dish, I knew the dining experience was going to be a beautiful thing. Our starter was the Shima Aji Poke Sope, fresh aji, scallion, avocado, black sesame and cilantro in a pastry-crust bowl. There are very few times when I use the word sexy to describe food, but I must tell you, this was so incredibly fresh and it had one of the most successful flavor and texture combina- tions that I have experienced in a long while. Make sure to ask for this next selection if you
don’t see it on the menu; Live Scallop Crudo, topped with miso brown butter dressing, pre- sented in a seashell and so wickedly alive, thinly sliced and creamy with a light, delicate crunch. These beauties were breathing in my mouth and seriously were the freshest scallops that I have ever had in my life. I loved it and the flavor pro- file—amazing! I thought it would be hard to top the scallops, but I’ve got to say the Wagyu Filet Carpac- cio, Aleppo pepper, Meyer lemon-glazed dates with confit garlic was equally delectable. Next came the Hatch Chili Rubbed Pork Tenderloin, which was served with black bean chili, avocado, tortilla squares, pickled red onion—another winning combination. The Lagunitas Sucks is a double IPA (India
Pale Ale), it was what Ryan suggested next and it was a good call. It balanced out the heat of Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken, whose playful description grabbed my interest... “if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into, get something else.” I didn’t ask what that meant, or
what the ingredients were, but whatever they are, after tasting Red’s Hot Sauce, Uncle Lou has it goin’ on. The last course, certainly not least, was the
exquisiteWild Striped Bass, served with confit fennel, lemon puree and fines herbes, accented with silky cauliflower, which was again cooked to perfection—seared crisp on the outside, the fish moist and tender on the inside. I would normally feature more “signature
dishes,” but they wouldn’t necessarily be avail- able at any set day or time because their menu is ever- changing and wildly creative. The dessert of the evening
was Black Mission Fig Sticky Toffee Pudding topped with homemade whipped cream. A truly ridiculous finale that covered every aspect of what a dessert should be—sweet, salty, creamy and totally decadent. Chef Jason Quinn is a dar-
ing genius who has taken a bold approach to food, put- ting together an imaginative culinary team, all of whom have a voice in the menu creation and innovation.
Jason also has a smart trick up his sleeve to keep patrons coming back; a revolving menu. He said it this way, “by constantly changing daily fresh ingredients, diners never know what mystery to expect when they arrive. Most restaurants have a predictable set menu, that won’t happen here. It creates a fear of missing out, so we have many repeat customers.” The chefs on duty were Ryan Curson, Zach
Scherer, Jeffrey Boullt and Brad Radack and all of the food was prepared with consistent at-
tention to detail—everything that we tried was presented flawlessly. I love their bold decision to bring high-end ultra gourmet comfort food to this area and it truly is one of the most creative concepts I have experienced in a long time. I will share a quote from Chef Jason,”Every day
we are doing something we have never done before. When we arrive each morning, we find a plethora of ingredients that were not ordered, but are instead challenges from our purveyors,” figure out what to do with this, make it delicious, if you dare! We spend a considerable amount of time searching the globe, for those inspiring dishes we think of as the best-in-the-world quality. It is such an honor as a chef to be able to work with these beautiful ingredients and offer them to you.”
The Playgroundis located in Downtown Santa Ana at 220 East 4th Street. Dinner begins at 5 p.m. (Reservations suggested) with a Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a Sunday Supper 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (Reservations only). For more information or to make reservations, call 714.560.4444 or go
toplaygrounddtsa.com.
MARCH 2013 | RAGE monthly 53
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