I visited with Tara, Mike and Jackson Hamby, Jeanne
and Willie Stecher. We were celebrating
Mike and Tara’s 20th Anniversary.
We started with drinks…then ordered starters: Signature Crispy Meyer Lemon and Honey Duck
Wings; Freshly Shucked Market Oysters n the Half Shell; Skillet of Roasted
Forest Gourmet Mushrooms.
Entrees:
Jackson – Baked Skillet of Mac and Cheese (off the
starters menu).
Tara and Willie – Crispy Jidori Chicken Schnitzel
with Maitake Mushrooms
Jeanne – Chilean Bass
Mike - one of
the specials – Short Ribs
Lynda – Ironwood American Wagyu Beef Burger served
with House Cut Herb Fries
My burger was delicious…I have always wanted to try
Wagyu Beef…it was moist but cooked with no pink. (I don’t like pink in my hamburger.) So I was elated about that. The taste of the meat was delicious…no fatty
meat after taste. It was probably the best
burger I have ever eaten.
The Fries were thin and crispy…just I like
them. I was totally satisfied with my meal.
I don’t know much about Wagyu beef so I researched
it. I have often wondered how it is
related to Kobe Beef.
According to the Kobe Beef Marketing and Distribution Promotion Association, the term "Wagyu" refers to four Japanese
breeds of beef cattle: Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Poll, and
Japanese Shorthorn. While Kobe is a type of Wagyu beef from the Tajima strain
of the Japanese Black breed. Cattle that produce Kobe beef are raised in
Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, which has the city of Kobe as its capital, hence the
name.
I am going to assume from the
description of the burger that the beef was Wagyu Beef raised in the United
States.
Since I love Schnitzel I
tasted a piece of Tara’s. It was served
over noodles. I liked these
noodles. Jidori Chicken is farm-fresh,
organic and incredibly flavorful. They
are free of hormones, steroids and are delivered 24 hours from slaughter.
The
original Jidori Chickens are a cross breed between Hinaidori and Rhode Island
Red.
Jidori Chicken comes from
only one source in the United States – Dennis Mao (Los Angeles, Calfornia), the
founder of Mao Foods. He is the creator
of Jidori Chicken.
Tara’s entrée had a very
distinctive nutmeg taste with a very sweet after taste.
Dessert – Lemon Meyer and
Tahitian Vanilla Crème Brulee served with fresh strawberries, blackberries and
blueberries. The crème was delicious and
the consistency was very smooth .
The restaurant brought their
signature dessert to the table to Tara and Mike complete with a candle to
celebrate their anniversary – Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Crumble served with a scoop
of vanilla ice cream. I had a
bite….yummy…I could taste rum in the raisins…I would have this dessert if I
ever had to opportunity to visit a second time.
Ironwood
25250 La Paz Road, Suite 100
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 446-8772
Hours: Sunday
– Monday 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday – Thursday 5:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday – Saturday 5:00 – p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
