Restaurant Review: Boneheads

Boneheads - 8/1/2007

I was in the area and happened by this fun-sounding place in Lake Forest quite by accident. I was in a newly restored shopping area called "The Orchard," looking for something else. But the name caught my attention, and I thought: "Grilled fish--it's good for me, sounds tasty, and I don't eat it often enough." So I gave it a shot.

Inside, the place was packed. The dining room of this South African-inspired establishment is painted a dusty orange and deep purple, with some paintings and artsy, colorful iron-worked fish on the walls. Ample seating is to be had both inside and out, with tables as well as a number of comfy booths. As you wait in line there is a large window showcasing the grill where your meal is cooked. The menu was up-front and straight-forward. There was a long line, but it went quickly.

I would classify this place as another very high-end fast food establishment. The prices are too steep for every-day lunches (at least $10 for a meal), and yet certainly somewhere you could take the kids or a co-worker for a good, quick meal. (I found out later that Boneheads, too, is a franchise operation, with establishments in Georgia, Florida, and California which, I think, explains the expensive and tasteful decor.)

On the menu are selections of grilled fish (salmon, tilapia, mahi mahi, and grouper {$10}) and grilled chicken, a handful of sides (from seasoned fries to grilled zucchini), appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, and soft tacos--and a kids menu too. I decided to order the combination of 3 tacos with seasoned fries and a drink. My bill: $10.97.

After I ordered, I found my way to an open booth and settled myself into it. In only 5 minutes my food was brought around to me by a cheerful server. The presentation was attractive. The tacos are made with tasty, soft flour tortillas with chunks of nicely cooked and seasoned meat and a slightly-sweet Asian coleslaw instead of the typical lettuce or cabbage. And the fries were seasoned nicely too. Another nice touch: at each table they have a rack of 4 or 5 different "piri piri" hot sauces to apply to your entree. I tried the medium-hot and was quite pleased.

I will definitely return to Boneheads again, but because of the price and distance from my workplace it may be a while. Here is my rating (on a scale of 1-5, 5 being best):

Atmosphere (decor, comfort, and cleanliness): 4.5
Service (promptness, attitude): 4.5
Price/Value: 3.5
Food (presentation and taste): 4.5
Overall (average of the above categories): 4.3

Recommendation? Check it out. (But not if you're on a budget.)

Restaurant Review: Mustard Cafe

Here's the second installment of Restaurant Reviews.

Mustard Cafe - 5/21/2007

This was my second visit to Mustard Cafe in Foothill Ranch. Clearly, that's a good sign. This restaurant qualifies as somewhere slightly above the "high end fast food" category, being a chic, tasty, and relatively expensive experience. The kind of place where Sales & Marketing folks, Stockbrokers, and well-to-do Soccer Moms go for a quick lunch (a la the deli at Bristol Farms).

It turns out that Mustard Cafe is a franchise operation, with four locations in Orange County. The ambiance is welcoming. The decor includes, of course, a pleasant mustard-yellow shade of paint with complimenting black wood furniture, and wood floors. It has a definite French deli feel to it. Bottles of wine grace one wall, and the front counter includes an impossible-to-miss dessert case with delicious-looking treats within. And they proudly serve Illy coffee--perhaps the best brand-name coffee in the world.

Just like any other deli, you stand in line and place your order at the counter. The associates are dressed smartly in white dress shirts and are eager to take your order. Seating is limited, and both days I visited the place was packed, with a line out the door. Fortunately, there is ample seating to be found outside in the nearby patio if all the tables inside are taken.

When your order is ready, someone will come around, calling your name. This is a bit tricky, however, because if you don't hear her, or if you're sitting outside, she will miss you. It takes a good 10-15 minutes for them to prepare your food, so you'd better hit Del Taco if you're in a rush.

The cuisine is also typical of a French cafe, featuring numerous creative sandwiches with Boarshead deli meats, delicious salads, soups, beer and wine--and there's even a kids' menu. They also have an appealing breakfast menu.

As already indicated, prices are a bit steep for casual lunch fare. On my first visit, I ordered the half sandwich/salad combo and no drink for $8.03 (incl. tax). My salad was a Caesar with nice green romaine, a spicy-mustard Caesar dressing, and topped with croutons and lots of sliced fresh Parmesan cheese. My sandwich was a custom-ordered black forest ham on ciabatta bread. Both were quite good. On my second visit, I ordered the half sandwich/soup combo and a small Illy coffee for $9.81. The soup was cilantro-rice and the sandwich was peppercorn turkey on a baguette. The soup was mediocre; it could have been improved with the addition of chicken and other vegetables. The sandwich was good, and although the coffee was good (as expected) it was not hot enough nor dark enough (typical of the American way of making coffee--pfft!).

I will go back to try Mustard Cafe again, although it will probably be some time because the price is just beyond the amount I'm willing to spend on a work-day lunch. Following is my rating (on a scale of 1-5, 5 being best):

Atmosphere (decor, comfort, and cleanliness): 4.5
Service (promptness, attitude): 4.0
Price: 3.0
Food (presentation and taste): 4.5
Overall (average of the above categories): 4.0

Recommendation? Check it out. (But not if you're in a rush or on a budget.)

Restaurant Review: Frescas

I'm thinking about starting a new line of topics on this blog, where I will review various restaurants I have visited. Since I am a lover of fine food, and since I do seem be blessed with opportunities to dine at some very fine establishments from time to time, perhaps this places me in a unique position among my peers to provide descriptions of my experiences. Perhaps you may find them helpful some day in selecting a restaurant for your anniversary or first date.

Fresca's Mexican Grill - 10/27/2006

Not wanting to bite off more than I can chew on my first attempt (ooh, bad pun), let's take a look at Fresca's Mexican Grill in Foothill Ranch, CA. I would classify this restaurant as one of the seemingly endless number of "high end fast food" establishments throughout Orange County. (Other restaurants in this class would be Pasta Bravo, Daphne's, and Rubio's, for example.)

Fresca's, as it turns out, is the most recent in a chain of seven restaurants in O.C (although I had never seen one before). Just walking in I pretty much guessed that was the case because this is one very nicely-appointed fast food place--and that kind of decoration, I imagine, costs more than most mom and pop establishments are able to lay down to start up such an enterprise. The ambience is Tex-Mex, there are two wide-screen TV's on the walls, and the seating is comfortable (the booths looked particularly comfy). Ambience is an important factor for a restaurant (it's importance is roughly proportional to the price), and Fresca's scores very well in the category.

The Foothill Ranch location has been open for 3 weeks, and the day I went there was a line out the door. But, of course, I should know that showing up at exactly 12-noon is never good if you want to avoid rubbing elbows with everyone else on their lunch hour. The process is typical: wait in line, order your food, pay the cashier, take a number, find a seat; wait for your number to be called, and then go pick up your food. Despite the crowd, the staff were hustling, and my food was ready in probably not much more than 5 minutes. Way to go.

Prices are typical for dining in this class: $6-7 for a combo plate with beans, rice, and chips; $2 tacos; #3.50-5.50 burritos, etc. Certainly not a great deal, but certainly in line with what other restaurants are charging these days. (And besides, they have to pay back those interior decorators and builders somehow, right?)

One nice little "bonus" for a good Mexican fast-food restaurant is if they have a decent "salsa bar." Fresca's has a very fine one, with at least 6 different varieties of salsa (from mild to scortching hot), each with a uniquely different flavor. I sat and snacked on chips and salsa while I waited for my number to be called--which, as I said, wasn't very long.

I ordered the #1 platter: Tres Enchiladas. This entree comes with one each of chicken, steak, and cheese enchiladas, and is served with rice, black beans, and chips. The presentation was nice, the food looked very appetising, and the portion was just right. However, I have one complaint, and that is the meat was fairly unsatisfactory. The chicken was a bit dry--probably overcooked--and both the steak and chicken were fairly tough. Good meat quality is one of my biggest demands. One expects mediocre meat at McDonalds, but when someone is spending more, one expects more. Meat should be tender, juicy, and well seasoned. Unfortunately, mine was none of these. Even though the overall flavor of the dish was very good, poor meat pretty much overwhelms everything else. (Perhaps most people don't notice anymore. But once you've had really good meat cooked right, it's hard to settle for less.)

I will go back to try Fresca's again. If the meat is better then this restaurant may become part of my regular rotation. If not, there's plenty of competition out there for my lunch-hour dollars.

I plan to end each review with a quick summary. I will rate the establishment with scores between 1 (horrid) and 5 (phenomenal) in five categories. Here's a summary of Fresca's:

Atmosphere (decor, comfort, and cleanliness): 4.5
Service (promptness, attitude): 4.5
Price: 3.5
Food (presentation and taste): 3
Overall (average of the above categories): 3.9

Advice? Check it out. Perhaps your exprience will surpass mine.