TASTE SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO W
ith each dish a celebration and experience an exploration, the hardest decision will be where to begin tasting San Juan.
A step off the train at Capistrano Depot and
onto Verdugo Street, the San Juan wine and dine tour begins. At Rancho Capistrano Winery, small plates
and pizzas are paired best with a glass of the light and fruity Mission Cabernet or balanced, classic California Chardonnay, dubbed Casa Blanca. Here palates will rejoice with each bite and sip of handcraſt ed wine from the family-owned winery that gathers grapes from across the globe then blends, ferments, oaks, racks, fi lters and bottles here in Southern California. An ever-changing menu, 50-plus wines and varietals means you’re bound to fi nd a meal that’s perfect for you. A jaunt down to Camino Capistrano sees
cheese plates, and happy hour specials at We Olive & Wine Bar or appetizers, hearty bites and dessert in the form of a caramel sea salt tart or chocolate truffl es at Five Vines Wine Bar—all dished out with boutique wines from across California. Sitting across from the historic Mission San
Juan Capistrano grounds, Cedar Creek Inn boasts a variety of classic American cuisines, a large sunny patio, friendly veteran staff and a warm, Western atmosphere. With a varied menu of salads, pizzas, burgers and fi sh, the family-owned eatery is a local mainstay. Co-owner Julie Ayres said over the 40 years
her family has been in business, they’ve collected recipes from family members and customers alike. She recommends the jalapeno jack pasta or grilled ahi burger with sashimi-grade tuna and jalapeno tartar sauce. Popular appetizers include deep-fried artichoke hearts and turkey zuni rolls served with chipotle raspberry dipping sauce. For another take on down-home cooking, head
east on Ortega Highway and hang a right onto Rancho Viejo Road. T ere, hidden in a shopping center corner, is Bad to the Bone BBQ, an eatery known for authentic wood-smoked barbecue and for enveloping diners in a rustic ambiance. A former Professional Rodeo Cowboys As-
sociation tie-down roper, Marty Wells and his wife Mary opened Bad to the Bone as a 30-seat sandwich shop in 2005. T ey can now seat 100 restaurant guests who they serve up high quality meat that’s been smoked overnight in hickory wood pits. “Authentic BBQ is smoked with wood rather
than oven baked, then fi nished over the grill with sauce,” Wells said. “When you see the deep red smoke ring on the outside edge of the meat, you know that’s real authentic BBQ.” A trip across Interstate 5 and south toward
Dana Point will fi nd foodie adventurers in Plaza Del Rio for a taste of France. At Ô Gourmet French Café & Bakery, co-owners and Frenchmen Benoit Jussaume and Eric Djomby deliver an in- novative, yet novel, French café experience. Here, their philosophy: to teach guests about
genuine French cuisine, is served best with a café au lait. At Ô Gourmet, Jussaume and Djomby encourage patrons to enjoy life at a slower pace. With French staples such as crepes, croque mon-
El Adobe de Capistrano
Ricardo’s Place
Bad to the Bone BBQ
sieur, quiche Lorraine, croissants and macarons baked daily, embracing the laidback, c’est la vie- attitude of San Juan’s Parisian café is a breeze. T e culinary trek then moves north to San
Juan’s favorite eateries, like long-time staples El Adobe de Capistrano, L’Hirondelle and T e Vin- tage Steakhouse where diners can experience old- world comforts through bold traditional Mexican fare, delicate continental cuisine with a French, Belgian twist and a refi ned, rustic meal set against fi nishes of a gone-by era. Here, too, culinary trek- kers will fi nd newer additions to the dining scene, Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria and Hennessey’s Tavern serving up Italian and Irish dishes.
24 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS DIRECTORY & VISITOR GUIDE
VISITSJC.COM
Hidden House Coffee On Los Rios Street, this step-back-in-time
dining experience continues in a tea house, coff ee shop and eateries celebrating times when San Juan Capistrano’s pace of life moved slower and meal- times were relished and part of a grand tradition. Cold brew coff ees and decoratively topped lattees at Hidden House Coff ee are best enjoyed on the patio under a web of trees with a sweet or savory baked good—like the bacon, cheddar and chive scone. As lunchtime ensues, a walk across the tracks to T e Vintage Steakhouse reveals mesquite open-fi re grilled steaks, fi sh and vegetables served al a train as passenger rails pass by. Dine San Juan and crisscross the globe.
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