[Laguna Beach] [American] Sundried Tomato Cafe

Sundried Tomato Cafe
361 Forest Ave #103
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949)494-3312
http://www.sundriedtomatocafe.com

This week is Orange County's Restaurant Week.  Since Restaurant ends today, and we haven't been to any of the restaurants this year, we decided to go out for dinner at one of the participating restaurants.  I had set our budget for $20 dinner because of other big spending this month (I can't wait to get my PS3 Slim!).  After comparing menus at couple restaurants, we decided to try Sundried Tomato Cafe in Laguna Beach.



We made our reservation for 7:30pm.  The place was completely full, but there was a table waiting for us.  The restaurant was small, but they have a very nice outdoor patio seating area, as well as second floor patio seating.




Our waitress was friendly (and very pretty, too).  With a big smile, she explained the Restaurant Week special to us.  Throughout the evening, she came back several times to make sure everything was ok.  We enjoyed the attentive service very much.


Bread

Two kinds of bread in the basket, baguette and olive roll.  The baguette was soft and very good.  Olive roll was a bit too hard, but it had good flavor.


Sundried Tomato Butter

The butter they used was Sundried Tomato whipped butter, just like the name of the restaurant.  Because of this butter, I ate way too much bread.


Pinocarno Martini ($5.00)
pneapple infused vodka, cranberry, on the rocks

They had a Pinocarno Martini special for $5 if ordered with Restaurant Week menu.  I took the advantage and got a glass.  The martini tasted fruity.  I thought it tasted more like juice than alcohol.  I was wrong.  I started feeling the alcohol after 1/2 glass.


J Lohr 7 Oaks Cabernet, Paso Robles ($9.00)
spicy cherry with thyme

Dr. P got a glass of Cabernet to go with his dinner.  The red wine tasted warm and smooth.


Polenta with Tomatillo Sauce ($12.00)
avocado, corn, tomato, cilantro, sour cream

The 3 course Restaurant Week Special is $20.  Below the photo, I have included the original price from their menu as a reference.  Appetizer #1 was Polenta with Tomatillo Sauce.  I love polenta!  The polenta was fried, and the tomatillo sauce was tasty.  Lots of fresh corn, tomato, avocado, and cilantro.  The spicy hot sauce on the side gave the flavor a major kick.


Braised New Zealand Mussels ($11.00)
pancetta, saffron cream sauce

Appetizer #2 was Braised New Zealand Mussels.  The saffron cream sauce was delicious.  Dr. P couldn't stop dipping his bread with the sauce.  We like the thick pieces of pancetta, too.  The mussels were very good.


Rare Albacore Tuna ($21.00)
seared rare, sesame crusted, soy citrus glaze, avocado, sauteed spinach, mashed potatoes

For main entree, I ordered Rare Albacore Tuna.  It came with mashed potato and sauteed spinach on the bottom, and a few slices of avocado on the top.



The albacore tuna was cooked on the outer layer, and raw in the middle.  The fish was so delicious.  Seasoning was light so I could really taste the flavor of the albacore tuna.  The citrus soy glaze was perfect with the fish.  Mashed potatoes were seasoned perfectly.  This was one great dish.


6 oz Toumedos of Filet ($23.00)
pancetta, portobello, green beans, sweet onion sauce

Dr. P ordered 6oz Toumedos of Filet as his main entree.  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium with pink in the middle.  It was soft, juicy, and flavorful.  Lots of veggies on the side.  There were green beans, portobello mushroom, and arugula salad.  They even tossed some pancetta with the veggie.  Green bean was crispy.  Portobello mushroom was Dr. P's favorite.  It was juicy and meaty.  Arugula naturally tasted a little bitter, but it was perfect with the sweet onion sauce.  I thought my fish dish was great, but I have to say, the Toumedos of Filet was even greater!


Coffee ($3.00)

Dr. P got a cup of coffee to go with dessert.  The first thing he noticed was that they used real cream.  It's always the little details that make you know the restaurant owner/chef really cares.


Chocolate Espresso Brownie Sundae

Chocolate Espresso Brownie Sundae was great.  The brownie was rich, but when eaten with vanilla ice cream, it was just perfect.


Creme Brulee

Dr. P enjoyed the Creme Brulee a lot.  So did I.



We are in love with Sundried Tomato Cafe.  A couple that sat next to us were foreigners that just flew in yesterday.  They were there for lunch, and loved the food so much so they returned for dinner again.  I could understand why.  We will definitely come back again.  Dr. P said he wouldn't mind paying full price for his steak at all.

$20 for 3 course is such a bargain.  Just the main entree along is already over $20.  Today is the last day of OC Restaurant Week.  If you are looking for a place for dinner tonight, I highly recommend Sundried Tomato Cafe.  Enjoy!

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