Darkroom is such a special restaurant and over the past year-and-a-half since they opened, it has…read morebecome my wife any my favorite restaurant in Orange County. That is not an easy title to acquire; we're really lucky to have wonderful restaurants all over OC. But Darkroom simply does it differently. The flavors and textures that we experience every night we go are always so unique and playful while also remaining balanced. No dish is ever just dropped at the table, it is presented and described in detail, which is very helpful because each dish utilizes techniques and ingredients that are surprising and yet work perfectly together. The ambiance is immaculate, with tunes playing from a vinyl station that is showcased in the restaurant. And the most important part: everyone that works here makes every night feel special. They are all so wonderful and really make Darkroom stand out.

So many great things to say about my recent visit, dinner for two…read more Service is always top notch. Quality ingredients. Fun vibe. Great place to get an atmospheric change from the day to day. You will love their cuisines!

Did the candle making with wine tasting for Valentine's Day with some of my girls and it was such a…read moregreat experience! Chris and Gebby are both amazing. Chris was incredibly responsive before the reservation and a was able to add one of my friends. Chris is also the wine maker and has won several OC Fair awards for this wine. He was interactive and friendly while still letting us do our thing. Gebby was very friendly and efficient and such a delightful person. The candle making was well explained and great scents. The wine was so good. The last wine was a port which I normally find too sweet and just too much and this port was the best I've ever had and would drink again! Thanks for a great experience!

We've known Chris since his days at Klinker Brick Winery in Lodi, Ca. He has come in to his own…read morewith a delightful tasting room in Orange, Ca, where you can taste awesome wines and make candles at the same time. His wines are spot on, I got two bottles of Albariño. You gotta go!

This place has quickly become one of my favorite local spots. The food is always amazing, and I…read morehave to give a special shoutout to the pork from last week -- seriously incredible. The peppers are a must-have every time. The vegetables with that pesto are delicious, and I could eat the cheesecake and beef tartare by the spoonful -- not at the same time, obviously, because I'm not a monster. The coffee is also fantastic, and I'm officially counting down the days until they get a full bar. My only tiny wish is that they had one or two more non-alcoholic beer options, but that's me being picky because everything else is so good. As a Floral Park resident, I'm genuinely happy to call this place my local gem. It has become one of my go-to spots to bring friends and family, and it never disappoints.

Overall such a great experience. We came here to celebrate a birthday and it has been a joy to…read moreexperience the food and wine here. The shrimp was fresh and spicier than I expected. Steam tartare was good but I wouldn't get it again because they had a lot of capers and the caper berries. Just a bit too salty for me. Octopus was great. Grilled to perfection with the sauce. I got the bread from the reviews recommending it, but J would personally pass this one too. The larger slices were a little stale and not pleasant. Just warmed up to make it seem fresh. Overall, our server was very sweet and made our whole experience great. Would come back again.

Went over for lunch, service was great Manager Luis was very attentive…read more Love happy hour, great place to have a good time.

Alejandro had the best customer service provided for my party. All of our drinks and food items…read morecame fairly quickly after he greeted us. Definitely will be coming back.

Every time I'm in the area and in the mood for some crisp wine, I find myself stopping by The Wine…read moreLab. My go-to is usually one of their wine flights. It's a great way to try something new, and I've yet to be disappointed. The staff is always friendly, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you're a wine enthusiast or just looking for a good glass, they're happy to guide you in the right direction. The bar itself is comfortable and inviting, making it easy to settle in and enjoy a tasting. One of my favorite features, though, is their wine market. It's thoughtfully curated and makes it hard to leave without picking up a bottle or two to take home. Great wine, great people, and a relaxed atmosphere. If you're in the area and enjoy wine, The Wine Lab is absolutely worth a visit.

Cute little spot to get a glass of wine in the camp. Love stopping by and getting a tasting flight…read more You tell them what you like and then you get a small flight in little beakers. The cheese boards are good too love how they change seasonally. The owner is always in and he's so nice and knowledge of wine he has or is coming in. Always a good time at the wine lab.

A much needed return visit and another hit. We recommend the Smashburger ($25) and Brisket Barbacoa…read moreTacos ($16). The Smashburger reminded me a one of the best cheeseburgers ever. It was ground fresh and had lots of flavor. The Barbacoa has kick. Note to wine lovers: we opted for the $25 bottle of "Summer Love" Pinot Noir wine. It's not what you'd expect from a Pinot Noir. This wine is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc. As such, it's light and funky. We enjoyed it while the table next to us sent theirs back.

Made a conscious effort to drive to Santa Ana to dine at Le Hut Dinette, based on good reviews…read more Our timing was wrong, resulting in a limited American breakfast that was decent but pricey; not distinct or delicious enough to justify the long drive. Le Hut Dinette has a informative website which I tried to plan to, but it gave outdated information and is not being maintained: it gives incorrect open hours tied to brunch, lunch, and dinner. The hours on Yelp and Google are correct: 8am - 3 pm daily. Also the advice for parking is true: need to find street parking and at 8 am, it wasn't particularly easy, especially with the road construction happening. What we later learned from our server (because it is not listed on the menu or website) is that the only things served between 8 - 10 are things titled 'Breakfast Things' on the normal and daily special menu. The other items are served after 10 am till close. And the dinner menu listed on the website (which contained the items that I really wanted to try (arroz caldo, chicken inasal, beef rib)) are no longer offered at all. So we chose from the limited breakfast menu (since it was the only choice). French Toast ($13) - the key word in the menu description is custard. Later looking up custard french toast, learnt that the inside is supposed to taste like bread pudding or creme brule filling, so it matched. The large one piece tasted good, but after two bites, couldn't eat anymore: just too rich for any of us. Bacon and Egg Sandwich ($21). It was well prepared, but wasn't to my wife's taste, with thick slices of chewy (almost pork belly like) bacon, and tart green tomatoes. I ended up eating most of it, and it was OK: really good ingredients prepared well, but just not something I would normally order. Came with tallowed fried potatoes, basically boiled mini potatoes, smashed and fried in tallow on a grill. These were top notch. Pitmaster Slam ($37) - two thick slices of smoked brisket, two eggs, and the same great tallowed fried potatoes. The brisket is top quality carefully smoked, and would have been great if served after preparation, but tasted exactly what it was: reheated from the previous day fast, instead of very slowly which would have remelted all the beef butter nicely through the meat. It did come with some amazing toast: toasted blue corn sourdough from the next door 61 Hundred bakery. Service was OK but slow, friendly as I asked more questions after our meal, just to try to make myself feel a bit better for coming all the way out here. The dishes took a while to be prepared (30+ minute), so after a while, my wife and Mom went to the bakery next door to get bread while we waited. Like a diner, only drip coffee was offered (though a bargain at $1). No hot tea, only iced tea ($3). The dishes were all served together immediately, hot, which I appreciated. Nothing was done incorrectly, but nothing really stood out either (except for the two food items mentioned). It's a confusing dichotomy...looking at the website, it appears as a fine dining establishment, taking reservations through OpenTable ; requesting a credit card to hold the reservation; prices on the higher side; items no longer available because they are considered 'seasonal'. But the food, dining area, service is definitely that of a LA diner (though the speed of food prep wasn't).

Went here a few days ago with the hubby. First time here. The man who greeted and sat us was so…read morekind and helpful. Immediate great first impression. The place is small and quaint but not busy (even for a Saturday evening!) very cozy environment with a great music playlist. There was a very large group of people sitting near us, and I was very aware that I could barely hear them. I noticed how the walls had the acoustic paneling all over it. I am very sensitive to restaurants that are overly loud. They did such an incredible job soundproofing the space so it wasn't overwhelming. Especially with the high ceilings. The vibe and aesthetic was so nice. Okay and the FOOD!!! The Brussels were insane. (That sweet-savory Yum -chefs kiss)! The lamb chops were incredible. The Hamachi was perfect. And the charcuterie board was a dream. Everything was amazing!! Will absolutely be coming here again.

This was my first time here. Certainly convenient to Griffis and a great place to stop by before…read moreand after any event at Angel's stadium. The weather was perfect for an afternoon on the patio. We sat at the fire pit. Vanessa, our server, was attentive without being overbearing. We snacked on the truffle fries while enjoying a 4 wine sample. GO HERE. HAVE FUN!

Surprisingly, I've never been to a speakeasy locally (only when traveling!) and this experience…read moregenuinely made me feel like I was somewhere far away. The space is hidden and intimate, and once you're inside, it really does feel exclusive in the best way. It adds to the whole experience and makes it feel like a true escape. The food was fresh and thoughtfully prepared, and they were also accommodating with our dietary restrictions, which I really appreciated. Overall, such a fun and memorable night. Definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time -- it's a small space with only 30 spots and fills up quickly.

Been wanting to try this place ever since it opened and finally got the chance to do so…read more Located at the packing district, expect to park hella far away or prepare to valet. Not sure if reservations are required, but this speakeasy is pretty tiny so I can't imagine it can accommodate walk ins. We had a reservation for 8pm on a Friday night. The door is very well hidden, I thought it'd be in a basement around the corner or something. The space is really small, so not groups are not advised. I had the niña fresa, a strawberries and creme type drink. Delicious! If you like sweet drinks, otherwise do not get it. I had the Saturn afterwards. Still a little sweet, but mostly sour. The server came by to say that we only had 25 min left, so we hurriedly ordered a last drink. But when we delivered it, it magically became 5 min! I chugged my drink and was ushered out the door. Overall it was pretty nice but I didn't enjoy having to rush at the very end.

Went to check out the Jazz nights at Bar Tinto and had a nice night out with a girlfriend. Seating…read morewas limited so make sure to come early, managed to grab one in the corner. Staff was really friendly and accommodating. They recommended an orange wine that we liked. The oysters were fresh too and the bread had a nice crunch. Make sure to purchase tickets for the Jazz night in advanced they do sell out!

From the moment you walk in, the service sets the tone, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely…read morewelcoming without feeling overbearing. The natural wine selection is outstanding. You can tell it's been thoughtfully curated, and the staff really knows how to guide you through it. The pairings are intentional and elevate the entire experience, not just an afterthought. The ambiance is top-notch, effortlessly stylish, warm, and the kind of place that works just as well for a date night as it does for a relaxed night out with friends. And the food... the pork belly taco was absolutely mind-blowing. Perfectly balanced, rich without being heavy, and executed with real attention to detail. This is one of those places where everything, from service to wine to food; comes together seamlessly. Definitely a standout.

My husband and I went to Pali for a date since we know it is a great place to enjoy a nice glass of…read morewine with a great ambiance. We had a fantastic server who made it even more enjoyable. Shania was very attentive and even seemed to know what we needed, before we asked. She was Amazing! Thank you, Shania! We love the wine selection here (especially the Huntington Pinot) and the charcuterie board paired well with our wine, as well. It really was a wonderful evening! Nate and Debbie

We had such a great experience at Pali Wine! Eric and Joey were fantastic -- super knowledgeable,…read morewelcoming, and made the tasting feel really personalized and fun. He gave us such a great sommelier-style experience and helped us discover wines we absolutely loved. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, and we never felt rushed. Highly recommend stopping by if you're into wine and the culture behind it