Barbecue Night in Irvine - CLOSED

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que

13122 Jamboree Road

Irvine, CA 92602

We have been on a real barbecue kick lately. My friend at work was traveling to Texas and wanted me to research the best barbecue joints he should visit. After looking at many pictures and descriptions of these wonderful Texas barbecue restaurants, I was in the mood to have some barbecue here at home. I called my parents, and they met us for an impromptu dinner at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que in Irvine.

I had never been to a Famous Dave's before. They have 173 units operating in 32 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. They have two spots in OC: this Irvine one and one a few blocks away from South Coast Plaza. The Irvine location took over the shuttered Opah spot and is nestled right next to the busy BJ's Restaurant at the corner of Irvine and Jamboree. They have been in business here for nearly two years.

As we were waiting for my parents to arrive, as they were uncharacteristically late on this Friday evening, Katie and I stayed near the front of the restaurant, watching the antics in this busy corner of the Irvine Marketplace Shopping Center. This lady was pulling in and out of a parking space about thirty times, a space that was obviously too small for her huge SUV. Another couple of guys were yelling at each other over another parking space. As all this was happening, I noticed the absence of barbecued meats wafting through the air in front of Famous Dave's, which made me a little apprehensive about this meal.

Entering the Famous Dave's, I was surprised to find out that this was a full-service restaurant, not an order at the counter spot. For some reason, this made me happy. The restaurant is deceptively more enormous than it appears from the outside. There's a nice bar in front of the house, with several high-top tables facing three large TVs tuned to three different games this evening. A large, partially enclosed patio is also off the restaurant's side. Plenty of hanging light fixtures and exposed high ceilings provide a well-lit openness to the space, which is appreciated. Still no smoke or barbecued meat smell inside the restaurant.

There are plenty of choices on the Famous Dave's menu. They offer a plethora of combos, a family feast, burgers, sandwiches, and appetizers, and if you are into that sort of thing, they even have salads. We all quickly made our selections and waited for our food to come while keeping one eye on the Ducks game on the corner TV. Here's how it all worked out for us this evening.

My mom was adamant about trying these Onion Strings ($7.99), and I was not about to disappoint her. These flash-fried onion strings came out with a delicious remoulade sauce, and it reminded me of the now-departed Awesome Blossom from Chilies or the Bloomin Onion at Outback. The top layer was the best, lacking the grease that fell to the bottom of the paper-lined basket. The size of this was perfect for the four of us.

My dad has a proclivity to ordering oddball things at barbecue restaurants. That held true this evening at Famous Dave's when he got these Texas Beef Brisket Tacos ($13.99). The brisket was joined in the grilled flour tortilla by red onion, jalapenos, cilantro, and pico de gallo. My dad liked this, but after my two bites, I thought these were a little boring and needed either a hot sauce or some barbecue sauce on the table to tie this all together. Even my dad's choices of sides were a little off this evening. He had the fresh fruit, which was two slices of watermelon, and the corn on the cob. Both were fresh but different from what I'd choose at a barbecue restaurant.

Like my dad being a wildcard when ordering in a barbecue restaurant, my mom is old and reliable. She always gets some version of a pulled pork sandwich and was true to form getting the BBQ Sliders ($7.99). Usually, these come with one pork, one hot link, and one pulled chicken version, but mom wanted them to be all pork, and Famous Dave's obliged. I was amazed at the amount of pork that these sliders included. They were overflowing with meat, and I knew right away my mom would only be able to eat half of them. The pork that I had was okay. It could have had more flavor to it and a little more tender. It was made better with a liberal dose of one of the six barbecue sauces available on each table. I liked the Devil's Spit and the Rich and Sassy as the best out of the bunch.

Katie also opted for sliders but got these BBQ Sliders ($11.99) off the sandwich portion of the menu. It gets you an extra sandwich and a side. She got these Memphis style, which means they top the sliders with coleslaw for an additional dollar.  She got this because she wanted to try various kinds of their meat like me. She got one slider each of pulled pork, beef brisket, pulled chicken, and a hot link. She liked this plate but was not enamored with the hot link, which was the only one she did not finish.  For her choice of one side item, she selected the Famous Fries, which she called very good, as they had an almost cottage fry kind of feel to them.

Yeah, I went big here. This massive pile of food is the Burnt Ends and Ribs with a Hot Link added ($24.98). With this combo, you get a fair amount of dice-sized burnt ends and a third of a slab of St. Louis spareribs. None of the meats here really wowed. The ribs were a little tough, and there was not too much meat on these bones. The burnt ends were equally disappointing, as they were tough and lacked any smoke flavoring. I'm not usually a big smoke guy, but I want at least a little included. The hot link was probably the best of the bunch, but even that fell flat in the heat department, and it had a grisly texture to the inside of it. The sides were solid. I really enjoyed Dave's Cheesy Mac and Cheese, which had a lot of heat. The Garlic Red Skin Mashed Potatoes were forgettable, with minimal garlic present but a good consistency to the potatoes. I was full when I got around to the Corn Bread Muffin, but it surprised me by how good it was. Moist, but not crumbly, just the way I like my cornbread.

Even though I had a big meal, I always try to save room for dessert. We ordered the Famous Hot Fudge Sundae ($5.49) and the Down Home Banana Pudding ($6.99). Willpower be damned. I really enjoyed the banana pudding the best. It was rich and creamy, with a good banana flavor, and the crunch from the vanilla wafers was a significant textural component of this dessert. The hot fudge sundae was better after we asked for extra hot fudge. The ice cream was okay, as the overabundance of whipped cream took over here.

The lack of a barbecue aroma here told me all I needed to know about this restaurant. If I had to describe Famous Dave's in one word, it would be mediocre. The sides simply outshined the meats here, and that's not a good sign for any barbecue restaurant. The meats we had were not even tender. The solid and varied sauces on the tables were very welcome, and if not for them, it would have been a much worse dining experience. The sides were good, with the mac and cheese, cornbread muffin, and fries all worth getting. Service this evening was excellent, and the management team was very hands-on and active while working in the dining room. Even this visit has not kept me from trying more barbecue restaurants. For now, I'll go back to salivating over pictures of Texas barbecue restaurants.

Out of five Velcro suits (because the most famous Dave I could think of was David Letterman, who wore a Velcro suit on his show in 1984), five being best and zero being worst, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que gets two Velcro suits.

For more information about Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que, head to their website here: http://www.famousdaves.com/home

Spring Menu Preview at the Beachcomber

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove

15 Crystal Cove

Newport Coast, CA 92657

Every so often, I get an email from someone traveling to OC from another part of the country asking me what restaurants they should be eating at when they come to our grand county. Of course, I always suggest eating at a restaurant you can not eat at while you are back home, so that means no chain restaurants. I also think it's vital that visitors get to experience the California vibe. That vibe is nowhere more evident than at the famous Beachcomber at Crystal Cove.

I'm not going to lie and tell you this is the most convenient of restaurants to get to, but the payoff is huge when you get to it. Parking for the entire Crystal Cove Historic District is located on the inland side of Pacific Coast Highway in the Los Trancos parking lot. Parking is charged at $5 per hour, with a maximum rate of $15 per day. However, the Beachcomber does offer validation for three hours with purchase.  After parking, you can either take the Beachcomber Shuttle, which will cost you $1.50, or you can choose the easy ten-minute walk along the well-maintained path, which goes through a tunnel underneath the whizzing cars traveling above you on PCH.

See, I told you it would be worth the small ten-minute jaunt to get here. Coming to Crystal Cove always brings to mind the feeling Catalina meets Gilligan's Island. Picturesque landscapes, no cars, and these tiny, historic cottages, many of which date back to the 1930s, line the beach. Hollywood also found this location idyllic and filmed numerous movies at this historic California State Park. Getting to the Beachcomber literally means getting your toes in the sand, as you have to walk on the beach to reach the front entrance of this restaurant. Talk about beachfront dining with an extraordinary view.

So, what brought us to the Beachcomber on this fine afternoon? We were invited to get a sneak preview of Executive Chef Carlos Olivera's new Spring Menu, which will be available starting Friday, April 7th. His inspiration for these new menu items is color, as spring is the season of color, and he wanted to create visually stunning dishes with equally stunning flavor profiles. Chef Carlos is also inspired by seasonal ingredients, which showcase his unique take on California coastal cuisine. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to be included in this media event.

Upon arrival at the Bootlegger's Bar, just off the Beachcomber entrance, I was presented with one of their most popular signature cocktails, the Pimm's Cup ($15). This concoction combines Pimm's No. 1 Cup, a little Bombay Saphire Gin, lemonade, sparkling soda, lime, strawberries, lemon, and cucumber and is garnished with an orange slice. Talk about refreshing. A few of these could sneak up on you, but with this vacation vibe, you'll want to throw caution to the wind. I've already got my eyes on their Tropical Crush cocktail during my next visit.

Food started making its way out to us, and they began with a tasting plate of three appetizers: Beachcomber classics. After my first taste of the Tiny Ahi Taco ($14.95), it was apparent that this taco was not tiny in the flavor department. The crunchy tortilla did an admirable job of keeping the very fresh ahi tuna, Asian slaw, and Sriracha aioli all together throughout the very short life of this taco. Delicious. Another hit was the Mahi Mahi Spring Rolls ($11.95). It resembled a lumpia, with a tasty filling inside, but it lacked the greasiness that usually comes with regular lumpia. Very well done. Last but not least were the Lemon Grass Chicken Skewers ($10.95). I'm always a little nervous that chicken will be overcooked, but this version was tender and juicy. It paired nicely with the coconut peanut sauce and the edamame salad.

The first of the new spring menu items was next, with this Seared Crusted Yellow Tuna. This fresh piece of tuna was perched atop a wasabi potato puree and served alongside an asparagus spear with a forest mushroom wine sauce. Again, this is just a tasting plate, and the entree version will be much larger. I thought the wasabi potato puree would overpower it, but it was very subtle. I was also a fan of the mushroom sauce, which made me want to lick the plate, but of course, I was on my best behavior this early evening.

Not a new item to the Beachcomber menu, but I was thrilled they let us try a small portion of their famous Chilean Sea Bass ($39.95). Seabass is a personal seafood favorite of mine, and this version was right up there. The fish was delicate and made even better with the inclusion of a fish consomme. This was paired with mushroom tortellini, which would rival any served in any Italian restaurant in OC. This dish should be on the top of your list when dining at the Beachcomber.

The last of the new entrees made it out to us, and they might have saved the best for last with this Island Roasted Chicken. With the regular-sized portion of this, you get half a roasted chicken, served with a Huli Huli glaze and then rounded out with baby bok choy and coconut rice. A very tropical feel to this dish, and some of the most tender chicken I've had in a while. I could have used a little more sauce, but still a very fitting plate for this oceanic paradise.

Dessert is not to be missed at the Beachcomber, and I was pretty impressed with the Beachcomber Beignets ($8.95). These were light and pillowy but still had a lot behind them. These are usually served with chocolate syrup and some vanilla bean ice cream which I assume would push these over the top. I missed what kind of cake this was, but it did not last too long on my plate. I really enjoyed the moist cake and the caramel topping.

The food is usually an afterthought when a restaurant has a view like this. However, that is not the case at the Beachcomber. Chef Carlos and his team not only presented food that tasted great but was also presented wonderfully. A significant accomplishment in this rather small-spaced kitchen. I love that they are doing a seasonal menu here while keeping all the customer favorites. Unfortunately, we did not get to try it, but I'm already planning to return to try their new Honey Maple Glazed Pork Chop very soon. The Beachcomber is a worthy pick for any out-of-town guests and locals who want to enjoy dining right at the beautiful California shoreline.

I'd like to thank the staff and owners of the Beachcomber for this fantastic chance to sample their new spring menu and classic favorites. It was a wonderful evening, with a great group of food friends. I'd also like to thank Lexy Berru at the wonderful ACE Agency for the invitation to this great event. Much appreciated, Lexy, and it was wonderful to finally meet you.

For more information about the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove, head to their website here: https://thebeachcombercafe.com/crystalcove/

Must Be a Cold Front Coming Through Because It's 25 Degrees in Huntinngton Beach

Twenty Five Degrees

412 Walnut Ave. 

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Orange County Restaurant Week is a restaurant reviewers dream. Okay, not just restaurant reviewers, but for anyone that loves going to restaurants, or wants to try a new place without breaking the bank. It's a week that always seems to go by way too fast. We always seem to make all these plans to eat out each night, and then things always pop up, and we have to change our plans. One restaurant that I could not let this happen to was 25 Degrees in Huntington Beach.

25 Degrees has held the top spot on my restaurant wishlist for close to three years now. Yes, I know that's way too long, but it seems like every time we had plans to come up this way, another spot grabbed my attention, and we just kept putting off this restaurant, which gets lots of love for their burgers and cool vibe. So, we made no excuses and headed up to Surf City on the very first day of OC Restaurant Week.

For those of you unfamiliar with OC Restaurant Week, this year they had over 100 restaurants participating, and each of them offers a menu at a prix fixe price. Lunches range between $10 to $20, and dinners range anywhere between $20 to $50 for a multi-course dining experience. I usually spend the better part of two to three hours going through the menus online and pick places that offer the greatest value, and then cross reference that to places on our restaurant wishlist. That's how we ended up at 25 Degrees.

At 25 Degrees they offered a three course, $20 dinner menu, and the topper for me was that their burgers were offered in the deal, so I knew what I would be having. We got here on a cold and windy Sunday, and enjoyed a brief walk around the nearby Pacific City shopping complex and a brisk stroll around Downtown HB. 25 Degrees is a block away from the over the top craziness that is Main Street Huntington Beach, and that city block kind of mellows this restaurant out, at least on this particular Sunday at 5 pm.

Located right next door to the Huntington Beach Beer Company and across the street from both Bruxie and Ritter's Steam Cooking, 25 Degrees does have a speakeasy kind of vibe, without having to give an annoying password at the door to get in. Red velevet wallpaper, ornate hanging light fixtures, and simplistic, yet functional furniture are a departure from the usual beach themed bar that is usually found throughout this city. There is a good number of TV's here, which were unexplainedly turned to 60 Minutes on this particular evening. Must have been a few news junkies hanging out at the way more populated bar. Instead of hearing all the latest about what was happening on the other side of the country, I chose to focus on the food at 25 Degrees, and what was on their restaurant week menu.

As is the custom when Katie and I are eating during restaurant week, we each select a different option from each section of the restaurant week menu. Her selection for the starter portion was this spicy Yellowfin Tuna ($12 on the regular menu). The fresh tuna was perched atop a tempura fried piece of eggplant, and topped with tobiko, which is flying fish roe. Even though Katie is not a big fan of roe, she really enjoyed this unique and fresh starter. The eggplant was a neat vehicle for the fresh, but not spicy tuna. Very impressive start to her meal.

So with Katie taking the tuna, that left me with either the bacon wrapped dates or the wings. Of course, I went with the Chili-Honey Chicken Wings ($9). Every so often I enjoy a sweet and tangy wing, and these hit the spot. They were coated with a very well done sauce, which was both sticky and sweet, and went well with the tender chicken underneath. I made quick work of these three wings and anxiously waited for our entrees.

I was a little surprised Katie did not go the Cuban sandwich route with her entree but instead got this Chicken and Waffles (not on their regular menu). This plate came with three pieces of fried chicken and a whole waffle. Neither of us was a fan of the fried chicken, which had a very crumbly breading, which cracked off rather easily and was more on the greasy and thin side. It really provided little in the way of flavor. The chicken inside was also not above par. There were some real red parts, which kind of freaked Katie out, and there was not too much in the way of meat underneath the subpar breading. She was however pretty fond of the waffle, which I thought was just okay. I would have asked for extra syrup, as the waffle really sucked up the maple syrup quickly. Not the best meal for Katie.

As disappointed as we were in the Chicken, this Blue Style Burger ($11) lived up to the hype. This good looking burger was piled high with plenty of caramelized onions, arugula, bacon, gorgonzola, thousand island dressing, and Crescenza cheese, which I haven't seen offered anywhere else. A very balanced burger, not one component overpowered the other, and I really enjoyed the mild and creamy cheese on this. The burger patty itself was very juicy and seasoned just enough. The bun was soft but still held everything together. Really a good burger, and one of the better ones I have had in a long time.

To complete our three-course meal, we each got to choose a side to go along with our entree. Katie is a big fan of Sweet Potato Fries ($5) and liked these well enough. They came out warm, were simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and were made better with the ranch that came with this. I had the Onion Rings ($5). These came three to an order and were pretty solid. Made with red onion, which I wish more places would do, these seemed to employ the same breading that was used on the fried chicken. It worked better here, although it did break away from the onion way too easily, which is a big pet peeve to me. A good onion ring, but I wish the pepper was a little more prominent here.

This OC Restaurant Week menu at 25 Degrees definitely had some hits and misses on this evening. I don't think fried chicken is one of their strengths, but that burger has got me excited to come back here and try one of their other six varieties available. I really liked the vibe here, which lacked the kind of bro vibe that a lot of bars in HB posses. This is a mellow bar/restaurant, which is cranking out some really solid burgers. Service was very good on this early evening. Our server, Collin, answered all of our questions and made sure our every need was met. Glad we finally made it out to 25 Degrees, and visiting here during OC Restaurant Week made it even better.

Out of five scuba divers, (because the only portion of the 25 degrees north parallel that touches the US is in Key Largo, Florida, which is known as the dive capital of the world), five being best to zero being worst, 25 Degrees gets 3 scuba divers.

For more information about 25 Degrees, check out their website here: http://25degreesrestaurant.com/