Holly "fleet admiral" W.'s Profile
Date
1 Previous Review:
-
3/29/2011
2.5!
After one meal at Ecco, it's clear that they're run by a bunch of great guys who dole out great service with an all-around great vibe, but when it comes to great food, it appears as though they still have some stuff to work on. I've actually eaten here twice within the span of 6 months, on the very same patio, once for dinner and once for lunch, and low and behold, daylight was the primary differentiating factor between the two meals. While the food -- heartily simple and almost rustic -- is "good enough", I'm not too happy to report that their pasta preparation, knowledge of ingredients and dish prep seems to be a bit lacking. However, there are a few things -- namely the wood fired pizzas -- that are truly a reason to go.
During the two occasions that I've eaten at Ecco, I've made sure to sample a good range of items such as the "burrata" (purported to being "housemade" but is actually store bought - confirmed by staff) and the highly touted "calamari fries", which are actually quite tasty, but a bit limp in presentation causing them to taste more like a kiddie starter akin to chicken fingers. But when it comes to the pastas, it gets a bit worse. Albeit tasty (read: linguine & salmon), the pasta dishes tossed in a rather Americanized cream sauce seem to do alright, but the ones that aren't or are not "supposed" to be, are rendered extremely dry. On one occasion, I mistakenly order the spaghetti carbonara, after being assured that it's prepared traditionally sans cream. However, when it appears at the table, it's practically inedible -- pasty, with an almost reconstituted bite. When I ask, I'm told that it's because I requested it without the cream (yes I know, confusing).
Ordinarily, this would be my calling card to forget about any return visit. But Ecco's customer service is just THAT good that not only did they graciously apologize, the sous chef personally offered to "make it again" using the at-home method (yes, you guessed it...without cream) I described to him, which of course, yielded MUCH better results. Furthermore, on said occasion, they made us a delicious margarita pizza to munch on just because we really loved the wood fired "prosciutto di parma pizza" already ordered, in all of its nicely blistered, paper-thin glory, and my earlier references to having inhaled the fontina & taleggio-topped mushroom pizza, garnished with thyme and truffle oil.
Overall, Ecco has been barely open a year. I suspect they'll work out the kinks soon enough, but until then, GET THE PIZZAS. Their customer service and commitment to wanting to improve makes me think they'll be around for awhile.
Orange County is seriously lucky to have this place, because it's almost like Los Angeles finally decided to throw us a bone. The pizza (and entire experience) is probably one of the better thin crust experiences, if not *the* best you're going to find all over South County. The problem is, when the place gets jammed execution and service can suffer. Furthermore, it's completely clear that the waitstaff know they're catering to people who are primarily dining due to name alone, and who aren't necessarily there because they want an excellent dining experience where they're "blown away" by any sort of originality or newness (yes, the typical OC diner, I guess). You may notice this when all they try to steer you towards old reliable favorites you've heard about from everyone and their mother, and may not necessarily answer any of your questions about anything else, despite looking them square in the eye and trying to show 'em you mean business.
I've been a handful of times to the Los Angeles location, and this OC location isn't quite up to snuff yet. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but it's just been inconsistent on a few visits -- not to the point of being bad -- but just to the point where the luxury of first-hand comparison has made it particularly evident. Still, they do their perfectly blistered crust remarkably well, so much that you really can't go too wrong with many of the pizzas -- my favorite is the fennel sausage with onions, as well as the white pizza with sage (add on fennel sausage to kick it up a notch). For appetizers, if they have bone marrow in house, you absolutely must get it, and you can't go wrong with several orders of the pane bianco with Nancy Silverton's signature chopped salad. Don't forget to get several quartinos of some Italian red -- they only do Italian wines here fyi. For dessert, that butterscotch budino is always a big hit and don't be afraid to request a few extra orders of the rosemary cookies it is served alongside with. Try and request the outside patio (normally reserved for walk-ins) if you happen to go for lunch.
Overall, try not to hate on the place just because it's popular aka "hyped". Like I said, we're lucky to even have this restaurant in the vicinity.
I've been a handful of times to the Los Angeles location, and this OC location isn't quite up to snuff yet. Don't get me wrong, the food is good, but it's just been inconsistent on a few visits -- not to the point of being bad -- but just to the point where the luxury of first-hand comparison has made it particularly evident. Still, they do their perfectly blistered crust remarkably well, so much that you really can't go too wrong with many of the pizzas -- my favorite is the fennel sausage with onions, as well as the white pizza with sage (add on fennel sausage to kick it up a notch). For appetizers, if they have bone marrow in house, you absolutely must get it, and you can't go wrong with several orders of the pane bianco with Nancy Silverton's signature chopped salad. Don't forget to get several quartinos of some Italian red -- they only do Italian wines here fyi. For dessert, that butterscotch budino is always a big hit and don't be afraid to request a few extra orders of the rosemary cookies it is served alongside with. Try and request the outside patio (normally reserved for walk-ins) if you happen to go for lunch.
Overall, try not to hate on the place just because it's popular aka "hyped". Like I said, we're lucky to even have this restaurant in the vicinity.
I don't mind this place at all, and in fact, I actually like it. Even though the crowd is typical Laguna, the parking is difficult (park on Cress on the North side of PCH in the neighborhood and walk), the cocktails a bit expensive and really nothing to write home about, the Rooftop Lounge ends up being functionally awesome.
Functionally awesome? What's that you say? The Rooftop Lounge is actually what it says it is, where a full bar exists on the top of an old-style Laguna-beachy-boutiquey hotel, outside on the roof and complete with a whole lot of tables, benches, chairs and heat lamps. I love the view at night and during the day (note: for best results, watch the sun go down). You know, the Pacific Ocean can be quite charming once you get to know her like this. Trust me. Take someone you actually like here to help you figure it out.
Oh, and from a taste-perspective, the highly-touted mojitos aren't really that life-changing but they're something you might wanna consider for the occasion alone.
Functionally awesome? What's that you say? The Rooftop Lounge is actually what it says it is, where a full bar exists on the top of an old-style Laguna-beachy-boutiquey hotel, outside on the roof and complete with a whole lot of tables, benches, chairs and heat lamps. I love the view at night and during the day (note: for best results, watch the sun go down). You know, the Pacific Ocean can be quite charming once you get to know her like this. Trust me. Take someone you actually like here to help you figure it out.
Oh, and from a taste-perspective, the highly-touted mojitos aren't really that life-changing but they're something you might wanna consider for the occasion alone.
I remember VERY LITTLE of how, when, and where exactly the "Secret Pizza" place was, but I do remember the delicious aftermath. After finding the "secret" hallway, we stormed in like gangbusters, asked the nice pizza man what was "good" to which he rightfully suggested his own "meat lover's" version -- a seemingly off-the-menu creation concocted of pepperoni, sausage, peperoncinis, some other kind of meat, and some other stuff I'm failing to remember. It was SO DAMN GOOD -- the not-so-soggy thin crust was absolutely what we needed, so much, that it got the stamp of approval from the two Manhattanites I was...ahem...dining with. This WHOLE PIZZA easily fed 3 inebriated people or would feed about 37 models, 4 normal people or 15 people on a diet. It should be noted that the two latter classes of people really don't belong in Vegas anyway.
There is minimal seating inside, but you can take your pizza "to-go" and park it on one of the Cosmo's luxurious couch seating areas in the hall right outside. Beer and wine only.
There is minimal seating inside, but you can take your pizza "to-go" and park it on one of the Cosmo's luxurious couch seating areas in the hall right outside. Beer and wine only.
You know that handy dandy rack of gift cards that Ralphs has now begun to carry? You know, the rack that proudly displays that you can now buy a gift card to Red Lobster, Starbucks, Best Buy, and even some AMEX and Visa gift cards?
Well, don't buy any of those, because many of these cards will bury a 10% "activation fee" (or perhaps even more) in the fine print, and will factor that 10% fee into the price. SO, if you think you're getting a $50 Visa Gift card for fifty bucks, think again. It'll cost you $4.95 extra, for which, I shouldn't have to point out is highway robbery for this type of situation.
This is really dangerous if you're in a hurry like I usually am and don't exactly mentally add up the price of all purchased goods if you're purchasing a bunch of items together.
Oh, and once you figure out that you were essentially robbed by this extra charge, Ralphs won't let you return the gift card (also buried in the fine print) and sure enough the manager might be a douche when you ask them to explain why.
Overall, the above is true of THIS Ralphs, and (I suspect) for all other Ralphs locations. This is probably not Ralphs' fault per se but it doesn't matter.
BUYER BEWARE!
Well, don't buy any of those, because many of these cards will bury a 10% "activation fee" (or perhaps even more) in the fine print, and will factor that 10% fee into the price. SO, if you think you're getting a $50 Visa Gift card for fifty bucks, think again. It'll cost you $4.95 extra, for which, I shouldn't have to point out is highway robbery for this type of situation.
This is really dangerous if you're in a hurry like I usually am and don't exactly mentally add up the price of all purchased goods if you're purchasing a bunch of items together.
Oh, and once you figure out that you were essentially robbed by this extra charge, Ralphs won't let you return the gift card (also buried in the fine print) and sure enough the manager might be a douche when you ask them to explain why.
Overall, the above is true of THIS Ralphs, and (I suspect) for all other Ralphs locations. This is probably not Ralphs' fault per se but it doesn't matter.
BUYER BEWARE!
I happen to love little orange boxes (or big ones) better than the little blue ones. But the problem with that is, the people who work at the Hermes store will not let me purchase anything so I can obtain said little orange box! Why? They absolutely refuse to talk to me!
I don't know what it is. I've literally been in this boutique 5+ times over the years in hopes of tracking down a Collier de Chien, but every single time I go in and politely say hello, the salespeople stare right through me as if I was some sort of homeless person they hope not to make eye contact with. And when I ask them for help, they literally pretend like they can't even hear me! These people act more like disgruntled minimum wage security guards than salespeople who sell $20,000 bags that never seem to exist except on those Kardashian people, let me tell you.
Anyway, even inquiring about a $280 Ulysse MM journal is out of the question. I saved up some $$$ this month and wanted to purchase it the other day. Oh well, the blind/deaf/mute salespeople managed to rain on my parade again! I would've said something mean to them, but I didn't want to reduce myself to their mean level!
Overall, this place is a horrible store associated with an unbelievable brand with tons of uber interesting coffee table book-type history (yes, I've poured over those books my whole life). Despite how much you love Hermes, I would NOT recommend coming here. The location in Paris is 1000x less snooty. I guess we should know better in such a "high-class" place aka the wonderful city of Costa Mesa...ugh
I don't know what it is. I've literally been in this boutique 5+ times over the years in hopes of tracking down a Collier de Chien, but every single time I go in and politely say hello, the salespeople stare right through me as if I was some sort of homeless person they hope not to make eye contact with. And when I ask them for help, they literally pretend like they can't even hear me! These people act more like disgruntled minimum wage security guards than salespeople who sell $20,000 bags that never seem to exist except on those Kardashian people, let me tell you.
Anyway, even inquiring about a $280 Ulysse MM journal is out of the question. I saved up some $$$ this month and wanted to purchase it the other day. Oh well, the blind/deaf/mute salespeople managed to rain on my parade again! I would've said something mean to them, but I didn't want to reduce myself to their mean level!
Overall, this place is a horrible store associated with an unbelievable brand with tons of uber interesting coffee table book-type history (yes, I've poured over those books my whole life). Despite how much you love Hermes, I would NOT recommend coming here. The location in Paris is 1000x less snooty. I guess we should know better in such a "high-class" place aka the wonderful city of Costa Mesa...ugh
3333 Bristol St Ste 2515
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 979-7654
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 979-7654
Salvatore Ferragamo
Categories:
Shoe Stores,
Accessories
You certainly don't need ME to describe Ferragamo to YOU, because if you haven't seen the Fall/Winter 2011 RTW collection as of yet, it's not my job to tell you what you're missing (read: lots of houndstooth and just plain awesomeness). But it doesn't really matter, because most of the awesome stuff has already been snatched up anyway. In fact, I just bought these. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Funny thing is, I wouldn't have been able to snatch these up had it not been for the salespeople who tracked them down. But doing their job isn't why this place is awesome...*this* is -- after they tracked them down, placed them on hold, and gave me the expected phone call, I didn't even do my due diligence and go pick them up. I went a full 2 weeks later expecting them to be sold. But they were NOT sold, thank you very much...
As it turned out, the very nice salesdude Mark had essentially renewed the 24-hour hold limit EVERY SINGLE DAY in hopes that I'd come back. He was just about to give me another call when low and behold, I appeared in my Sunday scruffiness of Converse All Stars in hopes of getting myself prettied up. Let me just say, I was touched by his kindness and the enthusiasm and courtesy of every freakin salesperson in that store.
Over the years, I've been keeping a careful watch on all the high end designer boutiques at this ego-inflated mall, and Ferragamo is one of the best for customer service (ahem Hermes, LV and Dior!). Oh, and many of their pumps come in C-widths for you gals with wider feet who have been killing your flip-flop accustomed feets in Louboutins, so just ask -- you will NOT find this at Nordstrom, Saks or Needless Markups.
Funny thing is, I wouldn't have been able to snatch these up had it not been for the salespeople who tracked them down. But doing their job isn't why this place is awesome...*this* is -- after they tracked them down, placed them on hold, and gave me the expected phone call, I didn't even do my due diligence and go pick them up. I went a full 2 weeks later expecting them to be sold. But they were NOT sold, thank you very much...
As it turned out, the very nice salesdude Mark had essentially renewed the 24-hour hold limit EVERY SINGLE DAY in hopes that I'd come back. He was just about to give me another call when low and behold, I appeared in my Sunday scruffiness of Converse All Stars in hopes of getting myself prettied up. Let me just say, I was touched by his kindness and the enthusiasm and courtesy of every freakin salesperson in that store.
Over the years, I've been keeping a careful watch on all the high end designer boutiques at this ego-inflated mall, and Ferragamo is one of the best for customer service (ahem Hermes, LV and Dior!). Oh, and many of their pumps come in C-widths for you gals with wider feet who have been killing your flip-flop accustomed feets in Louboutins, so just ask -- you will NOT find this at Nordstrom, Saks or Needless Markups.
3313 Hyland Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 284-0596
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(949) 284-0596
Portola Coffee Lab
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
Bakeries
This place embodies what the coffee culture in OC should aspire to be, if there was a coffee culture in OC. And rather than getting all prolific on you, I'm just going to ask you to trust me on this one. This is no Starbucks or some wannabe place brewing some random fair trade coffee ground to a #7 for flat filter. Portola Coffee Lab takes this shit seriously -- so seriously that they've got a veritable O-Chem experiment going on which just goes to show they're more legit that you could even imagine. Portola Coffee embodies a seriousness akin to that of Blue Bottle up in the Bay Area.
That said, their beans roasted in house are phenomenal and their drip coffee is drop dead amazing (halogen siphon bar and Hario v60 brewing methods, hence the O-Chem ref). However, I absolutely love them for their mochas -- yes, those girly drinks normally meant for amateur coffee drinkers are now anything but. The housemade ganache is not too sweet, and mixes excellently with their perfectly steamed milk. Cupping a mug (complete with foam leaf art) and sitting on the sofa is enough to transport you back to the nostalgia of the Central Perk Coffee House of Friends, sans the cheesiness. I f'n love this place.
That said, their beans roasted in house are phenomenal and their drip coffee is drop dead amazing (halogen siphon bar and Hario v60 brewing methods, hence the O-Chem ref). However, I absolutely love them for their mochas -- yes, those girly drinks normally meant for amateur coffee drinkers are now anything but. The housemade ganache is not too sweet, and mixes excellently with their perfectly steamed milk. Cupping a mug (complete with foam leaf art) and sitting on the sofa is enough to transport you back to the nostalgia of the Central Perk Coffee House of Friends, sans the cheesiness. I f'n love this place.
Since the Veggie Grill is a chain, theoretically, all of the food across all locations should taste the same. However, this location seems to be my favorite. Not only is the service pretty friendly, the patio (umbrella covered, lined with faux bamboo) pretty clean, and the parking only a minor bother, it seems like the food comes out a bit faster. Maybe it's because they know that flocks of UCI students will come pouring through the floodgates at any moment, hell bent on getting their health fix for the week? Or maybe it's because as a quick serve chain, the Veggie Grill is just awesome.
Since everyone and their mother (in OC) has likely heard of, been to, or even frequented the Veggie Grill more often than me, I'll just point out the basics just in case you're a newbie: 1) food is "healthy", but HUGE portion sizes are liable to nix that (read: share stuff), 2) anything they do with Kale is tasty (read: kale salad, steamed kale), 3) the sweet potato fries are pretty damn addicting (read: they are a side item), and 4) there is a "chikin" substitute, but no bacon sub (read: no bake-in).
Overall, the Veggie Grill is a nice place to fool yourself into having a healthiER lunch (or a nice place to delude yourself into thinking you're being "healthy").
Since everyone and their mother (in OC) has likely heard of, been to, or even frequented the Veggie Grill more often than me, I'll just point out the basics just in case you're a newbie: 1) food is "healthy", but HUGE portion sizes are liable to nix that (read: share stuff), 2) anything they do with Kale is tasty (read: kale salad, steamed kale), 3) the sweet potato fries are pretty damn addicting (read: they are a side item), and 4) there is a "chikin" substitute, but no bacon sub (read: no bake-in).
Overall, the Veggie Grill is a nice place to fool yourself into having a healthiER lunch (or a nice place to delude yourself into thinking you're being "healthy").
87 Aquarium Way
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 437-2434
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 437-2434
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Categories:
Seafood,
Cajun/Creole,
Southern
I hate to say it, but this restaurant has effectively ruined one of the most lovably entertaining movies ever made. And I absolutely, positively mean this to the extent of what "being literal" can mean. How better to nail the coffin by serving up expensively unfresh/frozen seafood which is hawked on your very existence by a smooth-talking comedic server who plays more like a used-car salesman? How better to induce cringing (instead of cheering?) when the phrases "run Forrest run" & "stop Forrest stop" are printed on tsotchke-looking license plates, left at the table, and fully meant for customers to use as interjectory cue-cards for when service is needed/not needed? And how better to DESTROY any inkling of a Forrest Gump-like disposition by OBLITERATING all fond memories of the movie using an INSANE level of cheese-factor, thereby ensuring that said disposition gets replaced with a cynical Lt. Dan (post Vietnam war/pre-shrimp boat first-mate)?
After witnessing all of this first-hand (TWICE!), I can certainly see that they've implemented the fictitious "light-hearted" qualities of Forrest Gump into their business model, but they've clearly taken them WAY TOO FAR. The food quality is DIRE, and tastes near-cafeteria style. The overly salted fish is absolute mush. And the dreadfully thin "clam chowder" has no cajones compared to a satisfactory canned Progresso.
But worst of all, the SHRIMP are absolutely the pits and would likely make the fictitious Benjamin Buford "Blue" turn over in his fictitious grave. "Peel your own" shrimp are almost as small as Bay Shrimp, making them frustrating to eat/peel, so much that they might as well be Cup O' Noodle-sized. And even worse than that, when you finally manage to dig in there, the mushiness of the product is unbearable. And thinking that yours must be a fluke, those few bites of your friend's scampi almost ensure that the overall shrimp situation is no different. Thank goodness they have a full bar, else there would be no other recourse for situations in which you find yourself forced to be on the premises.
Overall, this restaurant definitely caters to children and those who were otherwise born after the movie went to dvd AND after this atrocious chain began. Why ruin a perfectly good movie for those kids? And I really don't care if you think this restaurant concept is "whimsical, entertaining, interactive and fun". The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is yet another unfortunate circumstance of a restaurant chain trying to dumb down the intelligence level and palates of future generations, even from a touristy dine-out perspective. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather eat at Crapplebee's.
After witnessing all of this first-hand (TWICE!), I can certainly see that they've implemented the fictitious "light-hearted" qualities of Forrest Gump into their business model, but they've clearly taken them WAY TOO FAR. The food quality is DIRE, and tastes near-cafeteria style. The overly salted fish is absolute mush. And the dreadfully thin "clam chowder" has no cajones compared to a satisfactory canned Progresso.
But worst of all, the SHRIMP are absolutely the pits and would likely make the fictitious Benjamin Buford "Blue" turn over in his fictitious grave. "Peel your own" shrimp are almost as small as Bay Shrimp, making them frustrating to eat/peel, so much that they might as well be Cup O' Noodle-sized. And even worse than that, when you finally manage to dig in there, the mushiness of the product is unbearable. And thinking that yours must be a fluke, those few bites of your friend's scampi almost ensure that the overall shrimp situation is no different. Thank goodness they have a full bar, else there would be no other recourse for situations in which you find yourself forced to be on the premises.
Overall, this restaurant definitely caters to children and those who were otherwise born after the movie went to dvd AND after this atrocious chain began. Why ruin a perfectly good movie for those kids? And I really don't care if you think this restaurant concept is "whimsical, entertaining, interactive and fun". The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co is yet another unfortunate circumstance of a restaurant chain trying to dumb down the intelligence level and palates of future generations, even from a touristy dine-out perspective. I never thought I'd say this, but I'd rather eat at Crapplebee's.
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"girl with the gun"
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Location
Irvine, CA
Yelping SinceAugust 2008
Things I Love Find Me InYSL Tributes (it's a new era)
But what made me even sadder had to be those things they were calling "calamari fries", which were nothing more than limp, dry and dreadfully chewy pieces of squid, deep fried after being coated in a breading that needed more salt. The butterscotch budino depressed me even more -- it was horribly thin, not butterscotch-y at all, and not nearly as good as Pizzeria Mozza's. Is it even fair or correct to make this comparison, even though the restaurants are in the same category? Probably not.
But there is one thing Ecco does have over its competitors, and "intimacy in ambiance" is certainly one way to say it. Another way could be: during my 5 times eating on the premises, I've never seen more than 10 people in the building, including the employees And it's sad, because for as hard as I am being about the food, in reality, Ecco renders itself as average, and average is certainly passable, good enough to masquerade as "good" on a quiet evening out. But Ecco could be SO MUCH BETTER than passable masquerading as good!!!
Note: their wine list is underwhelming to say the least. In fact, if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation dining with people who don't drink, you may find that the wines by the glass" don't even include Italian reds on any given days. IF YOU COME HERE, ALWAYS BUY WINE BY THE BOTTLE OR BRING YOUR OWN.