Restaurants near California Style Family Apartment

Excellent. I have been there 30 years ago and it was a delight to go again it was a very nice experience. Loved the sand dabs fish and they serve the best mash potatoes! The steak fries are to die for. My son said it was the best New York steak he ever had. He was turning 14 years old. He will always remember Dear John’s and his bday celebration. The cheese cake was delicious. And the wine list is exquisite. I just can’t wait to go back !

This was our first time at Maple Block. We started with the peach wood smoked chicken wings—not o ur jam. The texture of the wings was rubbery (especially the drumette), but it had a nice rub and good smoke flavor. The buffalo wing sauce accompanying them was awesome. We then ordered 1/2 lb of brisket, ranch beans, a kale salad, and the night’s special—crispy half chicken with salsa verde. The brisket was delicious—half lean, half fatty just as we had ordered it. The bbq sauce was spot on. Beans are always the test at a bbq place for us and they were stellar, perfectly cooked and creamy with just a hint of sweetness. However, the star of the show was definitely the special—this needs to be on the menu permanently!! Half a smoked chicken, fried to crispy perfection, topped with a refreshing herb salad with pickled white onions (which are better than their red), served with tomatillo salsa. This was the best smoked chicken that we have ever had. A refined dish that doesn’t let you forget that the chicken is the star of the show. FYI, portion size is robust, we took home 3/4 of the chicken, 1/2 the beans, and 1/2 the brisket. It made for a lovely breakfast in the morning.

We had booked a reservation for Christmas Eve a month in advance, but when we arrived we were not seated for 30 minutes past our reservation time. Nevertheless, once we were seated the service was prompt and friendly, and all of the food was delicious. The various vegetable sides were terrific, including the broccolini, the kombucha squash, and the carrots.

Food was excellent  and the ambience and view was amazing. But the only thing is the lady outside told us there were no tables available so she put us on the waitlist. We waited for an hour, but when we looked up on OpenTable, there were lots of spaces available so don’t rely on the people on the front desk and check OpenTable for reservations and availabilities.

This is a great neighborhood hidden gem - great service, wonderful ambiance, really nice for getting together with friends.