{"id":1284,"date":"2010-03-09T10:16:20","date_gmt":"2010-03-09T18:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/topmomblog.com\/?p=1284"},"modified":"2015-02-09T14:29:59","modified_gmt":"2015-02-09T22:29:59","slug":"zimzala-at-the-shorebreak-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/zimzala-at-the-shorebreak-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Zimzala at the Shorebreak Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week \u00a0was Orange County Restaurant Week<\/a> so there wasn’t much cooking going on in the She’s Cookin’ Kitchen. \u00a0OC Restaurant Week gives local foodies a chance to enjoy specially priced prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner at over 100 participating restaurants. The specialty menus usually consisted of three courses at lunch for $10, $15 or $20 depending on the restaurant and four courses at dinner for $20 or $30.<\/p>\n

I live in Huntington Beach and restaurant week gave me the chance to check out \u00a0two local restaurants. \u00a0The first was Zimzala<\/a> at the Shorebreak Hotel<\/a> in the exciting new downtown development called The Strand. The Shorebreak is a Joie de Vivre hotel and is described on their website as: \u00a0“The ultimate Southern California beach experience with a contemporary twist. Shorebreak Hotel, in Huntington Beach, combines the relaxed, sun-drenched spirit of an Orange County coastline hotel with edgy modern accents”. \u00a0I loved the mid-century modern, meets contemporary beach aesthetic.<\/p>\n

\"Zimzala<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Zimzala<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a Monday so the hotel wasn’t busy and I was able to chat with the ladies at the front desk and Megan, the sales manager. \u00a0I loved the vibe and immediately thought that it would be a cool place to have a graduation dinner celebration for my daughter in June. \u00a0My lunch date, Marcie aka Suburban Mama<\/a> and her son Milo arrived and we were seated. \u00a0All the staff was extremely friendly in that low-key beachy way \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

The lunch was three courses beginning with an ultra rich cream of celery soup and ending with a decadent dessert of chocolate ganache served with thin slices of grilled sourdough bread brushed with olive oil and sea salt – the contrast of the sweet and salty did a dance on your taste buds. \u00a0There were three choices for the entree and we both selected the grilled cheese on toasted brioche with monterey jack cheese, applewood -smoked bacon, avocado and tomato served with thin french fries. \u00a0Everything was delicious, presented elegantly and with attention to detail. \u00a0In fact, I was blown away by the tea “service” that accompanied my ice tea – served with lemon, raw sugar, regular sugar, artificial sweeteners served in a petite silver pot, and a flacon of simple syrup! I felt remiss in not using any of it!<\/p>\n

\"Zimzala<\/a><\/p>\n

I’ll definitely be returning to Zimzala with my husband and highly recommend it for the coastal Mediterranean food, ambiance, and proximity to the beach where you can enjoy a walk apr\u00e9s dining and revel in the beauty of beach life. Check out their menus here<\/a>.<\/p>\n