Earlier in January a few of my friends took me out for my birthday to a new restaurant on Balboa Island called Mr. G’s Bistro. It’s a cute little place, with lovely ambiance and the food was really good. We shared a few appetizers…a caesar and spinach salad, pomme frites and some deviled eggs. I’m not a real big fan of deviled eggs, but these were so creamy and good.
I had the Cappelletti with wild mushrooms and thyme…sooooo good!….and one of the other gals had Cacio E Pepe…also very good!
Mr G was in the house and sent over some champagne…so we asked him to take a pic with us! Nice guy!
I honestly can’t remember what everyone else had, but I’ve heard the burger is really good. All in all, I’d recommend and I look forward to going back. They’re open for lunch and dinner.
The following week my friend, Mimi, took me out for a birthday brunch…the birthday that never ends..haha! I had heard about, but never been, to the cool 4th Street Market in Santa Ana, so we headed that way. We ate lunch at Eat Chow, (around the corner from the market..with another location in Costa Mesa) which is always yummy…I’d recommend…but the fun was discovering the few blocks of Fourth Street known at East End Santa Ana. Opened in February of 2016, 4th Street Market is, coincidentally, the brainchild of Ryan Chase, the son of one of Mimi’s best friends. It is such a cool concept and I loved the whole vibe of the place.
The main entrance seems almost like an old country market, with small batch, homemade food and textile items. As you venture farther into the space there is an eclectic mix of small shops, with everything from an old fashioned personal butcher (remember those?), to every sort of food delicacy from around the world…falafel, pizza, specialty coffee, pho, mexican, a brewery and, of course, a few dessert places.
It reminded me a little bit of the Ferry Building in SF and European food markets I’ve visited. The back patio has a mix of seating and ping pong tables, with live music to enjoy during your Sunday brunch and varied performances throughout the week/year. I’m sure the next First Saturday Artwalk tomorrow night, Feb 4th, would be a fun, if somewhat crowded, way to explore all this area has to offer.
One last really cool and inventive idea at 4th Street Market is a concept called The East End Incubator Commercial Kitchen. So, you make the best, bad-ass cookies or pasta or whatever, but in order to market them your permit requires you to use a commercial kitchen…not your home kitchen. What to do?? Rent space at this commercial market and your problems are solved! They have large ovens and work-space that would make any cook or baker drool. This sign on the door says it all….
I can’t wait to go back and explore the area! Bon Appetit!
Happy Super Bowl Weekend…GO PATS!
You cannot direct the wind, but you can adjust the sails!
