12). This simple dessert was created using one of the lightest rice puddings I have ever had, a sliced banana, and a salted caramel drizzle on top. The pudding was light and fluffy but not crazy sweet. The banana and the salted caramel provided the sweetness for this dessert. 

Porch and Swing impressed me and lived up to Chef Justin's impressive resume. The food was well executed, great ingredients were used, and the subtle ways he infused flavors into each plate were nicely done. The portion sizes will not overwhelm you at Porch and Swing, but the superior level of the meals and technique will make anyone who appreciates fine food happy that they came here for lunch or dinner. Service was first-rate, and they have a good-sized patio for people who are more at ease sitting outdoors. We had a wonderful conversation with Chef Justin at the end of our meal, where we got to talk about food and the restaurant industry. Also, we got a quick tutorial on all the microgreens he uses at the restaurant and how he uses them to infuse flavor into his dishes. Most importantly, we had the chance to witness my mother-in-law show her inner fangirl for chefs, as she was practically swooning by the end of our evening at Porch and Swing. 

Out of five birdies (because the first golf club in the United States was established in Charleston in 1787, the same year my father-in-law got his first and only birdie on a golf course), five being best to zero being worst, Porch and Swing get 4 birdies.  

For more information about Porch and Swing, head to their website here: https://www.porchandswing.com/