SeaLegs (Huntington Beach)

Danielle:

For an easy birthday evening, we opted to hit SeaLegs since it was right down the street from work. I had been once before during their opening week and was impressed with the crowd for an opening. I love the décor. It is different than most other Huntington Beach establishments (both restaurants and bars). I had been pleased with the service and food so I made plans for a moderate-sized group for the evening.

I made plans via email very easily. I corresponded entirely by email and had reserved part of the lounge for a party of 15-20. Upon arrival, I checked in, mentioned that I had been communicating via email regarding my reservation, and was shown to a table of 8-10 in the bar area. We quickly spilled out of this table and I began to question if they understood I did indeed have a reservation. The confusion was quickly taken care of and we were escorted to the lounge area. Much more comfie!

I ordered the chicken tacos (my favorite) and the sausage sliders. After I had eaten one of the trio that came on the plate, the others realized they were still red/undercooked. The server quickly took them back and brought a new plate. We wound up with a few orders of the tacos and also ordered the grilled cheese combo. I love the food and think this wine bar offers a decent selection and quality for pairing, especially compared to similar wine bars.

All in all, this is a fun spot for an evening of wine with the girls. If you have not yet stopped in, you should.

PS, there were a few guys there but this is probably not your spot for finding single guys.

Food: ★★★☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★☆☆
S Factor: ★☆☆☆☆

Candice:

SeaLegs is a nice addition to the Huntington Beach community.  The décor is simple yet gives the place enough character and the backdrop of the high wine cellar behind the bar leaves a nice impression.  The wine bar has a clean, chic feel with its spacious dining bar and lounge area and ample natural light flooding through the room.  The lounge area is a nice touch with individual chaises and sofa seating.  We attended Sealegs to celebrate Danielle’s birthday, thus Danielle made a reservation earlier in the week to confirm attendance.  When we arrived, the hosts appeared a bit disorganized with locating our reservation and initially sat us at a large dining table.  As our party quickly grew, the hosts were confused but we were soon thereafter approached by someone who appeared in charge and were quickly accommodated to the original reservation in the lounge area. 

During our short stay at the dining table, our host (and hostess in training) were very polite, attentive, and checked on us frequently.  I ordered the white wine flight, and although I understand the ease of tracking pours by bringing the entire flight at once, I occasionally enjoy sipping my wine slowly and was disappointed that my third glass was a brut which I preferred to drink last, but became warm because the flight was prepared all at once.  Regardless, the cost of the flight was reasonable and the pours were sufficient.  However, once we moved from the dining table to the lounge area, this meant a change in our serving staff and we were confronted with only having one hostess who seemed to have significant difficulty efficiently attending to the needs of everyone in our party of 15+ people.  I ended up ordering a wedge salad (summer special) which tasted like…well, a wedge salad.  I also had a small sampling of the sliders and chocolate cake, both of which were tasty for food selections at a wine bar.  Overall, this a lovely place for enjoying some wine, relaxing on the chaises, and having some small plates to share.  The crowd was a nice mix of people and seemed fairly conversational amongst each other.  The overall atmosphere was mellow and representative of the laid-back Huntington Beach vibe.  Moreover, the parking is ample (which is a definite bonus)!  I would certainly return to this place for a mellow evening of wine drinking in Huntington Beach and recommend a visit if you have never been before.

Food: ★★★☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★★☆☆
S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Kimera (Irvine), Crow Bar (CDM)

Danielle:

I’ve been to Kimera several times in the past and have enjoyed a crowd of people. So, we decided that this should be a stop along our happy hour tour since many know about this happy hour. Keep in mind: we did go the Friday after the Wednesday 4^th of July so some people may have still been “drying out.” Kimera can be hard to spot as it is nestled among office buildings and a business park off Jamboree.

I got there first and sidled up to the bar next to this couple. Any cost of this happy hour was worth it JUST to be privy to their toasty, I mean toasted, afternoon. I didn’t even need to put a quarter in her for her to play songs. She sang very loudly along with the pop music being played in the bar area the entire time. Clearly, they had had some shots before my arrival and then I witnessed a couple more unnecessary ones. It was one of the most entertaining couples I’ve seen in a while. What was going on other than them? Nothing. There were a few groups of 3-4 people here and there but overall the scene was dead. We did order the pita + hummus, which was fair. There was a spice on there that my palate does not appreciate. I will say that they have a great selection of food choices for happy hour as well as some interesting drink mixes.

We decided to just opt for the standard, Crow Bar, for a burger before calling it a night. We found two spots at the bar. This night made me scared to date. Very scared. First, there was a couple next to me along with their friend (male). He was loud and his volume was up so that the entire restaurant could hear his broadcasted stupidity. I was shocked at some of the things he said, but I was shocked, saddened, and horrified when I heard him loudly ask “What state is Pennsylvania in anyway?” Oh dear, no wonder the studies just published indicated women’s IQs are now higher than men’s. Sorry men, I know this is a poor representation of you, but hey, we’ve had to hear “dumb blonde” jokes for years so…..eat crow. (Haphazardly used but fitting for the location) Finally, he left. A couple of other guys, one of which was decent, stopped in and seemed “normal.” They chatted with “regular” girls and seemed nice. They left then later returned to pick up on the hooches that came in. How funny to see the difference in them before and after. Where did they go in the middle to gain such confidence?!? Why come back?

The most unfortunate part of the night was the burger. My favorite favorite favorite burger was just mediocre. The menu changed and I didn’t see my “usual” so I ordered another. It was just “eh.” Oh, sadness. The service was, as usual, impeccable. The bartenders were very attentive, friendly, and eager to help.

The scene was not the usual assortment of young men and women. It was fairly empty upon arrival (rare) and then crowded with a young 20s crowd that had just finished up some magazine party. They took over the bar and to prevent a beer spilling down my back and a subsequent scene along with busted eardrums from the decibel level of the gals who were chatting behind me, we left while we were ahead and could laugh about it.

All in all, it was an off night for both places perhaps a result of the holiday being that week.

Food:★☆☆☆☆
Service: ★★★★☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆
S Factor: -10

Candice :

I try my best to give people the benefit of the doubt, which includes giving second chances if a first impression was unfavorable.  Kimera in Irvine is one such place that fell short the first time, but I was up for a second visit and tried to go on what I would consider a busier night of the week (Friday).  Apparently there was entertainment, but not of the nature I was hoping.   I was witness to a comical scene of two overly affectionate and highly inebriated individuals of which the lady failed to recall she was not at a Karaoke bar and overlooked the fact that she was likely tone deaf.  As ridiculous as this scene may appear, if it were not for this laughable occurrence, this second-chance establishment would have been an utter waste of my time and energy.  My appetite was not inspired when glancing at the food selection ordered by other patrons, so I opted for tasting Danielle’s choice of flatbread with hummus.  The bread was stale at best and the flavors (of both the bread and hummus) an odd and rather unpleasant combination of ethnic spices.  We were hoping the crowd would begin to pick up and although this was slowly achieved to about 20 people, there was most definitely nothing remarkable to share about the experience.  The service was equally unexceptional, by all parties including the bartender and wait staff.  I deem it considerate to greet guests with a smile especially when asking for drink or food orders thus I was already initially disconcerted when confronted with an attitude of indifference by our bartender.  I suppose I do not really blame her, especially if what we experienced was the typical Friday night crowd.  Needless to say, Danielle and I consumed our beverages as quickly as possible, did not bother to give a final look, and swiftly dashed to one of our favorite locales – the Crow Bar. 

The Crow Bar yet again did not fail to deliver another evening of delightful distractions to pass the time.  Although we were disappointed from the get-go with the change in menu and our usual favorite meal choice of one of the two Crow Bar Burgers being replaced, we at least made it to happy hour. The flavor of the replacement burger had an unrecognizable and peculiar flavor so I devoured my side of sweet potato fries, which although perfectly salted to my taste, was unfortunately crispy throughout and burned at the ends.  I topped off my meal with a “pot-au-cream” which happened to be a rich, custard texture deep dish of buttery, butterscotch pudding – delicious! The service by the bartenders – both females I might add – was simply fabulous.  It is one of the few establishments who deserve such a high level of praise for service because every time I have sat at the bar, I am always welcomed with not only a smile, but positive energy and very consistent attentiveness.  Kudos to both those ladies who seem to not only prepare all the orders for the entire restaurant but also handle all the patrons at the bar with respect and courtesy.  Aside from the food, the crowd rolled in by the evening and rolled in hard and fast.  Apparently there was an event across the street hosted by a health magazine, so there was a mass influx of 20 year olds to maybe very early 30’s representative of OC.  The noise level rapidly shot up and unfortunately the level of intelligence based on overhearing conversations (or rather conversation being shouted in my ear) shot way down.  Although we originally thought we scored prime seats right at the bar, we realized there are still plenty of people who seem to lack sensory perception of bodily contact or should consider themselves hard-of-hearing. We became progressively overstimulated and overwhelmed by the scenes unfolding before our eyes which happened to include intoxicated youth trying to seduce each other, overhearing dim conversation, and overall observing immature conduct of behavior.  The crowd this evening was unusually juvenile for a Friday evening because of the event, so there was less interacting this time but more opportunity to appraise our surroundings and snicker, chuckle, and chortle shamelessly.  It was definitely good harmless fun for a Friday night.

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★★★★★

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

SFactor:★★☆☆☆

Overall: ★★★★☆

We Olive (Costa Mesa)

Danielle:

I love the location of this place. Finally, a place in OC that just has a great vibe for chilling out on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. I especially appreciate it now that I rarely visit the Camp due to the horrendous parking that takes me back to school where you drive through the parking lot stalking people and waiting on their spaces. I hate that feeling at the end of a long work day so I’ve cut back to visits to the Camp for obligatory events. I drop by here fairly often and it’s the kind of place that you can go alone or go early and wait alone for your posse to arrive. In fact, I always see patrons there sipping wine alone while catching up on work or reading.
 
I like that they have acoustic music here on Friday nights and hope that it creates a laid back diverse alternative for locals on Friday nights. While we were there, it was fairly crowded. We peeked as we left, and it looked like a couple more people had arrived.

We left soon after arriving due to being hungry after work and Candice’s wine mishap. I love the sushi place right outside, Waiiha. Hunger beat won over continuing to check out the crowd. The menu is small so it’s not the best spot if you are hungry. I do enjoy the cheese plate that is made of cheeses from the cheese shop across the way.  

On the particular night, service was slow and the staff was visibly slammed by the unusual crowd. If you visit here at other times, service is extraordinary. The gals working here frequently drop by to help you and make sure you are still set. If it’s slow and you are seated at the bar, the girls have been very friendly and chat with you while you wait.

Another perk to this place: try the olive oil! There are so many kinds and you can sample them by asking. There’s usually one out with pieces of bread for the taking, but if you are interested in buying, then ask! I didn’t realize I like olive oil so much until trying their variety.

Food: ★★☆☆☆
Service: ★★★☆☆
Price: ★★★☆☆
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Overall: ★★☆☆☆
S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Candice:

As much as I love, love, love the location of this place and concept of an olive oil bar combined with a wine bar, it is with morose that I express my disappointment with my visit to this place.  Perhaps I anticipated much, being that the setting is marvelous as it is located in the OC Mart Mix and is surrounded by trendy, hip boutique shops with fairly attractive people meandering about and sipping their espressos at the nearby chic coffee shop (that is, if you like that kind of energy).  When I arrived, the crowd was just starting to enter and I settled in comfortably at the bar watching the guitarist set up and waiting for Danielle.  Following my partner in crime’s arrival, we perused the menu which unfortunately had an extremely limited variety and selection of snacks to pair with the wines.  We then decided we would enjoy a glass of wine with the music and have dinner afterwards next door.  I initially ordered a glass of Riesling, and to my dismay, it had a distinct and unfortunate smell and taste.  Now, given that I have had an unforgettable exposure to corked wine and this wine appeared to have a very similar disposition, I was not going to take any chances.  As a result, I hesitatingly and politely suggested to the owner that the newly opened bottle of wine may be contaminated (just as a polite forewarning to other patrons), however I was surprisingly met with what felt like a pretty quick dismissal. After the owner poured and sipped a sample from the bottle, his curt response was that the wine was simply exceptionally sweet.  Okay.  No offense, I admit I neither own a wine bar nor sell wine, however the owner does not know me and know how discriminating my palate is toward the aroma and taste of the sweetest of the sweet wines.  So unfortunately, I very much disapproved of his retort (sorry patrons if you did get sick… I tried!!!) and the associated indifferent attitude.  Regardless, I did appreciate the owner replacing the wine with a glass of Pinot Grigio which was of nothing notable except the elevated cost.

Although this place has great opportunity for people watching and a comfortable place to chill outdoors, I would not suggest hanging out here when the wine bar is crowded.  Within an hour, the place was pretty filled, which unfortunately resulted in very unsatisfactory service.  Granted, only the owner and an additional hostess was available to take care of the crowd, but to make eye contact from one of them or even a smile when eye contact was made occurred only three times in a span of over 60 minutes.  You can see where I am going with this and I will quit while I am ahead because I honestly do think this place has really great potential.  For starters, improve the customer service, increase the selection of snacks, and alter the pour size or alter the cost of the pours and flights, and maybe, just maybe, this place could get more traffic throughout more times in the week.  Overall, as much as  I would have enjoyed writing a praising review of this place because I simply adore the location and setting, my experience this time was not at all enjoyable (as evidenced by my ratings below) and I think there are too many more ample wine bars, cafes, and/or restaurants nearby that can offer much more for the cost and experience.  I will admit I would probably return only because I really like the setting and because when I have been to this place previously during a fairly unoccupied time, the service has been respectable.  Nonetheless, I believe that customers deserve consistency despite how demanding the environment becomes as well as quality service that should come close to as exceptional as possible at any time of the day or night.

Food: ★☆☆☆☆
Service: ★☆☆☆☆
Price: ★☆☆☆☆
Ambiance: ★★☆☆☆
Overall: ★★☆☆☆
S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Wine Gallery (CDM)

Danielle:

Candice and I have been here a few times before so we thought we’d check it out for blogging purposes on a Friday night. We got there at 5:30ish so we had our pick of the place in terms of seats so of course we chose 2 barstools in prime real estate at the bar. This somewhat small location filled up quickly with young couples and locals, all of which we interacted with were very friendly and chatty.

The service was awesome--perfect. We have snacked there before on the flatbread (yummy) so I was anxious to try new dishes. We ordered one of the specials--mac n cheese with chorizo. DELICIOUS. We also got the short rib tacos. ALSO DELICIOUS. I could have eaten another round of both! Another perk for me? The server pronounced “bruschetta” correctly!

The S-factor? Well, not much of one. At any rate, you can settle for good food, wine + company. I have been here a few times before and noticed 1 or 2 “good lookers” on those occasions.  Maybe make this a stop before or after Crow Bar for the better male:female ratio.

Food: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Candice:

There is something very appealing to me about this place, with the bar and high tables surrounded by hundreds of wine bottles, wooden crates, wooden wine racks, and minimal thematic décor—it always feels simply cozy.  The room is well lit by natural light during the early hours of the evening and by nightfall, the mood lighting exudes warmth and relaxation.  Danielle and I have been to the Wine Gallery on a couple of occasions and our overall experience has been consistently above average.  We ordered the mac-n-cheese with chorizo and pulled pork tacos, both of which were satisfyingly appetizing.  (Admittedly, I have had more exceptional plates of mac-n-cheese, however the chorizo luckily added a nice burst of flavor to the dish).  I typically prefer sweet wine varietals but also often enjoy sipping light bodied white wines, but unfortunately I did not turn out to be a fan of even the first selection of my white wine flight that evening.  Fortunately, the host was kind enough to substitute the remaining two glasses of my flight with my original choice of wine that I ordered prior to the flight.  Throughout our stay, we were often checked up upon and enjoyed the company of our surroundings.  The customers always seem to be a very friendly and relaxed group and generally a balanced ratio of men and women and between the ages of 30-50.  Since Danielle had to depart mid evening, I remained at the bar by myself waiting to meet another of my friends.  In the meantime, the patrons around me were friendly and conversational and offered to keep me company until my friends’ arrival.  Once she arrived (thanks Kerrie Ann for traveling the distance to join me!), we continued the merriment and ordered additional snack plates including an assorted cheese plate and bruschetta.  Although the bruschetta was heavily drenched in garlic for my palate (and the effects unfortunately lasted well through the remainder of the evening), the food was nevertheless flavorsome.  Overall, the ambience, quality of food, and service of this establishment seems to remain consistent, so if you like it the first time around, then chances are you will return again without  much convincing needed.  

Food: ★★★☆☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★☆☆☆

Ambience: ★★★☆☆

Overall: ★★★☆☆

S Factor: ★★☆☆☆

Mozambique (Laguna Beach)

Danielle:

One of my favorite places to go on Sundays is Mozambique in Laguna. I usually go on holiday weekends so I don’t have to worry about work on Monday. This night usually attracts a crowd with the same perspective and has been packed each time I've gone. Sunday nights are reggae nights. Live music is also happening on other weekend nights as well, but reggae just creates the atmosphere for fun and mingling.

I first found Mozambique when on a serious hunt for any African food I could find to “get my fix” after a few trips to South Africa. I love the food here and have never had a dish that I didn’t like. I absolutely love the peri-peri chicken (tip: order an extra side of the sauce for some spicy dipping). It comes accompanied with salsa, but this isn’t just any salsa. It’s more like a tropical fruit salad. The chunks of fruits are large and juicy.


Might I also suggest my favorite cocktail...the African mojito:

I love the crowd here because it has proved to be the potpourri of OC. There are younger, older, mixed ethnicities, etc. Typically, the crowd is chatty, so if nothing else, you can always settle for good food with good company. They also offer happy hour daily which makes it an ideal spot for sitting and sipping while waiting on the sunset.The ratio of men to women is pretty equal too.

Each time I’ve gone, I’ve met at least 1-2 people from Africa (various parts). How shocked they usually are to find out that I’m a regular in that part of the world. It feels like this spot attracts a more international crowd, and my friends from Africa another countries living in LA even know this spot.

On a side note ladies, if you are into tall, dark (true African), + handsome, this could be your spot.

Food: ★★★★★

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: ★★★★☆

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★

Candice:

This was a special detour from our weekday happy hour and we stopped on by to Mozambique in Laguna Beach on a Sunday over the Memorial Day holiday.  I have been to this restaurant twice previously and both times thoroughly enjoyed the vibe and soulful atmosphere.  The food has been consistently good and I love getting the Peri-peri chicken meal.  This was my first time to happy hour there and for a complete $10 meal, it was quite the deal. Although I could go into great detail about the Per-peri chicken, it is enough to say that I chose a popular traditional dish and it was both hearty and flavorful.  Additionally, I seem to order this meal each time. Our main focus for this happy hour was not the food in particular, but to enjoy a Sunday night out knowing that there were no morning deadlines to meet.  The martinis were well made and also very reasonably priced for happy hour.  The people watching here was also pretty great especially since there is a considerably big bar area with live music, which happened to be reggae that night - so the ambiance was particularly energetic.  Even though there were no special connections made for me that evening, I had such a great time drinking and dining amongst a group of friends. The service had overall been a bit slow, but it was obvious that our waitress had a lot of tables to attend that evening so it was understandable.  I would highly recommend a visit to this place if you have never been before, and especially during one of their lively entertaining and musical evenings.

Food: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★☆☆

Price: ★★★★☆

Ambience: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★★☆

Classic Q (Newport Beach)

Candice

Ooooh-la-la.  What a pleasant surprise this little gem turned out to be.  Ah, how I do love big sporting events at a sports bar, and this happened to be the night of game one of the NCAA tournament. There just always seems to be a pretty solid guarantee that women will be far outnumbered by the men and on this particular evening, the ratio ended up being about one female to every six men.  Not too bad, nope not too shabby at all.  Perhaps by now those of you who actually follow our blog are wondering why we, or maybe just I, get so excited when I enter a room and feel the testosterone encapsulate me. Well, try working with mostly women (and busy little children) 40+ hours per week and then tell me it isn’t welcoming to have men around, even if it is just to appreciate the sight of them.  So tonight was another good evening of men watching – there were just so many of them!  And not too bad of a crowd I might add.  We found a cozy spot near the end of the rectangle shaped bar where we could view all those in front of us but unfortunately not the best view of those behind us.  Regardless, there were plenty of tables throughout the restaurant that was occupied for most of the time we were in attendance. 

To be honest, I wouldn’t have given this place much notice with its somewhat dingy sign looming over the street, but as I drove by I noticed their patio area was quite crowded so it drew my attention.  The parking lot was a bit challenging to get to and the lot was full when we arrived, however there was plenty of nearby street parking.  As for the food, well, I made a bad call.  I wouldn’t typically recommend ordering pizza at a sports bar but I will admit that I was craving pizza for some unknown reason and thought I would give it a shot.  Although I consumed over half of it, I will confess I was driven by sheer hunger.  The crust was alright but not much anything else. I would definitely not recommend ordering this again.  As for the service, I would like to report that I am a bit surprised (but very pleased) at the superior level of overall service by the bartenders, wait staff, and anyone else working there because it was a very busy (or seemed like a very busy restaurant and bar) evening.  The service was not lacking at all and we were constantly attended to by both our bartenders (a male AND a female bartender – thanks both of you!) despite the fact they were constantly filling restaurant orders.  Although Danielle and I did not get the most optimal seating to interact with other patrons, there will no doubt be another visit to this establishment.  Finally…we are beginning to find some decent happy hour places after months and months of “research” (thanks Jenn H for your recommendations and following our blog so regularly!) – and not only do we continue to be receptive to all our followers’ feedback, comments, and suggestions, but we also sincerely appreciate all of you curious minded people who are interested in being  part of our entertaining journey! Until the next adventure…

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Service: ★★★★★

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★★☆

S Factor: ★★★★☆

Danielle

Finally! A crowd! Hallelujah!

We started out at Ten because happy hour goes until ten on Tuesdays. We wondered if perhaps that would draw a crowd. Nope. I walked in and just stood there looking for an open spot. There was no one working at the hostess stand for the 10 minutes or so I stood there. Needless to say, I was already turned off. Candice walked in and mentioned a place down the street that had a crowd….my interest was piqued. 

When we drove by Classic Q, I realized I had passed this place so many times without noticing it. That could be a bad sign….we decided it’d be a great night to try it out since the game was on. I was pleasantly surprised to find a full parking lot and equally full bar area when we walked in. All I ask for in OC these days is just a crowd. That’s a nice start. Well, the other pleasant surprise? We were two of the few women there. I loved that the women who were there seemed normal with 100% genuine parts and un-botoxed to the hilt. 

We found the only two open barstools at the bar. The location wasn’t ideal but doable for such a late join. The service was awesome and the bartenders worked their butts off filling the servers’ trays and attending to the patrons at the bar. Maybe some of the “trendy” establishments could take some lessons....

Anyway, I ordered the sliders with sweet potato fries. Delicious? No, but I ate it like it was! By that time, I was starved. It’s your typical bar food quality, but the menu was extensive to be a “bar-like” spot.

We are looking forward to going back here for another game night. It seems an ideal spot for men from the nearby businesses to stop in for a beer sans the pretentious atmosphere of other close-by spots. 

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Service: ★★★★★

Price: ★★★☆☆

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Overall: ★★★★☆

S Factor: ★★★★☆