Sep 2026. Time to celebrate a special birthday! We let them know in advance this was a special occasion.
It was a wonderful first time experience for us. Yes, there were a few disappointments along the way, but there were also some exceptional moments that influenced my bottom line rating.
Our first impression was, this place is quite classy, both in decor and service. A wonderful date-night kind of place. If I had one criticism of their layout: there is no fancy al fresco dining, just a sliver of a patio alongside the parking lot. At least that means your furry friends can come along. No romantic view, and the heavy sound of freeway traffic is right outside the back door. But overall, it does not downplay the tasteful elegance you will find inside.
The menu is a single page, a thoughtful diversity of choices without being overwhelmingly so, but also, with price tags that might take your breath away, at first. But we knew this walking in.
We started with a Wedge Salad. The presentation was eye-popping. The iceberg lettuce was smothered in house-made buttermilk dressing (excellent), blue cheese crumbles freshly harvested from a fine wheel of cheese, and generous chunks of house-made, spicy sweet pork belly (oh, so good). This is a shareable salad, but if I had ordered nothing else, this could have been my meal, and I would have been sublimely happy.
But then, Birthday Boy ordered their Baked Brie with raspberry bacon jam. Just so you know, I have never liked brie. But, after one bite, I was smitten. The brie and jam are perfectly baked inside a flaky crust, lightly dusted with powdered sugar, and plated on a big puddle of the most amazing honey butter sauce imaginable. I scraped it up with a spoon, but for the more civilized amongst us, it is intended to be delivered to your tummy via a crostini. Unabashed Clean Plate Club member here.
I could have stopped right there.
The Asparagus Fries were not as good. Five plump spears were coated in a parmesan panko crust, then fried. It lost its delicate flavor IMHO, due to an almost burnt crust. The two dips, a garlic aioli and a creamy sweet/smokey chipotle, were just OK. I could see a lemony hollandaise working nicely instead. Pass on this one, maybe their grilled version is better.
We ordered one entree, the 16 oz. Double-cut Duroc Pork Chop. The menu said it came with a plum sage sauce. Actually, the sauce tasted more like apple, not plum, and was much too delicate and not herbal enough to enhance the porkiness. Besides not loving the flavor of the sauce, the thick chop is an extremely lean cut. The moistest, tenderest bites were alongside the rib bones. The chef did a wonderful job of maintaining a medium temperature (as requested) and the fried sage leaves on top were a very nice touch. This was a beautiful presentation with flair, but I personally thought it was missing the target for flavor, and I missed the fat.
At the end of our meal, our server brought a huge plate decorated with a chocolate sauce message saying "Happy Birthday", plus two mini bites of cheesecake and a lighted candle. We declined any attention-getting song. He's too old for that frivolity. It was the thought that counts.
My final indulgence was a slice of Key Lime Pie to bring home. For the price, $11, it was a disappointment. It was a very small slice. I could have been more forgiving, but it was also too sweet. I personally prefer a more tart version. It was topped with one fresh raspberry and a small poof of whipped topping, most likely a non-dairy version, very heavy tasting and unappealing. This I would not repeat.
One noteable strength was the superb service. Our server, Savandra, was delightful and fun, hard working, and appropriately attentive. We also had the pleasure of talking with the manager, Ignacio, who has a very impressive background in fine dining. They both made our visit most memorable, for all the right reasons. read more