OC Restaurant Week: Silver Trumpet

Silver Trumpet Restaurant and Bar is located inside the Avenue of the Arts Hotel, a rather hidden venue behind the OC Performing Arts Center.  It’s a great location for a pre or post theater meal or drink… but only if you were aware it’s there!

I discovered this place thanks to OC Restaurant Week.  My friend Linda and I make it a point to try a different OCRW place for lunch each year, and this restaurant caught our eye.  The menu was simple, yet inviting.. and likewise, so is the venue.  Inside was nicely decorated with muted gold and brown colors.  There’s also outside dining, with a lake-like view.  It’s a hidden gem in the middle of Orange County’s busy financial center.

The OCRW $20.00 Lunch menu was:

• Appetizer: Roasted Meatballs, Artichoke Heart Salad, or Lobster Bisque
• Entree: Roasted Chicken Salad, Cajun Flat Iron steak, or Grilled Swordfish
• Dessert: Deconstructed Passionfruit Tart or Charred Vanilla Cake

We both ordered the same starter and entree:  the Bisque and Swordfish, and chose both desserts to share.  The Bisque was very good.  Very creamy, full of flavor, and yet not too fishy.  I wish it came with some sort of toasted bread, crostini, or crouton.

The Swordfish was excellent.  A generous portion of fish on top of a mild couscous.  The couscous was the pearl sized one, so it was not gritty but fluffy, almost pasta like. I really enjoyed this dish.

Dessert was also very good, but we preferred the Tart over the Cake.

The Tart was truly deconstructed.  Berries, passion-fruit curd, charred marshmallow, and tart dough pieces were strewed over the plate. Mix and match the ingredients to have a wonderful medley of flavor to end the meal.

Linda thought the vanilla cake was a mix between a shortcake and cornbread.  It was a dense cake, and needed the lemon ricotta ice cream to provide the necessary flavor and balance. It would have gone better if someone suggested coffee to compliment the dessert.

Overall a great meal, and an excellent OCRW choice.  Food and beverage manager Mark Elliott was very attentive.  As we walked out, he asked if this was a 5 star experience.  I said it was almost perfect.. a definite high 4 stars. The only thing which would have given this a perfect star rating was if the venue was easier to find.  It’s such a hidden oasis, you have to know its here in order to find out what a great place it is. Parking is $5 for the first hour, but get your ticket validated.