Do you ever get in a restaurant rut when you are going out to lunch with friends? No one can decide where to go, so you end up going to the same restaurant every time. The same restaurant where you order the same item each time you eat there.
Last week a friend and I were meeting for lunch and she had the most brilliant idea! We had lunch in the hidden gem of Cafe Jardin at Sherman Gardens and Library in Corona Del Mar, California.
This lovely cafe located right in the middle of 2.2 acres of breathtaking gardens with more than 1500 plants. Spring is the perfect time to visit {although there is not bad time}. The flowers are all blooming and the sweet floral fragrance wafting through the air made this a lunch I will not soon forget, and I couldn’t have asked for better company.
We both enjoyed the baked beet salad with herb feta, roasted hazelnuts, balsamic reduction, frisse, and a lemon vinaigrette. If you like beets, you will love this salad. The blending of the mild beets with the herb feta cheese is a tasty combination and the frisse added that perfect amount of freshness. I think I could have drank a glass of the balsamic reduction, is was so delicious!
My dear friend had the grilled irish salmon over bean provencal, kale and catelvetrano olive pesto. It looked and smelled amazing. I’m defiantly going to give this a try the next time I’m having lunch here.
I am not one to ever pass up a crab cake, especially when it is lying on a bed of herb risotto and yuzu beurre blanc. This scrumptious dish was so divine there was not one bite left on the plate! The crab cake was large and full of crab meat and the risotto was cooked perfectly.
Check your area for out of the way little gems like this restaurant. You will be glad you did.
There is no reason to ever fall into a restaurant rut!
If you would like to see the spring flowers at the botanical gardens, check out my post at Its All About The Pretty.
2647 East Pacific Coast Highway, Corona Del Mar, California 92625
Hours Monday through Friday 11:30 am to 2:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 11:30am to 2:30 pm
For Reservations call ~ 949.673.003