ing his/her food. In this case we knew that it would be prepared by someone with technique and soul—which brings me to our delicious meal. For appetizers; we ordered Southern Crab Cakes presented on a bed of herb salad and smoked tomato beurre blanc which was tasty, although I questioned the cohesiveness of the cake itself. The Duck Quesadilla was fantastic, I am normally skepti- cal about duck (a texture issue), but this was cooked to perfection and I was impressed with the Avocado- Jalapeño sauce, to say nothing of the fresh black-eyed pea salsa-salad accompaniment. Next, we ordered a cup of the Down Home Gumbo, smoked chicken, shrimp, okra and chicken Andouille sau- sage over a mound of steamed rice. This was so freakin’ calming that I regretted not ordering a bowl of it—the perfect rainy day comfort food! I quickly shifted focus to the visually appealing Mixed Green Salad, candied pecans, gorgonzola, sliced red pear and golden raisins drizzled with sherry vinaigrette. John went for the Heir- loom Tomatoes, served with whole grain bruschetta, oregano and fresh mozzarella with the brilliant finish of smoked olive oil. It was time for another cocktail, I got adventurous and went for the Dark and Stormy, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and ginger beer on the rocks; yummy and thirst quenching. For the main course, I was feeling a bit carnivorous
and chose the Block-cut Harris Ranch New York Steak, served atop a bed of hash browns, parmesan broccolini lightly slathered in red wine butter sauce; that was some fine meat. John ordered Saffron Risotto Jambalaya consisting of gulf prawns, manila clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, smoked chicken and Andouille sausage, which he enjoyed and appreciated for its ingenious de- constructed take on the classic dish. The Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Southern Meatloaf and Catfish deserve an honorable mention for future consumption. The side dish selections sounded quite appealing: mustard greens, matchstick fries, fried baby spinach, green chile grits, Cajun creamed corn, mac ’n’ cheese, hush puppies, fried okra, sweet potato fries and mashed potato pancakes— all worth a return visit. I ordered the Black and Blue Lemonade with des-
sert, which ended up being my favorite because of the muddled fresh blackberries permeating the delicious concoction. For dessert, we had a double whammy, the flawless Crème Brûlée and the striking garden-fresh Carrot Cake; a beautiful ending to an appetizing and memorable culinary experience. The cafe is open for lunch, brunch and dinner and ac-
commodates up to 45 guests in an intimately lit dining area. The bar offers seating for 30 in the enclosed patio; both available for private parties. DJs provide the musi- cal ambiance late at night. It so happened that on the evening that we were there a few bands were scheduled to perform.
MEMPHIS CAFÉ SANTORA, 201 North Broadway Artists Village, Santa Ana. Reservations at 714.564.1064 or
memphiscafe.com (there is access to their other locations on this website also)
THE MEMPHIS GROUP IS MORE THAN JUST
RESTAURANTS Another smart move for the team was taking over ownership of Tin Lizzie Saloon, one of South Orange County’s signature gay bars, where locals and out-of-towners come to mingle in a lively atmosphere and indulge in fine wine and spirits. Open daily, the swanky, red-hued Victorian saloon, with origins dating back to the ‘50s is located in the heart of SoBeCa in Costa Mesa. Realizing the potential of the space, The Memphis Group acquired the property after a 10- year courtship as part of its ongoing revi- talization and development of SoBeCa. The group revamped the interior under the guidance of investor and local bar owner, the late Mike Conely. Located at 752 Saint Clair Street in Costa Mesa.
tinlizziesaloon.com
NOVEMBER 2011 | RAGE monthly 71
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