Kat's 9 Lives

Not surprising but here I am again. This is the first time I have come here for lunch. I definitely like the prices better at lunch and it seems to be the same size as dinner. They don't have as many choices for lunch, but I found a new dish to try. MBA wanted to go to Nordstrom and I didn't feel like going to the mall on Saturday since it's SO crowded. Good thing I didn't because I ended up meeting Tiramisu later that day and took her to the mall! ^_^ So thank goodness I didn't have to go twice! At first it didn't even seem like Sabatino's was open for lunch and I never saw a real server. A guy from the kitchen came out and serviced, he was friendly but they probably needed a little bit more people to help out.
Today they surprised us with a new bread and we were starving so we gobbled it down in a flash. It was buttered with garlic and toasted to give that crisp texture. We debated on which bread we like better... dinner or lunch? We both agreed that dinner was slightly better. Then I wondered if they got rid of the other bread???? I was able to get that answer on Monday night, which I will post later. ^_-
MBA got her signature dish of Rigatoni with Sausage and Peppers in a Creamy Tomato Sauce. Just the way she likes it! ^_^ Of course she had to dip the yummy bread in her pasta sauce. As for me, I decided to try their Chicken Penne Gorgonzola. It's chicken breast & broccoli tossed with garlic, white wine, & Gorgonzola cream sauce and served with penne pasta. MBA tried my pasta and she really liked it. I asked for a minimal amount of broccoli and it was tasty. If I get this next time, I will ask for extra sauce because I like a thicker coat on my pasta. With penne it's harder to retain the flavor of the sauce. Still, it's a good new find.
This was the first time that I saw that they offered paninis so of course I had to give it a try. I ordered the Chicken Panini Sabatino. It's chicken breast, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, avocado, caramelized onion, Mozzarella cheese, & house spread on sourdough. On paper everything sounded really good, but it fell short in real life. The sandwich was a little dry for my taste and it needed more avocado to smooth out the texture. I still think Nordstrom Cafe has better paninis. Stick with the pastas or the pizzas instead!

On Saturday, Lil Bel and I hit the mall up. I hope she got the Prada sunglasses she liked. They looked wonderful ^_-. Since she has never tried the Nordstrom Cafe, I had to introduce her! I have been going to this place since High School. This time I decided to order something different from the first post. Just a friendly reminder, I have been to many different Nordstrom Cafes and they all vary slightly. My favorite one is still in Mission Viejo Mall. The service there varies, but the interior decor is always pleasant. It can get rather crowded on the weekends, but it's worth the wait.
As usual, I had to get the Roma Tomato with Basil soup with delicious extra Garlic Cheese Bread. They were actually out when I got there, so I had to wait a while to get my soup. It was a little annoying that they took a really long time to bring out the soup because it came with the sandwich. I couldn't really get a head start on the soup, so it got a little cold as I kept trying to work from one dish to the next. The soup of course was great as usual.
I decided to showcase the Pesto Chicken Panini. If you like sun-dried tomato and creamy pesto, then this would be perfect for you. The sandwich is always loaded with thinly sliced chicken breast. It's a very filling sandwich and goes great with the soup. The only thing I don't like about the sandwich is that after eating it for a while, it scrapes the roof of your mouth. It came with fresh made potato chips on the side. This is the best panini there in my opinion. It has the most flavor out of the three.
Lil Bel decided to try the Roasted Chicken with Roasted Vegetables. I have never ordered that dish, because I hate chicken with bones. To my surprise it was almost boneless. There was only a small wing bone still attached. The chicken was roasted to perfection and very moist. It was a little lacking in flavor, but very healthy. I liked the slight lemon flavor. There was a ton of roasted vegetables, which would be my Krytonite. Yuck! lol O=P I am a carnivore! I am allergic to all vegetables. O=) The dish was very filling over all. I had to help Lil Bel with her dish, which led me to take half my sandwich home.
To fulfill her sweet tooth, Lil Bel ordered the Crème Brûlée. They seemed to have forgotten it and I just told the server, she immediately brought one out without even checking to see we ordered one. I must say they were very trusting. They have pretty good desserts at this location. I have tried them all. The Crème brûlée that day was a little TOO creamy for me. It was very thick. The torched sugar made it taste a lot better. I wish they put different fruits, but I guess they weren't in season. Usually there's a wide variety of fruits and not just a lot of raspberries.

All in the food was good and solid. The service here varies. I like the mint chocolate strips they give you at the end so that you will tip them. I guess it's a smart ploy. The cafe is always nice and clean. I will most likely be back soon again with MBA, as I have made her addict of the soup. ^_~

I know it is shocking for me to say I LOVE a salad since I am a carnivore and all. This is one of the rare places I go to just for their salads! My favorite Nordstrom Cafe is the one in the Shops at Mission Viejo. Each store has a different daily soup. Mine has the AWESOME Roma Tomato with Basil soup as there daily soup. I have gotten many people addicted to this yummy soup, you know who you guys are! ^_^ They also come with their delicious garlic cheese bread. I always ask for extra bread. If you are ever in Mission Viejo then you definitely need to stop by try a bowl!
A bowl of soup is never enough. I usually order a delicious salad or a tasty panini. Currently my favorite salad is the Parmesan Chicken Crusted Salad, which is a cobb salad. The chicken is always made to perfection in flavor, moistness, and crisp texture. My favorite use to be the Chicken Caesar Salad because they would have wonderful moist grilled chicken and their sauce as delicious especially if you add lemon. Their Chinese Chicken Salad is delicious as well. It is a colorful mixture of red & yellow bell peppers along with a variety of fresh crisp vegetables. The sauce is a little too sweet, but still great. They add delicious wontons on top. If you are a fan of blue cheese and fruit then you must try their Chicken Fruit Salad. The blue cheese really brings out the sweetness of the fruits.

Nordstrom Cafe also has delicious hot panini's. My favorite is the Chicken Pesto Panini. They always have a generous amount of moist grilled chicken, sundried tomatoes, cheese, & pesto. So delicious! The only thing about the sandwiches is that after a few bites they scrape the roof of my mouth, but they go swimmingly with the tomato soup!

As you can see I love this place and have tried almost EVERYTHING! I often try their specials too. Note that not all Nordstrom Cafes carry the same menu items nor do they taste the same even if they are the same items. Still I would give any of them a try and I have, that is why I know they are all different. All in all, they should be a good place for a light meal.