OC edition

Sapphire Laguna
1220 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA

Sapphire boasts contemporary, organic American cuisine with a global influence. The prime seating can be found on the outdoor patio (photo copied from Sapphire's website www.sapphirellc.com), but I'm sure you need a reservation for the patio. K* and I did not have a reservation and it was a Friday night. Rather than the goofy pagers of old, the new thing is to give your the hostess your mobile number to call you when your table is ready. Which would have been fine if K and I actually had our mobile phones with us. We sipped white wine outside while waiting. During the hour plus wait, another group waiting took pity on us and shared sage-rosemary sea salt potato chips with us. They were awesome, but we did not want to be greedy and take too many. Despite the very young and inhospitable hostess and long wait, our dinner was outstanding. The rest of the service was much better, the server checked on us several times as did the manager.

Lately, I've been ordering several starters as my meal. This way I can taste many things in smaller portions. I ordered (1) Apple, Walnut, Endive, and Watercress salad with Honey-Jerez Sherry Vinaigrette (2) Tandoori Jumbo Shrimp with Spiced Okra Salad drizzled with Lemon-Olive oil and (3) Flame Seared Kampachi "Taco-shimi," Cucumber Poke with Garlic Ponzu. K ordered Hawaiian Style steamed Barramundi, Ginger-Shitake Mushrooms, Cilantro, Green Onion and Shoyu. K and I loved every dish. The watercress salad was refreshing and not too bitter. The Tandoori Jumbo Shrimp were perfectly seasoned and tender. The "Taco-shimi" was set up with rice paper and nori so that we could make our own hand-rolls or "tacos" with the seared Kampachi. The Garlic Ponzu was perfect and did not overwhelm the Kampachi. The Cucumber Poke was fine, but was not necessary to accompany the Kampachi. I had never had Barramundi before. K's Barramundi was tender, flaky, seasoned just right and complimented well with the Ginger-Shitake Mushrooms. K commented that normally shitake mushrooms can be overpowering, but these were not.

For dessert, I devoured a Basil Panna Cotta with Strawberry-Rhubarb reduction. Yes, you read right, BASIL! Panna cotta can have many consistencies from jello-like to flan-like. The panna cotta was deliciously creamy and smooth - more flan-like. The strawberry-rhubarb reduction added just the right amount of sweetness and tartness to the fragrant basil flavor.

If you're near any of the beach towns in the OC, might as well live it up at a swanky place like Sapphire in Laguna. I strongly recommend making reservations. This place is definitely a hot spot for a reason.

k'ya restaurant * bar
1287 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA

What do two friends do after a 3.5 mile hike? They go to k'ya for mojitos! Not the smartest way to rehydrate, but we had already drowned ourselves in water and G2 Gatorade during our hike. k'ya has a rooftop deck which has a stunning view of the ocean and great people watching too. k'ya rooftop only serves drinks and appetizers. (La Casa del Camino Hotel has the full k'ya restaurant downstairs.) Although fairly crowded for a Sunday evening, we were able to upgrade to a table after perching on a bench for a little while. The mojitos are ridiculous - refreshing, not too sweet and not overly strong! K and I finished our Classic Mojitos (white rum, sugar, lime, carbonated water and mint) in record time. The second round was Wild Berry Mojitos with raspberries and blueberries muddled in. These too, were refreshing and delicious. I had already had a good buzz going so I could not finish my second. Even at $12 each, the mojitos are worth it because they are served in large pint glasses and pay for themselves with the expansive ocean view that accompanies them. The fire roasted shrimp, salsa, avocado & chips were surprisingly good - spicy and generous in serving size. Salt, spice, and alcohol, just what we needed! Fridays and Saturdays, k'ya rooftop is packed with a wait of more than an hour. K recommends Sunday afternoons.

Cheers y'all. Next up - Sedona, Arizona!

*First initial used to protect the not-so innocent ;0p

manhattan edition

i ate my way through manhattan this past weekend. it's a good thing that we walked a ton in hell's kitchen and in soho both days.

roxy's deli - 1565 broadway
s asked our concierge for a good brunch recommendation (this was around 9am-ish). the snooty concierge snapped back at s, "brunch isn't until 11am" and recommended roxy's deli for breakfast. portions were ginormous and they did offer egg whites for omelettes. however, the server and bus boys kept trying to take away our plates and kept asking "are you done yet?" if there was a line and no empty tables, i would have understood the rush. but there were plenty of tables available and there was no one waiting either. when the bill came we were all in shock - $54 for two omelettes, a bowl of oatmeal and a couple of drinks. sadly, that did not include tip as the waitress kept reminding us. we got suckered into one of the times square rip-offs by our concierge. normally i know better, but i had not planned on anything other than dean & deluca for breakfast. the moral of the story, if it's in the heart of the touristy strip, it is meant for the tourists. look online or ask friends ahead of time for recommendations.

landmarc in the time-warner center @ 10 columbus circle
so a friend told me about a place that had steaks, chops, grilled fare and chicken burgers. i've had turkey burgers, but never chicken burgers. i was totally intrigued. lo and behold the chicken burger was delicious! as a side, i ordered sauteed corn, basil and tomatoes (yes even with the salmonella scare). it was garlicky and basil-y and a great side to my cluck-burger. everyone was pleased with his or her choice too, ranging from the grilled portobello to the spaghetti alla bolognese. the naked mojito was a treat! naked because the mint was infused in the simple syrup and not floating in the drink. b's cosmopolitan was undrinkable - too sweet and popsicle-like; no offense to popsicles, but a cosmo should not taste like one. b sent it back. as for service, our server sucked. he so did not care about us. he checked in on us once and did not have any personality at all. he did take back the cosmo and didn't charge us for it. overall analysis: good atmosphere, good food, so-so service. i'll go back for the chicken burger, but i'll try the tribeca location next time.

cafe mozart - 154 w 70th street #1
the real estate broker recommended cafe mozart for dessert and one of the couples had gone there for one of their first dates. it was packed at 11pm on a saturday, but the wait wasn't that long. the desserts were all totally over the top - decadent looking in the display case. i didn't try anyone else's dessert because the moon mountain cake i had was gigantic - "a rum laced chocolate layer cake with hazelnut cream and dome mountains filled with chocolate and hazelnuts, topped with white and dark chocolate curls." the cake and the hazelnuts were the best part. the chocolate filling/mousse was way too sweet. l told the maitre d that it was s' birthday (even though it wasn't). as the birthday treat, "happy birthday" is piped over the speakers and the birthday person is crowned with a white mozart wig and of course a piece of cake complete with candle. the cafe was loud and tables close together. it had a very touristy feel to it. l & r said that it is much quieter on weeknights and they serve meals in addition to dessert. i'm glad that we experienced it, but i would prefer a place like lady m confections (41 e 78th st) next time. lady m is expensive, but the mille crepes are un-freaking believable. what can i say, if i am going to go down in dessert bliss, it might as well be near perfection.

mercer kitchen - 99 prince st.
the first time i went to mercer kitchen was with my cousin and his crew back in september. great brunch place. i love the atmosphere and the food. i had to return with friends on this trip. the adorable bartender was great and kept me company while i waited for my friends to arrive. he made me a raspberry lychee bellini that was out of this world. i almost ordered a second when i remembered that i am a one drink wonder and had not eaten anything yet. the bloody mary's are really good too, but i did not want to get drunk and full before i ate. my friends arrived shortly thereafter. they really liked the setting and decor - exposed brick, open kitchen, softly lit room with some natural light as well. i ordered 3 appetizers as a meal - carpaccio of hamachi with lime, coriander & mint; shaved fennel salad with arugula & parmesan; and crunchy squid with chili-lime mayo. all were fresh, light and perfectly seasoned. i was stuffed. s had an omelette with mushrooms and rosemary potatoes. not overly adventurous, but s really liked my carpaccio. b had a chicken sandwich w/ bacon, avocado and baby greens. when b realized that the baby greens were only on the sandwich, the server was cool enough to bring back the plate with more greens like a salad. that's how service should be. b said that he would take his family and friends to mercer kitchen. that's the best compliment to a resto - repeat business with new guests.

pigalle - 790 8th Ave
french brasserie serving traditional french fare in a casual, unpretentious setting. s had a salad with chicken pallard (flattened and grilled). b had seared tuna and i had mussels in white wine sauce. the mussels were yummy and i sopped up the white wine sauce with bread. because of the hot weather, we didn't get very big dishes nor dessert. everything was good, including my blanc mojito. it was sweet and refreshing made with the white wine, very different from the traditional cuban mojito which has rum. a good place to go for a casual meal.

there are a ton of great nyc restaurants. plan ahead and take recommendations from locals who have similar taste to your own. be skeptical of concierges who send you to touristy places. i will review more nyc restos when i go in september. be well and eat well. ciao fellow foodies.

[i have used the first initial of names to protect the wicked and not so innocent ;0p]

sola

sola - 3868 n. lincoln ave. chicago, il
billed as "contemporary american piqued with asian and hawaiian flavors."
fantastic! great food and unpretentious atmosphere. kid friendly. kids are encouraged to draw on the paper coverlets. appetizers are small plates. so we chose several apps. see below for the menu choices my friend and i had. the truffle parmesan fries were just as good as they sound and there are a lot of them. cb took them home for leftovers. we each had specials as well. cb had striped sea bass and i had a beet salad w/ duck confit. the salad was good, but the duck confit was a little too salty. the quail tempura was perfection - just lightly battered and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and the dipping sauce was just right. the sweet potato soup was delicious with just enough crab for texture and flavor. for dessert, there are choices like soft center chocolate cake, green tea creme brulee and banana coconut fritters. we opted to choose the flight of 3 scoops of housemade ice cream or sorbet. there are at least 6 flavors available to choose from. cb chose red currant sorbet, sesame brittle ice cream and macadamia nut brittle ice cream. i had red currant sorbet, lychee melon sorbet and thai basil ice cream. all were amazing. the red currant was my favorite then the lychee melon. the thai basil was great, but seemed heavy next to the two sorbets. the sesame brittle was especially yummy with a crunch to boot.

artichoke fritters $7
soy lime & white truffle-honey sauces
the soup today $5
seasonal selection: sweet potato w/ crab
quail tempura $11
natural jus, citrus chile dipping sauce
truffle parmesan fries $8

entrees cost between $25 - $29

re: tasty beverages
although i have no business making wine recommendations, i loved the 2006 allan scott sauvignon blanc, marlborough, australia - sweet and fruity. cb really liked her kojitini made with shochu, ginger syrup, and white grape juice.

(wikipedia reference: shōchū (焼酎, Shōchū^?) is an alcoholic beverage of Japan, most commonly distilled from barley, sweet potato or rice. Typically it is 25% alcohol by volume, making it weaker than whisky, but stronger than wine and sake)

final analysis: go! i know i'll be going back with friends. next time i might try the monthly prix-fixe featuring a main ingredient $30. february was bacon. march is sweet potato.