A Fusion of Italy and Saltwater Beaches

Smack-dab in the middle of Venice Beach, there lies a little Italian restaurant called C&O Trattoria. This place is right next to the beach and has a very nice view of the ocean. My girlfriend and I took a trip to Venice Beach for fun and wanted to explore the food places around there. We then went on yelp and searched "Italian". To our demise, this place has 4 stars with around 1500 reviews; now THAT'S amazing!

When we arrived we were seated right away because the time was 4pm and not many people like to eat dinner in the afternoon. The waiter came up to us and gave a pretty unusual attitude. He was nice but mean at the same time, kind of like your best friend who like to act like an ass but you know is extremely generous. He took our food and drink orders and brought out their "bread and butter", but this place is apparently known for the garlic balls that they give out. These are literally just balls of dough baked to perfection with loads of garlic chunks and butters all over them. Also, we heard that many of their customers like to bring these garlic balls home. Anyways, I ordered a pasta dish with super soft beef short ribs and my girlfriend got the rigatoni with chicken. Both of our dishes were amazing! As we left, the waiter gave us a box of freshly baked garlic balls without us even asking. Overall, the service was excellent and the food was even better. Definitely a good place to eat because after being so full, there's a beach literally at your feet to walk it off.

YELP

The Capital Grille

For my birthday, my girlfriend surprised me with a dinner at The Capital Grille.

I have never heard of the restaurant so i was curious on what they had to offer. it is located on a corner of South Coast Plaza mall. At first i thought it would be cheap and tacky since it was located at the mall but i was wrong. We both walked in and were asked to go upstairs. There is an elevator if you are unable to use the stairs. The restaurant was not super busy but it is required to have a reservation to be seated. As we walked to our table i notice how everyone was dressed in a formal matter except for me. So remember to dress accordingly! We got seated and i notice they had a birthday card and very subtle decorations on the table. I thought i was very nice of them to do so for my birthday. The decor of the overall restaurant is very classy, and i felt like i was eating at a fine dining restaurant. Our waiter Brian, was awesome and showed us recommendation he had. We then got the menu and a plate of a variety of breads. As i looked at the menu, i can tell that this place is PRICEY. They are known for their steaks which vary from 40-60$. I then ordered the Delmonico steak which is a 22 oz. and my girlfriend ordered the wagyu filet witch was 50$ each plate. We also ordered the Lobster Mac n cheese, which was a 17$ appetizer. As we got our appetizer, it came on a decently size hot plate. The serving was perfectly enough for 2 people. The Lobster did not taste fresh but was very tasty. I really do recommend getting this as an appetizer. We then got our main course dishes and my steak was huge and my girlfriend’s plate was tiny (7 oz.). We both ordered our steaks medium rare, and it came out rarer as intended. Typically i order my steaks rare so it was perfect. My girlfriend's plate was to red for her so we had to ask to recook it. The steaks only come with the steaks itself. i thought for the price of the steaks, would include a side but it does not. My steak was very juicy and the rub and season of the steak was very unique. The Wagyu plate was very tender and cuts like butter. I actually prefer the Wagyu more, although it cost 50$ for a small steak. My steak was too much for one guy to eat so I had to take it home. They generously took my plate to the back to package my food Togo themselves. Before the waiter gave our check he surprises us with a birthday desert. It consisted of cheesecake, and a brownie with a candle. The Bill came out to be $150 after tax and tip. All in all, the restaurant wasn't too bad. The service was great, but for the money, I wouldn't recommend this place. I guess if you can afford it, then by all means give it a try.

YELP

Delmonico Steak 

Lobster Mac n Cheese

Local Watering Hole

The Balcony Grill and Bar in Diamond Jamboree plaza in Irvine features a lax environment to sit back and relax.  The dim lighting and plush couches in parts of the restaurant.  There is a nearly full bar to the right of the establishment.  This is one of the only decent bars in Irvine and is very popular with the young Asian American crowd.  The owner of the place, Paul, can be found pretty much every day there.  He usually goes around to help out the servers as well as talk to the customers.  Very friendly guy.  On the weekends, he pushes around his special drink cart.  It features several bottles, some quality beer, mixers and different sized cups.  It is usually $5-$7 dollars for any drink on there, depending on quality.

Usually when I come here for a drink after work with the coworkers, the calamari is always a must.  During their happy hour which is from 9PM-Closing on Sunday - Thursday, the Magic Calamari is only $5.  The Golden Mushrooms are also very good if you're the mushroom type of person.  Careful though, they come out very hot.  So sit back and relax while they cool down with the Buddha Beer.

Service here is not always the best.  It all boils down to the server that you get.  Some are very good and friendly, others seem like they hate their job.  Besides that, the food is good, alcohol is cheap, and great atmosphere.  Good job Paul.  

YELP