Good Grief !! Where do I start?! At the beginning, Jim…read more..
OK, so I'm in Hanford, California doing a favor for a friend after a long day working in Los Angeles then driving 3 hours! My options??? Grabbing some snacks at the hotel or taking the spectacular advice of April and Naesha at the front desk of the Fairfield Marriott, my hotel for the night. They also said that the Steak Bites were fantastic.
After a quick shower, I took the 5 minute ride to the restaurant. Independent building, fairly nondescript but classy enough. Easy access with plenty of parking. You enter in to a dark, classy Italian restaurant. A large , open dining room straight ahead, and a small (but really cute) bar to the left. I chose eating at the bar, and I'm happy I did. Raquel, the Bartender took care of me with humor, seriousness, smiles, and incredible recommendations.
Ordered a nice Zin and started perusing the menu. The nightly "specials" menu looked great, but the regular menu nailed me. Before I could even begin to make decisions, their bread arrived at the table with a small bowl of marinara sauce. Maybe the best I've had... EVER! Raquel was literally describing the recipe after I raved. Should have asked for a copy! Guess I knew then that I was about to be thrilled!
I ordered some of the steak bites for the ladies at the hotel, then proceeded, knowing I was about to overeat AND take a feast back with me. Always a Caesar Salad as a starter, asking for it not to be overly saturated and they nailed it. Just a personal preference and this is massively nit picky, but just a hint more anchovy paste.
Raquel then steered me to Shrimp Avocado Crostini as an appetizer. It truly left me speechless, and that's virtually impossible (just ask my kids). The perfectly toasted Crostini's, thinly sliced, a smear of the avocado, then a spoonful of heaven! I mean the warm shrimp goulash, salsa, soup... heck, whatever it was, was pure perfection. Limited myself to 3 pieces, about 9 bites, and only consumed about 1/3.
For my main course I opted for a chicken dish as I often do. I chose the Spicy Chicken Chipotle with Penne Pasta, Blackened Chicken, bell peppers,edamame, mango... Now as I'm already achieving some pressure on my belt, all just have a couple bites. OOPS!!! Yup, it was THAT good! And it came out hot, as it should, a thing many restaurants miss on. I was confused after my first bite because it was unnaturally sublime! I devoured it!!! Just left enough to add it to the bounty traveling back to the hotel. Truly some of the very best pasta I've had anywhere.
So now I'm stuffed and she comes over and says a naughty word, DESSERT! Crème Brûlée Cheesecake sound ok? Sure, I reply. Light, fluffy, not overly sweet, luscious caramel sauce... two perfect bites and into a to go package.
The food, 10/10
The Service, 10/10 (Thanks Raquel!)
The Atmosphere 9/10
Don't know if I will ever get the opportunity to return, but if I do it would be my honor to have a chance at trying more of the beautiful menu. Bon A-petite' Cheers