McLarenblog

May 13, 2007, Mother’s Day Brunch at Cedar Creek, Brea California.
20 Pointe Dr.
Brea, Calif. 92821
Phone: 714.255.5600

This restaurant is definitely up scale and one of my favorites because it is just comfortable to dine here. It is located in a quiet area of Brea, spacious surroundings, parking is easy, and access is easy. I called late and was amazed at getting in for this very important day of the year. My wife, naturally, daughter and I attended their brunch. Let me first try to describe this place. It rests along a low foothill of Brea on the East end of town. It is close to office buildings but also Outback Steak House. It shares parking with that restaurant and there seems to be plenty of parking spaces. The entrance is impressive and rather large, expansive, sort of like an entrance to an expensive home.

When this restaurant gets slammed it is quite comfortable to sit or stand outside this restaurant on its large patio type entry. It is well landscaped and opulent looking to some degree. The building is a single story but you will see when you get inside that it had huge vaulted ceilings. As you enter the reception desk is straight in front and the corridor you enter T’s either to the left, bar, or right, dinning. There is a small sitting area before you get to the reception desk. The interior is very comfortable looking as you enter.

Both the dinning area and bar look to be a bit dark. We have dinned here at night and I have been surprised at how dark the dinning room can get. The waiters, busboys, and other people working the dinning room all wear black and I would expect collisions to occur. I have though about brining a flashlight but that would obviously be crass. During the day one can more clearly make out huge vaulted ceilings, large dark wood exposed beams starting from various points in the room, typically from atop some pillar or wall and rising quickly to peaks probably another story tall than the eight foot walls.

Track lights are spread about from some of the beams. Four large hanging chandeliers hang from beams evenly spaced about the room forming a large circle of imitation flickering light candles mounted on a seemingly large iron ring. Booths ring the outside of the dinning room and the center where there is a structural support for some of the beams. There is lots of wood and stone in the room. At one end of the dining room is an exposed or open kitchen. Out from the kitchen a short distance is a series of TV tray stands upon which are large serving trays. This is where the expediter works, looking over each dish before it is sent to the tables. There are no heat lamps in this restaurant. They get you order to your table quickly. This day they had three expediters working and for good reason, the place was packed. They also have a policy that the expediter will take an order to the table if the waiters are too busy, a great idea. Here and there are large and I mean really large pots with live indoor plants. The walls along one side of the room have an interesting art mural type with a Mediterranean style of shape images. People are in the images in the foreground and behind are block-angled buildings. The murals that look to be framed are quite tall, almost towering in size, and even though quite simple in design, nice to look at and fit in very well with the rest of the decor. Along other walls are shelves of pottery and cabinets of wine. The tables have rounded edges, made of wood with cloth covering.

Booths are bench seats with Naugahyde or imitation leather, red, smooth with no dips or cuts. We sat at a booth at one end of the dinning room. We had a young women waitress, Cristina, with the clearest complexion I have ever seen, quite cute and very efficient. We ordered the following from her:

Wife: Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Omelet with Gruyere cream sauce and served with breakfast potatoes. $17.

Dad: Crab-Scallop Cake Benedict, poached eggs over crab-scallop cakes topped with hollandaise and ribbon of spicy red pepper sauce, served with breakfast potatoes. $20

Daughter: Monte Cristo, turkey, ham and Swiss cheese on egg bread, dipped in a light batter, served with a side of raspberry preserves. $17

Mom and dad had complimentary Champaign, Jacques Bonet, Celebration Selection.

Before the dishes arrived, a plate of fruit and a basket of assorted bread was placed on the table. The breadbasket held two muffins and four half sections of a Danish.

When the main dishes arrived here is what we decided as we shared. The crab cakes were small sized. The eggs were done perfectly. The crab flavor was mild and very nice.

The omelet was a winner. The Gruyere cheese put a nice mellow flavor into the omelet and not over stated one bit, just right.

The Monte Cristo was very large, enough for two people and it had apple and grapes along the side. I asked my daughter how she liked the sandwich and she gave me one of those girlie girl expressions that translated that she was in heaven.

Another plate came with three apples and grapes.

For desert we shared Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with vanilla bean ice cream, very nice.

This restaurant is one of our favorites.

The image above is the center part of the bar. The bar is to the north while the main portion of the restaurant is on the south side from the reception desk.

The image above shows a patio area, quite huge. I believe this part of the restaurant is only used when the restaurant gets slammed or for special parties.