Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que Tustin, Orange County, CA

I will start off with stating that I usually avoid chain restaurants. I have nothing against them, except for the fact that by the time they get big the cookie cutter economics and business style that comes with big chains will usually lower the quality of the food. Thankfully there are exceptions to this rule, and I'm happy to say the Lucille's is one of them.

So it was sunny Sunday around noon. I was visiting my folks up in the OC and trying to think of something that we all could eat. My parents have gotten more adventuresome as they've aged but getting them to go somewhere new can still be a bit of a hassle. For example, you will never find my mother in a little taqueria down in Santa Ana, no matter how great the food might be, a restaurant has to be clean looking both inside and out for her to approach it. My father on the other hand loves meat, so that takes out a lot of the places where meat is not the centerpiece of the meal, and don't you dare try to feed him tofu. My sister is still nursing a sensitive stomach so anything with too much heat is out, but she is flexible and not shy about asking the chef to change a dish to suit her tastes. So with this group I had to be sly and smart and practical. I finally settled on something very all American, simple, and tasty, Bar-B-Que.

Any way you spell it barbeque is the cornerstone of American eating. Good barbeque takes time and passion to create. Finding barbeque is easy, everybody has their little hole in the wall, or style they like, but finding something everyone can agree on is hard at the best of times. Thankfully a good friend of mine introduced me to Lucille's at one, or two or three of his birthday parties. I was instantly intrigued by the premise, and the giant smoker kept onside, inside the main eating hall, but I digress.

We made our way to the Lucille's in Tustin. The place had the feel of a slightly upscale TGIF, but underneath that there was something more. I didn't notice it until we sat down but the people were happy. After taking our drink orders our server said, "If you need anything just stop somebody we all share the (workload or tips)". I've heard of the idea before, even been to a restaurant that did it in theory, but I saw here that they really meant it, and that smile. It wasn't the regular, "Hey I got to work here, I'll do my best, what can I get you?" It was more, I am surprised by the fact I enjoy working here. The food is pretty good and I really do hope you enjoy yourself smile. Then came the biscuits.

Big, really big, buttermilk biscuits with a side of maple butter. It took all my willpower to only wolf down one biscuit. Everyone else had at least two. My fiance who loves biscuits, gets them every time we go anywhere that offers them, said they are the best she has ever had, and that wasn't even an appetizer. That is just what they offer when you first sit down. We did wind up getting three appetizers, a half order of Onion Straws. These are basically incredibly thin strips of onion deep fried in buttermilk. Perfect if you don't really like onions, because they are 90% batter anyway, so of course they were delicious. We also ordered some Fried Green Tomatoes because, well you have to order that in a southern restaurant. They were thick, breaded slabs of tomato battered in corn meal and deep fried, atop a slightly spicy red pepper cream sauce. Not hot but with just a hint of kick and a lot of flavor (sorry about the picture, everyone grabbed some before I could get a good picture of it, which just goes to show how tasty they are). Finally my sister and fiance split a plate of Flame Roasted Artichoke. Not my favorite dish, but I managed to snag a piece of artichoke heart and dip it in the very garlicky dip, which turned out to be pretty tasty. The piece of artichoke heart, I should add, was all that was left when they were done.

Trying not to gorge myself on the Onion Straws I waited and watched as the rest of my family ordered a second round of biscuits. You see I'd been to Lucille's before so I knew just how much food we were going to be getting. A short time later the food arrived. Giant slabs of food brought out by three people and gingerly placed before us. I had ordered the Beef Ribs, seven gigantic meat covered pieces of bone and some of the best Beef Ribs I've ever had short of Phil's, but believe me it is close. Of course that came with two sides so I got a little thing of Mac and Cheese and after a few moments of hesitation decided on the Fresh Vegetables. The vegetables were you basic fair (carrots, squash, a corn or two, and bits of red pepper) sounds healthy, but then slather it in oil, butter, and pepper and it is slightly less so, but still delicious. The Mac and Cheese were gooey concoctions of cheese and macaroni heaped into a bowl. Steering away from creamy this Mac and cheese is a bit on the heavy side, and just a bit chewy but only with the cheese, not the mac. The macaroni was cooked perfectly. Definitely one of the better bowls of Mac and Cheese I've ever gotten.

My dad surprised me by ordering the Jambalaya. I thought for sure he would order a rack of something. Still I understand as the Jambalaya has a nice little kick to it, and he does love a bit of spice in his food. I stole a bit and remembered just how much I liked the Jambalaya when I'd gotten it. It is definitely my go to if I don't feel up to having mounds of meat at Lucille's. The rice was cooked just right though I've had better "dirty" rice before, the chicken, hot links, and shrimp were also good, and I think Lucille's does a pretty good job with the piquante tomato sauce they pour over everything. Could do without the garnish though, looked a bit like a toupee made of grass to me.




My mom got a lunch special, the Ribs and Tri-Tip, she also got a side of roasted Vegetables. She settled on the pork ribs, which while I do enjoy them I prefer Phil's. As for the Tri-Tip it they are one of my mom's favorites. I've had them before and while I will always prefer ribs those of you who like slow cooked meat that comes as soft and flavorful then you will not be disappointed.

My sister, the one with the somewhat sensitive stomach, also got a lunch special, the BBQ Chicken Sandwich, hold the BBQ, which blew my mind a bit. I took a small bite, and while I think the Chicken could have been more flavorful, even without the BBQ sauce it was still moist. It also didn't hurt that it was covered in melted cheddar and stacked high with onion straws.



My fiance, and soon to be wife, also got a sandwich. Being a lover of tri-tip she ordered the BBQ Tri-Tip Sandwich with a side of cheese grits. She really loved the sandwich, enough so that I didn't even get to steal a bite, but the cheese grits were a bit below what she was expecting. I managed to sneak a taste and while good they weren't as smooth as the ones her family makes, though they certainly were cheesy.

After a 20-30 minutes of contented eating we were all stuffed. I, having exercised a good two hours before coming so I could eat my fill, managed to make my way to the smoker, where the chef working it was nice enough to let me have a peak inside. Yes, there is an entire smoker inside of the restaurant.















We left, after grabbing a lollipop or two from the Flying Pig Lounge, and stumbled out to our car to go home and do what all great families do after eating tons of BBQ, take a nap. As for Lucille's the place feels comforting, the people are happy, and the food is plentiful. I would go back there any time.

Lucille's (Multiple Locations)
The District at Tustin
2550 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782
(714) 259-1227
http://www.lucillesbbq.com/

Fig Tree Cafe, Hillcrest, San Diego, CA

I've visited the Fig Tree Cafe in Pacific Beach a few times, and providing I get there early enough, have found it to provide a wonderfully pleasant breakfast in a beautiful surrounding with an attentive and interesting wait staff, but one of it's downfalls is that it does not provide dinner. Then along came their new location in Hillcrest. Despite Hillcrest and their reputation for going through restaurants like the mother of the bride at a wedding through tissues I waited a few weeks to check out the new Fig Tree. Finally, one quiet Saturday night I made my way back to my old stomping grounds and sat down with my fiancé for what seemed like a much hipper, trendier version of what I grown used to in Pacific Beach.

First off I should note that there is no comparing the two. They are like apples and oranges, at least in appearance. Where the Fig Tree in Pacific Beach is a laid back hippy commune filled with free spirits, the Fig Tree feels more like a well dressed if laid back hangout for hip and happy folk to chill. Where the PB Fig Tree is open and green, the Hillcrest Fig Tree is a bit darker and heavier. Strangely enough I like both atmospheres. It is all dependent on my mood, but as always the most important thing is the food.

My fiancé and I walked into what appeared to be a cross between a wine bar and the innards of a oak barrel and were seated within seconds. The host was perhaps one of the most professional yet likable people I'll ever come across, but more on that later. Our waitress took a few minutes to get to us but after she did she fell into the rhythm of all professional waitresses seeming to know the exact moments to stop and check up on us, and when to leave us to our conversation. The drinks were good, my fiance got a glass of pear cider, and I stuck with iced tea, as I didn't want anything distracting me from the food before me.

We started off with a bite, which is a bit of house baked bread and our choice of two spreads. My fiancé went with sun dried tomatoes and Gorgonzola mousse, which also comes with a sprinkling of walnut in it. I ordered the fresh chili roasted garlic spread. The bread came out in two types: flat bread, which left a little to be desired, and a few cuts from a small loaf, which I rather enjoyed. I knew that I had to try both of the spreads so I started with the sun dried tomatoes first, just to get it out of the way as I have no love for sun dried tomatoes in any venue from sandwich to appetizer. It had an odd taste that I couldn't quite place, but it wasn't bad. Then I tried the chili roasted garlic, and was stunned. I won't go so far to say it tasted bad, but there was almost no taste of garlic in it, not even an after taste, and when I hear the word chili I expect a bit of bite to something, in this nadda. I switched back to the sun dried tomatoes to finish off the rest of the bites, slowly growing to appreciate the taste of the spread, especially the balance of consistency between the smoothed moose and the bits of walnut. Bemused by first part of the meal I moved on to the next.

My fiancé and I decided to order the special, not because the rest of the menu didn't look good. I'm pretty positive the short ribs would have been amazing judging by the description alone, then again I though the same thing about the chili roasted garlic spread. The specials just sounded too good to pass up. I ordered salmon sauteed with mussels, and shrimp served in a light chipotle, cilantro-tomato sauce. My fiancé went with the grilled flat iron steak over roasted garlic mash and sauteed veggies finished in a Bordelaise sauce(a sauce made of red wine, bone marrow, shallots, butter).

My first bite had a hint of fish in it, which I know is what I ordered but I don't like to be reminded of that in the first bite. Moving forward though each piece of my meal was cooked perfectly. The fish was tender, the mussels showed no hint of rubber, and the shrimp brought a smile to my face. The sauce, which I will admit probably got me to buy it in the first place as I have a weakness for anything chipotle, was just incredible. After a few more bites the fishy taste disappeared to be overtaken by the amazing combination and a superior sauce. By the end of my meal I was beaming, my fiance not so much.

This was one of the few times that I'd chosen the better dish, mostly because she doesn't particularly like the taste of fish, but I'll take what I can get. Her steak was cooked medium, but was still succulent enough to satisfy me, but it tasted like steak. There was nothing to enrich the flavor, not even the Bordelaise sauce which sadly enough was not that great. Now I'm not saying I wanted to pour A-1 all over it, the steak by itself tasted good, but the sauce failed to carry it up to the level of greatness, which was a crime in this particular dish as the steak itself had no other flavors to enhance it. Thankfully the sauteed veggies and garlic mash were delicious. I am not usually such a food snob, ignore the self applied Foodie title, but I swear I could taste the healthy local and fresh taste in those vegetables. Almost good enough to be served on its own, almost.

We paid our bill, made our way out the front door, but not before the host from earlier first asked me how I liked the food, and actually seemed to want to hear my answer. A nice personal touch that improved the evening for both my fiancé and myself, then he was gracious enough to snap a picture of us in the restaurant. Yeah, I can definitely see myself coming back, if only to try the short ribs, and a real appetizer, and enjoy the hip atmosphere where even I felt welcomed.

The Fig Tree Cafe in Hillcrest
416 University Ave.
Hillcrest, CA 92103
619-298-2010

http://www.figtreecafehillcrest.com/