Today I went to The Playground in DTSA (Down Town Santa Ana). I must warn you, if you like food, if know the difference between choice and prime, if you sometimes wake up in a cold sweat at 3AM crying out for Jamon Iberico, then you might hurt yourself if you go The Playground. When I say hurt yourself I mean that you will want to taste all of the things, you will want to bankrupt yourself on food, you will, from deep within your being, desire to put all of the things into your mouth: for pleasure.
I was going to do a five blog expose on the place, but I would rather relive the experience with you now. It starts with a great venue and a great beer selection. I had a Brew Dog Tokyo, an incredibly unique imperial stout coming in over 18% abv. I only had one. It was enough.
The first course was a smoked salmon tzatziki rillette with fresh greens and house made toast. The smoke from the salmon cut through the tangy Greek yogurt and paired very well with gently salted fresh greens. Honestly this was not my favorite of the courses which we had (there were four), it left me wanting more of the salmon. However, its difficult not to recognize the bravery it takes to put a bold dish like this on your menu.It certainly was a wonderful dish, and a fresh start to our meal.
The second course blew me away. New York Steak Tar Tar with a Peanut Satay, Pickled Onions, and Fresh Herbs. The texture, spice, and beefy magic of this dish left me literary breathless. The execution of this food, the balance of spicy and savory flavors, highlighted with sweet peanuts and fresh herbs, really demonstrates the passion and dedication of the chefs in the back of the house. Eat. This. Food.
The burger. This burger is made of some majestic amalgamation of beefs, ground day of, in house, and the patty is left intact from the state that if comes out of the grinder. Each bit holds the texture and flavor of the beef it was ground form, rib-eye, waygu tri-tip, and unicorns. House baked bun, and wonderfully carmelized onions. I would eat this seven days a week if it wouldn't kill me and break my bank account.
Pork. I love pork. As much as I love beef, pigs are the most delicious animals to grace this good earth, and this is hands down the best pork chop to grace my good lips. Glazed in a magical maple butter sauce, tender and juicy to the center. There are few times in my life when I have tasted something and thought to myself that I could never make something better. This is it. This is real life. This is the best pork chop you will ever taste. Oh and here is the aftermath.
Nothing but the bones left, honestly I wanted to drink the sauce through the bones, but I was too proud. I wish I wasn't.
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