Urban Plates - Irvine

I don't think I ever mentioned how much I liked Urban Plates on this blog. It is, by far, my favorite one of these. One of what? One of these--the recent handful of new, hip cafeterias that are like Boston Markets for yuppies.

Why do I like Urban Plates more than the others? Well, it's partly because so many other people do, too. And I don't mean that in the way you think. The fact that it's popular--with lines routinely out the door--means that there's a constant turnover of food.

In the half dozen times I've eaten here, I've not had anything that sat around longer than 10 minutes. In some cases, what I ate was just seconds off the saute pan, stove pot or grill. And they do the cooking right behind the service stations to demonstrate that there aren't any pre-prepared, boil-in-bag shortcuts going on. As far as I can tell, when they make something, they really are making something.

I think about the only thing not from scratch are the potato chips. But the mashed potatoes are dreamy. The meatloaf is flawless. And when I get a side of Brussels sprouts, broccolini, or green beans, I know they'll have that requisite snap.

Also, there's the price point: $10 for a plate with a protein and two sides, which is about right.

And then, there's the mango tart, a simple pie crust slathered with dense cream and embedded, nay, crammed with mango slices that, for some reason, tastes perky and in season, even when it's not.

Heck, I even like the salads.

Urban Plates
3972 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92606
(949) 387-2600
urbanplates.com

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