Dinner -- 6/29/08

McCormick & Schmick's
321 W. Katella Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92802

714.535.9000

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.display&pageid=96&id=102

5:30 - 7:30 PM

Ramona: Dungeness Crab and Bay shrimp cakes, jasmine rice, green beans, red pepper rouille, upside down apple pie with cinnamon ice cream, Nobilio Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, New Zealand

Jim: Seafood corn chowder, Arctic char, Pistachio sundried tomato couscous and orange beurre blanc, asparagus, lemon sponge cake with raspberry coulis, Nobilio Sauvignon Blanc, 2007, New Zealand, iced tea

Shared: Jumbo prawn cocktail

Dinner with a good friend from Dallas after another long day at the Anaheim Convention Center.
This was an elegant restaurant, and the decor was subdued, the light was low, and the music was soft and jazzy.

We all agreed the food was uniformly good, with large portions at just the right temperature.

This was my first taste of char, and it was delicious. It looked a little like salmon, but it was a little more tender, and nicely sweet. The sauce was also a good compliment. The asparagus were prepared exactly the way I like them -- a bit on the crunchy side.

Ramona's crab and shrimp cakes were delicious. I only tasted the crab, and it was meaty and well-seasoned. The red pepper rouille was a great condiment for these cakes.

The wine we chose -- we each had one glass -- was also excellent. It was cold, crisp, and just a touch of sweetness.

Both of our desserts were superb. The dessert menu had several items we have had recently, so we each went with something different. My cake was delicious and the lemon topping was great with the raspberry sauce. The raspberry coulis had some seeds in it, and had I not made this sauce myself at home, I might not even have noticed. Ramona shared her dessert with her friend; however, it was not their first choice. The restaurant was out of the coconut cupcake that they were looking forward to.

The only problem was the service; it was a bit shaky. Our server disappeared for extended times on at least two occasions. But, she was young and the restaurant has only been open a short time at this location, so all is forgiven. She had no problem dealing with our complicated billing caused by separate checks, etc. It certainly will not stop us from a return visit. There are restaurants in Dallas, Austin, and Houston, which we visit quite often; also one in Denver, where we'll be headed in January for ALA's Midwinter conference.

-Jim and Ramona