Today’s the Day for Taqueria Hoy!

 Taqueria Hoy!

291 North Tustin St. 

Orange, CA 92867

Life has slowly gotten back to normal for Katie and myself. We have been out to dinner with friends way more often than we did last year, we have planned a vacation for next month, and we have been able to attend Ducks games, which is something that we could not do last year because of the pandemic. Going back to the Honda Center means we have more opportunities to try new restaurants on our way to the games, instead of paying the ridiculous prices at the game. It was on our way to a recent game that we stopped in at Taqueria Hoy. 

Taqueria Hoy is situated at the corner of Tustin and Palm Avenue in Orange. Yes, this used to be the former home of Taqueria De Anda, but has now been rebranded as Taqueria Hoy. It's managed by Rafael De Anda and his two sons. The reason for the rebranding was vaguely explained as a way to correct inconsistencies that had been made here when it was Taqueria De Anda. They also wanted to put an emphasis on quality and the authentic favors of their native Jalisco, Mexico. It sounds like there's a bit more to this rebranding, but I haven't been able to find out much about the split of these two restaurants online. 

There are three locations of Taqueria Hoy open for business now, with a fourth coming soon in Tustin. The Orange and Santa Ana locations are open 24 hours a day, while the Anaheim spot is open until 10pm on weeknights and 1am on weekends. The menu is pretty simple to navigate with only tacos, quesadillas, and burritos offered, with your choice of any of their seven meat options. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is prepared right in front of you as you pay at the register. A very streamlined process, which was good since we were pressed for time since we were on our way to the Ducks game.  

We started off with a cavalcade of Tacos ($1.85). Both Katie and I picked three to start with. She had the Chicken, Pastor, and Carnitas, while I had the Carnitas, Buche, and Pastor. With the exception of the pastor taco, which came with red salsa, these tacos came dressed with green salsa, onions, and a little sprinkling of cilantro on two street sized corn tortillas. My favorite was the pastor, which included some very flavorful marinated pork shards and little bits of pineapple to add a tinge of sweetness to some bites. The buche, which is pork belly was one of the better versions I have had. The carnitas were okay, as they kind of lacked the depth of flavor that the other two had. I also would have liked a little crispiness to the pieces of chopped pork. Katie was very fond of her selections, calling them delicious. She also got a Side of Rice ($2.75) which helped round out her meal at Taqueria Hoy. 

Three street tacos each were not going to get us through a hockey game, so we split this Al Pastor Quesadilla ($7.05) as well. The large flour tortilla was cut into quarters and was plenty for the both of us. It was a little light on the cheese, or at least it seemed that way because there was a good amount of pork here. Nicely crisped on the flattop, each bite had a little crunch to it. We should have gotten a side of crema to go along with this. 

Just for good measure I got an Al Pastor Burrito ($7.05), which I was going to eat half here and then half at home after the game. The burritos at Taqueria Hoy include your choice of meat, beans, rice, onions, and cilantro. I opted to forgo the rice, which I kind of regret. I'm usually not a fan of rice in burritos, but I think it would have made this one better by giving it a little more stability, as it needed a bit more structure to the insides of the burrito. The burrito was good sized and made for a nice late night snack when I got home from watching the Ducks get hammered by the Maple Leafs. 

Taqueria Hoy kind of reminds me of this years Ducks team. They are a young, fun team to watch, but you know that they are not going to make a playoff push this year. Taqueria Hoy is kind of the same. The food here is good, but there is way better out there that is playoff worthy. I do like the fact that Taqueria Hoy is open 24 hours, so if you have a taco craving at 2 in the morning you can cure those hunger pains. Orange County is seriously lacking when it comes to 24 hour dining options, so when a place offers it, we should make a point to patronize it, even if I've been having a hard time keeping my eyes open past 8:30. Service was prompt, and they got our food prepared and on our table rather quickly. Now that we are getting back to normal and going to hockey games again, I can totally see us coming back here before another game soon. 

Out of five five cups of coffee, (because this restaurant sits on Palm Avenue, and the largest palm tree ever measured was found in western Colombia, the major coffee growing region of this South American country), five being best to zero being worst, Taqueria Hoy gets 3 cups of coffee.  

For more information about Taqueria Hoy, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.taqueriahoy.com/ 

A Quick Jaunt to Original Burger Works in Phoenix

Original Hamburger Works

2801 North 15th Ave. 

Phoenix, AZ 85007

We were in Phoenix for a very dear friend's celebration of life, and we had time for just one meal during the fifteen hours we would be in the Grand Canyon State. I not only had to pick somewhere good, but I also had to make sure it would be a good spot for the rest of my family, who were joining us in our little food adventure. It was a lot of pressure to come up with somewhere that we'd all like. 

To make it even more stressful, the original restaurant selection that I had made was not well received by any of the locals that I had talked to at the reception that followed the service. I scrambled to pick another place that was near the church, as Katie and I did not have much time because our outgoing flight was fast approaching. I pretty much just picked the highest-rated burger spot in the area on Yelp. That's what brought us to the Original Burger Works. 

From what I've been able to gather this place has been open for a couple decades at least. We arrived just after half-past one, which was good because we missed the lunch rush. Ordering is done at the counter, and then they call your number to pick up your food at the window. The restaurant features a fixin's wagon where you add your own condiments, ala Fuddrucker's or the long-departed Flakey Jakes. There's also a window where you can watch them making their burgers over their mesquite broiler. 

The menu features burgers ranging in size from a third-pound all the way to a full-pound burger. There are also five burgers with options such as mushrooms, bacon, cheese, guacamole, and more. They also serve chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fish sandwiches, wings, and fish and chips. An assortment of appetizers and sides are also available. Prices are pretty modest, as everything is under the $10 mark, with the exception of the pound burger and the retirement burger, which includes a company car and the restaurant. The cost of that was just over a million dollars. I'm not looking to get into the restaurant business, so let's just take a look at what we ate this afternoon. 

Up first were my niece's 10 Piece BBQ Boneless Wings ($8.99). I found it a little odd that they plated these with celery sticks, which are generally only used for buffalo wings, but maybe they thought she needed a little roughage in her diet. Anyways, these were fine, with a very heavy breading surrounding the chicken underneath. Regular frozen chicken nuggets, nothing too special. 

The only sides we had at the Original Hamburger Works were the Fries ($4.99) and Onion Rings ($4.09). The better of the two was the onion rings. They had a very pleasing breading encasing the onion underneath, which had a nice crunch to each bite. The onion also did not come apart from the breading, which is my pet peeve when it comes to onion rings. The fries were fine, especially when dipped in their very solid ranch dressing. 

My brother-in-law ordered the Hot Dog ($4.59). As you can see from the picture above, this is served on a hamburger bun, which kind of unnerved me for some reason. It's not going to change the taste and it probably helps the restaurant keep costs down, but it still seemed a bit odd to me.  No complaints from Jarrod though, as he ate this all-beef hot dog, which they cut into thirds to make it fit on the sesame seeded hamburger bun. Also troubling to me was that he had put a random celery stick on his plate for the picture, which I did not notice at the time, but just added to the uneasiness that I had about this sandwich. 

My sister went for the BBQ Chicken Sandwich ($8.39) for her midday meal. This is one of their four chicken sandwich options, as they also have a buffalo style, teriyaki, and plain versions for your consideration. My sister was sitting quite far from me at the end of the table, so I did not really get to hear how she liked this, I just really wanted to include it so you know that there are other options here besides hamburgers.    

My go-to at a new burger spot that I've never eaten at before is to try their Half Pound Bacon Cheese Burger ($9.19). I selected cheddar cheese for this and dressed it simply with a little pickle relish and mayo at their fixin's wagon. I also added some onions but steered clear of the rest of the veggies so I could taste the burger more distinctly. The burger was a tad overcooked, but I still did enjoy it. The burger still retained some juiciness, while the cheddar melted nicely over the patty. The bacon was crisped and formed into a kind of round form, so you get bacon in each bite, which is way better than the lazy crisscross pattern most other restaurants serve their bacon burgers. A fine burger, but not anything mindblowing 

I think that's how I'd sum up the Original Hamburger Works, it's fine for what it is, just don't expect to have your mind blown from anything that you are going to have here. It reminded me of backyard burgers, which are fine, but not very memorable, especially the ones that I've had in my time. I have always enjoyed a condiment bar for burgers as it truly allows you to have it your way. The restaurant itself reminded me of a TGI Fridays, with all the stuff hanging on the walls, and the Fuddrucker's vibe is unmistakable, but Fuddrucker's has better burgers. This restaurant met its need as a place that was nearby and that everyone in my family could find something to eat on their menu. 

Out of five umbrellas, (because the city of Phoenix only gets an average of eight inches of rain a year, so I imagine that it's hard to find umbrellas in this desert town), five being best to zero being worst, the Original Burger Works gets 2.5 umbrellas. 

For more information about the Original Burger Works click right here: http://greatburgeraz.com/index.html

Doing a Flyby at Jame Enoteca

 Jame Enoteca

241 Main Street 

El Segundo, CA 90245

We recently were headed to LAX to catch a flight when I got an alert on my phone that our flight had been delayed for an hour and a half. Most of the time, this would have infuriated me, but I was starving, and this saved me from having some garbage fast food at the airport. We were pretty close to the airport, so I did a quick Yelp search of nearby restaurants and picked Jame Enoteca based on their Yelp reviews. 

Jame Enoteca is the proud owner of a four-and-a-half star rating, with over 500 reviews. Established in 2018, Jame Enoteca is helmed by Jackson Kalb, who also runs Ospi in nearby Venice, and it was just announced that he and his wife are also opening an Italian seafood restaurant in Brentwood, which should open later this spring or summer. As if all that was not enough, he's also going to be a contestant on the latest season of Top Chef. In summary, he's a very busy fellow. 

Maybe because it was a Thursday night, we got seated right away when we arrived at this cozy restaurant situated in a nondescript strip mall, just off of Main Street in El Segundo. We were seated on the patio in front of the restaurant. so I never did actually get a good look inside the restaurant while we were here, but from the pictures I've seen online, it looks pretty tiny, with tables squeezed together very closely. To remedy the covid times that we are all experiencing right now, they have erected a makeshift patio in the parking lot. 

On their website, they call their cuisine Californian-Italian fare while using local, market-driven ingredients to create their dishes. The lunch menu at Jame Enoteca features starters, salads, sandwiches, and eight hand-rolled pasta offerings, while the dinner menu forgoes the sandwiches in favor of four larger plates and adds more in the way of starters and pasta options. Appetizers hover around the $16 price point, while pasta dishes will set you back right around $20, and mains go for $30 or more. Let's see if this was a much better alternative to the airport eating we would have done if our plane had not been delayed. 

We've gotten Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($16) at plenty of restaurants, but I'm not sure we've ever gotten as many as we got on this evening at Jame Enoteca. This platter contained more than our fair share of these little cabbages. They were indeed very crispy as the menu promised, but they lacked a substantial amount of the schiafonni dressing, which would have helped bring these sprouts to life a bit more. Not bad, but with so many and not enough dressing, I became bored after eating my fifteenth sprout.  

Entrees were up next, and Katie will start us off with her selection this evening, the Tagliatelle Al Ragu ($19). I also had my eye on this one, but I deferred to her. See, I can be a decent husband some of the time. The brief menu description calls this a Hollywood-style bolognese, and the reason for this might surprise you, as it did me. They add avocados to their bolognese, which gives it some added creaminess. You'd never know it by tasting it, but the result is one of the most comforting dishes we have had in a while. The ribbon pasta was fresh and was a great vehicle for this untraditional, but meaty ragu. After my bite of this, it's no wonder why this dish gets so much love online. 

Since Katie took my number one pick, I decided to go with the Paccheri Rigati ($19 plus $5 for two meatballs). This pick was another winner. The large tubed pasta was nicely paired with spicy pork sausage, a lick-your-plate clean tomato-based sauce, and finished off with some fine pecorino. It popped with a bit of a kick from the sausage, but even if you are a wimp when it comes to heat, I think you could handle this one. The meatballs were kind of a letdown. They were very dense and needed to be seasoned a bit more. They were not awful, but I'd probably try the sausage the next time I was here. 

Jame Enoteca has been called one of the best places to eat pasta in all of Los Angeles, and after this visit, I'd have to say it's right up there. If we lived closer, we would definitely have this spot in our heavy rotation of restaurants. I'd love to eat my way through the rest of their menu. The service was very cordial, and the food came out real quick. The price point was pretty modest, while the portion sizes are not going to overstuff you, but you definitely won't need to stop on the way home to get something else either. Jame Enoteca was an excellent alternative to the airport food we would have had to endure if our flight wasn't delayed. Probably one of the only times we will be thankful for a flight delay. 

Out of five Hot Wheels cars, (because Mattel is based in El Segundo, and the best selling toy of all-time is their Hot Wheels brand), five being best to zero being worst, Jame Enoteca gets 3.5 Hot Wheel cars. 

For more information about Jame Enoteca, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.eatjame.com/

A Fiftieth Anniversary for a Couple of Golden Oldies

Salt Creek Grille

32802 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

2021 was a big year in my family. It was not only the year that I turned 50, it was also the year that my fantastic inlaws celebrated their golden anniversary. If this was any other year, I'm sure their children would have thrown a big lavish party in a hall or a larger venue. A party that would start out big and grandiose, and then as the night dragged on, with the help from the free-flowing alcohol, it would dissolve into long-ago stories of family lore and maybe some family drama would make an appearance.  

Luckily, we were spared that raucous event in favor of this smaller, more intimate affair at Salt Creek Grille in Dana Point. My wonderful sister-in-law Sara selected Salt Creek Grille because my in-laws have always enjoyed this restaurant, which sits at the end of Crown Valley Parkway and intersects with Pacific Coast Highway in picturesque Dana Point. 

Salt Creek Grille was established in 1996, and in those 25 years, they have amassed quite a loyal following. They earned a four and a half star rating on Yelp with well over 2,000 reviews, their bar, porch, and lounge areas are packed for happy hour daily, and their Sunday brunch gets people out of their comfy beds and into their restaurant to end their hectic week. 

Back to our family dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the cornerstone of our family, my inlaws. Sara and our event coordinator, Paige had every detail perfect as the fourteen of us all arrived at Salt Creek at 4pm precisely. This family can be a bit hard to handle, but Paige was a pro as she shared with us what they had in store for us on this very joyous occasion, and made sure our every need was met.  

We were seated in the Mason Library, which is one of three private dining spaces at Salt Creek. The long rectangular room could seat up to 40 people but was very comfortable with just the 14 of us. This private room had its advantages for us because it allowed the toddlers in our family to have some room to roam, without disrupting other guests. 

Before we get to our three course meal, we started things off with a trio of appetizers, which was good because I had eaten very little in anticipation of this meal. We had a Grazing Board with three kinds of cheese, prosciutto, salami, whole grain mustard, candied walnuts, dried fruit, pickled veggies, crackers, and berries. This was ideal as we hovered around it as everyone arrived. The Bacon Wrapped Shrimp were nicely done with a tinge of horseradish stuffed inside of them. Not too overpowering, the crispy bacon and shrimp were still the star of the show. The saltiness from the bacon and shrimp was balanced out with the provided chipotle honey sauce that accompanied this. The French Loaf is always a must-order at Salt Creek, with roasted garlic and asiago cheese baked on top of this dome of bread. Lather it with the whipped butter, and you won't be able to stop at just one piece. 

Our first course was either a Classic Caesar Salad or the Salt Creek Grille House Salad. It's probably no surprise to anyone that's read this blog for any length of time that I selected the Caesar. This was a good version of my favorite salad. Chopped romaine is used as the base and then asiago cheese, focaccia croutons, and a very traditional caesar dressing is added to the mix to make up this salad. I really enjoyed the crunchy croutons and the cheese on this, but it could have been dressed a bit more evenly as some of the greens were lacking in the dressing department. 

The House Salad had a little bit of something for everyone. Mixed greens are joined by sliced apples, tomato wedges, gorgonzola, candied walnuts, and a balsamic vinaigrette. I'm a big fan of combining a multitude of flavor profiles, and this had the tang from the dressing, along with the sweet tinge from the apples, and the savoriness of the gorgonzola. Very balanced and well-liked from all that picked this salad on this early evening. 

I'll go through these entrees pretty quickly because I was not offered any bites, which is par for the course with this bunch. Very selfish. Here's a shot of the veggie option, the Seasonal Vegetable Ravioli with pesto. Rachel, who was lucky enough to sit right next to me, really enjoyed this plate. It really smelled good, and I had to fight back the urge to run a piece of bread through the pesto sauce. Yes, I was on my best behavior for once.  

The second option that we had to choose from was the Rotisserie Chicken in an herb au jus. This was a pretty good-sized portion, which was paired with broccolini, a few cherry tomatoes, and mashed potatoes underneath it all. A very comforting plate, but of course, I went for the third option below. 

When given the option, almost every time I'll jump at the chance to go for the red meat selection. Whether it's at a wedding reception, luncheon, or in this case, an anniversary dinner, red meat is my first choice almost every time. After my first bite of this Wood Fired Filet Mignon, I knew that I had made the right decision. It was predictably tender and boosted in flavor by the nice cabernet demi-glace topping it. The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy, while the broccolini was crisp and fresh. The tomatoes added a nice color splash to the plate, but I left them alone due to my aversion to this seedy fruit. 

Rounding things out was dessert, and somehow I talked my way into having both options. I guess I become very persuasive when dessert is involved. I love a good butter cake, but I think I liked their Chocolate Molten Cake even better. A very moist mini chocolate bundt cake was filled with warmed chocolate in the middle and topped with both whipped cream and a caramel drizzle. Very decadent. The Butter Cake here was good, but I've had better. I think the problem with this one was that there was too much going on in the way of the strawberry sauce and mixed berries. They both kind of detracted from the ice cream and the cake. Still, a sweet ending to our evening at Salt Creek Grille. 

I pretty much had to be wheeled out of Salt Creek when everything was all said and done. We all had a great time, with minimal squabbles during our time here, which is way better than most parties that involve my wife's family. Sara hit a homerun with her executive decision to hold her parent's 50th anniversary at Salt Creek Grille. Our event coordinator Paige was a pleasure to work with, and Megan, our server was right on top of every whim that any of us had. Salt Creek Grille is definitely a great place to hold your next event, like maybe a 51st-anniversary party next year. See you then. 

For more information about Salt Creek Grille, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.saltcreekgrille.com/

Booking It to Top Shelf Tacos in Carson

 Top Shelf Tacos

23551 South Avalon Blvd. 

Carson, CA 90745

Okay, I know what you are thinking. Carson? What has brought me to the South Bay? Well, I've become quite obsessed with audiobooks since the middle of last year. Instead of paying for another subscription service, I decided I'd borrow audiobooks through our public libraries. 

I had two local library cards already, then I learned that by being a California resident I could get library cards from other areas if I applied for them in person. I found out that the Los Angeles Public Library is the 4th largest in the US, and with the closest branch to me being in Willmington, I decided I'd combo my new library card with a new restaurant review. After some quick research, I found myself at Top Shelf Tacos in Carson. 

Top Shelf Tacos is located in the Plaza Avalon shopping center, which is also home to a Domino's Pizza, Fresh Food Ranch Market, and other small retail shops. Like so many before them, Top Shelf started out as street vendors in the South Bay, then came pop-up locations in other restaurants, and then finally in 2015 they opened this storefront.  

Their impressive four-and-a-half-star rating with over 1,000 reviews is what drew me to Top Shelf Tacos. The menu is pretty easy to navigate. There are seven protein options, and then you choose how you want to use them; tacos, burritos, loaded fries, nachos, tortas, bowls, sope, or a quesadilla. There's also a shrimp cocktail and ceviche to pick from. Nothing here is more than $14, so I quickly made my selections at the register and waited about five minutes for my number to be called. 

I started my meal off at Top Shelf with a trio of tacos. I went with the Birria ($2.50), Al Pastor ($2.50), and the Carnitas ($2.50). As you can see from the pictures above, these tacos come with just a corn tortilla and the meat that you choose. They do have a salsa bar which allows you to dress your own tacos. I tried both the red and green salsa, which both had a decent kick to them, but did not overwhelm the proteins. The best of the bunch for me was the pastor taco. I liked the contrast between the little fatty pieces and the tender meaty slivers. The flavor was spot on as well. The carnitas won the silver medal on this early afternoon, as it also had nice contrasting bits of pork encased in this sturdy corn tortilla. The birria was fine with its flavor profile, but it was a little more on the soupy side of things. Not a bad taco out of the bunch.  

On their Yelp page, they get plenty of love for their Top Shelf Fries ($14.50), and after my first few bites, I can understand why. This starts with some fries on the bottom and then they add beans, grated cheese, crema, guacamole, and my protein of choice, carne asada was layered throughout. This did call for tomatoes as well, but I'm not the world's biggest fan of that seeded fruit. These were the best-loaded fries that I've had in recent memory. They were layered nicely, so every bite had a little bit of everything in each forkful. The fries stayed crispy even until the end, which was not actually that long, as I scarfed these down rather quickly. The carne asada was not overcooked like a lot of places tend to do. My only qualm with this was that there could have been a bit more guacamole included, but otherwise, this was a top-notch version of carne asada fries. 

Just for good measure, I got an Al Pastor Burrito ($8.50 plus $1.25 for guacamole) for dinner a little later at home. This burrito was good-sized but manageable. The flour tortilla was filled with plenty of that good al pastor that I had in my earlier taco, whole beans, onion, and cilantro. I modified this by omitting the rice that usually comes with this and adding cheese instead. A very good modification if I do say so myself. I did forget to get some extra salsa for this, but it was just fine with some Tapatio that I had in the fridge.  

I have to say that Top Shelf Tacos was a pretty solid spot for my library card adventure to nearby Willmington. All the meats that I consumed here were very good, while the carne asada fries were one of the best I have encountered through the run of this blog. If I lived in the area I would definitely have this spot in my heavy rotation at mealtimes. Service was fine, and the dining room was clean and comfortable. I can definitely see myself coming back here when I have to renew my library card, or maybe sooner. 

Out of five airplanes, (because the city of Carson hosted the very first air show held in the US way back in 1910), five being best to zero being worst, Top Shelf Tacos gets 3.5 airplanes. 

For more information about Top Shelf Tacos, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.topshelftacos.com/

No Cliffhanger About the Food at the Cliff Restaurant

 The Cliff Restaurant and Bar

577 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

With some exceptions, I have come to a conclusion about restaurants that have spectacular views. Unfortunately, most are not very good when it comes to the food that they serve. They think they can just get by because people like to eat while taking in the breathtaking scenery. In OC, we have a couple of these restaurants; Orange County Mining Company, Las Brisas, Orange Hill Restaurant, Wind and Sea Restaurant, and Harpoon Henery's, to name a few off the top of my head. 

My aunt and uncle had wanted to meet up with us for lunch, and they had requested that I pick somewhere with a nice view. I racked my brain trying to come up with some places that are known for their view, but also places that I had never been, so I could take the opportunity to write a review. Finally, I sent them three or four places I had found, and they selected The Cliff Restaurant in Laguna to try. 

With the help of my good friend Darin, who runs one of the many parking lots in the city, parking was a breeze on this particular Sunday at noon. The Cliff is notorious for its long waits for tables, especially on days when the weather is beautiful in this seaside community. So I joined the waitlist on Yelp at just the right time to have our table ready at noon. We were called to the hostess stand at noon but were not seated until twenty minutes later, which was still way better than waiting in front of the restaurant for two hours, which is what they were quoting as the time to be seated.  

The dining area is a multi-level patio with plenty of blue umbrellas to shield you from the elements as you eat. The view was as advertised. Magnificent and stunning are words that come to mind. I must not be the only one to think so, as everyone's instinct when seated here is to whip out their phones and snap many pictures. The setting brought to mind what I'd expect it feels like to dine along the Agean Sea in the Greek Islands, even though I've never had that pleasure. 

The lunch menu at the Cliff is a one-page affair divided into starters, salads, burgers, sandwiches, seafood specialties, and Mexican-style items. Prices for mains range between $16 and $33, while appetizers will set you back at around $16. We were all hungry, so we made our selections rather quickly as we caught up on each other's goings-on. Let's see if The Cliff is just a pretty spot to eat or does the food match this exquisite view.

Jenny starts things off with the Soup of the Day ($6), which on Sundays is Lobster Bisque. They also have clam chowder every day, but it wasn't ready when we visited. Jenny reports that this bisque was okay but not as rich as others she has had, and there were no little bits of lobster running through it. However, the chowder gets a lot more love online, so that might be the way to go if you are in the mood for soup. 

Cutting down on my writing time, three of my family members got the Fish and Shrimp Combo ($20). This fried combo consisted of three rather large shrimp, three pieces of cod, and a pile of fries. A good-sized plate, but unfortunately, the fish did not win many rave reviews from these three. They felt the breading on the fish was not as crunchy as they would have liked, and the fish underneath refused to give up that pop of flavor that would have compensated for that. The shrimp still had the breading issue but was way more flavorful and was their clear favorite. The fries were fine but unremarkable. 

My aunt bucked the trend from the rest of her immediate family by selecting this Baja Burrito ($16). This burrito uses tempura Mahi Mahi as its base, adding shredded cabbage, pico de Gallo, white cheddar cheese, and chipotle aioli to fill the slightly grilled tortilla. Not the best seafood burrito my aunt has consumed, but passable. 

Even though we were feet away from the ocean, Katie and I veered away from seafood at The Cliff, as she went with the Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich ($16). Everyone is doing a fried chicken sandwich these days, and The Cliff adds pickles and a spicy ranch to theirs. Katie liked the chicken, which was tender and juicy, but this needed way more of the spicy ranch to make it better. 

Last but not least, I finally ordered the Prime Rib Dip ($21) after much deliberation. I probably should have gone with my first option. Unfortunately, this was not an excellent prime rib sandwich. The bread was hard, and the meat tasted less like prime rib and more like that dried beef that you get at the supermarket in the jar. The meat was more than likely leftovers from the evening before. Thank god there was au jus to dunk this in; otherwise, it would have been pretty hard to choke it down. That and the only other saving grace was the horseradish, which provided the only flavor I detected while eating this. The fries were okay and probably the star of this plate. Not a good sign when frozen fries are the best part of your meal. 

Sadly, The Cliff Restaurant's food could not compete with its spectacular view. At best, the food is average, and as with my prime rib sandwich, way worse than that. The food took a while to make its way from the kitchen, so maybe they were short-staffed or just having a bad day. I thought the price point was more than fair, especially considering this neighborhood. Our server was fine but might have been stretched too thin, another sign of the labor shortage hitting the restaurant industry. 

Out of five thunderbolts (because the largest cliff in the world is Mount Thor on Baffin Island in Canada, and it's named after the Norse god of thunder), five being best to zero being worst, The Cliff Restaurant gets 2 thunderbolts. 

For more information about The Cliff Restaurant, head to their website here: https://www.thecliffrestaurant.com/

Date Night in Dana Point

 Station Craft

34150 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

It was a very overdue date night for Katie and me. It seemed like forever since we had gone out just the two of us. We have gotten into a routine where we are both pretty exhausted after working ridiculous hours at our jobs, just picking up something on the way home through the drive-thru lane, and crashing on the couch watching TV. This cycle repeats until it is broken with a night out with our family or friends. This particular evening we broke free from our comfort zone and headed to Station Craft in Dana Point. 

Station Craft has been open for just over a year now, and if you could not tell from their name, they are big into craft beers. Their rotating board above the L-shaped bar shares what kinds of beers are available on the day you visit, along with others that are available by the can to go. They brew on the premises, which is pretty impressive based on the size of their operation, which is right alongside busy PCH. They also hopped on the seltzer train, with two varieties offered. 

I was saving my calories for the food, which was seriously needed after a hard Saturday at work. Their menu is not going to dazzle you with a ton of options. They have six appetizers to choose from, along with two salads, five mains, and a duo of desserts to finish things off with. Appetizers will run you about $13, while the burgers and sandwiches range between $16 to $25 for their lobster roll. Based on what I've seen online, it does seem like their menu has changed since we visited late last year, so be advised of that. 

When we visited back in October, (yes, I'm a little behind in my reviews), college football and the baseball playoffs were in full swing, with a good number of the Station Craft patrons watching the games, while others were seated on the patio that hangs above the parking lot. We were seated at a high-top table near the entrance of the restaurant, which allowed a great place for people-watching in the sleek, white-walled dining space. Let's check out the food. 

Before we get to the food, we were presented with these Roasted Mixed Nuts as we sat down. A very nice touch. They were spiced nicely, with a little pop of flavor that came through in each handful. 

We started things off with both Katie and I choosing an appetizer. I went with the Glazed Brussels Sprouts ($8 plus $2 for an egg added on top). This was fine, but the glaze needed to be mixed amongst the sprouts better, as it all settled down at the bottom of the bowl. The egg added very little here, and I'd skip it the next time I had this. Katie's a big fan of Bavarian Pretzels ($13) and tries them quite regularly. She liked this one but felt that the beer cheese that came with this was more beer than cheese, so she was more into dipping this into the provided, but not pictured hot mustard. 

Not on their menu anymore, at least online, Katie selected this Black and Bleu Chicken Sandwich ($17). This chicken sandwich came with some blue cheese crumbles and lettuce on what I think was toasted sourdough. Katie was far from impressed with this, calling it just okay, and kind of boring. Maybe some more blue cheese and some mayo would have helped boost this up in the flavor department. This came with housemade potato chips, which were over-fried and definitely over salted. A very disappointing meal for Katie. 

I had heard some good things about the Double Crush Burger ($18), but I think I was duped. This smash-style burger included two very thin patties which had a good caramelization to them from the grill, but they needed to be seasoned more. The cheese really added nothing here, and if there were any other condiments on here, they got lost somehow. For some reason, this brought to mind the Double Del Cheeseburger from Del Taco, which I like and has more flavor than what I was given on this evening. The salad fell right in line with the burger, as the blue cheese dressing was thin and tasteless. The greens were at least fresh, but that does you no good if they are not dressed properly. 

I'd sum Station Craft up as a brewery first, and a restaurant second. Nothing we consumed here warrants another visit  It was not awful food, it just seems like they put way more thought into their beverage program, rather than their food. Nothing wrong with that, but this is not a destination dining establishment. With that being said, we had really good service, which seems to be not the case for a lot of Yelper's out there. I also really did enjoy the vibe here, as it was not pretentious, and would be a place that I'd visit again for beer and other adult beverages. I'd just leave to find another place when it was time to eat.  

Out of five dolphins, (because this is the mascot of Dana Hills High School), five being best to zero being worst, Station Craft gets 2.5 dolphins. 

For more information about Station Craft, head to their website by clicking here: https://stationcraft.com/