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Friday, December 28, 2007

Sapphire Laguna

The Old Pottery Place
1200 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 715-9888 (Sapphire Laguna restaurant)
(949) 715-9889 (Sapphire Pantry)

http://www.sapphirellc.com/


I have recently visited the fairly new Sapphire Laguna twice. The restaurant inhabits part of the "Old Pottery Place", off PCH in Laguna that many of us have shopped at in the past. Sapphire has both a restaurant and a deli/cheese shop. The shop is called "Sapphire Pantry". The restaurant is fairly small, and it looks like their outdoor patio may actually seat more people than the inside of the restaurant. When I first visited Sapphire, I was seated on the patio and was afraid that it might be too cold since it was around 40 degrees that night. The combination of both the outdoor heaters and the large fire pit made it quite comfortable though. They also allow dogs on the outdoor patio, so feel free to bring your little furry family member when you dine here.

Since I am a big fan of Caesar salads, I started off my first meal there with their "Caesar Fondue". This is basically a Caesar salad deconstructed. You get plenty of fresh, crisp romaine leaves covered in Parmesan shavings, a long "crouton" and a small bowl of dressing. You eat this salad by hand just as you would fondue. The salad is delicious. The Caesar dressing here is wonderful and full of flavor. I enjoyed this salad so much that I ordered it during my second visit as well.

On both of my visits to Sapphire, two weeks apart, I attempted to order the same specialty drink off of their menu. Both times I was told that the drink was not available because they had run out of the mix.

On my first visit to Sapphire, I had the Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin with Lobster Ravioli. The tenderloin was fantastic and melted in my mouth. The ravioli however, I was not impressed with. It just seemed to lack depth to me.

On my second visit, I opted to go with the Grilled Angus Rib-eye with the Gruyere Dauphinoise. The rib-eye steak was a little thin, but delicious. It was near perfectly seasoned and was very tender. The gruyere dauphinoise was fantastic as well. Thin sliced potatoes were coated in a mixture of cheese and cream the coated my tongue and my arteries with delight.

I skipped dessert on my first visit, but decided to give it a go on my second visit. I decided to get their warm apple cobbler with cinnamon crumble and vanilla ice cream. The dish presented to me was again fantastic. Warm, gooey apple cobbler filling was topped with huge chunks of cinnamon crumble. The ice cream on top was sadly smaller than I had hoped but still good.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed both of my visits to Sapphire Laguna and I look forward to returning again soon.

Sapphire Laguna and Sapphire Pantry on Urbanspoon

AGORA CHURRASCARIA

As seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

AGORA CHURRASCARIA
MEAT, MEAT, ALL YOU CAN EAT MEAT! A CARNIVORE'S PARADISE!
$$$$
1830 Main Street, Irvine 92614
(at MacArthur)
Phone (949) 222-9910
Fax (949) 222-9965
www.agoranow.com

CATEGORY
[Dinner] [Hipster eatery] [Restaurant Bar] [Steakhouse] [Trendy joint] [Upscale] [Where the ‘boys’ go to eat]

Monday-Friday
Lunch 11:30am-2:00pm
Dinner 5:00pm-10:00pm

Saturday-Sunday
Dinner 5:00pm-10:00pm


PARKING
Parking in front of the restaurant is valet with a fee. There is free parking further away in the lot. If you go on a weekday, your best bet would be to park in front of McDonalds. If you go at night or on the weekend, there should be plenty of open parking.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX] [DISC]

POPULAR DISH
The waiters or "gauchos" here bring around large skewers of cooked meat and slices off a portion for you at your table. The best meat dish here is also their signature dish. "Picanha" or top sirloin cap, is cooked to perfection with a salty exterior and a moist juicy interior.

UNIQUE DISH
Most of the meats here are pretty standard, but they do offer chicken hearts for those looking to try something a little different.

DRINKS
A full bar with specialty brazilian cocktails is available. They also serve soft drink, coffee, tea etc.

SEATING
Large restaurant with plenty of seating. This place is popular though, so reservations are recommended.

AMBIANCE/CLIENTELE
This is an upscale brazilian steakhouse. Expect to see plenty of business people. Kids are rarely seen here.

EXTRAS/NOTES
This is a place to go when you are HUNGRY. My buddy Tim and I often starve ourselves for the entire day before going here and then compete to see who can eat the most meat. You will leave here feeling so full that you'll have to unbutton your pants. Happy hour is available in the bar from 5-7 PM Mon-Fri. Happy hour specials include small plates of meat and free appetizers.

Agora Churrascaria on Urbanspoon

Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ

As seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

GENGHIS KHAN MONGOLIAN BBQ
What a big round grill you have! The better to cook your meat on!

$$$
23615 El Toro Road, Lake Forest 92630
(between Rockfield and Muirlands)
Phone (949) 951-8296
·
No website

CATEGORY
[Mongolian] [Barbecue] [Hole in the wall] [Low-key] [Neighborhood eatery]

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 11:30 AM-9:30 PM
Sat-Sun: 11:30 AM-10:00 PM

PARKING
Located in the same shopping center as Office Depot and Smart and Final. There is plenty of free lot parking available.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX] [DISC]

POPULAR DISH
The most popular thing to get here is obviously the Mongolian BBQ. You start with a bowl of thinly sliced, raw, frozen meat. You have a choice of turkey, beef, pork, lamb or a combination of any of them. You add your own "toppings" such as onions, cilantro, celery, tomatoes and bean sprouts, top it off with a soy based cooking sauce and hand it to the man at the big round grill. The man working the grill will quickly cook your meats on the very hot grill and present it to you piping hot in a fresh clean bowl.

UNIQUE DISH
They also have a menu of Chinese food items for those that do not wish to have Mongolian.

DRINKS
Beer, wine and soft drinks are served. Everyone gets a pot of hot tea at their table.

SEATING
Average sized neighborhood restaurant with about 20 tables. I don't usually experience much of a wait here.

AMBIANCE/CLIENTELE
During lunch you will see many business people and people on their lunch breaks. For dinner, expect to see families and couples out for a casual dinner.

EXTRAS/NOTES
They are closed daily between lunch and dinner from 3:00 Pm to 5:00 Pm. They offer all you can eat Mongolian BBQ for $9.95 at lunch and $12.50 for dinner. Sometimes my friend Tim and I compete to see who can eat the most bowls. Don't fill up on the rice, go for the pocket bread instead.

French 75

As seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

FRENCH 75
Cozy French dining in Orange County! C'est Si Bon!

$$$$
13290 Jamboree Road, Irvine 92602
(at Irvine Blvd)
Phone (714) 573-7600
·IRVINE LOCATION OUT OF BUSINESS
www.french75bistro.com

CATEGORY
[Dinner] [French] [Creperie] [Gourmet] [Hipster eatery] [Live Entertainment, Music] [Lounge attached] [Trendy joint]

HOURS
Mon: 11:30 AM-9:00 PM
Tue-Thurs: 11:30 AM-10:00 PM
Fri: 11:30 AM-11:00 PM
Sat: 4:00 PM-11:00 PM
Sun: 4:00 PM-9:00 PM

PARKING
Located on the Irvine side of "The Marketplace",near Target and Lowe's. There is plenty of free parking right in front of the restaurant.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX] [DISC]

POPULAR DISH
Start your meal off with the tomato bisque. It is perfection in a cup and is served with a small portion of brie cheese on top. The Short Ribs a la Bourguignon are delicious. Tender short ribs are braised in a red wine sauce and served with mashed potatoes and a horseradish cream. For dessert, try the chocolate souffle. Make sure to order it early as it takes 20 minutes to prepare.

UNIQUE DISH
For an authentic French dish, try the Coq Au Vin. Chicken is slow cooked with vegetables and wine and is served to you tableside in the pot that it was cooked in. Sadly, this item seems to be seasonal and is not available at all times.

DRINKS
French 75 offers a full bar and specializes in champagne cocktails.

SEATING
French 75 is a large restaurant with plenty of tables. I've never had to wait long for a table, but reservations can me made over the phone or online.

AMBIANCE/CLIENTELE
French 75 feels like a warm, cozy French bistro. Most of the clientele seem to be people looking to have a good time and eat some delicious food. The lounge attracts a slightly younger crowd.

EXTRAS/NOTES
There is a happy hour, or as they call it "bubbly hour", Monday-Friday between 4pm and 7pm in the lounge. During bubbly hour they have 50% off champagne cocktails, carafes of wine for the price of a glass, nightly martini specials and complimentary hors d'oeuvres.

OTHER ONES10250 Santa Monica Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 900673400 West Olive Ave.Burbank, CA 915051464 South Coast Hwy Laguna Beach, CA 92651327 Newport Center Dr.Newport Beach, CA

Al Palace

As seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

AL PALACE
The best Chinese food in Orange County!

$$
270 Bristol Street #110, Costa Mesa 92626
(at Redhill)
Phone (714) 549-0653
Fax (714) 549-5027
No website

CATEGORY
[Dinner] [Chinese] [Hole in the wall]

HOURS
Mon-Sat: 11:00 AM-9:00 PM
Sun: Closed

PARKING
Located in a strip mall behind Denny's and a Wienerschnitzel. There is plenty of free parking.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX]

POPULAR DISH
This place has by far the best chinese food in Orange County. I have tried MANY others, but I always return to Al Palace. The three best dishes on the menu are the sweet and sour pork, beef steak kow and pork with spicy tofu. Every dish here is made fresh to order and served to your table quickly and PIPING HOT.

UNIQUE DISH
Most people that order chinese food get chow mein. Do yourself a favor and order the chow fun at Al Palace instead. It is similar to chow mein, but is made with long, flat rice noodles and is delicious. I recommend the beef chow fun.

DRINKS
Beer, wine, soda and hot tea are available.

SEATING
This is a small restaurant located in a strip mall. There are only about 12 tables so there may be a wait at times. Their service is extremely fast here though, so don't expect to wait long.

AMBIANCE/CLIENTELE
The clientele here is mostly families and a few couples.

EXTRAS/NOTES
This place has been around for as long as I can remember. My parents used to bring me here when I was a child. Most of the people that come here are regulars, and all the staff seems to know everyone by name. Every person I have introduced to this restaurant returns over and over again. The food is THAT good.

Gyu-Kaku

As Seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

GYU-KAKU
Japanese BBQ Dining. Grilled Meats Galore!!!
Since 1996
$$$$
7862 Warner Avenue, #109, Huntington Beach 92647
(at Beach Blvd.)
Phone (714) 842-8333

Gyu-Kaku Tustin
14181 Newport Ave
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 731-1719
www.gyu-kaku.com

CATEGORY
[Dinner] [Japanese] [Barbecue]
Mon-Thurs: 5:00 PM-11:00 PM
Fri-Sat: 5:00 PM-12:00 AM
Sun: 5:00 PM-10:00 PM

PARKING
For free parking you must park in the structure behind the restaurant. Parking in front of the restaurant is free for 30 minutes, then $2 per hour.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX] [DISC]

POPULAR DISH
I love grilled meats! With so many options, it's hard to decide which dishes are the best. All dishes here are served raw and you cook the meats yourself on smokeless charcoal grills in the middle of your table. My two favorite would have to be the Harami skirt steak and the filet mignon. The Harami skirt steak is marinated in miso and is so delicious, I could eat it by the pound. The filet mignon is lightly salted and peppered and is extremely tender.

UNIQUE DISH
For the adventurous tongue, make sure to order the Gyu-Tan, or cows tongue. You will receive thinly sliced cow tongue and a wedge of lemon. Grill the tongue until it is nice and crispy and squeeze a few drops of lemon on to it. Divine!

DRINKS
Gyu-Kaku serves beer, wine and sake. Soft drinks and tea are also available

SEATING
The restaurant has about 20-25 tables and can fill up fast. I would recommend that you make a reservation unless you plan on going for an early dinner in the middle of the week.

AMBIANCE/CLIENTELE
The atmosphere is dark and cozy. This is a great place for friends to come and converse. Don't come with too large of a party though, or you may be fighting for grill space. I also would not recommend bringing kids here, the grills are very hot and the potential for burns is high.

EXTRAS/NOTES
For the best deals, visit during their happy hours. Happy hours are usually between 5:00 PM-7:00 PM and 9:00 PM-Close everyday. Happy hour specials change monthly, so check their website or sign up for their e-mail newsletter for current selections. Happy hours have been known to change, so make sure to read the details before you order.

OTHER ONES
Gyu-Kaku has over 800 worldwide locations. The first location opened in the U.S. in 2001. Other US locations include Topanga Canyon, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Beverly Hills ,CA, Pasadena, CA Torrance, CA, Sherman Oaks, CA, West Los Angeles, CA, Kapiolani, HI, Waikiki, HI, East Village, NY and Mid-town, NY.

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining on Urbanspoon

The Curry House

As Seen In Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

CURRY HOUSE
Amazing variety of Japanese curries and spaghettis!
Since 1983
$$$
14407 Culver Drive, Irvine 92604
(at Walnut)
Phone (949) 654-1449
Fax (949) 654-8791
http://www.house-foods.com/curry_house.html

CATEGORY
[Dinner] [Japanese] [Great take-out] [Neighborhood eatery]

HOURS
Mon-Thurs: 11:30 AM-9:00 PM
Fri-Sat: 11:30 AM-10:00 PM
Sun: 11:30 AM-9:00 PM

PARKING
Large public lot in the Trader Joe's center.

PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX]

POPULAR DISH
The two best dishes at this quaint Japanese curry house are the beef curry and the katsu curry. Both of these items are served with your choice of white rice or spaghetti noodles. The spaghetti noodles are sauteed with green bell peppers and onion and served steaming hot. Curry dishes can be ordered in mild, medium or hot. Don't forget to try the Curry pan! Curry pan is a fried slightly sweet dough wrapped around a small portion of curried meat. It's available in mild or spicy. Careful! The spicy one will burn your pants off!

UNIQUE DISH
The curry house serves something that most people have never had. Japanese Style spaghetti. At first glance Japanese style spaghetti resembles the Italian spaghetti that we are all familiar with. the Japanese version however comes without the tomato sauce and is instead served with a variety of toppings. some of the more exotic choices are Chili shrimp, Tarako (salted cod roe) and Ika (squid).

DRINKS
They have a variety of beer wine and sake. Soft drinks are also available.

SEATING
The restaurant is a little on the small side with about 15-20 tables. The restaurant fills up quickly and there is usually a line forming before the restaurant opens for dinner.

AMBIENCE/CLIENTELE
The restaurant is located in a strip mall. The restaurant itself has a very bright and clean atmosphere with mostly asian clientele. Everyone should feel comfortable here though.

EXTRAS/NOTES
Restaurant closes Monday-Friday between lunch and dinner, 2:30-5:30 PM. This restaurant is great for take out. They do a lot of take-out business and have specialzed containers.

OTHER ONES
Little Tokyo-Los Angeles, Torrance, Cypress, Gardena, West LA, Puente Hills, San Diego

Curry House on Urbanspoon

Cornerstone Cafe AKA Noonerz

As seen in Hungry? Thirsty? OrangeCounty 1st edition
By Griffin Tamura

CORNERSTONE CAFE
Fresh original sandwiches made to order! Try the roundabout!
Since 1988
$$
22981 Triton Way, Unit A, Laguna Hills 92653
(at Lake Forest Drive)
Phone (949) 916-9800
Fax (949) 916-0010
No website

NOW ALSO KNOWN AS NOONERZ IN JAVATINI'S!
22972 Moulton Pky
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

CATEGORY
[Lunch] [California] [Sandwhich Shop]

HOURS
Mon-Fri: 6:00 AM-5:00 PM
Sat-Sun: Closed AM-Closed PM

PARKING
Cornerstone Cafe is tucked away in a Laguna Hills industrial area called "Laguna Hills Business Park". Parking is ample and free.
PAYMENT
[VISA] [MC] [AMEX] [DISC]

POPULAR DISH
With so many delicious sandwiches here, it's hard to pick which ones are the best. Two that I think of though are the "Lemon Chicken" and the "Turkey Brie Please". The "Lemon Chicken" comes with a grilled lemon chicken breast, herb and lemon goat cheese, lettuce and tomato on 9 grain bread. The "Turkey Brie Please" is oven roasted turkey, brie, basil pesto, lettuce and tomato on a sourdough baguette. If you really want a taste explosion though, get this sandwich on their freshly baked, rosemary ciabatta bread. Try a muffin for dessert, they're fantastic!

UNIQUE DISH
The Cornerstone Cafe serves a sandwich that most people have likely not seen at other places. They call it a "Roundabout". The inventive chefs use a special sandwich grill to turn bread and fillings into a flying saucer shaped grilled sandwich. It kind of seems like a grown up version of those "Crustables" sandiwiches you get in the freezer section of the grocery store, but they are so much better. For breakfast you can stuff your roundabout with egg and a choice of bacon, ham, turkey or veggies. For lunch, there are so many filling choices that the possibilities are endless.

DRINKS
No fancy drinks here. They have a refrigerated case with various cans and bottles of sodas, juices and energy drinks.

SEATING
This is mostly a takeout place, so there is only one small table inside with 2 chairs.

AMBIENCE/CLIENTELE
The Cornerstone Cafe definitely has the feeling of a little hole in the wall, hidden gem. It's a little hard to find in the big industrial park that it resides in, but it's worth the hunt. Most of the clientele are working people on their lunch breaks.

EXTRAS/NOTES
The Cornerstone Cafe started out on the campus of UCI serving several thousand students, staff and faculty everyday. After getting pushed out by the Aramark company, they relocated to Laguna Hills. They now get a majority of their business from catering large functions.

Noonerz (Inside Javatinis Coffee House ) on Urbanspoon

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Griffin's reviews to be featured in the new book "Hungry? Orange County"

I was asked to write several reviews for the new HungryCity Orange County edition dining guide. You will be able to find reviews that I have written on Agora Churrascaria, Genghis Kahn Mongolian BBQ, Al Palace, Curry House Irvine, French 75 Tustin, Cornerstone Cafe and Gyu-Kaku. I have also written a sidebar for the book on Izakaya's. I am currently trying to get approval from the publisher to post my reviews to this blog. I'll let you know when the book comes out! For more info on the Hungry City guides, go to http://www.hungrycity.com/

UPDATE: APPROVAL RECEIVED! SEE THE REVIEWS ABOVE!

Sad to see them go...

It seems as if a lot of the restaurants I reviewed years ago, no longer exist. I'd like to say goodbye to Cafe Pascal, Kill Devil's, Rouge and Pinnacle Peak. I loved you all and you will be missed.

Tomikawa from 8/7/03

Tomikawa
14191 Jeffrey Road
Irvine, CA 92620
949-786-9888

Tomikawa is the new Japanese restaurant that opened in the new shopping center off the 5 freeway at Jeffrey. Tomikawa is a small but nice looking place in a strip mall like environment. The one word that comes to my mind when I think of the food I had is “bland”. I ordered an A la carte dinner or Spicy Teppan Yaki Beef ($8.99). This beef was not as much spicy as it was bland. My wife ordered a Spicy Tuna Roll ($7.00) and a Philly Roll ($7.25). The Philly Roll was pretty good. It had salmon, cream cheese, avocado and asparagus in it. The Spicy Tuna Roll however was also pretty tasteless. The tuna was minced and mixed with a sauce. It was not really spicy at all. The wasabi was not spicy at all either. My wife and I had to make a thin paste out of our wasabi to even taste it. Also, I was disappointed to find out that this restaurant did not offer Sukiyaki or Inari sushi. These are two items that you almost always see at a Japanese restaurant. I asked two different waitresses for the Inari sushi and they both gave me blank stares as if they had no clue what I was talking about. Which brings me to my next point. The service at Tomikawa was not very good. The waitresses did not seem knowledgeable about the menu at all and seemed a little confused if you asked them any questions at all. They also didn’t seem very friendly. Overall, this is an average Japanese restaurant and I consider the sushi to be a bit overpriced.

Veronica’s Coffee Comment: No coffee, but the tea was pleasant.
:-) **** (out of 5)

Last Visit 08/07/03

Would I visit again? Maybe

Tomikawa Sushi Bar on Urbanspoon

Bandera from 09/27/03

Bandera
3201 E Coast Hwy
Corona Del Mar, CA
949-673-3524

I recently visited Bandera for the first time after it came highly recommended by some friends. While I still value their opinions, I did not necessarily agree with them on this one. Bandera is a restaurant owned and operated by the Houston’s chain. The interior of the restaurant actually looks just like a Houston’s. Also in keeping with the Houston’s similarities, Bandera also has a very limited menu. Not only is the food menu limited, but they also have a very limited bar selection as well. They didn’t seem to have any of the spirits I requested, including some very popular brands, such as, Grey Goose Citron, Absolut Citron and Johnny Walker Black. I ended up ordering a margarita, supposedly their house specialty. It was ok, but a little pricey ($6.00) for what it was. We decided to order a skillet cornbread ($3.00) for an appetizer. The cornbread was very good. It was baked in a cast iron skillet with Ortega chilies mixed in to give it a little spice. It also had a very crispy top that was delicious. The “signature” dish here is the rotisserie chicken that they proudly display in their window that faces the street. This is what I chose to order ($13.00). The chicken had a mild Mexican flavor and came with “green rice,” which was rice with cilantro, parsley and other herbs mixed in. I didn’t really care for it. My wife ordered a vegetable platter ($12.00). Her platter included half of a grilled artichoke, a cold salad of marinated vegetables such as cauliflower and squash, roasted red peppers and green rice. She enjoyed most of her food except for the cold marinated cauliflower. Overall the food was average. The service however was quite good. Because of the limited menu and bar selection, I don’t think I would return to Bandera again. If I was in the mood to eat from a limited menu like this, I would go to the Houston’s that’s closer to my house.

Veronica’s Coffee Comment: It had a mild and smooth flavor, but it was a bit on the weak side. **** (out of 5)

Last Visit 09/27/03

Would I visit again? Probably Not

Bandera on Urbanspoon

French 75 Laguna from 12/06/03

French 75 is a very elegant French bistro in Laguna Beach. I only have one complaint about this restaurant. I dined at this restaurant in a party of five. We actually had a reservation for six, but one of us was not able to attend. When the hostess seated us, she sat us at a table that was set for four. The table was so small that four place settings could hardly fit on the table. They managed to squeeze one more place setting on to the table and added a chair to the end. It was cramped to say the least.

Upon opening the menu, I quickly realized that I wanted to order everything that the restaurant had to offer. French 75 offers a variety of French dishes for you to choose from. I ended up ordering “Everything from a duck” ($30.00) which included a seared rare duck breast, a duck leg confit and foie gras. It was absolutely delicious. My wife ordered the halibut ($29.00) and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed my food. The other selections that my party made included the pork rack ($25.00), steak and pomme frittes ($28.00) and slow roasted beef short ribs ($28.00). Everyone devoured their food happily and didn’t have a single complaint about it.

We finished off our meal by sharing two of their chocolate soufflés. (These need to be ordered 20-30 minutes in advance) The soufflés were wonderful, served with whipped cream, but may have benefited from being served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

The service at French 75 was 5-star and even included a separate sommelier to serve the wine. The restrooms are single stall style. My table and the restroom were up two separate staircases. Therefore, this may be a difficult place to get around for people that have trouble walking up and down stairs. Overall, aside from the cramped conditions, I had a wonderful time and a wonderful meal at French 75. I am definitely looking forward to visiting again soon to enjoy some more of their wonderful food.

Veronica’s Coffee Comment: Strong, bold coffee. Not as smooth as I would have liked **** (out of 5)

Last Visit 12/06/03

Would I visit again? I’m looking forward to it.

Lazy Dog Cafe from 11/11/03

The Lazy Dog Cafe
16310 Beach Blvd.
Westminster, CA 92683
714-500-1140

The lazy dog café is a new venture from the owners of Mimi’s café. Their first location opened in Westminster a few months ago. They are hoping to be successful at this location and open up numerous locations soon. The restaurant is extremely large and decorated like a cozy country cabin. The menu at the lazy dog boasts over 100 items that include such comfort foods as meatloaf and pot roast to Asian wok’d dishes to pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and more. I visited The Lazy Dog in a group of four. We ordered the fried zucchini and Hawaiian sticky ribs for our appetizers. The fried zucchini was pretty good, however I still prefer the zucchini from Carl’s Jr. The Hawaiian sticky ribs had an original flavor that took your tongue a little while to get used to. The ribs were actually quite good though. They were sweet and had a sort of Asian flavor to them. For my dinner, I ordered the garlic roasted lamb shank ($13.95). I usually love lamb, but was disappointed with my dinner. The lamb and the mashed potatoes had a flavor that my tongue just wasn’t a big fan of. It wasn’t horrible, I just didn’t enjoy it. My wife ordered the orange peel wok’d tofu. She thought it was quite good. My mother ordered the meatloaf. You can usually count on meatloaf to be a safe comfort food. However, this meatloaf had some weird seasonings in it that didn’t taste very good. All the food at The Lazy Dog was presented beautifully. The service was excellent as well. The waitress was knowledgeable about the large menu and was very friendly. All of the prices seemed to be very reasonable. The Lazy Dog Café is a great restaurant to visit with friends and family, when you want to relax and have a good time without spending a lot of money.

Veronica’s Coffee Comment: N/A

Last Visit 11/11/03

Would I visit again? Yes

Welcome to Griffin Eats OC

Welcome to the re-birth of Griffin Eats OC. Griffin Eats OC was a popualr food review website a few years ago. I took it down mostly due to laziness. I will start this blog off by re-posting some of my old reviews. I will attempt to update this blog with new reviews as often as possible.