2011 Year in Review: My Top Restaurants

Here we go, my favorite restaurants of 2011!

3. Red Table in Huntington Beach is one of my favorite new restaurants! They have amazing comfort food and beers and wines to go along with it. The ambiance is fantastic! I've already been here twice so that tells you how much I love this place!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/09/red-table.html
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/09/review-of-red-table-during-oc-wine-week.html

2. AnQi in Costa Mesa is my number two pick!My first taste of molecular gastronomy and I am a fan! I want to go back and try their 8 or 10 course meal!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/09/review-of-anqi-gourmet-bistro-during-oc.html

1. My number one pick for 2011 is Il Garage! Everything about this palce blew me away! From the high level of service, to the freshness of the food to the fact that I can walk in the garden that grew some of the produce used in my meal while drinking a glass of wine, it is just a wonderful experience! I cannot wait to go back! I want to go here for my birthday!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/07/review-of-il-garage.html

2011 Year In Review: My Top Italian Restaurants!

Here are my picks for my favorite Italian Restaurant discoveries this year:

3. Pieology goes down as my favorite new pizza place of 2011! Quick and cheap and delicious! Plus I get to make it the way that I want! You can't beat that!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/04/review-of-pieology.html

2. Itriya Cafe goes down as my second favorite Italian place of 2011! With a huge variety of pasta dishes, you are going to find something yo love! Plus, throw in some Asian Fusion and you have a unique place to eat! Great service and a fun ambiance makes this place a winner!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/12/review-of-itriya-cafe.html

1. My number one Italian restaurant of 2011 goes to Il Garage! From its amazing service, to it's feel of escapism as Beach Blvd. is literally a hop skip and a jump away, to its fresh pasta to fresh from the garden produce, Il Garage is not only my top Italian Restaurant of 2011 but don't be surpised to see it high on my list of my top restaurants of 2011!
http://www.sasakitime.com/2011/07/review-of-il-garage.html

Review of Il Garage

A bit of Napa Valley in Stanton? In Stanton? That's right, in Stanton! Il Garage, the brainchild of Chef David Slay, is a must! Right next to his Park Ave restaurant known for its steaks, Il Garage is a pop-up restaurant that is only open for dinner and serves simple Italian fare.

A simple sign lets you know you are almost there.

The menu changes daily and many of the ingredients come from his garden right on the property.

As a pop-up restaurant, Il Garage is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm-9pm. As the name suggests, Il Garage was once the garage on property.. The open air restaurant feels like a bit of Napa Valley in the OC. Trust me when I tell you that you will find it hard to believe that Beach Blvd. is only a few feet away.

The restaurant is quiet and live music plays every night. This night we listened to classic jazz on keyboard.

The meal begins with a lovely bread basket with some Parmesan crackers, rosemary rolls and crostini brushed with olive oil and vinegar.

The service is outstanding. Our waitress Denise was warm and extremely knowledgeable about the menu and helped my friend with her selections. If the food was mediocre, it would be worth it to return to such wonderful service. But have no fear, the food was incredible, as were the drinks. We both started off with a tiziano, chilled grape juice and prosecco. Just a cool refreshing drink that got us ready to start going through the menu.

After debating what to start off with, we consulted with Denise, and decided to start with the fried green tomatoes parmigiano, baked with tomato sauce and mozzarella. The batter was light and the tomato sauce with the green tomatoes were perfect as can be. There is something about knowing that your tomatoes were picked just steps away from your table that just adds to the flavor and enjoyment of the meal.

We also got the squash blossoms, filled with ricotta, parmigiano and mint. The hint of mint was perfect with the ricotta and a nice unexpected pairing of flavors.

After our appetizers, we both went for a glass of Pinot Noir as we awaited our main course.

 

My friend went with the cannelloni which had an artichoke and goat cheese filling. The pasta was nice and light and the filling was perfectly blended, you would never know you were eating healthy. Il Garage makes all of its pasta fresh every single day.

I decided on the spinachi tagliatelle which was tossed with chopped shrimp, garlic, tomatoes and basil. Once again the pasta was amazing. That combined with the fresh shrimp and fresh vegetables made for a wonderful taste sensation.

We somehow managed to save room for dessert. My friend decided on the rum raisin bread pudding made fresh that day. It was warm and rich and you could taste the rum.

I went with an espresso and I failed by not knowing what it was called, but it was rich and creamy with espresso grounds mixed in and dark chocolate to taste. It was a perfect combination of flavors.

A fantastic meal with incredible service makes Il Garage a place where I will come back to time and time again. This is a perfect first date place, or a wonderful place to go with a group of friends to enjoy a wonderfully prepared meal.


il Garage
Where: 11200 Beach Blvd., Stanton
Info: 714-901-4400, parkavedining.com/
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, (and Saturdays starting July 2)