California Grill (Hyatt Regency Orange County)

Name: California Grill (Hyatt Regency Orange County)
Address: 11999 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92840
Phone: (714) 740-6047
Web site: OrangeCounty.Hyatt.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, December 29, 2008, 10:30 AM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Eggs Benedict (Jen), smoked salmon w/bagel & cream cheese (me).

This is the lobby restaurant of our favorite Anaheim-area hotel. Breakfast is a bit pricey but of generally good quality. Jen enjoyed her eggs Benedict. My bagel was toasted properly and the salmon was fresh; it was served with a small mixed green salad that provided a good counterpoint to the salmon and cream cheese.

Service: Good if not great. Drink refills (orange juice for Jen, cranberry juice and coffee for me) were a bit slow in coming.

Would we go back: Yes, when we stay at this hotel.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

Name: Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Address: 12007 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove, California 92840
Phone: 714-971-4775
Web site: RedRobin.com
Date & Time visited: Monday, July 16, 2007 1:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Barbecue burger (Jen), Peppercorn burger (me)

Red Robin's burgers are huge, with lots of toppings. Jennifer's barbecue burger was as she'd ordered it ("a tiny bit of pink in the middle") and she enjoyed but could not finish it. My peppercorn burger was a bit disappointing; I'd last ordered this item when I was still eating beef, and the beef patty is rolled in cracked peppercorns before cooking which imparts the spicy, pungent flavor. This time, I ordered it with a veggie patty, and--whether by design or accident I don't know--the veggie patty was not rolled in peppercorns, so the burger lacked that flavor burst I was looking for. Aside from that, though, it was pretty good, and I'm very pleased that Red Robin offers turkey and veggie patty alternatives for all their burgers.

Service: Very good. Jennifer had asked for garlic fries instead of the regular fries that came with her burger, and since the server wasn't able to modify the original order he got her a refill of garlic fries with the burger when he brought it (Red Robin's burgers come with refills on the fries). Drinks were refilled quickly and the only delay we experienced was in waiting for the check.

Would we go back: Yes, it's good and convenient when we're staying in Anaheim.