I have lived in Orange County now for the better part of my (almost) 35 years and just recently went to the Nordstrom Café at South Coast for the very first time. And, boy have I been missing out all these years!
My sister and I were looking for an outing with our babies (they are 4 weeks apart) and she suggested meeting at the Café for lunch since we both had errands to run at the mall.
“Is it BABY-friendly?” I had to ask, already knowing she wouldn’t steer us wrong as we are in the same boat.
And, baby/kid-friendly it is! It is an upscale order-at-the-counter place and has a very nice ambiance without being stuffy. It was pretty loud = good for moms like us. Plus, they also had a great kid’s menu.
They have a nice outside patio where we sat and enjoyed splitting two of their super-delicious fresh salads since we couldn’t decide. We went with the Blue Cheese & Pear Salad and the Artichoke & Chicken Salad.
I guess they usually toss the salads at the counter for you, but the woman saw we had our hands full with our strollers, so she offered to bring them out to our table. I LOVE thoughtful service like that!
It was a great outing and fun place to meet for lunch. Plus, for those with new babies, it is adjacent to the Brass Plum and Mother’s Lounge, so an easy stop after lunch if you need to feed and/or change your baby.
P.S. Don’t forget today is the Read for the Record! I hope you can make one of the fun events – click HERE for the list. I was supposed to be a reader at Main Place, but my daughter got sick yesterday and I am not going to be able to make it :-(. I am so bummed!
P.P.S. You have until 11:59pm tonight to enter to win a set of 3 children’s books! Just enter a comment with your favorite book on the Read for the Record Post!
Nordstrom Cafe has the best cookies too!
There’s a Nordstrom Cafe at The Shops at Mission Viejo, too. I loved the food and ambience, but it was a bit out of my “In ‘n Out” budget. Perfect for a special treat. Weren’t the entrees $10-ish? I found the menu here but no prices: http://shop.nordstrom.com/c/6018379/0~2377475~6018379#restaurants_marketplace_cafe
From what I remember, I think the entree salads were around $8-$10ish. So, yes, it’s not a budget place. But if you are looking for a nice place to have lunch with a girlfriend – it’s a great spot!