Enjoy
a Wave of Good Food & Cool Jazz
Sunny
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After an early morning of surfing or when the waves
aren’t breaking there’s nothing like pampering yourself with a leisurely Sunday
brunch at Orange County’s acclaimed restaurant and jazz venue Spaghettini.
Conveniently located at 3005 Old Ranch Parkway, on the
corner of Seal Beach Boulevard, the restaurant is right on the border between
Los Alamitos and Seal Beach.
Started in 1988 by Laurie
Sisneros and Cary Hardwick,
Spaghettini was conceived as a “meeting place” where people could come together
to experience gourmet Northern Italian cuisine and enjoy top name
entertainment.
Known for its Legendary
Sunday Brunch featuring jazz performers and broadcast live by radio station
The Wave (94.7), Spaghettini is also
open for lunch and dinner and has a full roster of music events in its lounge.
When SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel were at Spaghettini on a recent Sunday the restaurant was packed and everyone was enjoying the urban soul music sound of Tower of Power tribute band Hip Street.
Plates loaded with brunch specials were flying out of the
kitchen...
and diners opting to serve themselves were circling the buffet tables
trying to make up their minds about what to have. The selections seemed endless
so this was no easy task.
With so many choices – salads, pasta, fresh fruit, bread
and pastries, and entrees ranging from classic eggs Benedict to
parmesan-crusted Chilean sea bass and salmon picatta – no one who comes to Spaghettini
is in a hurry.
Brunch typically lasts for three hours. It’s a matter of pacing
yourself…and leaving room for dessert.
Victor
Avila, Spaghettini’s long-time executive chef, keeps coming up
with items to tempt diners, preparing authentic Italian dishes with an emphasis
on seasonal ingredients. Whether it’s wild mushroom penne, butternut squash
ravioli, a mango seafood salad, or bone-in rib-eye steak, Avila makes it sing.
Recognized as a top chef by his peers, Avila was featured
in Great Taste Magazine. Consistently
a hit with food-lovers, Spaghettini is a winner of an Open Table Diners’ Choice Award.
The minute you enter Spaghettini you can sense that
you’re in a special place where everyone is focused on food and fun. Surveying
the main dining area, SurfWriter Girls picked up on the energy immediately.
At one table a dozen ladies were enjoying a “girls’ day
out,” sampling each other’s dishes, and taking pictures to commemorate the
occasion.
Couples at other tables clinked
champagne glasses together. At the bar, people caught up in the music were
dancing.
Spaghettini celebrated its 25th anniversary in
2013 and is geared up to keep the music coming for the next 25 years.
SurfWriter Girls talked to manager Rob Rubinkan, who was eager to tell us about Spaghettini’s latest
news: “We’re opening a new restaurant in Beverly Hills – Spaghettini
& the Dave Koz Lounge.”
Along with
this venture with popular saxophone player Koz, Rubinkan added, “We’ll be
hosting a lot of new events. We’re known for music and food. Now we’re
expanding into banquets and special events.”
Considering that over 300 people can show up for Sunday
brunch, the restaurant feels surprisingly intimate. That’s because the space is
divided into separate areas, including a bistro room, lounge, wine cellar,
veranda, outdoor patio, and other seating spots.
Rubinkan explained that Spaghettini can host special
events from small parties of 15 up to 100. So, depending on your mood and the
size of your party, there’s a table that’s just right for taking in all the
sights and sounds.
Jazz artists, who have performed at Spaghettini, include:
Koz, Boney James, Jeff Kashiwa, Hiroshima, Spencer Day, Brian McKnight, Eric
Marienthal, and David Benoit.
When musicians are in town it’s not uncommon for them to
stop by to see the acts, mingle, and enjoy the atmosphere. So, you never know
who you’ll see. At a recent event SurfWriter Girls’ gal pal Bella Lagmay-Funk
was hanging out with Dave Koz.
”The musicians are like family,” Rubinkan said,
explaining that they feel at home when they enter the door. In recognition of
its stature in the music industry, Spaghettini was named 2011 Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards Best Jazz
Venue.
To make the dining experience more meaningful,
Spaghettini takes employees to Napa Valley’s wineries to find out how the wines
are made and ways to pair them with food. “Everyone learns so much,” said
Rubinkan. “The servers come back with stories to tell our guests.”
Rubinkan, who grew up in Los Al, started at Spaghettini
as a busboy. Now he spends most of his time at the restaurant except for days
off when, in true California fashion, he heads to the beach. “When I’m not
working, I’m surfing.”
Writer and humorist Mark Twain is often credited as
saying, “Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Here in the OC that’s not a problem. Hot or cold, Orange
County has the temperature covered with a coastline of warm, sunny beaches…
and a premiere location for cool jazz – Spaghettini
Whether you go for a leisurely Sunday brunch, a special
lunch or dinner, or just drop by for a drink at the bar, you’ll find
Spaghettini’s inviting atmosphere and attentive staff hit all the right notes.
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