Molto Italiano Dinner at the Playground

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

The Playground restaurant in Santa Ana, www.playgrounddtsa.com. hosted another "road trip" dinner. I liked the first one so much I returned.

Started out with a cocktail made from smoked tea, Contrieu and Red Rosso a vermouth style liqueur from Italy. Light and refreshing. I liked it but I noticed about a third of the 18 diners didn't drink it.

12 course tonight and 3 desserts. Up first was a plate of house made Foccacia which they make with their own sourdough starter.  House made butter and fig jam accompanied it. 

A salad made with frizee, radicchio and other greens, pistachios and pears along with a shallot vinaigrette . Flavors were very good. But not date night food. I

Next was a dish with various diced tomatoes, fennel and green and purple basil. None of the ingredients are on my like list. But it did have good flavor if you are into tomatoes and basil. 

Cheese Financier ( almond french cake) with pinenuts, house made burrata and caviar. This I could have ate all night. Outstanding flavors and extremely addictive. 

A dish of Tripanata , have no idea what that means and googling it result in nothing. Had some tomatoes among other things with buckwheat over toast. Very good but odd.

A chicken thigh in soffritto with mascarpone polenta. To die for. 

Another to die for dish, Gnocchi in beure monte sauce with parmesan. Gnocchi was so soft and pillowy . Melted in your mouth. Justin is a master at making these jewels.

Escarole with caramelized onions, pork shoulder and toasted breadcrumbs. Another great flavored dish. Makes you want to like escarole. One diner (blond female) thought it was escargot. Obviously she doesn't know much about either. 

Another great dish from Justin, Garlic Risotto with pinenuts. Loads of garlic Perfect texture.

Grilled sea bass with porcini sauce and grilled zucchini. Cooked almost perfectly Just a teeny, tiny off perfect. 

Grilled flank steak , cooked perfectly for me. Nice red interior. Hot gill marks outside.

Hash brown with gremolata.  Potato was a large rectangle with the sauce on top. My least favorite dish. I think the hash brown itself was overcooked and had a hard exterior..

Desserts were a poached pear sorbet, nice light and refreshing. Good palate cleanser.  A Pistachio Lava cake with semifredo and a Budino tarte biete with whip cream. 

Wines tonight are Adriano Adani Prosecco, 2018 Aia Vecchia, Vermention. 2016 Isole e Oleans, Chianti Classico, 2016 Vigneto Bordin, Barneresco, 2014 Ciacca Piccolomini d'Araga, Brunello de Montalcino.  Topped off with a small glass of Amaro Montenegro. A botanical liqueur.

Another great dinner at the Playground 2.0 Room.  Looking forward to the Charcoal dinner next month and the Road Trip to Israel dinner in November.