Swicks

Yes, he is at Bernard O. I have not been, but reports are that the food is very consistent and very good. Another good bet is Cavillion in Santa Luz. Not French, but currently getting tremendous buzz is Market, in Del Mar, East side of the I-5, on Via de la Valle ← I myself have not been but a very close friend has been to Market and absolutely loved it.

John, I am glad you are having a sucessful eating experience. I apologize for my one limited reply, i was out of town. I actually meant to recommend Chive as well, its really a great spot, I am glad you enjoyed. If you are still in the area you might also want to try Rama for some good Thai food in a cool environment.

the tin fish (across the street) is very good for fish tacos. are you looking for sit down or quicker and more casual?

wow! GD and Cyrus in one night? Unbelievable. Russell, you are a man among boys.

How has this thread gotten no responses??? Anyway, I think this is a very interesting development and given the hype surrounding Chang and crew it is amazing that this news was not leaked earlier, especially given that they plan on opening this summer.

I had dinner at Mozza last week and was very very impressed. Upthread russ parsons says it perfectly, its about simple food prepared perfectly. To this I would also add exceptionally fresh ingredients. Now I am drooling thinking about the meal.... My companion and I started with the the stuffed squash blossoms, so unbelievably good, I could have eaten about 10. We had two pizzas, the margherita and the sausage, both were exceptional. Great crust, simple ingredients, basically everything great that something as simple as pizza can be. All pizza should aspire to this. We finished with some gelatti and the caramel bundino, which to me was one of the most absolutely delicious things I have eaten in my life...the hint of salt and the tang of the creme fraiche combined with the caramel was spectacular. The wine program was interesting, very few labels I recognized though admittedly Italian wine is not my strong suit. I really like the quartino idea in that you feel like you get your money's worth versus buying by the glass at a place that gives a really small pour for the money. Overall, this restaurant not only meets the truckloads of praise heaped upon it but exceeds them. I can't wait to go back.

Carolyn, Let me know what your plans are for your upcoming trip when you get it squared away and perhaps I can offer some suggestions. Cheers! -Scott

A quick report on two recent meals at this new spot in Corona Del Mar Village. Full disclosure: The head chef is a family friend so I will try to refrain from shilling too much I have eaten here twice in the last few weeks and I can see this place becoming a regular haunt for me, particularly so since I live in the neighborhood. The restaurant is housed in the former Svelte space on Heliotrope though a minor redesign has increased the comfort level of the space. The decor is simple and modern. While small the space is nice and a lovely bar area with a patio is great for a quick dinner or drink, in fact my first meal there was at the bar. There are two menus a bar menu with small plate type items and a full regular menu. Both are on the small side emphasizing the simple fresh ingredients and excellent preparations. There are some interesting items on the bar menu while the dinner menu focuses on simplicity with a few types of beef, some fish, and chicken. A quick summary of the items I have tried between the two meals, one by myself and one with my family. Beef Shortribs with creamy polenta and roasted baby veggies - Excellent, probably the second best shortribs i have ever had next to the ones at Stonehill Tavern. Mussels and Clams - Very good, awesome broth with leeks, white wine and garlic. Unfortunately the bread left a lot to be desired as it was a basic baguette of mediocre quality. However, somehow, I made it work Pan fried gnocchi with house made sausage, spinach, and morels - Amazing, very simple and delicious, the accompanying creamy sauce was just light enough. So good. I also had some of two deserts, a chocolate tart which was mediocre and a strawberry crumble which was delicious. Wine list is small with a variety of choices from around the world including a bunch of good selections by the glass. The Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir we had at the second meal was very very good. Service was very personable and helpful. As I said before, Port is a great local spot, simple delicious preparations and a great bar menu are the standouts at this new spot. I highly recommend this restaurant. ETA: The restaurant's website is http://www.portcdm.com

Excellent I look forward to hearing your report.

Very interesting, I will definately have to check it out, that is a great patio. I am not sure if you have been in the area but Tutto Mare in Fashion Island is gone and that is a pretty large/prime spot, I am curious as to what is going in there.

So I take it you enjoyed your meal? It looks very interesting.

Interesting, thanks for the tip. Myth is now back on my list for a return trip, now I just have to get to Incanto.

For the record I was never trying to disparage the restaurant nor its employees in any way, I was simply curious being that I am not local. Additionally, I have a meal coming up at Mozza in LA, and while it is a vastly different restaurant in all facets it seems to be a place that is living up to its massive pre-opening hype so it got me thinking.

Interesting info, I appreciate the responses. With regards to its pre-opening hype, itsn't it fair to state that it would have been literally impossible for it to even come close to living up to the hype?

This is a very interesting topic of discussion. I may be able to offer a bit of insight as well being that I not only work in real estate development but also have visited the wine country in Temecula on several occasions. I would definately agree with everything being said regarding the wine itself, it isnt very good, the Almond Champagne is somewhat of a novelty but overall quality just isn't comparable to any other region in California. There are nice wineries to visit and pretty areas but as far as serious wine programs and producers, it just isnt there. As far as the development of Temecula, Sisefromm is right on with his comparison to Irvine, or I would even venture Ladera Ranch, or really even any new community built in the last 10 years, its all cookie cutter houses and chain restaurants. With that being said Temecula is an incredibly nice area and a very popular destination for people moving from coastal San Diego and Orange County. While it is currently experiencing some slowdown from a real estate perspective the last five years it has been on fire, so to speak. It really has become its own self sufficient community rather than just a suburban area to live in where people commute to other areas, (though it still maintains a lot of this). JWest, Im not sure how much all this info really helps you other than to say your operation sounds like a great idea for this area, the area certainly has the population to support it and once the idea is out there, I think people would realize it is something that Temecula sorely lacks. Inland San Diego / Riverside counties do have quite a history of farming and offer a lot of great local producers, in particular the Fallbrook and surrounding areas; Vista, Escondido, etc.

Funny that you mention that. I've had both the red ale and the white ale at Momofuku Ssam very recently and absolutely HATED both. Different strokes... ← Interesting indeed...I can't speak about the White Ale obviously but what didn't you like about it?

While I am a Town Hall supporter I definately agree with this statement regarding other options, well said. No one has mentioned Myth, I had a great meal there about a year ago, has it fallen off?

Clearly we have different tastes since I dislike Boulevard as well as Town Hall. Obviously people enjoy both restaurants (and Salt House as well) or they wouldn't be filling the tables, I just don't think the quality of the ingredients or the preparation is as good as it should be. I'd strongly recommend Quince or Delfina over Boulevard and Town Hall respectively. ← Interesting, different tastes indeed. Howver, I have yet to dine at Quince or Delfina though I do eagarly wish to in the near future, i have heard a ton of great things about both. I will agree with you on Salt House, I was disappointed. Regarding Town Hall, I have a close friend that lives in San Francisco and Town Hall is pretty much "our spot" as we always dine there when we are together so I have many fond memories there so I am sure this colors my opinion of the place as well.

As a non-new yorker who has never been to Del Posto, I offer up a question... Is it safe to say that Del Posto is a failure?

I will wholeheartedly second Boulevard, really great spot. I will respectfully disagree with the poster regarding Town Hall, I love it and think its a great spot. The food is casual American and nothing mind blowing but just simple and delicious.

Great report! I had the Hitachino Red Rice Ale at Momofuku Ssam Bar in NYC about a month back and it was very interesting and very delicious. Nice shout outs on Hi-Time, such a wonderful place. I buy pretty much all of my wine and beer there if I can, save for an occasional trip to BevMo down the road. I love it there, such helpful and knowledgeable staff, I only try and go when I have a few hours to spare because I could browse there for ages!

Where in Costa Mesa will you be dining? Lots of good stuff there, particularly on the ethnic side. If you have a desire for Ramen, I highly recommend Mitae Ramen.

Sounds like an unbelieveable trip Russell, I look forward to seeing your reports. Other than the Farmers Market in SF, what other places did you plan on eating at while in the city?

Logically speaking I think San Francisco is probably the ideal spot for him and Michael Minna is probably a good guess. I am not sure of any big time new openings in the next few months but a new restaurant might also be an option.