Boldo Bol (Santa Ana, CA) - The Episodic Eater

I was extremely excited to have a preview of the new Boldo Bol restaurant opening in downtown Santa Ana soon. The food was beautiful and one of the first on my new Instagram account!

Boldo Bowl (Santa Ana, CA) on The Episodic Eater

The restaurant’s philosophy is rooted in the Slow Food movement and will uphold a true earth-to-table sourcing model. Chef Paul and Judy Chamberlin have partnerships with food sources, as well as Tustin Memorial Academy’s School Garden Program. The OC Yard Farming Initiative will allow small-scale gardeners to sell or barter their crops at the restaurant or donate them to OC Food Access Coalition to support the less fortunate.

But what does this mean when it comes to the food at Boldo Bol? That means that everything will be fresh, local, and incredibly tasty!

And for everyone who isn’t quite sure about what a “bol” is, the description is right on the wall. Now, let’s get to the food!

Just Pickled Lettuce/Herb Salad

with Red Pepper, Daikon, Yam, and Pumpkin Seeds

Wild Caught Black Cod

with Citrus, Green Onions, and Garlic

Cocktail: Captain’s Blood

12-year-old rum, house made bitters, lime juice, and sugar

Before I get to the second part of the meal, I wanted to share a bit of the decor with you. For one thing, they believe in transparency of ingredients so much that they have an entire wall covered with their harvest partners and yard farmers. Besides the function of the chalkboard, it’s so darn cute!

In fact, they will be spotlighting a different farmer, with the first one being Chef Chamberlain’s 102-year-old grandmother. Adorable!

The back wall is probably my favorite part of it all with the colorful ingredients being featured against the white picture frames. Pretty!

And back to the food!

Locally-Raised Chicken Braised

with Harissa and Black Beans

The chicken was simply amazing, and I adored the side dish of rice, black beans, and corn.

Fresh Cut Stone Fruit

with Goat Yogurt & Local Raw Honey

Now, it’s no secret that I have a sweet tooth, so this was my favorite dish of the night. However, it was the consensus around the table that the yogurt and honey were simply divine. I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

One last turn around the restaurant shows their tea area and the herb drying rack. I also loved the pictures of fruit and veggies in the bathroom, but since it is not normal to bring cameras into the loo, you’ll have to see that in person. 🙂

Beautful, fresh vegetables on display!

At the end of the night, we were treated to a few of the future 4th Street Market vendors and some of their offerings. This included a Vietnamese Iced Coffee maker from Dos Chinos, coffee beans from Portola Coffee Lab, a wonderful sample from Electric City Butcher, and ice cream from Chunk-n-Chip.