Haven Gastropub
190 South Glassell Street
Old Towne Orange, CA 92866
(714) 221-0680
Cuisine: Gastropub, Californian
Cost: $$
Service: 
Ambiance:
Presentation: 
Flavor:
Overall:
What we ordered: Radicchio and frisée salad ($10), French onion soup ($6), Irish poundies ($12), roasted rainbow carrots ($8), O’Hara Celtic stout ($6).
It’s been a while since I posted a culinary review. (A handful await in draft mode.) But we had such a great St. Patrick’s Day experience at Haven Gastro Pub this eve, I couldn’t resist writing about our dining adventure.
@PadrePablo and I have been on an unofficial quest to try all of the local gastro pubs, including The Crow Bar, Vallhalla Table, and Side Door. I’ve been more than satisfied with them all, since the food is creative, the portions just right, and prices rather reasonable.
What set tonight’s dining experience apart was the amazing bar service and the interaction we had with the executive chef Greg Daniels (@havengastrochef) – a protégé of Chef Pascal Olhat.
As soon as I flipped my iPhone out to take a picture of the Irish poundies, Chef Daniels suggested I use my flash, so of course to do his beautiful creation — against a dark pub setting — justice. I was mortified, because as long as I’ve been taking pictures of everything I eat (since at least I had my first camera as a kid), I always make sure I do so out of view of the chef.
Caught red handed… and embarrassed… I stopped photo-documenting after the first two dishes. No matter about the photos, because any photo I could have taken would never have done the actual flavors justice.
The Radicchio and Frisée ruffage was intricately intertwined with chevre, cherry tomatoes, truffle vinaigrette, and topped with a perfectly poached egg. This is an entrée salad that can easily be shared by four. The two of us easily finished the plate off, though.
Our second course was a very traditional French Onion Soup, in a lionhead bowl with crostini and gruyere. We enjoyed it to the last french-cut onion. Our French Onion soup standards are rather high, so to give it two-thumbs up means a lot. The one thing that was missing for us was the crispiness of the cheese around the rim of the bowl. There’s something about the chewiness of the gruyere in the soup contrasting with a crusty formage…
The Irish Poundies was a duet of lamb sausage patties with pea-dotted mash, topped with a fried egg, and accompanied by a demi-glace style gravy. The mashed potato mixed with fresh peas dominated the plate visually, but was a subtle accompaniment to the flavorful lamb. The egg added an extra layer of flavor to this “meat and potatoes” derivative.
Finally, the Roasted Rainbow Carrots were mini roots in browned butter and topped with shock-fried parsley and sea salt. I’ve never liked carrots growing up. Now that I’ve had these “grown-up” carrots, I’m not sure what it was about carrots that I ever hated… If you try one side dish, try this one.
The last two dishes were special for St. Patrick’s Day. All the menu items come coupled with beer pairing recommendations. He enjoyed an smooth O’Hara’s Celtic stout with the Poundies.
Which leaves me wondering… are Poundies to patties as Bangers are to links?
What we must try over the next few visits: frito misto, roasted cauliflower, brussel sprouts, truffle fries, mac ‘n’ cheese, cassoulet, shepherd’s pie, bucatini carbonara, pot au feu, bacon ice cream, and foie gras cheesecake.
When we were done, Chef Daniels came by once again. This time he asked us how we liked our roasted carrots… telling us about the farm from which they come.
Best of all, he said he plans to make it a staple on the late spring/early summer menu!
Go see and taste for yourself the visual and culinary orgasms that Haven has on plate. And of course, on tap.
[If you're closer to L.A., sounds like there's a Haven coming to Pasadena soon!]
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