Swicks

I saw that review in the OC weekly and the description of the meal sounded great, but the reviewer didn't seem to like it so much. Anyone been to Mesa yet? ← Yeah the review was a bit wierd, the reviewer seemed to like all the dishes quite a bit but I guess the portion sizes on the tasting menu were so out of control it really detracted from the experience. Or at least this was my interpretation....

Good luck with that in that area....

While we have never met nor have I had the pleasure of eating in your restaurant I have been delighted and facinated by your creations that have been detailed on this site. I just wanted to wish you my best and for a speedy recovery. I have recently just recovered from an operation to remove some Squamous Cell Carcinoma (in March) and am very familiar with the procedures, etc. If you have any questions or would like to discuss my experience with the operation I had, recovery, etc. please don't hesitate to PM me. I would also be glad to provide you with my email address for direct communication as well. Best, -Scott

Interesting article on OC farm fresh cusine in current OC Weekly: http://www.ocweekly.com/features/features/...-to-soul/27462/ Also a review of new Costa Mesa restaurant Mesa: http://www.ocweekly.com/food/feature-revie...own-good/27489/

Pardon me for interrupting your "private conversation." I just came in from Los Angeles. On the fourth of July, I walked around South Coast Plaza and saw Marche Moderne. It looks a little small. Did you feel cramped? Did you feel like you were in a mall? As for me, I'll wait until SCP finish its renovations and add the new elevator. ← As I said in my report, i thought some of the inside seating (a two top where we were sitting specifically) felt a bit cramped. Next time I would love to dine on the patio as it looked a bit more spaced out. I didn't feel like we were at a mall in any way shape or form which was interesting. Despite its proximity to Nordstroms the area in which the restaurant is located, the third floor in particular, is one of the lesser crowded areas so there didn't seem to be too much foot traffic, or at least it wasn't noticeable to us at all.

Few and far between apparantly.

Its a little bit of a drive but the LA outpost of Tom Coliccio's Craft opens up this weekend in Century City, I believe they are currently taking reservations.

Great report as usual. I think I will be going back with my family in about two weeks for my birthday, definitely excited. I will have to try the peach gateau, I almost ordered it last time.

Thanks for the info.

Hey all, I will try and give you as much info as possible and limit my questions to specific things because I know this is a very broad field. Backstory.... a close friend of mine was recently telling me about some Bordeaux futures he had bought and while I was familiar with this practice I hadn't gotten into it with too much depth until recently. I am a definite newbie to French wine and have only in the last 6 months really set out to learn more about it, my passion for wine really has only come into its own the last three years and up to this point my focus has been California reds, Pinot Noir first, then moved into Zin, and lately into both CA Syrah and Australian Shiraz. At this point my experience has been limited to some French Reds from the Southern Rhone region, Cote du Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie specifically, and most have been recent vintages, nothing very old. Additionally I had a decent glass of Bordeaux a few weeks ago which was my first experience with this style. A few questions... -How do you all feel generally about wine futures? Taking into account that my personal goals are just to learn more about French wine and perhaps get in on some good vintages at reasonable prices. I am aware this isn't something to make money on. -Are futures done typically just with Bordeaux wines or are all types typically offered? -Can you all recommend any sources for information on finding some good wines to look at? Are there any specific labels or vintners that would be good to look at for someone new to this? Obviously I know palates and tastes are extremely individual so what you all like may not necessarily be something I like....with that being said I am very open to a variety of things on the red side and always looking to try something new. Thanks for you help. Cheers!

I will second Boulevard. Also: Slanted Door Michael Mina Myth A16 Incanto If you have eaten at Per Se and did not like it I doubt you will like the French Laundry given it is a very similar, though more relaxed, restaurant.

← Ain't that the truth! With regard to Bacchus, it is a small place so don't expect anything even close to Hi-Time, the nice thing about it is the wine bar there with lots of tastings.

I think you're right. I heard the sommelier talking with other diners and making recomendations and he seemed very friendly and knowledgable. Again, given the fact that other diners were drinking pinot out of the correct stemware shows that this was abnormal. The pinot they served was Ici/La-Bas. As a side note, if someone knows of a wine shop that carries Ici/La-Bas in Southern CA, I'd love to know where. I've had this wine twice before and I can't seem to find anyone that carries it - even Hi-Time and Wine Exchange. I agree that the champagne was great - they called it champagne, not sure if it is or if it was "sparkling wine". Do you know what producer Mina is working with? Are they looking at doing Pinot/Syrah? Should be interesting. ← You might try getting some contact info from the restaurant and contacting the producer directly, many small release Pinots these days you can only get directly from the producers most of the time, William Selyem which is rarely in stores comes to mind.

The meal was just under $400 including tax and tip (I think about $380 to be exact). It worked out to $95 for the grub and $55 for the paired wine. I think when I go back, I'll explore the a la carte menu as there was some stuff that sounded great - especially the appetizers. I felt that the wines were decent but not the best meal / wine pairing experience I've had. The riesling/tuna pairing was probably the best of the night. I felt we could have gotten a bottle and maybe a few glasses and fared better on our own for the same price. Not to disparage the wine program - they had a very respectable wine list (a lot of great California stuff). I did not feel like the wine pairing was particularly a highlight of the meal, but not a let down either. ← Thanks for the response, this is exactly the info I was hoping for. The restaurant does have a really great list with such a wide variety of offerings and I was wondering exactly how it compared to individual selections.

I will agree with you on Hi-Time, I think it is an excellent store, tremendous selection. Bacchus Secret Cellar in Irvine is not bad either. They have a nice wine bar as well and regular tastings. I will have to check out Amazing Grapes, it sounds very similar to Bacchus.

To some it may sound like an oxymoron, SoCal and good 'cue.... After reading the thread in the NY forum about the Big Apple BBQ I decided I wanted to attempt to try out some of OC's 'cue offerings again. One must take into account that the 'cue in Orange County really can't compare to the real thing but that is not the goal here, its more to emphasize the good local options as plane tickets to Texas and the South are quite expensive. Here are some recent thoughts, please add your own. Beach Pit BBQ-Costa Mesa - This is a natural for me personally as it is very close to where I live. I have eaten here on several occasions and find their 'cue to be some of the best around. Owner Tim DeCinces (Son of baseball player Doug) has traveled all over the south in order to better understand what makes good 'cue and has attempted to bring the south to OC. Their strengths are the pulled pork and brisket. Both are very good. Sides here are excellent as well, beans and blueberry cornbread being notable. While I don't use much of it their spicy sauce is excellent. Burrell's-Santa Ana - Fred's Burrell's shack in a residential neighborhood in Santa Ana has lots of charm, and great 'cue. Great ribs here as well as pulled pork. Burrell's has a huge menu of southern classics. Tough to find but worth the effort. Bad to the Bone-San Juan Capistrano - I had read much about how good the 'cue was here but when I went last week I was severely disappointed. I had pulled pork and brisket. Pulled pork was ok, but doused in way too much mediocre sauce. Brisket was absolutely awful Perhaps I got a bad batch but what I got was not sliced brisket but small chucks of what tasted like chopped overcooked steak covered in weak sauce. I will return for another shot but this was very disappointing. Sides of coleslaw and beans were quite good though. Clayton Shurley's-various locations - Terrible chain of so called "real texas BBQ". Don't even bother, its the Pick up Stix of BBQ. But unlike Stix this unfortunately is not good once and a while.

Good report, glad you enjoyed your meal. If you feel comfortable with my asking, would you mind telling me what the cost of the meal was, trying to get a feel for what the tasting menu with wine pairings is these days as I haven't been back in over a year. Additionally, how did you feel about the wine pairings? Were the wines of high quality and were they well chosen for the dishes? Thanks!

I think you are right regarding the appetizer, for some reason I remember langoustine in my mind but the preparation is exactly how you described it.

I had lunch at Marche Modern on Saturday, and I am pleased to report it was excellent. I would have loved to get a seat on the patio however none were available. I found the seating in the dining room to be quite tight but not outrageously so, the one thing I didn't like was that it impeded wait staff's access to the table in some ways which I found annoying, it is a small dining room so its a minor quibble. The room is subdued but has a great open kitchen. Overall I found the menu to be very excellent, so many things on the menu looked delicious, it was very difficult to decide. I was dining with my mother and we decided to order a few different things and share. We had: Butter poached langoustine appetizer - Served with green onions, mushrooms in nice broth/sauce. Very simple and delicious, a great start. Alsatian tart - with caramelized onions, ham, cheese, and creme fraiche. This was interesting, not totally what I was expecting, it was basically a pizza. Perhaps I had improper expectations, i was thinking more of a pastry type of crust/dough but in actuality it was a pizza type dough, though a bit denser and richer. All that being said, it was very rich and delicious with the wood fired oven gave the crust a nice char. I would definitely recommend this as a shared appetizer rather than a solo appetizer or a replacement for an entree. Pork Belly entree - Of course it was impossible for me to pass up pork belly; really great preparation here. Served in three small cubes that were crisped on all sides adding even more great texture than a typical preparation in which just one side is crisped. Very nice cuts of the belly with just the right amount of fat. Served with stewed cherries for some sweetness and a nice red cabbage slaw with vinegar to cut the richness. One of the best preparations of pork belly i have ever had. Desert - Chocolate gateau with espresso ice cream. Call it whatever name you wish but this was your basic molten center soufflé cake. While incredibly overdone, it is my own personal test of a kitchen's pastry prowess, this one passed with flying colors with a great version. Very light and delicious. Served with an amazing espresso ice cream. I hate to be repetitive but simple and delicious. Service - Like SiseFromm we did not get a wonderful service experience. It was pleasant so it wasn't an attitude problem just nothing spectacular, though no major gaffes. I suspect service is still getting its legs. Overall I really loved this restaurant, Chef Marneau is doing some great things and lunch was a great introduction. It strikes a perfect balance between French and modern cuisines without being fussy. The food was very well prepared with excellent flavors, portioning seemed to be the perfect size as I left pleasantly full but not overly stuffed. We perused the dinner menu on our way out and it made me want to return immediately, so many delicious choices. I can't wait to return to get the full dinner and wine service.

Thanks for the input Russell, I really appreciate it.

I concur with Jason. It might depend on what was being offered on the tasting menu. I also highly recommend the lobster trio, if it is still available.

In another thread SiseFromm mentioned that Charlie Palmer was bringing his act to Orange County. I did a bit of digging and found this blurb, courtesy of EaterLA: "Skipping LA all together, celebrity chef Charlie Palmer chose the new Bloomingdale's at South Coast Plaza for his new restaurant and wine store. Bloomies opens in May, but the restaurant opens this fall." Should be interesting.

This Southerner IS aghast. I'm glad I'm not the only person who was really irritated bothered by that. And re: the charcoal point. Kingsford or not, there are much better ways to light charcoal than lighter fluid. A charcoal chimney works every time. I can't believe these guys know monkfish liver, but some of them seemed mystified by charcoal. ← Absolutely dead on...I kept saying to myself, where the hell are the chimney starters?

We probably should move this discussion to a general OC dining scene thread. Thanks for reading. It felt like I was ranting but the Goodell's history with Orange County's contemporary dining scene is something I feel a part of. ← Not a rant at all, they are certainly a significant part of the past and future of OC's dining scene, whatever people's opinion on their return, it definitely should be interesting. On an unrelated note, I am going to Marche Moderne this weekend, probably for lunch, any tips or can't misses?

Thanks a lot Russell.