Zov's Bistro
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Fri 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sat 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
52 Reviews for Zov's Bistro
Great place to come for lunch and/or dinner with friends. For lunch they have a prixe fix menu with starter, main, and dessert (two "shooters" of chocolate and berry mouse - very good!) for sixteen dollars. We sat outside on a perfect day and you could see the pastries displayed inside. Order their Eggplant Babaganooj, the lox pizza, and the lemon tart. All are substantial starters. They have great sandwhiches and salads as well. I'm definitely going to try dinner there sometime!
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I've been here for lunch and to the bakery and I have yet to be disappointed by the food or the service. The cookies are phenomenal...so good, so good. I'm a big cookie fan and if there is a place with scrumptious cookies I will find it just like I found this place.
The menu is pretty ecclectic. There are some interesting flavor combinations that are surprisingly good. Their salads are always fresh (they don't have those ugly wilty leaves that some places have) and I could eat them everyday-okay, not really but they are good. The bakery is a must. Maybe you're a freak and don't like cookies but they'll have something you have to like or else you're a freak and I don't know what to tell you.
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I am reviewing the "cafe" side. I love this place. It is great when you want a bistro "feel." They have tasty angel hair pasta and a yummy aram sandwich. I also love their dessert options. A great place when you want something a bit more fancy then say mimi's cafe for lunch=) I have been here for breakfast as well but I was not a fan of what they had to pick from. I only come here for lunch now.
I absolutely LOVE this place! I live near the Irvine location, but love the Bistro in Tustin. Everything that I have ever tried has been delicious! The best dessert in the whole universe is the Chocolate Bomb! It's litterally the bomb!
Since I love this place so much, my fiancee and I have decided to book our wedding reception at the Bistro! It's going to be worth every penny and not to mention, I know my wedding cake is going to be superb!
All of my friends and family have eaten at Zov's, and I'm definitely coming back for every occasion.
P.S. Check out the new Lounge in Tustin. They have great specials on appetizers and their drinks are yummy! Sign up for their E-Club when you visit, you get a special treat for your Birthday and Anniversary!!!
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I went here for the first time the other day for dinner. Nice patio seating (inside seating also available) and nice menu selections. We had the babaganush for an appetizer which was very tasty. For dinner we had the chicken kabobs and also the spicy sausage pasta. Both had excellent flavor.
The service was great as well. The servers are attentive and friendly. I live in Costa Mesa, so I'm not sure if it's good enough to come back to this location, but I'll definitely check out the other locations in the future. Try out their bakery as well. We ordered the red velvet cupcakes and the S'mores bar, and both were to die for!
The price is a little high for breakfast, but not over the top. I ordered the Zov's Breakfast combo which comes with 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, bacon and hash brown. It was good, but nothing spectacular.
The dining area in the patio was nice, especially on a sunny day. However, our waiter did mixed up our bill with the table next to ours as well as bringing out someone else's orders to our table. Maybe it was his first day...
Desserts are good. Breakfast okay. It's hmm.... a local cafe that serves high quality food. I'd only eat there if I lived in the area and don't want to travel far.
my review is based on breakfast as i can hardly remember my dinner experience here. 1 dish: baked oatmeal brulee! that's all i ever ordered along with coffee and bites of my bfs apple bacon. it's so good! brown sugar crust over oatmeal with cream and raisins already mixed in! soo yum!
angel hair pasta! that's all i can say. i love it! yummy!
It's okay. I went here mainly for the desserts. The cake was really good. My friends bought a couple beers and that definitely shot up the bill.
Zov's have always intrigued me with the way on how they are set up. It really seemed like a bakery with plenty of tables and chairs lounging around.
For better or worse, it still look like a great place to dine because of its ambiance. Their outdoor patio seatings reminds me much of the Sunset Brunch area where the scenester wanted to be gawked at. Except at this place, no one is going to be looked at and the place is facing the parking lot.
The last time I was here, I had a fabulous lunch with a group of friends at Tropika, a Thai/Malaysian restaurant next door. One of them suggested we get a dessert next door here.
It's a fabulous idea because they have so many selections of baked goodies that we all have to try. It started off where we all got the ones we want. When we realized that everyone had ordered different things, it turned into a family style affair where we shared all the desserts.
The big attraction was the chocolate bomb: http://www.flickr.com/... . It had a creme bulee filling inside this chocolate concoctions of a grenade.
My personal favorite was the fruit tart: http://www.flickr.com/... . It looked an art decoration piece that have all the fruits arrange on a baked pie. The Key Lime tart http://www.flickr.com/... have all the callings of weird strip show as the three nipples would suggest.
The Lemon Cheesecake http://www.flickr.com/... is a winner too. You also can't missed out the Red Velvet Cupcake http://www.flickr.com/... too. It's a little sweet the frosting, but it is still oh so yummy.
The big pig as I am, I have to take a big piece out of everyone's offering for my plate http://www.flickr.com/... . I figured I am never going to order that much, so I might as well take advantage of everyone's generosity. Hehehe... thanks everyone!
I tried their food at dinner once, but it was so long ago and I didn't want to reviewed that. However with the desserts, it was a much better offerings. With the right setting and chilling with your pals, this place can be a real charmer.
As I pointed out, it is next door to Tropika. Go there first for the meal, then stopped by here at Zov's for dessert nightcap.
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Zov's is very good food, but unlike everyone else who thinks it is to die for I think it is too pricey and they need to change up their menu. I've gotten bored. I don't go anymore for these reasons. I don't mean to be unkind. Like I said it is good food. They used to make this delicious vegetable pureed soup that was outstanding - I think it was carrot and their Mocha drink is the ONLY mocha I will drink, because it is strong on coffee flavor and still nice and chocolately - it helps that they use Illy espresso instead of Nasty Starbuck burned ashtray coffee. Their coffee is the best in town truly. I remember some kind of yummy pomegrante walnut puree that accompanied a dish that was really good. Desserts are gorgeous but they look better than they taste, still good though. There are some really nice gourmet touches to the food. So if you go, you will enjoy it, but it left me thinking for the price and reputation I needed a little bit more.
Good:
-atmosphere
-service
Bad:
-so so food (SOUJOUK ARRABBIATA-penne pasta with dried Armenian beef sausage was salty, the appetizer portions were small)
-high prices
I wish that I had dessert before my meal since that is what most people have raved about this place. No one in my party was completely satisfied with their meal and it left us wishing that we had eaten somewhere else. The outdoor seating probably is nice on a warm day, but it was chilly and breezy the night we went. I highly doubt that I will be returning.
I'm beginning to think that people are too liberal with their 4 and 5 star ratings. To me this place is a 3 star. There wasn't anything that popped right out me as spectacular. Other than hummus and tahini, there wasn't much that was too mediterranean either. I ordered the Soujouk Arrabbiata and it was decent. The sausage was more of a hard summer sausage. The menu said dry, and I guess it was an accurate description, but it didn't seem to go to well.
Service was really great for our party of 8. We didn't try desserts.
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Zov's shares a parking lot with another popular restaurant. I'll call it Ziti's.
One Friday night after being steadfastly ignored at said restaurant my husband and I got up and walked out, across the parking lot to Zov's.
One of the best decisions we ever made.
This is Zov's cafe, which is the "little Zov's".
We were nicely greeted and immediately seated. The wait staff was friendly and very eager to please. We ordered a martini each and nibbled on a plate of warm rolls.
The drinks were generous and wonderfully mixed. For our entrees he had steak and I ordered the King Salmon. I've had it several times since and I love it because a.) they cook it perfectly and b.) it's seasoned with something exotic, middle eastern and damned yummy.
We each perused the dessert case for the final finish. You will NEVER be disappointed at the dessert case. I've had practically everything in it. My favorite is the chocolate creme brulee bomb. I ask you: doesn't the name say it all?
Bottom line we had a fantastic meal with attentive service. And we've been back many many times since with the same result.
I actually had a chance to meet Zov herself when she spoke at a women's networking meeting I once attended. She is a warm and entertaining speaker.
Note: we've never been to the big Zov's but we'd like to!
there's nothing i like more than a leisurely weekend breakfast/brunch with my bf. for me, breakfast is not too much about the food (how jacked up can 2 sunny-side-up eggs and 3 strips of bacon get?), but more about the ambiance and service. zov's bistro met my criteria perfectly.
the place was packed, and we were the bummest looking people there (everyone looked like they got their make-up done by bobby brown and clothes fitted by juicy couture...and those lv bags!). o well, nothing really embarrasses me anymore nowadays (it comes with the territory...AGE!!!), so we marched in and got seated within few minutes.
the menu was a simple 1 page list with the usual stuff. i ordered zov's breakfast combo which came with eggs, hash brown, bacon and pancakes, and the bf ordered belgian waffles with fresh strawberries. i liked everything on my plate, but i was most impressed with the pancakes. i have to admit that i dressed up the pancakes and created them better than how they were originally served by stealing some berry slices and dollops of whipped cream from the bf's waffles and topped them on the pancakes. they were so fluffy and buttery, and every time the bf was poking for a bite, my heart broke into pieces :*(
our waitress was very pleasant and prompt even with many tables she was serving. from the outside, the restaurant had an old feel to it (it is in a very old but quaint mall), but the inside was clean and comfortable except for some bright neon signs. i'd sit in their outside patio if the weather were warm and sunny.
unfortunately, i didn't get to try their famous desserts (they are quite expensive), but i will be back for more food and lovely time.
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The desserts in the bakery case here are incredibly expensive, setting you back anywhere from $8 to $9 each little cupcake-sized piece of heaven. Always beautifully glazed or masterfully whipped/decorated in a tall curly fashion, I can never resist dropping a chunk of change when visiting... because I know that when you're getting a treat from Zov's, it's as good on the plate admiring it as it is when it's going down your gullet... MMMMM
In general I would recommend the chocolate based treats over the fruit-based ones, as I think a smooth velvety artery clogging richness gives much more bang for the buck than their floating chiffonlike tart cakes. That heaviness of cream and chocolate just sticks to the ribs better, y'know?
I can't say much for the Zov's restaurant food menu selections; I remember having a weekend brunch here with the 'rents but didn't find the food to be all that memorable.
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OH MY GOD!! the food here is incredible!!!! the lunch prices were pretty steep (& I'm thinking that it's because they don't have a lunch menu & I was looking at the dinner menu) but still well worth it. I had the calamari (delish!!), then this pasta thing that iIforgot the name of but it has sundried tomatoes & mushrooms, & I ended with a cheesecake from the bakery.
The staff was also really friendly & very helpful. The owner (or was it the manager?!) is the kind of guy that likes to walk around & talk to everyone to make sure that everything's okay with your meal & service & if you say it's not, he'll do what he can to correct it for you. The ambiance makes is a nice place to go to for power lunches in the day & a nice romantic dinner at night (but only if you sit in the outdoor dining room).
I think the only part I didn't like was the small parking lot. It's shared with a bunch of other restaurants & business so expect to circle around for a bit or try your shot at parking the street.
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First time I went to Zov's, I had a good experience. Their Zov's omelet was good -- just way overpriced. To make a fair assessment of the place, I took my husband there this morning and was extremely disappointed, Their breakfast sandwich was was dry and bland. My dish was also disappointing - mostly because of the lack of value. I ordered the breakfast combination which had two eggs, a bland hash brown cake and a strange-tasting chicken sausage. The only redeeming thing about the entree (which was again, way overpriced at nearly $13) was the side of two pancakes. They were great, fluffy and tasty. Almost perfect until I bit into eggshell bits. Very disappointing! And worse of all, we walked away with stomachaches!
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It's been a long time since I've had a meal as solid as last night's at Zov's. We were actually heading over to the Crab Cooker, but after hearing my friend's description of Zov's, I was sold.
The outdoor seating area is quite unique. They have what looks to be a permanent covering, and it's peppered with little hanging lights in all different styles that hang from twisting and turning wires.
I started the night off with a Key Lime Pie Martini and it was so good that I had to keep myself from gulping it all down at once. My friend ordered an Argentinian red and it was fantastic too.
We started with the Mediterranean plate. The Babaganouj and Lebni were amazing. I ordered the Halibut special, which was the fish served over a potato cake of some sort with Mustard Sauce. It was so good.
So here's why Zov's loses a star. The service. Food wise, they're five stars all the way, but they need to smooth out some of the rough edges. We were served our dinners and the appetizer plates were never cleared, so it made for a very crowded table. When we asked the waiter about the desserts, he answered our questions and pretty much walked away. Ummm...we kinda wanted to order one dude!
Will I be back to Zov's? oh yeah.
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My boss and co-workers took me to Zov's for lunch. One of them made a reservation and they had a table all set and ready for us. The waitstaff was really friendly and even adjusted the heaters to help us be more comfortable. (The patio was enclosed since it was drizzling a bit outside) We started off with the hummus and pita -- the pita was warm and the hummus was really good. My co-workers ate the rolls and said they were also warm and tasted great. I had one of the specials for lunch -- ricotta and spinach ravioli with grilled chicken, olives and mushrooms in a tomato cream sauce. Super tasty. My boss had the same but wanted no cream in the sauce and they made it for him. They brought out a little birthday dessert for me with a candle -- really yummy sorbet with fresh berries in an almond pastry cup and a little strip of chocolate printed with "happy birthday." I'll be back to try some of the other beautiful desserts I saw! Overall a really pleasant experience and great food.
I don't know about the food here, but all I can say is the desserts here are AMAZING. The chocolate bomb is to die for!! It's chocolate heaven with a smooth custard creme brulee in the center. And even better paired with their lattes. Totally recommended!
While I love the desserts here, the regular food here has SO much to be desired. It's just so goddamned disappointing! It's all just so... MEH.
The desserts are delicious, though. I've had some mocha pyramid, the chocolate bomb, the carrot cake cupcake, banana creme pie thing in a tart shell... And I'm really excited about trying this ginger spice cake I've got in the fridge... (just waiting for Steve to get home...) The desserts have been pretty delicious. I haven't been disappointed with their desserts... But I can only give this place 3 stars because, well, franky, the food sucks. And it's pricey. FOR NO GOOD REASON.
I hate nothing more than overpriced, yet mediocre food. (Okay, I probably hate a few things more than that, but you get the point.)
Anyway, today Hana K and I did the best thing ever. We ate at Tropika and then followed up with dessert at Zov's. We decided to do that after the first time we ate at Zov's a few months back.
BEST.DECISION.EVER. They're right next to each other. So if you ever find yourself in the area, do that. Trust me. You won't be sorry.
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I give this place 3.5 stars. The food was ok, but for the price I expected much more. I did like the decor of the place. The wait staff was also very helpful and courteous. Like I said above, my only gripe was that I've had better breakfast food for much cheaper.
This is just for their desserts, which, after all this time, I think I've sampled nearly everything behind the case. The food is OK, a bit overrated and overpriced in my opinion. Snooty service, too.
I meant to pop in today to the bakery for a random chocolate chip cookie craving but we wound up walking out of there with four desserts? Two chocolate chip cookies, one pumpkin chocolate chip cookie drizzled in chocolate, one red velvet cupcake and one Chocolate Bomb, a chocolate covered mousse-like dome with a creme brulee center.
Among the better chocolate chip cookies I've eaten. Large, crisp but chewy and loaded with chips. The cookie alone would have garnered 4+ stars. Just needed a giant glass of milk. Pumpkin cookie was decent, nothing amazing. The Chocolate Bomb was smooth, creamy and chilled. Pretty good, rich in flavor but still somehow airy and light.
I had high hopes for the red velvet. It was large, bigger than Sprinkles but a thin layer of frosting. The cupcake was a screaming shade of red. And too dry. Pass. I'll take Five Sweets in Costa Mesa any day for their red velvets.
Again, I enjoy their other elegant desserts, like the lemon cakes and such, but for some reason, I never really think to stop by here unless there's absolutely nothing else around.
*Update: Dammit. I hate myself for this but I am now completely hooked on their $3 chocolate chip cookie. It's so outrageous to be charged that much for one measly cookie but oh my god, it's heaven. At first I resisted from proclaiming its magnificence because of said snooty attitude but I can't deny it any longer. You eat the chocolate chip cookie my friend and tell me I'm crazy.
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Food: I had their special, white fish with gnocchi. The gnocchi was just awful, too sticky and hard to chew. The rotisserie chicken was very moist (although ask to cut back on the butter because they drench the chicken in butter). Dessert was excellent. Their chocolate bomb is delicious!
Ambience: small and charming
Staff: Attentive and helpful
Price: $$
After filling up on Indian cuisine over at Dosa Place, we once again hit up the Yelp Mobile and came across Zov's Bistro to get some dessert. There was a friendly host outside (who may have been one of the owners) who welcomed us in and I must say... as far as presentation goes, A+. Everything behind the glass looked more "magically delicious" than a pallet of Lucky Charms. Here's the scoop on our orderings:
Chocolate Bomb: Chocolate mousse with a creme brulee center, and a hard chocolate shell. Biting into this was bombastic, and this morsel is perfectly named. It is super sweet, so buckle your seatbelt.
Chiffon: This one looks really pretty. Lots of pink & white, and the chocolate inside is as sweet as it looks. Wifey had this one, and although she liked it, she's not sure whether it's worth the asking price.
Smores: This was quite good as well, but also seriously on the sweet side. It called for an unsweetened Macho sized iced tea from Del Taco to even everything out.
All in all, 5 items will set you back about $35 (we got a couple items for the folks as well). Tons of treats here so we'll be back to sample the other goodies and update. =)
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Since this is near my husband's office, we take our staff there for lunch pretty often. I LOVE the Mediterranean plate. Which is basically, hummus, tabbouleh, eggplant stuff, stuffed grape leaves, Greek string cheese and pita. That is really all I have ever had there.....and maybe a little dessert! But, yes, like Kat said, they are super expen$ive!!!!! I cannot justify the cookie and treat prices, no matter how good.
I have never in my life, ever been treated so rudely as we were one night at Zov's. I pride myself on finding "new" places to eat so we don't get stuck in a rut. Plus I just like knowing where to suggest to other people.
We don't nickel and dime our way through dinner. Often, our bills are pretty hefty just for 2 diners thanks to wine, appetizers and dessert. Gotta love myself some chocolate souffle man. I digress, we were talking about Zov's, we had reservations and went to the bar while our table was prepared. We were dressed to the nines and the man went to get a martini. I watched as older people, in flip flops got service but we were overlooked for twenty minutes. (I mention this in some off chance they thought we were punk kids) In this time, we both tried to get their attention politely and then my boyfriend let the F bomb slip out of his mouth in frustration. Now mind you, I know this is normally unacceptable, but he wasn't loud about it, he was just frustrated.
The next thing I know, the manager is out there making a scene even when we politely tried to explain what had happened. He carried on for what seemed like an eternity, drawing onlookers, making it THAT much more humiliating. He brought our drinks and THREW the bill at us. Yes, threw. We didn't drink the drinks and just paid the bill. The hostess came to get us at this point. She was super nice and tried to give us that "just forget the manager" look, but it was too late. The "vibe" was killed and I was horrified.
We walked out.
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I wish I would have made it out to Zov's before I ended up moving from Orange county.
Good portions, affordable, and the desserts are really good. My friend and I were so full from dinner that we grabbed some desserts To Go. I'm a fan of anything with banana's and chocolate. So I ordered the Chocolate Banana Cream Pie, i think i licked the plate clean.
The presentation of the desserts is also really pretty, great for a bridal or baby shower or birthday.
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Zov's is a mystery to me. I don't understand why their desserts are so good, but their food is so blah.
Their "lamejuhn" (flat bread topped with beef, tomatoes, and cheese) was a bland mess. Their "Aram" (roast beef rolled in "cracker bread") just plain sucked. My friend's chicken sandwich looked decent, but she said it was meh. Next time we'll hit Tropika next doors and go straight to dessert.
Aaah, dessert!! Zov's, you know the way to this woman's heart. You woo me with dessert and keep me coming back for more. More, more, more!!
The lowdown on the desserts I've tried:
Red Velvet Cupcake: Put "red velvet" in front of anything and it just tastes better...just my opinion. Now this version is decent. The cupcake is a tad on the dry side, but the cream cheese frosting is delicious.
Key Lime Tart: I'm not a big fan of key lime pie, but this was damn good. The creamy key lime has the right combination of tart and sweet. The trio of meringue cones do look like nipples (see Vincent T's review).
Fruit Tart: Most fruit tarts tend to be deceptive in that they look better than they taste. Zov's fruit tart was good but not great. Tasty with fresh fruit on top of a light cream.
Lemon Cheesecake: It wasn't the best cheesecake I've ever had. I'd rather stick with the other stuff.
Lemon Bar: Tart and tangy...just the way a lemon bar should be.
Chocolate Mocha Pyramid: Imagine a pyramid of chocolate mousse with a mocha pudding-like center. This sits on top of a thin, moist layer of chocolate cake, and the entire thing has a soft chocolate coating. Plus there are espresso beans on the bottom. Sinfully delicious. I'm in lust.
Chiffon Cake: Light chiffon cake layed with strawberry mousse. Creamy, delicate mousse flecked with tiny strawberry pieces. The cake is surrounded by a thin wall of white chocolate and topped with white chocolate shavings. I dream of this chiffon cake.
Chocolate Bomb: Simply orgasmic. Chocolate mousse with a creme brulee center and covered with chocolate. After one bite, I have to resist the urge to roll around on the floor with glee. Words can't really describe how good this is.
I shall return to try their other desserts. I have my eye on the Chocolate Strawberry Tart and the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Zov's, I'm in love. Your food sucks, but your desserts make up for everything.
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The desserts recieve 5 stars but I've yet to dine at this establishment.
My boyfriend's grandma wanted a cake so we ordered via cell phone a fruit cake/tart thing and the bakery stayed open an extra 10-15 minutes so we could pick it up. Aw, sweet!
Since we'd never been there before and were awe struck by the display, I convinced the boyfriend to splurge on the raspberry lemon tart. It was decently sized for the price $5ish bucks but not of the miniscule tart variety. The girl behind the counter actually recommended it and BOY OH BOY I was glad she did. That bad boy was creamy, with the right amount of tart. Hard to believe that at the end of the day something in a display case would taste darn good. Ah.
Oh and the fruit cake thingy? YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Fresh fruit and scrumdiddlyumptious.
The previous post by Sandy T... maybe have put me off to actually eating there, but hopefully it was a fluke (sorry sandy!). If the food is half as good as the desserts I'm coming back for seconds. And er... thirds anyone?
Eek and if they are prejudice to the young citizens of southern california... then we'll knock the bananas out of the joint. It's scary to think management could be so dxmn mean.
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This morning we had breakfast at Zov's and it was very good. I had the traditional breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash and pancakes) and it was very delicious, the pancakes were exceptional; I also sampled the raisin brioche french toast and it is something I definitely would want to try next time we go here.
Service was excellent; we will definitely go here again.
I give Zov's 3 stars for food and 4 stars for their desserts! I feel like I am in heaven when I stand in their bakery staring into the display of wonderfully made sweets! I will drive 10 miles to Zov's during my lunch just for their Chocolate Bomb like I did today! I got their fruit tart and their cheesecake, $8 each, but well worth it. I asked for it to-go, so on my way out with my box I couldn't help but to open it and eat it at their table. I couldn't help myself. These desserts aren't overly sweet and are well-balanced.
I think the reviews on Zov's chocolate bomb speak for themselves. So go try one, you'll love it! Service was unusually impeccable today. Door held opened by host to enter, escorted to display, then server opened door to exit. If I could afford to, I'd have a chocolate bomb for breakfast, lunch and dinner..everyday.
I keep coming back for more.
This restaurant reminds me of a fusion between Mediterranean and Italian. The food is fresh, tasty, and unique. It is a bit overpriced. For a glass of wine, it cost almost as much as a main dish- yikes! The manager made his rounds which is rare nowadays. What I liked most about the restaurant is the design and setup. The best way to describe it is a classy covered patio dining area. I've never seen such a setup. Very cool!
In some perverse way, I find the key lime tart at Zov's arousing...mostly because of the meringue. The graham cracker crust is tasty, and the key lime filing is smooth, gelled, and creamy, but the three meringue toppings sit up like three-inch-long fat, pyramidal nipples similar to the tailend-product from a Soft-Serve machine. That probably doesn't make any sense to you readers...and that's okay. You probably don't need that image tucked away only to rear its beatiful nipples during some meeting with the execs. When you combine the meringue, key lime filling, and the crust, you get this ultra-rich flavor and viscosity that would doubtless clog your arteries necessitating the original use of Viagra.
Along this vein of perversity, I'd also have to say that "The Throne" is one sensual room. Dusky mellow earth colors with tumeric tones and subdued, indirect lighting make this environment prime for some seduction mano-a-mano, mano-a-not-mano, not-mano-a-not-mano, etc.
The bistro decor is tres chic, the espresso Illy, and the times good. If I'm in the area again, I'll have to try out the non-dessert items.
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My aunts can't stop talking about the desserts here. They're all closer to the one in Newport, but take the trip to go out to this one because the desserts are totally worth every gas mileage.
So off we went and for the love of god! I don't think I'll ever eat dessert treats from anywhere else ever again!! From what my aunts said, the selection here is far greater than the selection at the other two locations.
We got pretty much one of each: classic cheescake, chocolate bomb, chocolate banana cream pie, s'more, fruit tart, bread pudding, coconut cake... and i think some others but i totally don't remember. They're all so heavenly that I have to go back for them. My favorite of our sampler platter has got to be the Chocolate Bomb (which is whipped milk chocolate mousse with a creme brulee center filling) and the classic cheesecake with raspberry topping. oh the cheesecake is so light and airy and creamy.
Top notch! Will definitely be going back here again many times, and taking my friends here for desserts too!!
If this restaurant served nothing except their dinner rolls, I'd still probably go there once a week. It would be worth it just to taste those chewy, yeast mounds of goodness.
Fortunately, they do serve other things, and I'm particularly fond of their lunch menu. This is a great place for a causal business lunch, especially if you sit outside in their patio area.
They also have a bakery with tons of cupcakes, cakes, cookies and other sweet delectibles. You can also buy their rolls from the bakery (luckily for me!).
It's good food for OC, not if you're from LA/SF/NY. On the bistro side I prefer sitting outdoors especially in SoCal's sunny days, though you may have an uninvited guests of a bee or two. I just found the desserts okay, they were good but nothing I've had has been that's memorable yet. Just guess I'll have to eat more.
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UPDATE 6/2007: Tried the Cafe side and wasn't impressed. I'm don't see why people rave over their desserts, I've had better. Tried the fruit tart (eh) and the mixed berry bread pudding (boring just didn't hit the spot as PJ's Abbey does), just try to eat most of it since I didn't want to waste money and I was being treated out.
Zov's is one of our favorite restaurants. The staff is very attentive and the food has never failed us. Lunch or dinner, the food is consistently good.
Try a pomegranate martini! They're really excellent... but sneaky! Be careful! My favorite dinner item is Soujouk Arrabbiata, a penne pasta with salty-spicy sausage bites. Okay, it sounds gross, but its really tasty! Leave room for dessert. Dinner for two with martinis and a glass of wine is a serious hit to the wallet, but it's worth it. There's good news, Zov's opened a restaurant on Newport... and soon Irvine. This Tustin location is taking on a decidedly different "neighborhood" feel to it. I won't say I'll miss the Newport crowd, but I like our new homier clientle.
