LA A NICE PLACE TO LIVE (EVEN THOUGH WE LIVE IN SA)Welcome to The Crosby. It's a little place Me and some friends (Phil & Marc) decided to open up in a highly miss represented area of Orange County. thanks "the OC, and Laguna Beach!" But No Thanks! No, were not on that side of town, nor do any of us rock Benzos.
But we do have a lot of Fun in our Hometown Santa Ana. Thanks to the good people who understand the movement, we are still alive. if you haven't followed up with whats been going on in this establishment and want to know more, make sure to visit (www.thisisthecrosby.com) or (myspace.com/thisisthecrosby). come out, have a meal, a drink or two, or three, or four, or something. hope to see you in the near Future!
According to the recent poll from the OC Weekly (Annual Best of Issue), The Crosby is the Best new Bar in OC!!
about half a year deep, still running strong. thank you all for your continued support!
want to know more? (www.myspace.com/thisisthecrosby)
heres another recent article from the OC REGISTER:
You'd expect to find a place as cool as The Crosby – well, let's just say it – not in Orange County. For starters, food is served until nearly 2 a.m., a godsend in a county where 98 percent of restaurants close by 10, if that.
Second, the location isn't in an obvious designated area like the hipster 'hood in Costa Mesa, but in the heart of downtown Santa Ana amid longtime shops and businesses -- an eclectic area that's shaping up to be a promising model for mixing the old with new and contemporary.
Third, the prices are almost absurdly modest, another small blessing for anyone feeling the economic pinch these days.
The Crosby itself is a bit of modern-day saloon meets gritty urban bar – passersby might not even notice it thanks to the lack of signage. If you're looking for it, just remember that it's next to a Starbucks.
Two things will grab your attention when you walk inside – to the left, two rows of old-school boomboxes sit on shelves against the wall, right above some black, buttoned-vinyl booths. On the other is the long, dark wood-paneled bar, fashioned after an old Western saloon with cushiony bar stools. Except you won't find any whiskey here – though there's plenty of bottled beer and some choice selections on tap like Edelweiss, Chimay and Stella.
A large chalkboard sits above a slender rectangular cutout window to the kitchen where you can see Chef Aron Habiger – who looks to be in his late 20s at most – dishing up snack-worthy items like sweet potato fries, onion rings, fancy grilled cheese sandwiches and stuffed mushrooms. But it's the handmade pizzas that shine at The Crosby, and there are 10 to choose from for about $10 and under: Cream of Mushroom Spinach, BBQ Chicken, Creole Shrimp ($12), and even a fruit pizza made with a port wine reduction sauce and sautéed apples, pears, plums and Gorgonzola cheese.
The Cheeses Thrice comes with cheeses randomly selected by the chef. Ours one day came with Parmesan, mozzarella and feta – the last of which proved to be a tad overwhelming. Better yet was the BBQ Chicken – one of the better versions I've had. The dark-as-molasses sauce yielded a pleasantly smoky tang and went perfectly with the bubbled mozzarella. When I first had it months ago, the pie came with thin slices of sweet apple that made for a sublime pairing. It has since changed to diced bits of apple – I prefer the former. The Cilantro Pesto is another solid pick – a creamy and smoky flavor combination. The crust deserves mention here; it's got a nice rustic crisp – even the pillowy end stays crunchy.
The Starving Artist sandwich (the only sandwich available) is a playful nod to downtown Santa Ana's Artists Village and is my favorite offering at The Crosby. It's basically a fancy grilled cheese sandwich with Gruyère and balsamic-sautéed mushrooms, elegantly served with a tomato shooter ($5). The bread is nice and fluffy and the zesty tomato shooter is addictive. We dipped and dipped. We even dipped our pizza crusts into it, it was that tasty.
As it turns out, Habiger seems to have a knack for whipping up winsome sauces and condiments. The chipotle ranch dipping sauce for the crinkle-cut sweet potato fries ($5) packs a fun punch of spicy and tangy. A new offering that had our tongues do a double take was the deep-fried slivers of tomatoes slathered in a sweet sauce that fooled us into thinking we were actually eating orange chicken.
Yes, the crowd is mostly made of up of twentysomething mellow hipsters, though lunch draws a more diverse clientele of businessmen and young professionals. When night rolls around, The Crosby can turn into a bit more of a scene, with a DJ spinning anything from soul to blues to hip-hop.
But trust me on that tomato shooter and chipotle ranch dipping sauce.
Hope to see you soon!
-The Crosby
