The North Left

I planned a birthday dinner for a party of 8 about a month ago. Stephanie took my reservation, I told her that we were celebrating a birthday and we had a vegetarian in our party, and she assured me that they had plenty of meal options. Needless to say I had high expectations of service because she had been really attentive on the phone, and I had eaten at North Left before and the food was pretty good.
The day of the reservation half our party was running late and I called to let the restaurant know and I noticed there was a visible irritation in her voice as she told me they could only hold the table for 15 mins, maybe this was our mistake even though half our party was on time and able to be seated. But throughout the whole meal it felt like we needed to flag her down constantly because she was aggressively ignoring us even though we were the largest party there. She never brings out a burger we ordered, never asked if we wanted a refill on our drinks… we left hungry because it was taking too long
She pretty much forced the vegetarian to get this ramen that didn’t have noodles and came with pork… I was so bewildered as to why she took all that information down when I made the reservation if she was not going to take care of my vegetarian friend… it would have been much better to get a bunch of veggie sides instead…
The whole meal took way longer than it needed to… and at the end of the meal she didn’t even ask if we wanted dessert! Even after I had told her numerous times we were celebrating a birthday! She was just going to bring out the check and when I asked her about dessert she says «all we have is this pb&j dessert» so I said fine we will take that … 20 mins later still no dessert so we have to flag her down again and ask her for spoons and she asks us how many spoons we want… ummm there are 8 of us how many do u think…
But the icing on the cake was when we attempted to take one last picture inside the restaurant and she yells out «u should go outside for pictures» sure maybe there was better lighting but the tone and everything screamed get the hell out…
So ya I’m not sure what we did to offend Stephanie but I won’t be coming back

We absolutely loved this place!!! So sad I forgot to write the review sooner. We had the large steak cutting board with brussel sprouts… man o man! Even the drinks were fairly yummy! But the seasoning on that food?! My o my, gourmet, yes, good? Yes slap yo daddy? Yes!

My friend and I decided to come here after work mainly to grab a few drinks and just kick it. Its located in downtown Santa Ana on 4^th street. I don’t usually travel here but it was kinda on my way this particular night so I figured why not.
I love the place, its a lot better than I originally imagined it to be. I recently became a fan of raw meat after my brunch experience so I went with it. I wasn’t particularly hungry, just came here more for the drinks. I saw they had steak so I was very tempted but ended up not getting it since I had food at home. Its a great chill spot to just kick it and hang out not to mention unwind a little. The food itself was actually surprisingly good. I wasn’t expecting it to tastes as good as it did. The meat was nice quality and the texture wasn’t too tough for raw meat. I’m sold!
Overall I was more of a fan of the bar area though as it seems so much better and if I should return it would definitely be to grab a few drinks and hang out. Well, actually I do wanna try their steak… just a little bit. It was a nice experience and a great night.

So I came here with a group of people and there is a bar area on the side, so this review is mostly for the bar and drinks served there, and less so the actual restaurant side where people seemed to be enjoying their meals.
I tried the Hopalong Casualty cocktail and it was quite good. The cocktail actually had quite a pleasant aroma of different flavors, I couldn’t discern all of them but the pieces came together rather nicely and the overall flavor was very enjoyable. It might have been a seasonal drink though, so i don’t know if it will always be available.
The drinks were well priced too, at about $ 12, and the quality made it worth it for me.

This place gives the Playground a run for its money.
Service is stellar and the food is heavenly. Sometimes I come in only for dessert and ice cream, and a drink to top it off. The bartenders are not stingy with their booze and will serve you a heavy one (if you order a mixed drink) so if you’re having more than one drink here, plan on taking Über home.
The menu rotates so there’s always something new to try. So far my favorite dishes are the Brussels sprouts and the fries.

So my wife and I have three young kids… and so it’s very rare for us to get out for a date night. I read some great reviews about The Playground in downtown Santa Ana, so we made the hike over there and they were packed. We didn’t know you needed reservations and such. North Left was recommended to us by a nice chap that saw our disappointment. We walked down looking for it… and alas we found it. We walked in, and although we didn’t have reservations… and they were just as packed as the Playground, they accommodated us.
We sat down in the bar area and had some great drinks… it’s where I was introduced to Buffalo Trace, my go-​to, affordable whisky now (thanks!). We ordered a brussel sprouts dish and a carrot dish, and a couple other things, plus a deconstructed S’more for dessert. The brussel sprout and carrot dish were probably some of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. Seriously amazing!
I have been dreaming about going back, but we simply haven’t found the time. We will go again. Oh yes… we will. I also heard the owner has another place in Newport or some other beach city, but haven’t done my research yet. Anyway, it was a better than a pleasant surprise for a rare night. Thanks to everyone there at North Left… service was great, drinks were great, and the food was amazing. It made our night start off perfect!

The place was pretty much dead on a Monday night around 8 PM. We were the only group in the dining area besides some people at the bar. I came here with 5 of my girlfriends and we opted to order drinks and share a bunch of items on the menu.
+ BRUSSELS SPROUTS: The Brussels sprouts were full of flavor. I wish they could’ve been a little bit crunchier and without so much sauce!
+ BROCCOLINI: These were also really dressed, but the broccolini was good.
+ FRIES: The fries came with a house ketchup that tastes like tomato soup and green garlic aioli! The fries were just right.
~SALAD: The salad was a little bit boring even though it had bacon, quinoa, goat cheese, and sweet potato. Because the salad base was kale and served on a board, it was definitely hard to get off the plate.
— HOT SHISHITOS: These are pretty plain as fried Japanese shishitos paired with a dipping sauce. 1 out of 10 of these are like really spicy so it’s really just a gamble of whether you’ll get a spicy one. The dipping sauce did not stick to the shishito, it slide right off so it wasn’t helpful to have that served together.
— BEEF TATAKI: This was really weird. The uncooked beef had the texture of a chewier raw fish, and I wasn’t a fan. I would’ve much preferred raw fish in the ponzu sauce.
— PIG’S HEAD TORCHON: This is essentially a pork brisket that had weird texture when it was deep fried. It was an interesting dish that I wouldn’t order again.
— MARKET FISH: The fish presented for the night really had no standout flavor, and the server mentioned that the fish was farmed sustainable.
Our server was really awesome, trying to make sure we had a really great time and accommodating our questions and requests really promptly. She made sure we had enough room to exchange Secret Santa gifts and made sure to take pictures of us and check on us often!

Delicious drinks great food. Still a great vibe (used to be the Crosby) also one of my favorite stops. Brussels sprouts! If you have an obsession like I do and try them everywhere you go they do a sauté with hazelnuts! It’s delicious. If your a vodka drinking I would recommend I think it’s called Scooby snack (cucumber, jalapeño, vodka and maybe ginger?) very refreshing and a good sipper!

How this place received 4.5 stars is beyond me. This used to be The Crosby, but after a series of unfortunate events they were forced to change their name and revamp their image (tbh The Crosby didn’t really have great food either). We went to The North Left for dinner and got a bunch of dishes to share, and here’s a quick rundown. POUTINE — short rib, fries, cheese, pickled red onion, egg. Expensive for what it is and very typical and unoriginal. BRUSSEL SPROUTS — also expensive, but good. BRAISED LAMB w/​BLUE CHEESE POLENTA — lamb was dry, blue cheese polenta was weird. BEEF TARTARE — good flavors, but beef was cut too thick for a raw beef dish imo. Overall I thought the food was just meh, maybe I just ordered the wrong things. I do have to give it to them for crafting some tasty cocktails! Prob won’t be back unless it’s just for a drink.

Nothing left to chance or left out here. The menu leans toward the Northwest but most of it is up to the amazing young Chefette, Ashley Guzman, a petite powerhouse who has to stand on milk crate to reach the Wolf. But that girl has chops and can cook next to any top chef in the country. She is all about perfect execution (Oklahoma, take note).
The Vibe: Gritty grotto, kinda. Part Tavern and sorta Pub-​y and all about great food and a wonderful cocktail program. Who goes there? Yuppies with puppies, Schleps and Preps, Suits and Ties, Dreds and Dyes, Tatties and Fatties, Skinnies and Mini’s, DINKS, Dorks, Wonks, Wankers and Bankers, Boomers in Beamers, in short any one who craves really good chow. All are made to feel most welcome. Server Stephanie is a one woman whirlwind who will orchestrate your meal and libations if you request it. Request it. She will guide you through the small but ambitious menu and remember your name and what you had a month later. Bright a Moscow Mule Mug and charming as can be in the bargain. One top pro, that girl.
This is the spot for creative vittles and convivial warm staff and patrons and terrific inventive drinks in a constant state of evolution. Can’t decide? Ask the tender to tender something with something you’ve been Jones’in. Voila… it arrives better than your fantasy about it. How many times do you get to say that? Have a afternoon Delight, and then go to N. L. for a drink with the same name. Double yum. Whiskey, Pamplemousse (Grapefruit Ligueur) Lemon, Merengue (aka egg white). It will make you feel risqué and frisque for round two for sure.
How about a Current Affair? (Is there a theme here? The Mixologist getting too much or not enough?) Black Current Liqueur (Cassis to the sophisticated among you), Chocolate Spice, Lemon, & Whiskey. Best affair in memory.
The Food: The plates are small to heroic (read big enough to feed the whole Gladiator School).
The signature Brussels Sprouts are buried under a mound of shredded Manchego and Toasted Hazel Nuts. I wanted to eat the entire bowl without using my hands.
The Cauliflower with Yogurt, melted Goat Cheese, Lentils, Dill, Yuzu (a Lemon and Orange love child), Raisin Vinegar, and Harissa. And it all works even though it reads like cleaning out the Walk-​in. It was a Vegan’s Come, Do me, dream dish.
The Happy Hour Burger (2^nd best in OC) disappears at 6:00 PM. Double juicy patties, Cheese of choice, Sunny Up Egg and Bacon, Arugula. A Frankenburger that would make the Villagers put down their torches and strap on their bibs.
The two Trout thought they’d signed up for catch and release. Instead they ended up spooning together in a Lodge pan layin’ on a bed of spuds, Romaine, Capers, Shrooms, and Lemon Vinegar. I wanted to swim with those fish. A dish that made me forget I don’t like trout. I still don’t like trout. I love them.
The Steak at a line-​of-​credit $ 75 feeds four or more with ease. So stop hyperventilating about the cost. A beautiful 18 inch curving snake of Mignon Medallions cooked brilliantly and surrounded by Roasted Potatoes, Snap Peas, (only in season), Shallots, Herb Butter, Parsley Pesto, and Radishes. Bring your friends, or go alone and order the whole Chingadero for yourself and sheepishly try to convince Stephanie that you really do have friends even if you don’t.
Flash Review:
Thai Chicken Wings… move over Garlic and Chives.
Poutine with Short Ribs, Cheese, Pickled Red Onion, Eggs would get
Joe Beef’s (a must in Montréal) attention and a toque tip.
Mussels with Buttermilk Broth, Basil, Cilantro, Sherry Vinegar, and Soy makes you want to green lip lock on’em.
Dessert: Yes, you still have room and even if you don’t, so what, order this anyway. Cereal and Berries. Lemon Panna Cotta, (think fancy Flan) Mixed Berry Compote and Granita. The description pales next to tasting this stellar composed perfect finish.
Go right to North Left right now.


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I came in as a group of 3 on a Monday night and it was fairly empty, only about 2 other groups of 2 there. The lighting is very dim and the restaurant has a candlelight setting, which makes it intimate.
We started off with cocktails — a moscow mule, cucumber cocktail, and the long distance relationship. My friend enjoyed her moscow mule and I enjoyed my cucumber cocktail. The long distance relationship was sweet, so if you like sweet and fruity drinks, this is for you.
We ordered the poutine fries, brussel sprouts, thai chicken wings, and ramen to share. The thai chicken wings were good! The sauce that it came with was flavorful and had a little spicy kick. The brussel sprouts were also delicious, cheesy with a sweet tangy sauce. The poutine fries was not much more than fries and an egg on top, not bad, but nothing special. The ramen was the least favorite of the night. It wasn’t really ramen noodles, it was very thin and short strings of vermicelli or something that was not even noodles. The extra condiments and meat was similar to those usually put in a ramen bowl though. The soup was kind of bland. All in all, our experience was okay. For $ 100 tab, it was quite pricey.

I’ve been eating up a storm, shooting like a legitimate food blogger, but SO behind on my posts, it’s like I’m an amateur, lol! I’ve got some INSANE #FPF posts coming in the next few weeks, pretty much all the heavy hitters that I’ve bookmarked for months, even years! Let’s start with a local favorite in Downtown Santa Ana, shall we?
DTSA is known for its lively fair, farmers markets, and some of the hottest and hippest eateries to surface since Lola Gaspar started the scene in 2008. Much of the cuisine has been reinvigorated with the opening of 4^th street market’s cafeteria style dining (first blogged about HERE), Jason Quinn’s Playground 2.0 (seen HERE) but when the Crosby abruptly closed down due to street violence and the now infamous involuntary manslaughter case (Google it if you must) I was heartbroken knowing that one of my go-​to restaurant/​bars was now defunct.
Enter The North Left, Chef Aron Habiger’s reemerging art and culinary adventures in the space the former Crosby used to occupy. Same space, same chef, what’s new you ask???
Why, EVERYTHING my loves. From the dishes to the details, it’s Aron 2.0, a sophisticated swankier version of the superstar and I’m soooo glad he’s back!
Here’s what’s on the menu today:
Chicken Nuggets with BBQ/​Maple/​Bourbon
Perfectly crispy fried nuggets paired with a sauce I could seriously eat all by itself.
Love the sweet smoky flavors, so fun to pass and share.
Kale Salad with beets, quinoa, goat cheese, cranberries, horseradish vinaigrette
Summer in a bowl! Love the mix of my 2 favorite veggies: Kale+Beet= #winning
Cauliflower with sour goat cheese, garbanzo, dill, yuzu, raisin vin, harissa.
Not the most appetizing dish on the menu but EASILY one of the BEST! Majority of the table ruled that this was their #1 dish of the night. The beautifully charred cauliflower was tender, the spread simply divine, and everything just melded together with such a sophisticated flavor combination. MUST GET!
Poutine fries with short rib, cheese, pickled red onion, egg
I’ve had quite a few poutines in my life and while theirs is quite tasty, there’s nothing novel about it in my book. A little (North) left of what I’d expect on their unconventional menu. Just ok.
Brussel Sprouts with San Joaquin Gold and Hazelnut
Sooooo friggin delish! You almost lose the veggies under this mountain of cheese but who cares?!! It’s friggin SNOWING cheese! Just died and went to nutty cowgirl heaven.
Steel Cut Risotto with oats, wood ear mushroom, manchego, mushrooms, chives, nasturtium, pea tendrils.
This dish, while very fresh and simple looking, is just brilliant. The oats and risotto have a very similar porridgy texture so they blend beautifully, why didn’t I think of that?! The mushrooms give it a bit of bite since the dish lacks protein. One of my personal faves, I could eat this for breakfast every morning with a soft boiled egg.
Beef Tataki with shallots and mustard seeds
While the rare, uncooked beef might scare some of you off, I LOVES me some bloody carcass! Duck blood, pig blood, tai with my Vietnamese phở, I eat it all! Lol… It’s just such a pretty dish with amazing color, just begging to be devoured!
Red Snapper with lemongrass, rosemary, dashi, romaine lettuce.
Chef Aron said he visited this vegetarian restaurant in Bolsa (Bo De) and was inspired by one of their soups for this creation. If you’re Vietnamese/​Chinese it tastes EXACTLY like soy-​sauce steamed fish your parents order at the end of every 10-​course meal. The broth is so spot on, you’d think you were dining at Newport Seafood instead of Downtown Santa Ana. Great way to introduce Asian flavors to the menu.
Steak with roasted potato, green beans, shallots, herb compound butter, parsley pesto, radish.
The pesto is clearly the star here and every piece of steak deserves to be sopped up by the sauce. Such a fresh approach to a dish that is normally very hearty and heavy. I’m a fan!
Trout with potato, escarole, capers, mushroom, lemon vin.
We all thought this was the saltiest dish on the menu. Looks beautiful but I’d pass on this one based on taste alone.
Desserts by Chef Aron!
Quite the spread… the girls were VERY happy: D
*Insider’s tip: The dark and romantic interior is really perfect for date night. Or if you’re like me, perfect for a ballz to the wallz/​crazy party of 15/​Girl’s Night Out like how my posse DO! lol
Just a fabulous spot to chill, hang with friends, eat bomb food, relax and unwind after a hard week at work. Go NOW and please let Aron know I sent ya!*
**UPDATE Nov 2015: Chef Aron is no longer with The North Left so I can’t tell ya how the cuisine has been since his departure**
Bön Appétit mes amis!

I’m a fan. North Left seems like a new place that’s been around for a while. Their menu uses interesting ingredients and mixes them in innovative ways. The menu is very fresh.
The service is very mature. It’s upscale, quick, and knowledgeable about the dishes. Three of us had dinner on a Saturday and it was filled with customers.

Highlights: walking distance from courthouse, good deal for food & good service
Came in here on lunch break from jury duty at Central Justice Center. Very cool little spot with good food and good service! Had «The Camp» — grilled cheese with tomato & bacon, side salad, chips, and tomato fennel soup, while my friend, whom I randomly bumped into at jury duty, had the reuben. Both were very good and a good amount of food for the price. They have a few beers on tap, two of which today were from bottle logic.
BTW I looked it up, it’s not illegal to be drunk in public unless you do something wrong, so if you feel like getting drunk before heading back to the jury room, nobody says you can’t! Don’t quote me on that, though…

Always love a bar that customizes drinks for you! This place has that industrial, vintage vibe that I really like– wooden tables, metal stools, antlers hanging, mason jar candle holders. The drink selection is nicely displayed and I’m pretty sure every guy that worked here had a mustache.
We only came here for drinks so I can’t comment on the food, but they had a nice selection of crafted cocktails– prices were average, about $ 10 – 12. I decided to try their Cucumber Gimlet and since my friend isn’t big on alcohol, our bartender customized her a fruit-​based, easy-​drinking cocktail. I really enjoyed both of our drinks! The pureed cucumber in the Gimlet made it super refreshing– even my friend liked it! Her drink was really good as well– I believe it was some type of grapefruit cocktail so it wasn’t too sweet and not very alcohol tasting, just the way she likes it, haha.
Good drinks, good atmosphere, and really friendly bartenders! A great bar if you’re ever in the OC area.

Came here with a friend of mine and was pretty excited to try a new restaurant out. Ill keep this review simple.
SERIVICE/​ATMOSPHERE: Extremely dark inside. Im not going to lie, i started getting kind of sleepy. The waitress was very cool and helpful with the menu. No complaints on service really, i would just prefer a brighter dining area. This place has no huge sign, only on their window but its right next door to a Starbucks i think so look out for that because its very easy to miss!
FOOD: Steel Cut Risotto– I absolutely hate mushrooms but decided to give this a try but even my friend who loves mushrooms said that the risotto had an extremely strong taste. we couldn’t quite pin point what that taste was but it was very overwhelming ²⁄₅.
Cauliflower– Well prepared i really liked this it was well cooked.
Poutine– Or favorite dish! the portion was tiny that was probably the only downside to this dish. We thought it was going to come out a standard size but this skillet was the size of my palm. don’t think you’ll get full off of this!

Great dishes, simple menu, good flavors and portions. We had the Brussel sprouts, the hamburger and the BLTA&E sandwiches. The cooks are conscientious of the quality of their dishes. The potato chips are freshly baked, the fries are hot off the fryer. The bacon is grilled nicely so none of the fat is burned to a crisp. It’s cooked just enough to respect it’s tender texture.
They also do their own ketchup, and it tastes awesome.

This place was called the crosby, but i guess they changed their names after that incident went down… if you don’t know what i’m talking about, you’re free to google about it… and i guess it was a good idea to change their name after this whole bill cosby fiasco… even tho they’re spelled differently, they sound similar.
i went to check this place out with a friend and it was really easy to get a seat on a tuesday night. i got the Brussels sprouts and short rib poutine with cheese and pickled red onions. Honestly out of the two items, the brussels sprouts were really tasty. ive never seen a place peel each layer of the brussel sprouts… kinda weird to describe, but got it and you’ll know what i’m talking about.
i also got a glass of macallan 12 for ~12 bucks? how fitting… lol

Pretty chill spot in DTSA. The menu is small but the drinks were really good! Had date night here with the hubs. We decided we were going to snack and have a couple of drinks. Tried the fries & the beef tataki. Not a fan of raw meat, but it wasn’t too bad; I tried it and I’ll check it off my list. Fries were fries, nothing to write home about. Let’s talk drinks… Great place to start the night. Try one of their custom drinks. I had a spicy drink of some sort can’t remember the name but I took a pic of it :) it was super good! Overall I like the small, cozy feel about this place.
Located just next door to Starbucks on 4^th street!

It’s been awhile since I’ve been here but what I do remember is enjoying my experience here.
To start off with, I tried a squid ink dish… this dish made me realize I am not into squid ink– I want to say it was served with calamari if I am not mistaken but don’t quote me on that. One of the vegetable dishes here (again, I forget exactly what it was) was good.
One thing that stands out in my mind is the meat, prawns, and potatoes dish. I would order this thing just for the presentation alone. It blew me away. In addition to looking awesome, the taste was great too. Meat cooked perfectly medium rare and the prawns were jumbo! There was also hush puppies in this dish but that was probably my least favorite thing– they were way too dense to enjoy!
I’ll be back so I can jog my memory of this place!