Elephant Bar, Lake Forest, CA
Wow....and not in the good way. This is the new location of a restaurant that has not always ranked high in my book. I really tried hard to walk in with a fresh mind and no preconceptions.
The restaurant is connected the the Laguna Hills Mall. Southeast Asian and Pacific Island decor prevail in this establishment. The bar area, dining area, and kitchen area are all in one room and with little to no separating walls. This lends to the feel of hustle and bustle throughout the restaurant. This is definitely not the place to go if you are looking for a quiet dinner out.
I didn't try any drinks on this visit because the kids were there. I tried to substitute the drink with an appetizer. The corn cakes looked good so we gave that a try. We also tried the macadamia crusted chicken with shrimp, seared ahi burger, and the kid's cheeseburger for the main entrees.
Let the games begin!
The corn cakes came out fairly quickily and represented a smaller version of the Cheesecake Factory starter. This was a good sign that it appeared to look like the tasty counterpart. However, looks can be deceiving. One forkful of this dish and I was severely disappointed. The corncake was overcooked, the tomatillo sauce lacked zing, and the there was not enough cilantro. One positive about the toppings was that the avocados were fresh!
The entrees came out and they all looked awesome. The chicken and shrimp was generously coated with a cream sauce and the stir fry veggies looked tasty. I looked at the seared ahi burger and was impressed by the size of the fish. The kid's cheeseburger looked good and I'm not a big meat eater anymore. I was salivating and hopeful that this food would make up for the bland taste of the appetizer.
Fail!
The macadamia crusted chicken was smothered with sauce and barely had any macadamia crust but only macadamia chunks. I can only describe it as a cheap knockoff of the Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp from Cheesecake Factory.
The ahi was decent but the bread was dry and there was not enough aioli for the fish.
Dissatisfied does not even describe my feelings towards this meal. The best thing of the night was the kid's cheeseburger. It was moist and had a good amount of cheese. I should have just had that.
I wanted to try one last time to salvage this meal so I tried to have high hopes for the red velvet cupcake and the kid's sundae that were on the way.
Fail, again!
I took one bite of the red velvet and wanted to give it back. For those of you that know me I have the biggest sweet tooth but this cupcake was dry and really had no flavor. The vanilla ice cream was the only saving grace for that dessert. The kid's sundae was a typical kids' dessert and subdued my son's sweet cravings. Unfortunately, I was left wanting.
All in all, this meal is a FAIL.
The drinks may be good considering the place is called Elephant Bar, but I can't speak to that because I didn't get the pleasure (insert sarcasm here).
Try it for yourself and maybe you may see things differently but this trip was a waste of my tastebuds.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Flemings 5 for 6 till 7 Deal
Flemings Steakhouse , Newport Beach, CA
Money may be low but the need for good food always stays high. That is why when I heard about the deals the premiere steakhouses were having I knew I had to try them out. The first one up is Flemings steak house.
Located adjacent to the upscale Fashion Island Mall, the outer decor of the restaurant matched the theme of the mall. The design was ordinary at best but presented a clean image. As we walked to the entrance, the hostess gently opened the door, gave us a smile, and welcomed us in. The formal dining area is right up front and extended quite a bit towards the rear of the room. The interior decor was oak filled and had the typical dark "classy" restaurant setting. I would enjoy dinner soon enough but, for now, I needed to find my way to the bar.
The bar is located very close to the entrance. As you enter the restaurant, the bar is on the left with a few high tables, a long bar area, and a few tables outside providing a patio dining experience.There are a few tasty deals at Flemings going on now for the frugal foodie. I decided to try out the 5 for 6 till 7 menu at the bar. This menu has 5 items in several categories for 6 dollars until 7pm (5-7pm). There are a collection of martinis, wines, and appetizers for only 6 bucks! I was a little skeptical at first, thinking the portions would be small or the flavors would be bland. I was definitely in for a surprise.
The Appletini and the Cosmo cocktails were smooth with just the right amount of alcohol. There are dried fruits in the cocktails whose colors bleed into the clear drinks so during the meal, watching the colors change in the drinks was pretty cool. I know that an Appletini and Cosmo aren't the most "manly" drinks but they were tasty and cheap so I didn't care. I decided to skip the wine list for now and order some appetizers. I am so glad I did. If I got any more drunk I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the food as much.
I needed to save room for dinner so besides the drinks, I only tried appetizers and they were winners!
The Cajun Shrimp appetizer was not as spicy as I would have wanted but the cajun flavor was great. Make sure to ask for extra bread to dip in the sauce. There are 4 jumbo prawns in the dish and a few slices of bread but you will need a whole other loaf to enjoy the rest of the sauce after you polish off the shrimp. I guarantee it!
The Calamari dish was a surprise. I was expecting the normal seasoned fried squid one would find in any high end restaurant. This one had a twist. Sweet and spicy chilis and sliced pepperoncinis mixed in with the calamari. What?! This was new to me. I was getting full but I couldn't stop eating. This dish is highly recommended.
The Sliders....ooooh the sliders. If you are craving a mini-burger that tastes great (a little chewy though) then Wednesday's is when to come to the Flemings bar. On Wednesday's the sliders are FREE!!!! There are 5 different flavors so there will be at least one to fit your palette. The 5 for 6 till 7 menu also includes a full sized burger with fries so if you want a regular sized burger Flemings has your back on that too.
The food was great and the only thing that could have made it better would be some awesome service. DING!!!! We got that too!!
Our server's name was Sarah Thorne. She was attentive, helpful, and fun! She knew when to joke around and when to just let us eat. I don't know about you, but that is a fine art when it comes to being a good server. You know what is even more cool? You can call ahead and request her to be your server. Call Sarah Thorne (949) 720-9633!
If you are ever in Newport Beach for Happy Hour stop by the Flemings and ask for Sarah. Better yet, call ahead and plan a cheap date because the special 5 for 6 till 7 deal is 7 days a week!
Flemings is a great place for cheap gourmet eats!!!
Next up - Morton's Steak House.......
Money may be low but the need for good food always stays high. That is why when I heard about the deals the premiere steakhouses were having I knew I had to try them out. The first one up is Flemings steak house.
Located adjacent to the upscale Fashion Island Mall, the outer decor of the restaurant matched the theme of the mall. The design was ordinary at best but presented a clean image. As we walked to the entrance, the hostess gently opened the door, gave us a smile, and welcomed us in. The formal dining area is right up front and extended quite a bit towards the rear of the room. The interior decor was oak filled and had the typical dark "classy" restaurant setting. I would enjoy dinner soon enough but, for now, I needed to find my way to the bar.
The bar is located very close to the entrance. As you enter the restaurant, the bar is on the left with a few high tables, a long bar area, and a few tables outside providing a patio dining experience.There are a few tasty deals at Flemings going on now for the frugal foodie. I decided to try out the 5 for 6 till 7 menu at the bar. This menu has 5 items in several categories for 6 dollars until 7pm (5-7pm). There are a collection of martinis, wines, and appetizers for only 6 bucks! I was a little skeptical at first, thinking the portions would be small or the flavors would be bland. I was definitely in for a surprise.
The Appletini and the Cosmo cocktails were smooth with just the right amount of alcohol. There are dried fruits in the cocktails whose colors bleed into the clear drinks so during the meal, watching the colors change in the drinks was pretty cool. I know that an Appletini and Cosmo aren't the most "manly" drinks but they were tasty and cheap so I didn't care. I decided to skip the wine list for now and order some appetizers. I am so glad I did. If I got any more drunk I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the food as much.
I needed to save room for dinner so besides the drinks, I only tried appetizers and they were winners!
The Cajun Shrimp appetizer was not as spicy as I would have wanted but the cajun flavor was great. Make sure to ask for extra bread to dip in the sauce. There are 4 jumbo prawns in the dish and a few slices of bread but you will need a whole other loaf to enjoy the rest of the sauce after you polish off the shrimp. I guarantee it!
The Calamari dish was a surprise. I was expecting the normal seasoned fried squid one would find in any high end restaurant. This one had a twist. Sweet and spicy chilis and sliced pepperoncinis mixed in with the calamari. What?! This was new to me. I was getting full but I couldn't stop eating. This dish is highly recommended.
The Sliders....ooooh the sliders. If you are craving a mini-burger that tastes great (a little chewy though) then Wednesday's is when to come to the Flemings bar. On Wednesday's the sliders are FREE!!!! There are 5 different flavors so there will be at least one to fit your palette. The 5 for 6 till 7 menu also includes a full sized burger with fries so if you want a regular sized burger Flemings has your back on that too.
The food was great and the only thing that could have made it better would be some awesome service. DING!!!! We got that too!!
Our server's name was Sarah Thorne. She was attentive, helpful, and fun! She knew when to joke around and when to just let us eat. I don't know about you, but that is a fine art when it comes to being a good server. You know what is even more cool? You can call ahead and request her to be your server. Call Sarah Thorne (949) 720-9633!
If you are ever in Newport Beach for Happy Hour stop by the Flemings and ask for Sarah. Better yet, call ahead and plan a cheap date because the special 5 for 6 till 7 deal is 7 days a week!
Flemings is a great place for cheap gourmet eats!!!
Next up - Morton's Steak House.......
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