Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens

While most restaurants are eagerly anticipated to a certain degree, I don’t think there has been one that has come close in recent years to the popular restaurant at Roger’s Gardens called Farmhouse.

This rustic, open-air restaurant is the latest creation by Chef Rich Mead of Sage fame.  Chef Mead has a loyal following from his days of cooking up delicious meals at Sage in a tiny neighborhood shopping center in Newport Beach, but I would have to guess that even the most loyal of followers had no idea the Farmhouse would be such a big hit.

It’s more than the rustic, upscale, farmhouse design that combines unfinished wood and simple chandeliers against the greenery of Roger’s Gardens that makes this restaurant a pleasure to dine in. This is a “sustainable field-to-fork dining experience”. The food is what really makes it a wonderful place, especially if you seek fresh, organic, locally produced and procured foods prepared with creativity for each season’s bounty.  At Farmhouse “everything we do has a story behind it”, like the salmon from Skuna Bay, PEI (Prince Edward Island) mussels and grass fed beef from Brandt Farms, where every aspect of beef production is under their direction.

The real highlight, though, is the vegetables. Twice a week Chef Rich heads to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market where they select the best produce they can find from farmers that they have built a relationship with. It's 100% organic produce, with a large part of it coming from award winning Weiser Family Farms. If you don’t believe you can taste the difference in a vegetable that is locally and organically grown, then let the creations of the Farmhouse change your mind.

I’ve been to Farmhouse many times and so I have been able to try several items on the menu.  All of the items I tried were delicious. The freshness of the ingredients is evident not only by the beautiful colors on your plate, but also in every bite you take.  In some cases, like the Chopped Grilled Vegetable Salad and The Farmhouse Vegetable Plate, you get the best of the season’s vegetables, cooked to perfection and accentuated by additions of flavors from pomegranates, or freshly made pesto.  The Panko Crusted Icelandic Cod is mouth-watering delicious and comes with Asian vegetables. The Herb Roast Jidori Chicken is a healthy version of comfort food and the Roasted Carrots with Burrata changed my mind on how good carrots can taste.  For all of you salmon lovers out there, the Grilled Pomegranate Glazed Salmon Salad on the lunch menu is a must–try. I have yet to find something on the menu I didn’t like.

They have a good selection of wines and beer and offer some creative signature cocktails.  I liked the Dark Ages, a mix of amaro, carpano antica and bourbon.  Every now and again I save room for dessert and if that’s how you roll, then the Vanilla Bean Pot de Crème (with lemon thyme shortbread) is worth the splurge.

The menu will change throughout the year to stay current with serving the freshest produce of each season. Plan ahead (you’ll need a reservation) to visit the Farmhouse and go hungry… there are lots of delicious items waiting for you. 

(Review originally posted on 2/2/17)

Le Pain Quotidien Review →

Le Pain Quotidian, which is based in Brussels, is reminiscent of a bright and open European café, with a friendly, warm feel. Their seasonal menus are organic and sustainable and always fresh daily (no freezing) with an abundance of vegan and gluten-free choices. The fresh salmon is wild, tuna is pole caught, and they offer free-range, organic chicken and eggs. I've had the opportunity to taste breakfast, lunch and dinner and I’m very impressed with the menu variety and great flavors.

With an in-house artisan bakery you are guaranteed wonderful fresh breads and beautiful pastries. Their restaurant name translates from French to be “daily bread”. For all you "bread lovers", they only use organic stoned-ground flour with just four ingredients: flour, starter, water and salt. If you have a desire to learn their delicious and nutritious bread-making and pastry-making secrets, baking classes are regularly available. You can check out the Mommy and Me baking classes as well.

They recently started serving a nutty gluten-free bread that's the best I’ve ever had, super moist, full of flavor…its addictive! The chia seed muffins, made with coco powder, organic flour, yogurt, banana and vanilla extract are really yummy as well.

One of the more popular items is the avocado toast with organic soft boiled eggs (optional) and topped with fresh cherry tomatoes, herbs and a side of fresh spring greens. Additionally the grilled chicken cobb salad, quinoa cake or the great variety of tartines like the grilled chicken tartine with smoked mozzarella cheese are all amazingly good.

There are two very cool reclaimed wood communal tables centered in the restaurant for fun connecting with others. If you’re a dog lover or enjoy eating al fresco, there's a dog friendly outdoor patio with a lovely view out to the Pacific Ocean. 

(Review originally posted 7/28/16)

Thrive Juice Lab

When it comes to juicing, Thrive Juice Lab is the real “real thing”. “Real” meaning they use organic vegetables and fruit and then cold-press (no heat to destroy vitamins) to extract the juice and retain all the vital nutrients.  Vegetable juice is a liquid vitamin and it beats soda and sugar-laden coffee drinks any day.  Drinking green juice is a better idea, but If you want an optimal juicing experience, drinking juice for the health benefits, it should be 100% organic and freshly cold-pressed. 

Many juice companies are using the HPP (high-pressure pasteurization) process, which kills bacteria and allows for a longer shelf life, but the downfall is that it reduces the active enzymes, antioxidants and vitamins to the juice.  Because vegetable juice and smoothies are so popular now, many large corporations have jumped on the bandwagon including Coca Cola and Pepsi. Coca Cola owns the brand Odwalla juice and PepsiCo owns Naked juice and also has recently acquired the probiotic drink KeVita. These larger companies use the HPP method for a more shelf stable product.  Your best bet is finding a juice bar that does it right,  like Thrive Juice Lab, located in Newport Beach and Laguna Niguel. 

Thrive Juice Lab is a casual, all organic, juice and wellness café. Their menu features juices, smoothies, wellness shots, bowls and salads.  Organic coffee and loose leaf tea are offered as well.  Feel like it’s time to do a cleanse?  They offer that service, too. Everything they carry is organic and gluten-free. Their menu items and cleanses are specially created with the help of raw food chefs and certified nutritionists.  

The salads, wellness shots and juices are made fresh daily and can be found in their open refrigerator section.  Kombucha and various other items, including “healthy” desserts, can also be found there.  Smoothies and bowls are made to order with either sprouted almond milk or coconut milk. They do offer a curbside delivery service if you call in your order 5-10 minutes ahead.   They offer many superfood boosters you can add to your smoothie. 

Thrive Juice Lab is proud to be a “farm to cup” establishment and takes pride in serving high quality products.  When you drink one of their juices, you feel the healing power of the pure and simple ingredients.  Your cells drink up the green elixir of vitamins, minerals and enzymes immediately. I love their Green Wonder smoothie, which has spinach, kale, banana, apple, lemon and sprouted almond milk. It helps me feel nourished and ready to take on the day.  How about you?  Have you noticed a boost in energy by adding green juice to your diet?

(review originally posted 4/7/17)

True Food Kitchen Review

If you know anything about True Food Kitchen and healthy eating, you would probably think this review would be easy to write. In a way it is, but there are so many good things about this, my first love of healthy restaurants, that squeezing it all into a reasonable amount of space is quite the challenge.

Dr. Andrew Weil and restaurateur Sam Fox set out in 2008 to bring delicious, truly healthy ingredients to the public in a restaurant setting that celebrates more than what is on the plate. True Food Kitchen goes beyond flavorful recipes made from “True”, local, organic ingredients and provides diners with food and an environment that cares for our planet as well. Now with 14 locations, one which we are lucky enough to have in Orange County in Newport Beach. Each location uses locally sourced products and all follow Dr. Weil’s principles of the Anti Inflammatory Diet (make into hyperlink). They have vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options that even meat and cheese eaters would like.

The seasonal menu has been recently updated with new choices and reworked favorites. The portions are reasonable, so even after a few starters there is room for a main course. Seasonal pizzas showcase everything from wild mushroom and roasted asparagus to house-made chicken sausage. Gluten free crusts are available. There are unique sandwich inventions: the TLT (tempeh, lettuce, tomato) and the Inside Out Quinoa Burger, which uses quinoa patties as a bun and is filled with hummus tzatzki and other fresh goodies. For you meat lovers, they also offer a grass-fed beef burger (yay!). They have creative entrees such as Sustainable Seabass that has a delicious umami sauce and one of my favorites, a Spaghetti Squash Casserole. But the newest update to the menu is the Bowls section where you can find Panang Curry, Teriyaki Quinoa, and my newest favorite, the Ancient Grains bowl (a mix of miso glazed sweet potatoes, charred onion, snow peas, grilled portabello, avocado and hemp seeds). So maybe by now you’re feeling a little full, but don’t pass on the dessert! It’s as close to guilt-free as you can get and again, the seasons make an appearance here. Fall brings a twist on pumpkin pie with their squash pie topped with coconut cream and the flourless chocolate cake is always a fan favorite. Before I send you off to go find your own True Food Kitchen favorites, I have to add that it’s also a great place for drinks. House infused, organic alcohols with seasonal creations such as the Thai Grapefruit Martini and a Citrus Skinny Margarita are delicious. They have craft beers and organic wines, too.

The menu provides so many great choices you’ll find yourself wanting to come back for a second visit long before the first one is over. Or maybe you’ll like it so much you want to eat at ALL their locations? That sounds like a great “bucket list” item. True Food Kitchen… “Honest food that tastes really good”.

(review originally posted 10/22/16)