Miss Irene goes all Laguna Beach on us and visits Sapphire, as serious a restaurant as that beachside stretch can get. The menu sounds enticing (Tunisian crab warka, Malaysian black pepper shrimp, veal cheek ravioli, sautéed skate wing), but it's Virbila's comments on the people of the OC that proves most entertaining:
The crowd is definitely beach casual with women wearing designer flip-flops or come-hither heels and men in loose Hawaiian shirts or impeccable Italian linen. On second thought, maybe the dress code reads blond and bosom-enhanced because, as I learned waiting for a table on the patio, the only brunette in the house that evening was somebody's house guest from Chicago.Sapphire gets a solid two stars, even if the sun sets over a Jack in the Box. Is it us or has Miss Irene done a lot of road-trip reviews this year? Sometimes it's nice to take a trip to the OC or San Diego for a little r&r, but we're not void of good restaurants to review in LA are we? [LAT]?I notice the chef talking to a trio of women at the table next to us. They all want to meet him. "Wonderful job," one woman coos. Coming from someone who ate basically a salad, it's not much of a compliment for such an accomplished chef.
ELSEWHERE: It's all sex and little substance at Hadaka Sushi, Caroline on Crack checks out the cheesy goodness at Meltdown etc., even if it's only open from 11am to 3pm right now; Food Marathon finally makes it to La Buca; Tokyoastrogirl goes to Musha and loves; missing the meat at veg-friendly Fatty's in Eagle Rock; in the South Bay, Joey's Smokin' BBQ.
