Kat's 9 Lives

Having just returned from Dublin recently, I was very reluctant to try Dublin 4 as I thought it may be unfair and I had been fed up with European food.  Little did I know that I was tricked by some people to come here AGAINST my will and then they failed to even show up.  Needless to say that I was furious, but I decided that I should just stay since I made the effort to come out here and try to enjoy the rest of my evening despite the rudeness that these people showed me.  Can we say friendship over?  Such inconsiderate people are not worth my time.
First off, the parking situation here is not the best.  It's a very small area to park and most are just 20 minute parking spots so I was a bit concerned.  If you drive to the back, then you have to valet for $5 so be sure to get there early for a parking spot or pray someone is leaving.  You can park in the 20 minute spots at night as they don't mind as much.  The server told me it was okay and that they are more stringent in the morning than at night.
Everyone there was very friendly and after I sort of told the server what happened with my horribly lame friends, she even offered to accompany all night and keep me company.  I thought that was very sweet and endearing of her.  The service here is super friendly and great.  This is definitely their best seller as the feeling of being welcomed and that they really care.
This place is definitely no Temple Bar in Dublin, as it is clean and not everyone is drunk or smoking.  Dublin 4 has a very comfy homely feel to the place.  I enjoyed the dark decor.  From the outside and location, you would not remember where you are.  This strip mall is tucked away near the freeway and can be easily missed but there's a lot going on in this plaza.
To start off the night I decided to try the D4 Reuben Rolls, $12.  At first I thought this would be mini rolls but to my surprise they were rolled up in egg rolls and fried.  For those of you who know me, I absolutely love fried foods.  It's house cured corned beef, sauerkraut, and Blarney cheese inside accompanied by the D4 dipping sauce.  The flavor was very light and did not wow me.  There was also quite a bit of oil dripping out of the rolls when I took a bite.  Maybe I like my food a little bit more flavorful, so the roll needed to be a little bit more savory for my taste and a little more tightly packed so that the oil does not seep through.
After looking the menu up and down, there were a few items that looked decent but in the end I decided to try one of their gastropub pies.  To be fair, I had a really great Shepherd's Pie in Dublin so I had some high expectations as I am not necessarily a big pie fan.  At first I expected it to be laced with potato on top but it had a flaky pastry on top instead.  A great twist as I love a good puff pastry.
I decided to try the Dublin Lawyer Lobster Pie, $21.  It was made with Maine lobster, cognac cream sauce, and fresh shucked peas.  Maybe I should have went with my gut feeling to avoid this as I am not that big of a fan of peas.  The sauce was very flavorful.  I used the pastry to dip into the sauce.  There were tons of carrots and peas, but no lobster in sight.  After some more digging, I found the chunks of lobster.

All in all everything was fine but I wasn't really impressed with the food.  The service was very good, which helped make up for a lot of it.  I did try my best to save the night and they did try to help as well.  Food-wise, I will still have to be honest that it was just okay.

It was getting really late at night and we had a full day in NYC already but our last stop of the night was at the The Breslin in Midtown West/Chelsea. I will admit that I was a bit skeptical when Ms. Lin suggested this gastropub for lamb burgers. There have been very very very few places where I have actually had a decent lamb burger that did NOT taste like feet. Don't get me wrong, I adore lamb and raw meat but I don't like the heavy herbs that over power the natural flavors and only makes the gaminess unbearable.
Since I have had many bad encounters, I was a bit cautious when she ordered. It was late at night and close to last call so we asked the guy to first put in an order of the lamb burger and THEN I will decide if I will have another one. Ms. Lin and him probably thought I was funny and since they have both had the lamb burger, they knew that the answer would be yes! Not that you couldn't tell from the title of this post, lol.
At first I was in a sour mood because nothing else on the menu appealed to me and the prices were mid-high for stuff that I did not want to eat. Prices in NYC always tend to be higher, but since I was not here for a real meal and I am surrounded by tons of great eats in this city I was hesitant to order the other dishes. Luckily I just waited to try the lamb burger and didn't!
If I wasn't so full from all the eating around NYC, I wish I stuffed another burger down the gullet! The Lamb Burger ($21) was topped with feta and served with cumin mayo and thrice cooked chips on the side. I am glad that the mayo was on the side because I don't really like cumin. The fries were piping hot and well seasoned. I really enjoyed the presentation on the cutting board. We cut the burger in half and I was delighted that the center was reddish-pink. It was a juicy, sensuous, and flavorful burger that completely melts in your mouth! Be sure to eat it while it is piping hot and before the juices leak out onto the bun. **Gobble Gobble**
We started the night off with the Caramel Popcorn ($5), which I thought was cutely presented. The name tag and date of birth was a great idea. It wasn't quite what I expected it to be and the caramel was quite sticky and chewy. For me, it was just okay but I did really like the packaging.
I have never heard of a Scotch Egg ($8) but Ms. Lin was excited and wanted to order it. What? I was a bit skeptical because I thought it was a bit pricey for something that has the word egg! For those who know me, I am not a big of eggs and wouldn't order it but I am glad we did. This was surprisingly tasty! Instead of a hard boiled egg inside, it was a nicely poached runny egg encased by meat then batter and fried to crisp perfection. Yum! It was crispy and savory. I actually thought the combination was very nice and was tempted to have another one. The portion size was pretty decent too.
We debated about another appetizer/snack and we decided to order the Beef and Stilton Pie ($7). The server described it as beef and cheese inside a tasty crust, so we thought sure bring us an order! I wished we ordered another scotch egg instead! Of course I wouldn't have known without trying so c'est la vie. The flavor of the beef was decent but there wasn't much cheese inside. To me it was just alright.
All in all it was a hip and tasty gastropub. They definitely sold me on their lamb burger and scotch egg! The menu might change often but I hope they keep those two on the menu! Ms. Lin was a little reserved about this place because it had been a while since she'd been here and since she was introducing this place to me, she wanted to make sure I'd like it too. Luckily, the burger was just as good as she remembered. Proving that when something is good, it can still taste just as good years later and not just be a memory.
The Breslin
16 W. 29th Street
New York, NY 10001
(212) 679-2222

On a hot sunny day, we decided to catch a little snack before a sneak movie premiere testing. I decided to finally come try Haven Gastropub for some gastronomic treats since it was close to the theater. Parking is not that difficult around that area. We got a spot right across the street. I love that it is still free parking around this area. To get away from the heat, we chose to sit inside. They had a classy dark wooden motif.
I debated on what to try out. For me, I had to have the Mac n' Cheese with Black Truffles, Gruyere, Fontina, and Parmesan. How can you deny yourself this cheesy goodness with the essence of truffles? Yum! Freshly baked with crisp melted cheese on top and a piping hot gooey mess inside. This was pretty fragrant and cheesy. A great treat to start off the meal or to finish off.
It was a relaxing day for me and MBA. She chose to get the Short Rib Tacos with Pickled Red Onions, Cotija Cheese, and Salsa Borracho. The meats were nicely seasoned and the flavors came together well. My biggest qualm was that it was a mess! Tons of flavor but at a price. There was sauce spewing out of every orifice. Not a pretty side and will definitely dirty your hands. It's also a bit pricey for $14 and you only get 3 tacos. I am glad she enjoyed it but it wasn't something to write home about and I definitely wouldn't order it based on the price, personally.
After a long debate, I decided to try their Chicken n' Waffles. Things sounded better on paper. I was expecting a crisp fried chicken to go along with my waffles, but instead it was a more wet fried chicken. Albeit, the flavors were not bad but it wasn't quite what I was looking for when I order chicken and waffles. The cornmeal waffle was a bit on the soggier side which could be a result from the heat of the fried chicken. It was a sloppy soggy mess to be honest. I thought it was inventive to use beer in the maple syrup but it wasn't anything too special. For $15, it was not that filling and left me kind of blah afterwards.
All in all, I thought they were a little overpriced and overrated. I wasn't too impressed. Maybe I expected a little bit too much after all the hype?? I mean the food is solid but some stuff wasn't worth the price IMHO. The one thing I wanted most was the Bacon Ice Cream, but since we were running late for the movie screening MBA food blocked me! I was devastated that I couldn't get me some bacon lovin'!!! Hence, despite not being amazed... I will have to come back one day for that bacon goodness. =) They do offer Happy Hour, so I just might return and give them one more chance.

Haven Gastropub
190 S. Glassell St
Orange, CA 92866
(714) 221-0680