Joyce and I made it a point to try Little Sparrow since it will be featured on next week's episode of Bravo's "Best New Restaurant".
The restaurant itself is well designed. The bar is separate from the main dining area which is nice. It keeps with the theme of the other restaurants in the area which is old town, prohibition, speak easy like.
The service was great. Our server was very helpful with the menu options and checked on us regularly.
Now let's get down to the food. We started with the chicken crack, which are chicken cracklings. It was very tasty and a nice starter. It was not overly salty and over fried. The last thing you want is salty crispy shards in your mouth.
Next up was the foie et taurine with huckleberry jam. This was the special for the night. First off, welcome back foie gras to the golden state. We missed you. The taurine was delicious, smooth and flavorful. The richness came through, and with that jam, what a great dish.
For one of the mains we had the signature Skuna Bay Salmon. It was delicious perfectly cooked salmon with a crispy skin. The sauce maltise put it over the top. All in all the dish has very healthy components: salmon, carrots, and quinoa, but that sauce made it decadent.
We also tried a newer dish, the pici pasta with lamb neck and kale. I noticed the chef likes to try various pasta dishes with lamb neck. The lamb neck was very good, however the dish in its entirety was a little off. The sautéed kale got in the way. Also, the pici pasta wasn't long enough to swirl on a spoon and was a bit gummy.
It was a great meal and I see why it made it on the show. I will be back to try more signature items like the bone marrow and braised short rib.
Little Sparrow
300 Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
www.littlesparrowcafe.com
