RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
3005 Old Ranch Pkwy
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: 562.596.2199
Average cost: $$$
Parking: self parking fills up fast, so be prepared to valet for $7 (or find parking elsewhere and walk over)
Notes: nice patio dining with plenty of heaters; known for live music/entertainment/jazz
After trying Spaghettini for the first time, I'm a fan and must say that Spaghettini Saturday has a nice ring to it! Tim and I were born one day apart, so we like combining our birthdays into a double birthday celebration. With outdoor dining available this year, two of our besties spoiled us with an awesome double birthday dinner at Spaghettini!
Since there were four of us, we decided to try the lobster ravioli and meatballs for appetizers. The lobster ravioli was delicious, but those 6-hour Berkshire pork meatballs topped with San Marzano marinara were incredible - so tender and so packed with flavor! After tasting the meatballs, I can't wait to go back and try their spaghetti and meatballs dish...
MAINE LOBSTER RAVIOLI: Bellwether ricotta, roasted vegetables, meyer lemon butter sauce
BERKSHIRE PORK MEATBALLS: San Marzano marinara, grilled ciabatta
We'd heard terrific things about the SEAFOOD AND MANGO SALAD (chopped lobster tail, blackened shrimp, jumbo lump crab, chopped mango, baby spinach with a mango vinaigrette), so we decided to split one before our entrées. It's such a generous salad and so deliciously refreshing on a warm day. And just look at how much there is in one half of the salad!
A quick note about Spaghettini's cocktails - all of us tried different ones and were impressed! My favorite (pictured top right) was the "Endless Summer": Stoli Elit vodka, X-Rated Fusion passion fruit liqueur, fresh lime juice, rosemary infused agave, and a splash of soda water. As for the salad, if I wasn't planning to eat family or tapas style, I'd be content with the salad by itself (although it's hard to imagine visiting Spaghettini and not getting at least one pasta item). For entrées, clockwise from the top left, Ryan got the mushroom and chicken pasta, Danny selected the seabass, we ordered mac n' cheese as a side for our table, Tim chose the lamb chops, I picked the seafood pasta, and last but not least, pea risotto for the table as well.
Entrées:
WILD MUSHROOM, CHICKEN & ROASTED GARLIC PENNE: roasted garlic sauce, oven-dried tomatoes
CHILEAN SEA BASS: parmesan crust, mashed potatoes, baby squash, citrus butter
NEW ZEALAND RACK OF LAMB: jasmine rice, bok choy, lemongrass butter, soy grand marnier sauce
SEAFOOD PASTA: shell pasta, lobster, shrimp, jumbo lump crab, parmesan cream, rustic bread crumbs
Sides:
SPRING PEA RISOTTO: sweet & snap peas, meyer lemon preserves
MAC AND CHEESE: baby shell pasta, aged cheddar, rustic bread crumbs
We were absolutely stuffed, but since it was a double birthday celebration, we packed leftovers and went big for dessert with Tahitian vanilla butter cake, apple strudel, and meyer lemon cheesecake!
So thankful for being able to celebrate with great food and even better company. Look forward to next time!