LeeAnne J.'s Profile

3 1/2 stars.

I'll admit, my fellow Yelpers had me worried about trying Guy Fieri's long-awaited new Dublin location. Thankfully, the experience exceeded my expectations. We arrived just before 5:00 on a Sunday, and the wait was 20 mins. Aside from the Fieri merch and an endless loop of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" playing near the host station, the space is nice and contemporary, with dark wood booths and hues of red and amber throughout. I particularly loved the row of misshapen hand-blown glass lights above the bar. Very wabi-sabi. Unfortunately, however, the floor was a mess. We noticed many crumbs, napkins, and other debris as the host led us to our table.

The food was above average, with only minor missteps. The complimentary foccacia was loaded with herbs, onions, and parm, and was delicious dipped in a rosemary-infused olive oil with balsamic vinegar drizzle. We opted for the grilled onion tortilla stack appetizer, as it sounded unique and was labeled a signature dish. It really is a stack of about 10 flour tortillas, with carmelized onions and garlic between each layer and baked to crispy on the outside. The dish comes with four wedges, and you pull off layers to dip into balsamic aioli. It was sweet and filling, though the aioli was a little stiff. A half-size Sonoma salad was fresh generously portioned, with sping mix greens, dried cranberries, and honey almonds (we took off the blue cheese). I particularly enjoyed the sweet almond slivers. The Cajun chicken fettucine had perfectly al dente noodles and a subtle spice kick. Unlike previous reviews, the chicken was not overly cooked or chewy--it was just right. The kitchen, however, was too liberal with strong-flavored sun-dried tomatoes, which took us out of New Orleans and into the Mediterranean. Our kobe ribeye was cooked to order (medium-rare) while retaining a nicely charred exterior and lovely grill flavor. The accompanying leek gratin for dipping was good but superfluous. It overpowered the meat, and for $30, you want to taste the meat, no? The garlic mashed potatoes were flavorful but dry, and broccoli was straightforwardly steamed and seasoned. For dessert, the s'mores pizza was quite a treat: thin pizza crust topped with chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbles, honey almonds, and a dash of cayenne. It was gooey and warm and fabulous. The crust was a touch chewy, though.

Service was great. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and attentive, and I love that she packed our leftovers with a label and date.

4.5 stars, if I could. The basic cupcakes here are soooo good, which is a great barometer for a cupcake joint. If they can't do simple chocolate or vanilla well... well, there is a problem. The flavors are so clear and fresh--you can tell everything is made from scratch with high quality ingredients.  Sam's Very Messy Chocolate Cupcake has deliciously rich, dark cake with a fudgey center--not unlike a chocolate souffle, actually, except that there's fluffy chocolate frosting on top.  It is indeed messy, especially the tiny sprinkles.  And 10 percent of this cupcake's sales go to charity--a different one each month.  Pretty cool.  I'm not a huge fan of fruity cupcakes, but I did buy one of the June special flavors--blueberry with lemon cream cheese frosting--for my dad, an avid blueberry fan.  He loved it.  If you're adventurous, opt for one of the savory specials, such as French Onion Soup or Chili Adobo.

The minis here are only $1 each, and regular-size cupcakes range from $2 to $2.75.  I don't understand some reviews saying that's overpriced.  Have they been to other cupcake shops!?  This is the most inexpensive I've seen.  Most everyone else charges $3--and doesn't offer minis.  For the quality of the ingredients and flavor, ROC is a steal!

I admire that the owners have a commitment to waste reduction, but a word of warning: Order less than four cupcakes to go, and they come in a bag.  And even if you get a box, it doesn't have dividers/spacers.  So, upon arriving back at work (or wherever), the cupcakes are in various states of destruction, which is a bit of a bummer.  Not pretty, but still tasty.