Image
  • Writing
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • About my Novels & Writing
    • All Writing Posts
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Scrivener – Writer’s Word Processor
    • iPad for Writers
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Books
    • Book Review Index
    • Favorite Fantasy Novels
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Short Story: Harvard Divinity
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • About the Book
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Games
    • My Video Game Career
    • Post Archive by Series
    • All Games Posts Inline
    • Making Crash Bandicoot
    • Crash 15th Anniversary Memories
    • World of Warcraft Endgames
    • Getting a Job Designing Video Games
    • Getting a Job Programming Video Games
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Movies
    • Movie Review Index
  • Television
    • TV Review Index
    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    • A Game of Thrones
  • Food
    • Food Review Index
    • Foodie Club
    • Hedonists
    • LA Sushi Index
    • Chinese Food Index
    • LA Peking Duck Guide
    • Eating Italy
    • Eating France
    • Eating Spain
    • Eating Türkiye
    • Eating Dutch
    • Eating Croatia
    • Eating Vietnam
    • Eating Australia
    • Eating Israel
    • Ultimate Pizza
    • ThanksGavin
    • Margarita Mix
    • Foodie Photography
    • Burgundy Vintage Chart
  • Other
    • All Posts, Magazine Style
    • Archive of all Posts
    • Fiction
    • Technology
    • History
    • Anything Else
  • Gallery
  • Bio
  • About
    • About me
    • About my Writing
    • About my Video Games
    • Ask Me Anything
  • Contact

Archive for Playground

Playful Playground

Dec30

Restaurant: Playground [1, 2]

Location: 220 East 4th Street. Santa Ana, CA 92701. Phone: (714) 560-4444

Date: June 9, 2013

Cuisine: Modern American Tapas

Rating: Amazing experience!

_

I ubered all the way down to Santa Ana (1.5 hours) to join some of my Burghound friends for some great eats and an obscene amount of great Burgundy.


The restaurant is located in a fairly low rent mall in Santa Anna.


Chef Jason Quinn has created this very LA zeitgeist restaurant oddly tucked in low end Santa Ana. It’s mobbed, fairly reasonable, and serves up creative tasty, fatty, modern American tapas. There is also a secret Invitation Only 2.0 room in the back, which I’ve visited before. One of the many pluses of this remote destination is free corkage!


The current menu.


Krug Champagne Rose. Burghound 94. A wonderfully fresh and exuberant nose of crushed berries, pure raspberry and background hints of yeast leads to crisp, intense and gorgeously precise flavors that etch themselves onto the palate, all wrapped in a deep and layered finish that seems to go on without end. This is a great example of the genre and one that will age well for at least another decade yet because of the admirable concentration, it can be approached now as well with pleasure. I personally would be inclined to wait a few years but it’s not complete infanticide even now.


Shaved ???, Country Line Baby Greens, Poached Cranberry, Spiced Sherry Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans.

The ??? was of course: foie gras. This was a great salad, with a nice mesh between the fatty foie and the sweetness of the berries and pecans and the acidic dressing.


2008 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 91-93. Here the nose offers yet another step up in refinement with an almost delicate nose of acacia blossom, citrus and wet stone that leads to linear and precise flavors of crystalline purity, all wrapped in a long, dry, serious and explosive finish that displays a penetrating minerality. A classic Perrières.


Pan Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Charred Scallion Puree, Aerated Garlic Milk, Masago, Slow Egg.

The slow egg is a sous vide egg (they love the sous vide here).


You mix it all up like so. It makes a rich earthy mushroom dish.


2009 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 93-96. A cool, fresh and densely fruited nose of crushed citrus, green apple and mineral reduction gives way to seriously concentrated and overtly muscular flavors that possess a suave and silky mouth feel yet do not lack for an underlying reserve of power. This isn’t as fine as the Montrachet but it’s even longer, at least at present with a chewy character that provides evidence of the massive levels of extract. Even so, don’t buy this with the intention of drinking it young as it will require plenty of cellar time, at least if you want to see its full potential realized.

A baby from Magnum, although it had been open for hours.


Grilled Quail, Parmesan Polenta, Caramelized Cipollini, Frisse.

The quail was perfectly cooked, but too salty. The polenta was gorgeous. Overall, it was a quite tasty dish, but bordering on salt lick territory.


1986 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92. Clean, pure and still quite tight on the nose with medium weight, intense, beautifully delineated flavors that simply ooze minerality. This isn’t especially dense but it is extremely pretty and finishes with outstanding length. Tasted twice with consistent notes.

Still very young and rich.


Hamachi Aguachile, Tomatillo Water, Avocado, Radish, Tortilla, Cilantro.

This was the weakest dish tonight. The fish was a little fishy and the overall tone was slightly bitter (maybe the radish?).


2001 Maison Leroy Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 88. Noticeable secondary aromas infused with honey and exotic notes lead to remarkably dense, full, rich and powerful flavors that carry the classic minerality of a fine Perrières that continues onto the solidly persistent finish. This will clearly be capable of aging for many years but I have concerns that the nose will turn tertiary and I would be drinking it sooner than later to enjoy the freshness of the fruit.

I don’t know what Meadows was thinking, as this was a gorgeously rich MP.


Wagyu Ribeeye Tartare, Soy & Egg Emulsion, Shallot, Chive, Masago.

You can see reoccurring ingredients here. The egg. The Masago. Regardless, this was a very tasty tartar.


2006 Coche-Dury Meursault. Burghound 89. An expressive and attractively layered nose of citrus, yellow orchard fruits and a hint of roasted nuts trimmed in a note of subtle wood toast that is also picked up by the rich, full and generous flavors that possess a seductively textured and balanced finish that delivers fine intensity and impressive persistence for a villages level wine. Recommended.

Very reduced, but gorgeous.


Hillary’s Pappardelle, Pork & San Marzano Tomato Sugo, Caramelized Onion, Pecorino.

He loves that Caramelized Onion (and relatives). This was a nice pasta. There was a real acidic bite to the porky ragu.


2009 Domaine Fourrier Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques Vieille Vigne. Burghound 93. This storied terroir often produces one of the most elegant and sophisticated of all the 26 Gevrey 1ers with the gorgeously refined red berry fruit and floral nose suffused by an almost pungent minerality that continues onto the supple, fresh and vibrant medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent concentration and a stunning, even explosive if firmly structured finish. This is an intense wine of harmony and drive with everything it needs for a long life.

Opened criminally young, there was lots of fruit, and tons of unresolved oak. Not pleasant at this stage to my taste.


Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken.

Awesome. Perfectly cooked, this chicken was soaked in a slightly spicy vinegar. Kind of like upscale hot wings they had a juicy tang.


1995 Domaine Dujac Charmes-Chambertin. Burghound 87. Pretty and very elegant fruit trimmed with noticeable earth but the flavors are surprisingly light and simply and don’t display the typical Charmess richness either. This is by no means flawed but its curiously indifferent. As there is good structure and decent balance, my score and drinking range offer the benefit of the doubt.

I thought it was corked. So did other. Some thought it was just 95 Dujac Charmes. Either way it was funky and bitter.


Jidori Khao Soi, Crispy Shallots, Red Onion, Roasted Peanuts, Cilantro Stems, Chile Oil, Lime, Bean Sprouts, Pickled Cabbage, Crispy Noodles.


These are the condiments for the curry soup. You can add them to taste. The soup was delicious, particularly given that I LOVE LOVE red curries. It could have used more noodles, or at least a spoon and some white rice. We had to pass it around but there wasn’t a single spoon on the table so all that curry went to waste.


From my cellar: 2000 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 91. Knockout aromas of kirsch and red fruit frame medium weight flavors brimming with sap and the finish is all silk and lace. This is supremely elegant and worth a special search to find if you love vibrant, super elegant Burgundy. Absolutely brilliant for the vintage and while this will repay limited aging, it is approachable now.

Still young, but by far the best and most balanced of tonight’s red Burgundies.


Tails & Trotters Pork Short Ribs, Baby Carrots, Country Line Baby Turnips & Chard, Pork Jus.

Normally, I don’t go in for the whole Gregor Clegane pig feet thing, but these sweet and fatty niblets of pig were pretty amazing.


2006 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. Burghound 91-94. Despite being harvested first, this is clearly the ripest wine in the range where the wonderfully dense fruit is highlighted by a background touch of wood that continues onto the refined, pure and concentrated flavors that are supported by dense but fine tannins and flat out terrific length. This is a lovely wine in every respect and while not exactly understated, everything does seem to be in perfect proportion.

Very nice, but still way too young.


Wagyu Outside Skirt Steak, Sauce Bearnaise, Blumenthal Potatoes.

Good, albeit rich (like everything here). He loves that frisee.


1994 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard. IWC 97. Saturated deep red-ruby. Knockout nose combines currant, Cuban tobacco, earth, tar, bacon fat, cedar, leather and game; conveys an impression of totally ripe, almost roasted fruit. Lush and sweet; already offers extraordinary inner-mouth flavor and great depth. One of those rare wines that too big for the mouth. Finishes with great velvety texture and magical persistence. Mouthdusting, building tannins coat the entire palate.

Very very Bordeaux-like. A smoke bomb.


Maple Glazed Pork Chop.


Talk about a slab of meat. It tasted like sweet ham.


“Bacon & Eggs” Mazemen Ramen, House Bacon, Slow Egg, Garlic Chips, Fancy Nori, Beautiful Soy, Yuzu Koshu.

There’s that bacon, slow egg, and garlic again. You mix this sucker up and it tastes like deeply smoked bacon noodles. Really really yummy.


Curd & Cookies, Blood Orange, Poppyseed Shortbread, Whip.

A nice lemony custard.


Tea Team, Meyer Lemon Cake, Matcha Milk Crumb, White Chocolate.

Sweet and pleasant.


Black Mission Fig Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Oh yeah! I ate most of it.


Dark Chocolate Pistachio Tart, Pistachio Semifredo.

Like some kind of Baccio type Southern Italian ice cream dessert. Very chocolatey.

Overall, another great night. Wine-wise, our whites were far better than our reds, which were in general way too young (and one was corked). Pretty much all the whites were fabulous, particularly after being open 2-3 hours.

As to the food: Playground is incredibly tasty. Very Gastropub, as he emphasizes fat and flavor. Sure, things are very modern, playful, and experimental, which leads to some goofs, plus the chef is obsessed with certain ingredients. But overall it’s very reasonable and really fun and yummy. Oh yeah, and they don’t charge any corkage!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. IO by Playground
  2. Pig Ear is Here – Taberna Arros y Vi
  3. ThanksGavin 2013
  4. Burgundy at Bouchon – Faiveley
  5. JiRaffe Burgundy Blowout!
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Burgundy, Chef Jason Quinn, Dessert, Jason Quinn, Playground, Santa Ana, Sous-vide, Wine

IO by Playground

Jun14

Restaurant: Playground [1, 2]

Location: 220 East 4th Street. Santa Ana, CA 92701. Phone: (714) 560-4444

Date: June 9, 2013

Cuisine: Modern

Rating: Amazing experience!

_

At the last minute Foodie Club partner in crime Erick invited me down to the O.C. to join him at this unusual 28 course popup meal. Chef Jason Quinn puts on a kind of culinary theatre, in the vein of Jose Andres’ E, but more dynamic and changing up with much greater frequency.


The restaurant is located in a fairly low rent mall in Santa Anna.


And the special room where the Invitation Only dinners occur is around the corner. It seats 17 and is prepaid, including both the food and drink.


Our host for the evening. Not only is Chef Jason Quinn amazing with the knife, skillet, and Paco, but he’s quite the charming host as well.


The rest of the talented staff.


The meal was accompanied by amusing photos on the adjacent TV.

Tonight’s theme was “I’ve Got  Friends in Low Places” and every dish features plebeian vegetable ingredients. The staff manages to make the flavors anything but low.


Epic first bite of meat. Stuff Savoy cabbage, Iberico de bellota collar, and foie gras filling, port caramelized shallots, potato puree.

Like grandma’s stuffed derma — but not!


The staff prepares a magic potion.


Nitro cactus pear margarita. Siete Leguas Blanco Tequilla, Cointreau, Lime, Cactus pear simple. Delicious.


Heart of Palm Cerviche. Grapefruit, avo, orange, jalapeño, tortilla.


And a close up. Very bright fresh flavors.


Shaved Jicama. Fish sauce, palm sugar, crispy shallots, lime, serrano aioli. Refreshing.


We love California Avocados. Friend balled avo, corn nuts, lime-jalapeño-avo mouse, tomato caviar, cilantro. Like a crunchy guacamole.


Aji Amarillo Tiradito. Baby Japanese Amberjack. Could be from Nobu.


Grilled Sweet Potato. Chile marshmallow, lime zest, pecan. Sweet and delicious, like a potato smore.


Burnt Maui Onion. King Salmon, ponzu.


Black Garlic: Better than the original. Baby amberjack belly.


Cava Sangria. Cava, white wine, garden vodka, green apple, watermelon.


Sauce for the upcoming “wrap.”


Toppings: onion, scallion, cilantro, peanut.


Kimchi sauce.


Wagyu skirt steak!


Butter lettuce wrap. Akaushi hanger steak, kimchi, ginger, scallion, peanut. Yum!


White asparagus. Chorizo vin, marcona almond ice cream. The mixture of the melted ice cream and chorizo was incredible — a bit like a bacony clam chowder.


Beer in one of those Spanish stunt carafes.


Our chef demos the “go for it” principle.


Grilling.


Grilled scallions and romesco. Surprisingly delicious!


Piquillo pepper. Idiazabal, Pedro ximenez.


2010 Vittoria Bera, Arnese and other Italian white blend. A very unusual Pedmontese wine.


Raw Zucchini Explosion. Different textures and subtle nuances ala Ryan Carson.


Milk skin caprese. Heirloom tomatoes, maldon, herb lemon vin. The Burrata-like stuff is actually thickened up milk skin. It pretty much tasted like Burrata.


Fish in the works.


The power of lemon and olive oil. Atlantic Black Sea Bass. Simply (but deliciously) grilled.


Grilled cauliflower steaks. Sultana, almond, caper relish, cauliflower puree, cauliflower cous cous.


A Nice Chianti. 2010 Paterna Chianti Collie Aretini.


Hannibal Special. Fava beans and liver. Frisee, croutons, lemon, bacon. No humans were killed making this dish.


Potato & Porcini Risotto. The chef was quick to point out that Risotto is a technique, and doesn’t technically require rice, just starch. This dish proved it, because it tasted 110% like Risotto.


Braised artichoke and mushroom ragu. Creamy polenta board, San Marzano. This veggie dish tasted like osso-bucco with polenta. It was served artfully on a pizza peel!


Grilled sweet onion steak. BBQ glaze, friend onion strings. Like a Southwestern style burger — without the burger.


Pickled beet. Caviar ranch dressing a la Richard Blais. Pretty delicious.


Craftsman Persimmon Sour beer.


Carrots more ways than we can count. fritters, puree, pickles, tartare.


Corn blast your face off. Bread, raw, roasted, pudding, Jalapeño.


Batasiolo Barolo Chinato. One of those unusual Nebbiolo wines mixed with various herbs!


Coconut cheese. This cheese was made entirely from coconut milk — and it tasted like real cheese (with a hint of coconut).


Beet cheesecake amuse. Salt roasted beet slice, quenelle of cream cheese curd, sweet vinaigrette. One delicious bite!


Carrot-ginger. Carrot-ginger marshmallow sorbet. Also create, with intense carrot flavor and a zesty lemon cake below.


Chocolate & Coffee. Chocolate ganache, coffee ice cream, choc-almond soil, olive oil.


Lemon & fennel. Lemon Mousse, dehydrated lemon meringue, pickled baby fennel.


From my cellar: 1999 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 90-94. Quite dense and rich though without quite the same serious structure as the Bonne Mares, which is more tannic still. Beautiful black fruit aromatics with rich, relatively forward flavors that are not especially dense but offer an amazing range of earth nuances. While this is hardly shy, it is nevertheless not a powerful wine but rather one built along the lines of a classy middleweight.

This wine needed serious more time. Like a decade. I’ll be saving the rest for a while — although the nose was amazing.

Overall, IO by Playground is a fantastical fantasy of a place. There is really a tremendous energy and culinary enthusiasm here on part of the Chef and all his staff. Nearly every dish was delicacies, even though most were composed of ingredients I’d rarely crow about. It’s modernist, and at the same time borrows from traditional Spanish, Mexican, American, Italian, and Japanese roots. And besides, it’s highly irreverent and all good fun.

I’ll be back.

For more crazy Foodie Club dinners, click here, or

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: Chanukah in Style
  2. Bastide – Chef Number Six
  3. Food as Art: Ludobites 7.0
  4. Peace in the Middle East? – Mezze
  5. BarAcuda Kaua’i
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Dessert, Foodie Club, Invitation Only, IO, Playground, pop-up, Santa Ana, Santa Ana California, Wine
Watch the Trailer or

Buy it Online!

Buy it Online!

96 of 100 tickets!

Find Andy at:

Follow Me on Pinterest

Subscribe by email:

More posts on:



Complete Archives

Categories

  • Contests (7)
  • Fiction (404)
    • Books (113)
    • Movies (77)
    • Television (123)
    • Writing (115)
      • Darkening Dream (62)
      • Untimed (37)
  • Food (1,766)
  • Games (101)
  • History (13)
  • Technology (21)
  • Uncategorized (16)

Recent Posts

  • Tomato Wednesday!
  • Happy Hibi
  • Eating Naples – Palazzo Petrucci
  • Eating San Foca – Aura
  • Eating Otranto – ArborVitae
  • Eating Lecce – Gimmi
  • Eating Lecce – Varius
  • Eating Lecce – Duo
  • Eating Lecce – Doppiozero
  • Eating Torre Canne – Autentico

Favorite Posts

  • I, Author
  • My Novels
  • The Darkening Dream
  • Sample Chapters
  • Untimed
  • Making Crash Bandicoot
  • My Gaming Career
  • Getting a job designing video games
  • Getting a job programming video games
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • A Game of Thrones
  • 27 Courses of Truffles
  • Ultimate Pizza
  • Eating Italy
  • LA Sushi
  • Foodie Club

Archives

  • May 2025 (5)
  • April 2025 (4)
  • February 2025 (5)
  • January 2025 (3)
  • December 2024 (13)
  • November 2024 (14)
  • October 2024 (14)
  • September 2024 (15)
  • August 2024 (13)
  • July 2024 (15)
  • June 2024 (14)
  • May 2024 (15)
  • April 2024 (13)
  • March 2024 (9)
  • February 2024 (7)
  • January 2024 (9)
  • December 2023 (8)
  • November 2023 (14)
  • October 2023 (13)
  • September 2023 (9)
  • August 2023 (15)
  • July 2023 (13)
  • June 2023 (14)
  • May 2023 (15)
  • April 2023 (14)
  • March 2023 (12)
  • February 2023 (11)
  • January 2023 (14)
  • December 2022 (11)
  • November 2022 (13)
  • October 2022 (14)
  • September 2022 (14)
  • August 2022 (12)
  • July 2022 (9)
  • June 2022 (6)
  • May 2022 (8)
  • April 2022 (5)
  • March 2022 (4)
  • February 2022 (2)
  • January 2022 (8)
  • December 2021 (6)
  • November 2021 (6)
  • October 2021 (8)
  • September 2021 (4)
  • August 2021 (5)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • June 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (11)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (13)
  • January 2020 (14)
  • December 2019 (13)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (14)
  • September 2019 (14)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (13)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (13)
  • April 2019 (10)
  • March 2019 (10)
  • February 2019 (11)
  • January 2019 (13)
  • December 2018 (14)
  • November 2018 (11)
  • October 2018 (15)
  • September 2018 (15)
  • August 2018 (15)
  • July 2018 (11)
  • June 2018 (14)
  • May 2018 (13)
  • April 2018 (13)
  • March 2018 (17)
  • February 2018 (12)
  • January 2018 (15)
  • December 2017 (15)
  • November 2017 (13)
  • October 2017 (16)
  • September 2017 (16)
  • August 2017 (16)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (3)
  • February 2017 (4)
  • January 2017 (7)
  • December 2016 (14)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (11)
  • September 2016 (12)
  • August 2016 (15)
  • July 2016 (13)
  • June 2016 (13)
  • May 2016 (13)
  • April 2016 (12)
  • March 2016 (13)
  • February 2016 (12)
  • January 2016 (13)
  • December 2015 (14)
  • November 2015 (14)
  • October 2015 (13)
  • September 2015 (13)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (16)
  • June 2015 (13)
  • May 2015 (13)
  • April 2015 (14)
  • March 2015 (15)
  • February 2015 (13)
  • January 2015 (13)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (13)
  • October 2014 (13)
  • September 2014 (12)
  • August 2014 (15)
  • July 2014 (13)
  • June 2014 (13)
  • May 2014 (14)
  • April 2014 (14)
  • March 2014 (10)
  • February 2014 (11)
  • January 2014 (13)
  • December 2013 (14)
  • November 2013 (13)
  • October 2013 (14)
  • September 2013 (12)
  • August 2013 (14)
  • July 2013 (10)
  • June 2013 (14)
  • May 2013 (14)
  • April 2013 (14)
  • March 2013 (15)
  • February 2013 (14)
  • January 2013 (13)
  • December 2012 (14)
  • November 2012 (16)
  • October 2012 (13)
  • September 2012 (14)
  • August 2012 (16)
  • July 2012 (12)
  • June 2012 (16)
  • May 2012 (21)
  • April 2012 (18)
  • March 2012 (20)
  • February 2012 (23)
  • January 2012 (31)
  • December 2011 (35)
  • November 2011 (33)
  • October 2011 (32)
  • September 2011 (29)
  • August 2011 (35)
  • July 2011 (33)
  • June 2011 (25)
  • May 2011 (31)
  • April 2011 (30)
  • March 2011 (34)
  • February 2011 (31)
  • January 2011 (33)
  • December 2010 (33)
  • November 2010 (39)
  • October 2010 (26)
All Things Andy Gavin
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Programmed by Andy Gavin