It was time to serve my civic duty (hip hip woo), but for my case the one upside was the fact that the courthouse was right in the middle of downtown Santa Ana. The reason so is that this is one of my absolute favorite spots to visit in Orange County (one of the only few).
As to why I love this little section of the city, is that it tends to have characteristics of downtown LA, crazy I know. But just walking around I catch the vibe as I admire all the old buildings standing next to the new lofts were local artists reside right above a boutique shop, and all you have to do is turn a block and you're in the middle of a Hispanic shopping strip. See the likenesses? Or am I reading way between the lines?
My first stop was the recently opened The Grilled Cheese Shop: brain-child of the head chef of The Crosby (local hot spot). Aptly located right down the street from its place of origin, it bares similar characteristics of of it's night time counter part. The variety offered featured a set menu of house sandwiches, as well as the ever trendy build-it-yourself menu. The interior is fairly minimal and the small space bares only a couple stools to sit down, fortunately there's enough shelf space to lay your sandwich down. The Three Little Pigs was a toss up against Dusk Till Dawn, although I don't think I could have ever made a bad choice, just read the menu. My only wish is that they offered The Crosby's phenomenal sweet potato fries, but I guess their stock will run out even before the The Crosby opens.
While making my round trip back to the courthouse I only found it fitting that I grab some ice cream on a blindingly hot day. This brand new spot in particular just opened back in May and I've been watching it's business boom, especially with the nightlife crowd, I've seen some lines go down the street around 10 o'clock a couple times. Despite it's fresh appearance and pink flare, it's hole-in-the-wall (literally) appearance makes it look like it's been part of the neighborhood. Scanning the expansive menu, I had to choose to their Persian Saffron Pistachio, which emanated a delightful floral sweetness, reminiscent to a nougat confection Jamie got me from Paris. But in all seriousness tho, the amount of flavors they have is just not fair and on top of that it's cheap! I'm already regretting not buying a second scoop...
I find it amazing that it was only a couple years back when the artists village started settling in it's little corner. Resulting in the attraction of a whole new wave of businesses & gourmet restaurants. As such, I keep on discovering places I've never been too before, all ways kept intrigued.
The Grilled Cheese Spot
318 5th st.
Santa Ana, Ca 92701
&
Tootsie Ice Cream
307 W. 3rd st.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
A little hipster spot wedged in the corner of Downtown Santa Ana, I couldn’t help but stop by after passing by this place sooo many times whenever I come by to bar hop. First impression, rustic, chic, trendy. Visually I’m already hooked with all the local art and carpets on display plus I couldn’t help chuckle when I noticed the “Friends don’t let friends go to Starbucks” sticker on the pastry case.
-Hibiscus Arnold Palmer: Super tangy, but you get the sweet tartness of the lemonade. (reminiscent to the Jamaica beverage) Tasty but not sure if this drink made me pucker too much. I’ll let you decide.
- Mediterranean Plate: A plethora of Greek anti-pasti (I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say those two words combined), you get a little bit of everything to share with your friends. My only qualms was that there was a scarcity of olives plus an inclusion of dolamathes would be nice, but I can be a bit of a greedy fat-ass like that.
- Curry Cashew Chicken: Yummy overall but it wasn’t entirely on point, my taste-buds had to actually “look” for the curry. Although it it ain’t far to compare, I believe the Curry Chicken Sandwich over at C’est Si Bon is far superior and having that first is kinda making me a snob about it.
- Brunch Burger: Yummerz instantly strikes the mind when I think about this unique sandwich. Turkey patty, fried egg, provolone, tomato, lettuce and mayo on an onion bagel, now let that stew in your mind for a bit. Little things about this burger take to my happy place, like the slightly runny yolk marries with the turkey juices in on my tongue. (heavenly choir echoes)
- Mayan Mocha: I’m not a much of a sweet coffee drinks guy by any stretch of the imagination, that Starbucks phase has long since past by, but this hot delight just converted me back! When I hear “Mayan”, deep earthy flavors from many spices come mind. Although this drink might not taste as strong as I describe it, it’s still a perfect balance of rich flavors with an even richer house-made whip cream floating atop. This is a must try and my new pleasure.
125 N Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92701
