Buyer’s Remorse at The Clubhouse at South Coast Plaza
Posted on March 3, 2009
As I mentioned in my review of the cooking demonstration by Lulu De Rouen, the last week in February was Restaurant Week in Orange County, Calif., and since I discovered it just one day before it was over, I had little time to partake of its wonders. So I decided to couple my visit to Bloomingdale’s for the cooking demo with lunch next door at The Clubhouse, which had a special menu for the weeklong celebration–$20 for lunch and $40 for dinner, prix fixe.
Even though I had sampled Chef Lulu’s two dishes and wasn’t that hungry, I figured I’d probably never again have the occasion to try this large and–for lack of a better word–clubby restaurant situated at one end of Bloomingdale’s. The new OC restaurant by Charlie Palmer sits at the other end, making for some intriguing bookends.
The lunch included choice of salad, soup and entree.
I chose the iceberg lettuce wedge for the salad, and though there was nothing wrong with it, it didn’t do anything except make me cut through a lot of thick lettuce with precious little dressing to complement it. It was nothing like the innovative and delicious iceberg wedge at Vessels at the Los Alamitos Race Track.
I paid a buck extra and got the lobster bisque, which was fine but, again, not spectacular. For the main course, I took the tilapia with black beans and mashed potatoes. The fish was breaded in almond grinds and was fine. There were hardly more than 10 or 15 black beans, however, and the mashed potatoes were completely tasteless. Have they ever heard of adding butter and/or cream–and perhaps some salt?
Anyway, for 20 bucks, it was worth the introduction. If I do go back, I’ll order one of the restaurant’s delicious-looking hamburgers and fries, which the woman next to me at the bar ordered. That plate looked great–and it was only $13.
However, if I get back to South Coast Plaza, I’m sure I’ll be giving Charlie Palmer a try. The Orange County Register raved about the place, but the Los Angeles Times panned it. That means it probably is absolutely divine.
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