Last Saturday Aliso Laguna News was invited by Urban Plates Aliso Viejo location to come and try their seasonal selections.
The opening of AV Urban Plates this past summer makes this location number four in Orange County. San Diego and Los Angeles counties each have three locations.
26661 Aliso Creek Road, Suite B
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
949-424-6160
We enjoyed our time there on Saturday night. It was a very busy night for the restaurant, but General Manager Travis White was so gracious and helpful. We came hungry and we left filled – both in body and mind! Travis offered us a great night of sampling UP specialties. Everything he brought to us to try was so delicious. We loved it all.
We sampled some of the seasonal items like Sweet Potato, Carrot and Red Curry Soup, here’s a description about this wonderful soup from the urbanplates.com Chef’s Blog:
“This Fall, we’re created a new flavor profile on the classic seasonal produce of locally-grown sweet potatoes, carrots, and onions. To the roasted vegetables we’ve added a classic Asian base of Red Thai Curry, Lemongrass, Kaffir Lime leaves, Ginger, Garlic and Cilantro. We finish this soup by pureeing it with a splash of rice wine vinegar that gives it a velvety smooth taste. These wonderful flavors are well balanced, so the end result is a creamy, sweet and savory soup that finishes with a hint of Jalapeno. Try a cup or bowl with one of our hand-carved sandwiches for lunch.”
All of the food at UP is of the finest quality. The prices there are very reasonable, the portions are very generous. Some of our favorites were:
The Braises: We sampled all the braises and they were incredible. The braised beef and mushrooms is cooked with red wine sauce, mushrooms, onion and organic carrots. The Moroccan chicken Braise is composed of free range chicken slow cooked with squash, onions, preserved lemon, olives, turmeric, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, parsley, cilantro.
Plates: The chimichurri grass fed steak plate was so tasty. Any steak lover would appreciate it. We tried to savor the Panko Crusted Sustainable Trout baked with grape tomato, red onion, herbs de Provence & served with chimichurri sauce, but basically ended up just wolfing it down, it was so great.
Seasonal Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Buttercream: Don’t miss out on ordering one of these for a home family dinner. Maybe two or three, but call in advance, they go fast.
From the urbanplates.com Chef’s Blog: “This seasonal treat is an update on a Southern classic dessert that truly exudes All-American goodness. It looks and tastes like Fall!
To a base of organic Granny Smith apples, organic flour and organic sugar, I add in antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory cinnamon and turmeric, to create flavorful spice cake layers. Then, I carefully whip a base of house-made caramel sauce, whole butter and a touch of cream cheese for a perfectly balanced and uniquely Urban Plates Caramel Buttercream.
I finish the four-layer cake with a drizzle of smooth caramel sauce and caramelized apples. We think this one will be an instant classic for the Urban Plates pastry case, and earn an instant place in your heart. It’ll remind you of eating a caramel apple with warm Fall spices.”
If you are not planning on cooking for Thanksgiving, but want to eat out or order food to eat at home; Urban Plates is providing that service at some of their locations. Call to get more details.
Here is some information and the link to their Thanksgiving offerings.
“ Urban Plates will open its doors to guests from 12-8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, serving a special chef developed menu featuring all the season classics at all twelve Urban Plates locations.”
In keeping with Urban Plates’ commitment to food quality, antibiotic and hormone-free herb roasted turkey breast will be marinated with the touch of fresh herbs, honey, chili pepper, and garlic. Cooked slowly overnight, and hand carved to-order, this year’s turkey dinner will be served with raw cranberry orange relish, gravy, and your choice of two sides, which include fresh cornbread, grilled focaccia bread, or mushroom stuffing.
Available through the end of the year, the vegan and gluten-free pumpkin walnut cake is the perfect holiday dessert to indulge in. Homemade to perfection, the cake is layered with walnut pumpkin spice combined with a rich and creamy pumpkin mousse, refining the ultimate holiday dessert.
Guests are more than welcome to order a catered family meal to enjoy with loved ones at home or dine in restaurant with the extended Urban Plates family.
From everyday celebrations to holiday parties at the office or home, Urban Plates has you covered with offsite catering for any upcoming festivities. Portioned out for each guest to enjoy individual meals or buffet-style, Urban Plates takes the worry out of menu planning and brings their ‘seeing is believing’ foundation of the restaurant to any setting. Pricing for catering is based on plates and includes a single portion of protein and two individual side portions per person.
We are anxious to go back to Urban Plates and try other entrees, salads, sandwiches and desserts. UP is fast becoming our favorite place to go for reasonably priced, gourmet comfort food.
Whether you want to go out and have a fun date in a restaurant with great ambiance, or if you are just really hungry for some good home style food, Urban Plates will satisfy your dining needs.
It’s food that you have been missing and dreaming about. It’s still fast and convenient, but Urban Plates will also satisfy your cravings and get you out of the house to a place that will certainly take you away from the cares and stresses of your daily live.
Urban Plates motto is “ Real Meals Made From Scratch” , if we were to add another it might be “ Gourmet Food At A Great Price”
Photo Credits: Urban Plates
