A Hidden Gem: Park Ave in Stanton

The last place I expected to discover one of the best restaurants in Orange County was along Beach Boulevard in Stanton. It was pouring rain, and the last thing I wanted to do was make the long drive from South OC to North OC, but I put my rain jacket on and headed out to have dinner at Park Ave.

We pulled the car up to the front of the restaurant, and the valet parked our car for us. When we walked into the restaurant, I was captivated by the beautiful ambiance. The restaurant has an old 40’s feel with the bar separated from the dining room with a large velvet curtain.

The minute that we took our seat at the table, we were greeted by one of the friendliest servers. She welcomed us to the restaurant and shared with us the list of divine specials that the chef was offering for the evening. We placed our order and then savored the most delicious handmade butter with fresh bread while talking together as a family about our favorite memories from the day.

The one thing that makes this restaurant unique is that they have an enormous outside garden where they source a significant amount of their fresh vegetables. The flavor of the freshly grown vegetables shines strong with every bite of the delicious dishes.

We began dinner by sharing a couple of appetizers with the smokehouse bacon and eggs being our number one favorite appetizer. The dish featured two pieces of smoked bacon with pepper marmalade and two jalapenos and cheddar deviled eggs. The bacon and the eggs was paired to perfection and truly a unique dish that you can’t find anywhere else in Orange County.

The two appetizers that featured ingredients from the restaurant’s local garden were the beet salad and crispy green salad. The Swiss chard in the crispy green salad melted in my mouth with every bite. It featured Spinach, Tatsoi, parmesan, sea salt and lemon. The beets in the salad were paired with goat cheese, oranges, arugula, and candied walnuts. I don’t recommend leaving Park Ave without having the crispy greens to share with your children.

The amazement continued as we began the main course. The one thing about Park Ave that parents will LOVE are the kids meals. I have never seen a kids meal that offers such a generous serving of healthy goodness. My daughter ordered the grilled chicken and vegetables. Her dish was piled high with sliced grilled chicken breast on a bed of cooked green beans that were freshly picked from their outdoor garden.

My husband’s taste buds were tantalized with the lamb shank special. The lamb was cooked to his desired temperature and was seasoned to perfection. There was not a single piece of food left on his table at the end of the evening.

It was the cauliflower risotto that caught my eye on the menu that made it where I couldn’t resist having it paired with the peppered risotto. The meat was tender, and the risotto was incredible. The flavor of the risotto still lingers on my palette as of this day every time that it comes to mind.

Park Ave is a true hidden gem of Orange County. It is the ideal place for families to go for a special occasion, celebration or date night. I guarantee that after just once visit, it will be one of your new favorite dining destinations in Orange County.

We dined as a guest of the venue