a perfect meal at The North Left

I was never a big fan of The Crosby’s menu, so when it closed I wasn’t too sad about it. However, the restaurant which now occupies that space is a whole new story. Chef Ryan Adams of 370 Common is one of my favorite chefs in Orange County, and when I heard he had taken over, I was excited and pleased because I knew it would be a place where I would love the food and libations as well. If you’re not familiar with the space it’ll be hard for you to see it from the street simply because of the way the light reflects off the windows during the day. It is right next door to the Starbucks if that makes it easier. Chef Ryan spends his time at both restaurants which means he had to elicit the expertise of some trusted members of staff to keep the place going when he isn’t physically there. One of the notable personalities is Chef Aron Habinger, executive chef of The Crosby since its inception until about a year ago. I’m not a gin drinker, but agreed to try Cucumber Gimlet ($10) because I trust everything Chef Ryan does. The cocktail is refreshing with cucumber and lime with a good balance of sour for my palate. Order Salmon Belly ($14) if you are a seafood fan. The cured egg yolk shavings add a wonderful salty component to the delicate fish. The incredible asparagus spears are sous vide in beef fat — yes! how awesome is that — and light salad is refreshing and palate cleansing. A very respectable offering. I’m torn between the over-use of Brussels sprouts on menus and my love for them, but when push comes to shove, I will always order them, especially when they’re crazy good. Brussels Sprouts ($9) is a combination of my favorite flavor profiles — tart and salty — San Joaquin Gold cheese provides the latter. Hazelnuts add a lovely crunch for textural contrast. Divine! Have you ever had fresh chick peas? If not, Garbanzo ($8) is a perfect place to start. Garlic, chile, arugula, mint, what’s not to love? Squeeze some caramelized lime over skillet and it’s an ideal side for sharing. Even though this is a vegetable dish, Mushrooms ($12) is anything but vegetarian. Discs of King trumpet mushrooms are cooked in wagyu beef fat, topped with smoked maitake possessing a rich, robust flavor I can only smile about. If you’re a fan of Three Seventy Common’s fried chicken, then you’re in luck! You don’t have to wait every month to get some. Chicken Nuggets ($15) are just as good as the fried chicken Chef Ryan prepares at his Laguna Beach restaurant. In fact, I might like these just a tad more probably because they’re just that much crispier. The biscuit is amazing and the maple bourbon barbecue sauce is more tart than sweet — can I say I’m in love? A palette of colors makes Sea Bass ($19) not only pretty to look at, but it is equally delicious in my mouth. Charred pickled onions, espelette pepper powder, cauliflower, pistou, shallot soubise — so many flavors, all mouth-popping good. I love the balance of acid in every dish. Here, the pickled onions are just intoxicating. I want a bowl of it! Scallops $18) with smoked paprika, chorizo, roasted corn, popcorn — yes, popcorn — avocado and lemon is sublime. Now, there are two things I will always order when I see them on a menu. Scallops is one of them. The mollusks are cooked to perfection and the use of avocado works surprisingly well, although I’m not sure about the popcorn. I didn’t dislike it, I just wasn’t sure if adding that texture component was necessary. I don’t need dessert at the end of meal, but when it tastes like this, I say, “bring it on”. Strawberries ($9) is not as simple as it sounds. I have nothing but praise for Chef Andrea Guzman because she got me to take more than one bite — actually, I ate half of this bowl. But then again, panna cotta is one of my favorites and this is exceptionally smooth and the consistency is spot on. The strawberry granita adds some texture, while the cereal adds crunch. This is my kind of dessert and one of the simplest, yet most memorable, I’ve ever eaten. Bravo!

So there you have it. The North Left is open and it is good. Really good. Grab a few friends and head on down. Sip on some cocktails, share some bites. I am confident you won’t regret it.

The North Left 400 N Broadway Santa Ana, CA 92701 Tel: 714-543-3543

Venezulan delights at Mil Jugos

It’s been at least two years since I last visited Mil Jugos, I know this because they moved a few doors down to a larger space and I had yet to visit. So, when I was going to meet two of my friends for lunch this particular day, one Peruvian and another, raised in Brazil, so why not we lunch at a Venezuelan spot while catching up?

The inside still possessed the same bright colors as the old location but it’s now twice as big, but with the warm vibe I distinctively remember.

The boys started off with a Papaya and Passionfruit Smoothie which I took a sip of. Very fragrant with strong aromas of passionfruit.

We all ordered something and things started to hit the table rather quickly. Who doesn’t like fries and Yuca Frita ($5) are crispy and delicious and topped with the flavorful green sauce (guasacaca) they give you to use on almost everything you eat here.

If you like plantains then Tostones ($8/6pc) is your best bet. Plantains are flattened and fried to a perfect crispiness and topped with beef, chicken and black beans. There are two of each on the plate and all tasty in its own way. My favorite was surprisingly the black beans.

Empanadas Jamon y Queso ($3.50) and Pabellon ($4) are great as well. The exterior is crispy and not greasy at all even with the rich queso filling.

I remember eating the Cachapas ($7) before, but also recalled not liking the sweet corn pancake texture of them. I think ours was veggie-filled and although I liked the filling, but it was too sweet for me.

If I wanted something sweet, the Plantains ($4) are caramelized nicely bringing out its sweetness. They’re pretty straight-forward as they’re not seasoned allowing its true flavors to come through.

However, what we all come here for are the Arepas and my favorite is the asado ($4.75), sliced round eye meat cooked in a wine and brown sugar sauce, seasoned with garlic, capers, olives, salt and pepper. It is rich, it is savory and the arepa is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. There are cold or hot varieties but most of them are really good!

The restaurant belongs to a mother and daughter team and you will often see one or both stopping by at tables to talk to their customers, making you feel you are dining in their home.

Mil Jugos
318 W 5th Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Tel: 714-836-4601

C4 Deli: Cure for the Common

My friends and I love food. That is a given. I eat out with them a lot, sometimes one on one, sometimes, in a group. Then, I have two girlfriends I get together with from time to time, although lately, we’ve been getting together a lot more than usual, which is always a wonderful thing.

For our last get together, we decided to have brunch at the newly opened C4 Deli: Cure for the Common in downtown Santa Ana, owned by the same people who own Chapter One: The Modern Local across the street. The first thing which struck me was how absolutely delightful the decor and design is.

We were a little too early for the lunch time sandwiches, so we decided to start with some breakfast items. Smorrebrod ($5.49), a Norwegian style open face sandwich with egg, bacon and sauteed broccoli rabe is served on rye. The runny egg makes this one of the most delicious breakfast sandwiches I’ve had in a long time.

My friend orders the CA Breakfast Burrito! ($5.99), but I, not being a fan of burritos was not feeling so excited about it. Much to my surprise, I actually really liked it. The filling of corned beef, hash, eggs, potatoes, cheddar and chipotle aioli created a complete flavor profile which allowed for great textures and the right amount of saltiness to make it work.

If you’re a coffee drinker, make sure you order some, they bring you individual servings in a French press!

B.E.L.T ($5.99) bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, aioli on squaw was unfortunately, very pedestrian especially with the use of iceberg lettuce. Exchanging it for bibb or red leaf lettuce would make a huge difference to the final product.

I wanted to try one of the sausages since they are made in-house and there are two to choose from, a Bratwurst and Italian sausage ($6.49) comprising fennel. Unfortunately, I didn’t care for the sausage at all. The texture was mushy and liver-like and highly unappealing. I’m not sure if the Bratwurst would have been better since I don’t particularly enjoy coarse ground sausages.

But what I came here for was the Porchetta ($7.99). I remember eating the best porchetta sliders in New York and wanted to relive that experience. Sadly, the porchetta was very disappointing, not in flavor (which was spot on), but in the mouthfeel effect. The outside crispy parts was not crispy at all. I understand that it was not out of the oven that morning, but warming it back up in the oven would have been more appropriate rather than perhaps the microwave? The texture was like bacon cooked in the microwave with the fatty bits not crunchy but on the rubbery side. I was sad.

Our final sandwich was the Pastrami ($8.99) on rye, which redeemed the last two underwhelming selections. The pastrami was wonderfully seasoned and nicely textured. My only complaint would be that it could have been a little bigger. Otherwise, a very delicious sandwich indeed!

The portions here are not large by any means as you can tell by the amount we ordered, we managed to eat everything albeit half the pastrami and the sausage which we left behind. For a new establishment it is decent enough and perhaps with a few more months, the kinks would have worked themselves out and everything will be up to standard — well, my standard anyway!

C4 Deli: Cure for the Common
200 N Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Tel: 714-263-1555

Little Sparrow spruces up Santa Ana dining

I’ve been longing to eat at Little Sparrow after hearing all the hype surrounding this place, a new eatery in downtown Santa Ana. We finally made a reservation and came to see what the fuss was all about.

Chef Eric Samaniego, formerly of David Myers’ Comma Ça on Melrose in West Hollywood, heads the kitchen….

…. but before we settled in for dinner, we began our journey at the adjoining bar, where we went through the cocktail menu, each picking out ones to try.

Some of the guys started off with Lyon Street Buck ($9) a highball with whiskey, lemon, ginger, house bitters and fizz.

The Hemingway Special ($10) had a ton of crushed ice in the glass with rum, lime, grapefruit and maraschino poured over it. We didn’t detect any maraschino in this drink at all.

When Trinidad Sour ($10) arrived we all ooo-ed and ahh-ed. How pretty its color was! Angostura made up the bulk of this drink with lemon, simple syrup and egg.

The namesake cocktail here, Little Sparrow ($12), is a mix of French whiskey, Suze, Amargo Vallet, demarara sugar and lemon. They guy who ordered it loved it….. me, not so much!

If you’re a bourbon fan, then Gold Rush ($10 on the right) is your choice. Honey syrup and lemon complete this. Or, my absolute favorite, the Penicillin #2 ($11) a mezcal, ginger, honey and lemon libation with a spritz of Fernet Vallet mist. Smokey, sweet, tart — fantastic!

After about 30 minutes at the bar, we moved into the dining room and sat ourselves down for dinner. The restaurant was already half full with many more to flow in later for a packed house.

After we perused the menu and placed our immensely large order, plates of complimentary Amuse Bouche arrive with campagna paté topped with mustard seeds, golden raisins, fig and a sprinkling of chives. The paté was sublime and texturally spot-on. What a perfect way to start this meal!

Therefore, I was so glad we chose Housemade Charcuterie ($17) because judging from the campagna paté, I knew it was going to be a winner and I was right. The headcheese, the terrine with chorizo, all seasoned to perfection and stunningly delicious.

Everyone at the table is a fan of burrata so Heirloom Tomato Salad ($14) was a must seeing it is paired with burrata cheese and a drizzle of basil oil, I didn’t care for the burrata as much as I thought I would due to its extremely strong milky aftertaste which I’d never encountered with burrata before.

My obsession with octopus is satiated with Grilled Octopus ($15), but left me wanting more of the namesake rather than the cranberry beans accoutrement dotted with red mustard greens. The dish was perfectly savory and very addicting, I couldn’t stop eating it.

Steamed Mussels ($16) with sour beer, piquillo peppers and roasted fennel was better on paper. I wasn’t able to detect much sourness in the beer broth, or the fragrance of the fennel. The piquillo pepper was the only saving grace as the broth needed more salt to bring out the umami of the mussels.

Our next dish, Corn Risotto ($16) was something we all agreed to. Who wouldn’t with Dungeness crab salad as part of the item description? The crab was exquisite and completed the dish when eaten with the risotto. Unfortunately, the risotto on its own was under-seasoned and on the bland side.

I’ve been noticing sweetbreads appear on various menus lately, some well executed, others, not so much. No one can accuse Chef Samaniego’s Crispy Sweetbreads ($14) of being anything short of delicious. An English pea puree, bacon and onions accompany.

I am generally not a fan of pork and wouldn’t ordinarily order it, however, someone at the table did. Grilled Heritage Pork Chop ($29) was juicy, tender and really really GOOD. I was pleasantly surprised at how the flavors were deep into the thick chop providing great piquancy throughout. The beluga lentils were my favorite and the sofrito, a well thought out addition. Overall a solid plate!

Housemade Tagliatelle ($23) is definitely a must! Braised lamb neck, poached garlic, fennel and oranges were tossed together with some of the best thick noodles ever. No one should ever not order pasta made in-house, it’s just unheard of because well-executed house-made pasta generally is to-die-for. This is one of them!

For those wanting a vegetarian option Ricotta Agnolotti ($20) is another pasta dish not to be missed. Roasted tomato sauce topped with a thinly shaved asparagus salad and shards of frisee.

My first experience with Little Sparrow was a good one. Considering how many dishes we ordered the misses were minimal and I look forward to returning again soon for round two of some delicious cocktails and bites to accompany them with.

Little Sparrow
300 N Main Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Tel: 714-265-7640

surprisingly tasty barbecue at Famous Dave’s

I admit, I’m not a big fan of barbecue, and it takes good barbecue for me to like it. One of my favorite places is Phil’s down in San Diego.

We visited Famous Dave’s BBQ (where South Coast Winery used to be) recently and I walked in the door filled with skepticism. The place smelled good, but can the food REALLY deliver, that was the question weighing heavily on my mind.

The manager suggested we order the All American BBQ Feast ($74.99) which feeds four to six people, and showcases a wide array of the best on the menu. Served on the lid of a garbage can — so imagine how big this feast is — there is something for everyone here.

I started with St Louis style spareribs ($23.99 a la carte) — you get a full slab when you order the feast — and I was really surprised by how moist, tender and fall-off-the-bone delicious it was. I immediately felt more positive about the rest of the items.

Whole country-roasted chicken ($13.99 half chicken a la carte) marinated with lemon pepper marinade, roasted and then chargrilled is again moist and flavorful. I usually don’t like chicken at a barbecue place, but it was very good.

The half pound of Texas Beef Brisket ($14.99 a la carte) was seriously good. Usually, I find this dry and tasteless, but here, the brisket is rubbed with brown sugar, coarse black pepper and Dave’s secret spices, then smoked over hickory, giving it really good flavors throughout the meat, not just on the outside.

With the feast, you can choose the brisket or half a pound of Georgia Chopped Pork ($13.99 a la carte), smoked up to 12 hours and chopped to order. This was my least favorite item of the night.

Several sides (sides are all $1.99 a la carte) come with the feast. Creamy Coleslaw, a zesty slaw sweetened with pineapple and a hint of horseradish for spice was rather pleasant. It wasn’t overly sweet and not too creamy. Just the way I like it.

Famous Fries were quite well done. Russet potatoes are cut thick into wedges and then crispy fried. They weren’t greasy at all  and the kids will love them.

Usually, beans are too sweet for me. However, Wilbur Beans only had a hint of sweetness. Loaded with smoked pork, brisket, hot link sausage and jalapeno peppers, these are some of the best beans I’ve had in a long time.

You get six buttery corn on the cob with the feast and they use fresh whenever in season.

You also get four corn bread muffins with the feast but you won’t have enough space in your stomach for these, so just take them home! They’re great with butter the next day.

Other than the items on the feast, we also tried other items from the menu. I love chicken wings and Traditional Wings ($9.49) were pretty good. They are seasoned and tossed in your choice of sauce, although I asked for them not to be tossed so I can try all the sauces individually. Rich & Sassy, Buffalo, Devil’s Spit, Pineapple Rage, Wilbur’s Revenge (in order of heat) are available as well as as others on the table. My favorite were definitely Devil’s Spit and Wilbur’s Revenge.

Hot Link Sausage ($12.99) was a must since I love anything sausage and this was really tasty. You get 12 oz of link with cold beer for the price. Make sure you dip it into the sweet mustard sauce! SO GOOD!

The potato salad consisted of potatoes and red onions, celery, hard cooked egg, mayonnaise with a hint of mustard. This is potato salad I can wrap my head around. Not too mayonnaisey and enough onions and celery for crunch!

We’ve been coming across pretty dismal mac and cheeses lately and were a bit concerned our bad luck would continue. Luckily, Dave’s Cheesy mac & cheese is a good consistency. This home-style version is blended with four cheeses and mixed with corn and jalapeno. My son loved it!

Not that you’ll have enough room to spare after your meal, but if you do, Dave’s Famous Bread Pudding ($6.49) is not bad at all. The bread pudding is made from scratch and topped with pecan praline sauce served warm with vanilla bean ice cream. Surprisingly, the bread pudding isn’t overly sweet, although the pecan praline adds more to it if you like it that way.

You will no doubt be rolled out of here with your bellies so full you wouldn’t know what to do with it. This week, I have some fun surprise gifts for my readers. These flip-open prizes are all at least $10 but you won’t know what you’ve won until your server opens the envelopes. I have four pairs to give away and they are valid until the end of the year. Leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite barbecue item is. Good Luck! Winner will be announced on Monday.

Famous Dave’s BBQ
3608 S Bristol
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Tel: 714-957-1857

Bella Cuba is a beautiful foodie destination indeed

I was seriously excited when I heard that a new Cuban place had opened in Orange County, because until now, the only way to find good Cuban fare meant driving to Versailles in LA.

Yes, I know there are a couple of “Cuban” places here in OC, but please don’t get me started because honestly, they’re not really good — not at all actually.

I’ve been back several times and the minute you sit down, water is brought to the table along with garlic bread. You can’t help but gobble these down and then find yourself eagerly nodding yes when the server returns and asks if you want more.

We started with Yuca Frita ($4.95), chunks of crispy fried yuca served with the tastiest mojo sauce ever! In Cuba, mojo applies to any sauce comprising garlic, olive oil and any kind of citrus juice. The one here is all that and more! The garlic is overwhelming — but in a good way — and the lemony tartness made my mouth pucker, wanting more. This sauce is good on practically EVERYTHING!

I’m a big fan of the Cubano sandwich and very few places make one that is close to perfect. Here, the Sandwich Cubano ($9.95) is served with fries and is packed with flavor. The bread is toasted to perfection on the outside, giving it a crusty exterior with the combination of ham, roasted pork, cheese, pickles, mustard melding together to create a salty and slightly tart finish.

I’d never had Vaca Frita ($12.95) before, but managed to get a taste of it off my friend’s plate. Grilled shredded flank steak is pan-fried with onions, garlic and lemon possessing that ubiquitous acidity common in Cuban cuisine. It is something I love and crave which means vaca frita is now a dish I will add to my future repertoire!

My very first foray into Cuban food was Lechon Asado ($11.95), traditional Cuban roasted pork marinated in mojo sauce topped with onions. Because I loved it so much, I’d never venture too far from it whenever I eat Cuban, going from pork to chicken and back again. Here, the pork is beautifully greasy, moist and tender. The mojo sauce’s acidity cuts the grease and seasons the accompanying rice, making it one of those comfort foods you can’t get enough of.

If you can’t decide, I highly suggest getting the Combinacion de Pollo y Puerco ($14.95) a generous plate of roasted chicken and pork smothered with the onions and the mojo sauce. Entrees are all served with rice, plantains and a bowl of black beans. I mix my rice with black beans and drizzle mojo sauce over it. I crave the sauce and find myself wanting it on absolutely everything.

I save the soft caramelized plantains for the end because they are sweet enough to have for dessert!

One of my favorite dishes is Camarones al Ajillo ($15.95) and I couldn’t resist ordering it. The garlic shrimps were so freaking tasty but I was disappointed that for $16, there were only six shrimps. Really? Not even eight? I had really expected 10 shrimps, but they tasted so delicious my sadness soon dissipated and I tucked into them with relish.

A plate of rice, plantains and black beans accompany. Mix the rice with the sauce and it becomes the most amazing mouthful ever! 

Not that I needed dessert after the huge meal, but I was curious about the Flan Cubano ($3.50). It looked like it would be rich and overly sweet, but surprisingly, it wasn’t too sweet and had a rich caramel flavor. The flan itself was a little too dense for me as I had expected it to be softer and lighter, but it was decent, just nothing I’d order again.

Service is friendly, swift and combined with the great tasting food, Bella Cuba is fast becoming one of my favorite places here in the OC. If you’ve been craving some seriously good Cuban food, you need to try them out. The menu is the same at lunch and dinner so you won’t be missing out on anything no matter what time of day you visit.

Bella Cuba
3940 S. Bristol Street
Santa Ana, CA 92704
Tel: 714-545-5711