I didn’t know Indian food was this good. Wow, Chakra Chakra, this food was electric. Seasoned to perfection. I love seasoned food. I had the lamb chops and it was seasoned with these flavors that tasted like fried chicken. It was put on top of this rice and spinach emulsion. To start we had these lentil seed chips with different Indian sauces that were better than any Mexican chips and salsa I have ever had.

This food left you so satisfied. It was like dinner and a message. The decor was typical of all Indian fining dinning. Long curtains and blood colors. I recommend this place to anyone who wants to take a culinary journey.

I highly recommend this restaurant.

This restaurant is in a great location. Right at the head of the bay in Newport, CA. The view is right out of “The Love Boat.” I wish I could say that the food was as good as the view. I ordered the fish of the day. It was Halibut. It had sautéed vegetables on top. I learned quickly that this was to cover up the over cooked fish. It was like tuna out of the can. I started with the Caprese, it was descent and for the desert I had the crème brulee. This was very traditional and delicious. The desert saved the day.

The service was good and the ambiance was classic Italian. It had that old italian movie feel. I would only recommend this restaurant for the location.

Visit their Website!

This restaurant is a little deceiving. Stuck in a shopping center built in the 70’s, you may wonder what you are doing. Don’t worry because after you walk inside you will think you are in The God Father. The decor is right from the movie and there is memorabilia all over the walls.

The food helps create the entire Godfather feel. I had the Seafood pasta and it was more than I could eat. Before they serve you, they offer you these fried zucchini. It is amazing. It reminded me of my grandmothers cooking. We order some Italian wine. It was the Classico Chianti.

The restaurant was packed and the waiters also added to the experience.

I definitly recommend this restaurant. It is a little diamond in the ruff.

This is a local neighborhood restaurant that we visit often. They serve classic Italian food. I always order the Pollo Piccata. The Piccate sauce is very traditional and delicious. It comes with a side of paste and a red sauce. The wine list is above average because not only do they have a nice selection but the prices are excellent.

The waitress’ are so nice. They always are happy to see us and we have a great time with them. I love restaurants like this because you feel like you are dinning at home.

I highly recommend this restaurant because it is affordable and good quality.

BRUSSELS BISTRO

Phone: 1 949 376-7955
Fax: 1 949 376-7965
- info@brusselsbistro.com
- Visit the Website

A little taste of Belgium. I found this restaurant hidden underground in Laguna Beach. It reminded me of my time spent in Belgium. I lived in Antwerp, not Brussels, which is so much better. Brussels is full of tourist and Antwerp is not. That should tell you everything.

The first image that grabs you when dining at the Bistro is that it is underground. My favorite places in Belgium were underground. Then the next attention getter is the beer. Belgium has the best beer in the world. You don’t have to take my word for it. There are over fifteen hundred beers brewed in Belgium and it is a country the size of Rhode Island. The monks make the best beers. My favorite is Leffe. It is a religious experience in a bottle. All Belgium beer comes in its own glass and Leffe is poured into a glass shaped like the Holy Grail. It doesn’t get much better than that.

I started my evening with the hamburger and Belgium fries. It is to die for. I believe the success of a hamburger first comes with the bread and then the meat. The bread and ground beef on this hamburger was amazing. It also has caramelized endives which add a little sweat bitterness to the burger. The Belgium fries make the dish. Belgium fries are served with mayonnaise. There is no better way to eat fries than with homemade mayonnaise. I topped off the dinner with a few bottles of Leffe Blonde. This is that kind of food that they say “Sticks to your ribs.” It will definitely put a big smile on your face. I opted out for desert because Belgians are also known for there muscles. No not Sean Claude Van Damm but the seafood. They steam them in a white wine sauce and it is better than desert. Wow, I was full but soooo happy.

I recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a great Belgian experience.

Telephone: 949-499-5350
Fax: 949-499-9760
Visit their Website!

This restaurant exudes richness, from the decor to the cuisine, it is almost on the cusp of nauseating. If a color or a flavor exists, you will find it here.

We started the early evening sitting in the main dinning room. The last visit we dined on the balcony overlooking the ocean. I started the dinner with a glass of the house Chianti and ordered the Linguine de fruitt a mare. It was a mix of shellfish and the catch of the day in a garlic red sauce on linguine pasta. Before the entrée, we split a ceasar. It was on a parmesan crusted bowl.The sauce was of course very rich. It was so good I almost licked the bowl. I have had their beef but it wasn’t as delicious as their seafood.

The waitress was very nice and gave us a lot of attention, until her section filled up and then we lost her. They seemed a bit under staffed that night. When we asked for the check she brought it to us with an after dinner drink on the house. The drink was a little amaretto and cognac with wiping cream. It satisfied my sweat tooth and left me happy

I recommend this restaurant. From the atmosphere to the decor, it will stimulate you in every way.

This restaurant is a nice bang for your buck. Not the biggest variety but some very tasty dishes. The pastes are excellent portions at excellent prices. If you are not in the mood for paste the seafood dishes are superb.

We started the dinner off with a bottle of an Italian merit age. It was medium bodied, with a taste of spice and tobacco. I ordered the seared ahi for dinner, starting with a ceaser salad. The ahi was cooked perfectly and it was covered in seasame. The sauce was a medley of onions, garlic and tomatoes. The side looked and tasted like cornbread but I wasn’t sure what it was and I forgot to ask the waiter.

I have dined here a few times and it has always been a very satisfying meal. I would recommend it if you are looking for something not to fancy and not to expensive. The atmosphere is very cute and they have a local musician who plays frequently. He is a red head from Chicago. He plays some very interesting instruments and is very entertaining.

I recommend this restaurant!

Reservation Phone: (949) 252-8848
Fax: (949) 252-0104
Email: irvine@ruthschris.com
Or dial 1-800-544-0808 followed by 156

Ruth’s Chris started in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 70’s. It immediately became the hot spot for steaks. Cooking their steaks at 1800 degrees, using the simplest of spices, the taste will blow your mind. It doesn’t get any better than this.

I have visited this restaurant since I was a child. My father worked at the Colonial bank when he was young and he help Ruth with one of her first bank loans for the restaurant. All of my life, when I think of steak, I think of Ruth’s Chris.

It has been a treat to have Ruth’s Chris in California. The last visit to the Irvine location I started with a bottle of the Antinori Villa Toscana. Our waiter Chris described it as fruit forward with a long smooth finish. He was correct. Not to heavy but enough to stand up to the lamb chops I ordered. It was cooked to Ruth’s Chris perfection. There is something so mouth watering when you here the steaks sizzling to your table. Everything comes a la cart, so we ordered a Cesar salad and potatoes au gratin. Very cheesing potatoes but delicious. There isn’t much more to say about this meal but that I seriously can’t wait to go back. I think I will take down the porterhouse for two next time! I will make sure to pack an artery.

Every time I visit Ruth’s Chris, the specials are seafood and as much as I love seafood, I just can’t see myself ordering seafood at Ruth’s Chris but I think I need to try it next time just in case I am missing something

I love this restaurant and it is the best steak money can buy!

Telephone: (805) 688-4820
Fax: (805) 688-8965
website

BrothersRestaurant@MatteisTavern.com

This is one of my favorite dining experiences. It is right out of a movie or at least fantasy. Before I get into the description of the restaurant I have to start with a story of one of my many visits to Mattei’s.

This night began after a day of wine tasting, which makes life beautiful. I was dining with my Sister Megan and my Brother in law Michael who flew in from New Orleans. I was also with my finance Tracy. Tracy and I had just told the story to Megan and Michael about the last time we dined at Mattei’s. Which was about how we happened to sit next to Bo Derek and her boy friend from “Sex in the City” and that I also happened to have my video camera and we snuck a picture of them eating next to us. Megan had a crush on Bo Derek’s boyfriend when she was younger so Megan got a kick out of the story and as we pulled up to Mattei’s she said she had a feeling that we would see another celebrity. She is saying this as we are closing the car doors and walking to the entrance. Not two seconds after she finishes I almost run over Matt Leblanc from Friends. I started laughing and I say a “Hello” in a really bad, I know who you are but I don’t want to act like a fool, attitude. We are then seated at the table giggling and laughing like fools and as we watch Matt Leblanc come back in the restaurant and sit down with his wife in the other room. The story isn’t over yet! We notice that the wait staff is young and star struck from his presence. We say to our waitress “Wow, it must be fun knowing that Joey from Friends is in your restaurant?” She then says, “That isn’t half of it, look behind me, next to the fireplace, that is Kirk Russell the movie star!” Well, that topped my Bo Derek story and Megan and Michael couldn’t have been more pleased in the experience.

Now, I can’t say that you will have that experience dining at Mattei’s but who knows? As for the wine and food you have a lot to be excited about as well. The wine is excellent, well that is because you are in the wine country and if wine isn’t your bag then they have on tap the firestone local brew of beer.

By far my favorite is their surf and turf. It doesn’t come in one dish but it is worth ordering it together. Try either the lamb or filet with the scallops. To die for! I also recommend one of their specials, the filet tacos. It is the end cuts of the filet cooked in a garlic sauce. The lamb and filet are cooked in a traditional style, very tender, juicy and nice cuts.

If you are looking for the best experience Mattei’s has to offer visit the restaurant in the winter. It is an original stage coach stop and it has that old cozy feel. In the winter sit next to the fireplace in the bar and have some hot coffee for desert.  If you are a desert fan, most would say Mattei’s is one of the best restaurants for desert. I would have to say it is definitely one of the best.

Mattei’s is one of those restaurants you wish was in your backyard. I could eat their everyday and always have a unique experience.

I highly recommend this restaurant. Highly!

This is one of my favorite stops in downtown San Diego. It is walking distance from Petco Park home of the San Deigo Padres. What a great setup San Diego has, so many restaurants and bars you couldn’t hit them all in a year. I found Acqua Al 2 because I heard it was the top Italian restaurant in the city. Acqua Al 1 is located in Italy.

This restaurant is frequented by many celebrities and has a very comfortable down to earth feel. They are known for their pasta dishes so I must recommend the Fusille pasta. It is homemade and looks like curly fries. They also serve an amazing fillet covered in a blueberry reduction sauce. You must experience this dish because it is so different and exciting. I could ordered it every time.

This last visit I had their seafood pasta special. Very seasoned, like I love it and satisfying to the last mouth full. For the wine we shared a bottle of a Malbec meritage. It was medium to full body. I wasn’t worried about it over powering the seafood because the seafood was cooked with black olives. Black olives can dominate the taste buds so it helps to have some other big flavors.

I finished the night with an espresso because I had to drive back to Orange County. If you are looking for fine dining and a taste of Italy this is your place in the Gas Lamp District.

All in all I give this restaurant a, “Simply Bellissimo.”