It was the perfect time to have a night out on the town in Temecula. Nancy had an old friend who lives in Orange County in town for a conference. And so off we went. We started off having a couple of drinks at the Pechanga Resort where Nancy’s friend was staying. It provided a chance to hear about some of the old days and some of their crazy past experiences. Apparently, not enough drinks were had since what I heard was apparently just the tip of the iceberg. Onward and upward!
Where to Eat…
Tonight we decided to have dinner at Soro’s Mediterranean Grill in Old Town Temecula. We had the pleasure of meeting and sitting with Chef Dylan Soro and his wife Nikki the week before at a wine event at the Askash Vineyard. Check here for my post about the event! What a fun couple. We all had a great time, the food and wine were great and as a side note I found out from watching their copy of a video that Chef Dylan was a great dancer. He recently performed with his daughter at a local Father-Daughter Dance. Definitely, a proud Dad enjoying time with his daughter!
And in case you are not familiar with Chef Dylan; he is a CIA graduate (Culinary Institute of America). In the past, he has worked for Wolfgang Puck and was an Executive Sous Chef for the TAO Group in Las Vegas. He certainly has earned his cooking “chops”. As I have eaten at Soro’s in the past, I was certain Nancy’s friend would enjoy their cuisine. We were not disappointed!
Charred Octopus, Saganaki, and Bacon Wrapped Dates
So instead of just showing you the few pictures of food that we had that night, I wanted to include some pictures from other meals we’ve had at Soro’s. Their food is that good! You are going to want to try some appetizers. The charred baby octopus with a romesco sauce and a balsamic reduction was so tender and was cooked to perfection. The bacon-wrapped dates tasted like candy. (I could have eaten a plate full of those!) Saganaki was a pan-seared cheese in a flaming brandy sauce. It was quite the presentation. So good!
Pan-seared Salmon, Grilled Lamb Chops with Mushrooms in a Demi-Glace, Marinated Chicken Kabobs in a Garlic Sauce
Our main courses tasted as good as they looked. For the pan-seared salmon, the slightly bitter taste of the arugula matched well with the balsamic glaze. The texture of the salmon had a little crunch from the sear and was nicely seasoned. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than the lamb chops. I am a sauce guy and the mushrooms and demi-glace were so flavorful. What a great bite when tasted with the tender grilled lamb chop. I am a little skeptical of ordering kebobs because they can be very dry when cooked over a grill. Nancy’s friend ordered them and she stated that they were cooked perfectly. The garlic sauce matched well with the chicken.
Where to Drink…
We all were very satisfied with our meals and yet it was still early enough to continue our night out. Old Town Temecula was definitely busy. The music was cranking away at Bailey’s with lines to get in down the street. We decided for something a little quieter so we hit the Speakeasy (Thompson and Twain) inside the Crush and Brew.
Thompson & Twain is a little hard to find if you are new to Temecula. So if you weren’t aware of its existence, you probably would not know about the hidden door to get in. We were lucky and happened to be able to get some stools at the bar. It was the best place to watch the bartenders make their specialty drinks. Steven was our bartender who took care of us and did a great job. Be aware that the prices are a little on the high side depending on your order. They were pretty good and we had no complaints.
Nancy’s friend said she thoroughly enjoyed herself. As the night went on I heard some more of their stories which of course I cannot repeat here under pain of death! I guess we did a good job of showing her around Old Town Temecula tonight. We Ubered back to Pechanga and our night came to an end. The good thing is that we are locals and that we can do the same thing the next day. Not that we would party two nights in a row….or would we?
Let me know your favorite Hot Spots and best restaurants in Temecula in the comments below. And as always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!
