Mostly known for their scrumptious breakfast and lunch items, my family and I recently tried their dinner offerings at the newest branch of Fig Tree Cafe located in Liberty Station. This is the only location that serves dinner, for now at least. Their menu proudly proclaims, "It goes without saying that Fig Tree Cafe only uses fresh local produce, fresh fish from Chesapeake Fish Co., and fresh local meats from Liberty Meats."
The cafe is very inviting! Plenty of parking too at this location as Liberty Market used to be a military training facility converted into a shopping/restaurant plaza. There are two outdoor areas to sit in, one out in the open and one that is shaded, perfect for al fresco dining in our Southern California weather!
Now let's get to the eats!
DRINKS:
Peach Bellini-Fruity, slightly sweet and a nice way to start off a meal! I liked it!
STARTERS:
Firecracker Chicken Wings-My ten year old son loves wings with some heat to them so once we saw these on the menu, it was a given we would try them. These weren't really firecracker hot, but like the description, these wings were tangy with just the right combo of sweet and tart! They were also very tender. If you didn't want to get your fingers messy to eat one, you certainly could use your fork and knife! Dining with some chicken wing lovers? Make sure to order two of these!
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| Mussels - The mussels were great with the white wine/lemon/garlic broth. But the standout in this dish was the soy chorizo. I wasn't sure if you eat all three together or put some of the chorizo on the mussels, but the chorizo alone on top of the bread could be it's own starter dish as evidenced by the son who pretty much ate the entire thing for his dinner! It was that good and he is a picky eater! The bread had a nice texture to it. I think it was grilled but still had a chewy bite. Our server, Andrea, was kind enough to bring us more bread as soon as she saw my son devouring this! |
More bread!
Meat and Cheese Board - We had a junior size platter just to sample. It featured fresh and dried fruit. nuts, olives, an in-house made strawberry and blackberry jam... and more artisan bread! The three cheeses were manchego, provolone, and brie cheese paired with slivers of wild boar and duck sausage. The wild boar was pretty good. This was a safe selection of everything you would expect on a charcuterie platter. Could you imagine the full size platter? This is perfect for pre-dinner noshing.
Shrimp-First, this flatbread is visually stunning! And it was loaded with bacon, mozzarella, anaheim chilies, scallions, truffle cream, and sprinkled with cilantro. I like my flatbreads kind of crisp so this was difficult to eat by hand, it kind of flopped over. But I quickly forgot about that as soon as I took a bite! The flatbread was generously topped with big bits of bacon and good-sized shrimp! This was one of our favorites of the night!
ADDITIONS:
Man Candy - What a funny name for bacon! Apparently this is a popular item at Fig Tree Cafe! The bacon comes from Kruz and Sons, located in Monrovia, California and is baked with brown sugar. Oh my, this is definitely some kind of candy! You can order this as a side and the bacon slices are huge! Don't come here without eating this!
MAIN:
Short Ribs: The short ribs must have been braised for hours as they were so easy to break with a fork. This entree comes with roasted garlic mashed potatoes. The cabernet sauce was not too "winey", just right for my palate!
Cali Chili Linguini: I had a feeling my daughter may order this as soon as I saw the menu description and sure enough, she did. This is fresh linguini, topped with a cilantro cream sauce with shrimp, scallions, and roasted cherry tomatoes. I'm surprised between the four of us that there was any of this left as we shared everything! If you like pasta, you will definitely like this!
SWEETS:
Fig Bread Pudding: The size of this dessert could easily feed 2-3 people! The bread pudding had just a hint of the fig, and vanilla ice cream just makes everything taste good! This is their signature and most popular dessert and now I see why! I appreciate the fruit flower made by the chef too. This was an elegant and lovely dessert.
The other dessert we sampled was the Lava Molten Cake. A chocolate cake with a melted chocolate center, again topped with that divine vanilla ice cream. This dessert also was sized for sharing!
Another new menu item is a 100% angus beef burger. Yes, what's a cafe without a burger on the menu, right? I couldn't believe they didn't offer one before! This is served with white truffle cheese and portobello mushrooms, argula, heirloom tomatoes, man candy (more of that bacon!) and a sunny sideup egg! Wow! Of course it comes with french fries, with the option of upgrading to garlic or truffle fries.
The third new menu item is a margherita flatbread made with fresh mozarella, heriloom tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil.
For a place with the word "cafe" in the name, I was impressed with their menu. They simply knocked it out of the park. The ambiance and offerings capture the essence of the Southern California eclectic lifestyle and the food transports you elsewhere. Their menu selections were varied for casual diners and those who may want to partake of more sophisticated food.. There is definitely something everyone in your party will enjoy!
Disclosure: My family and I were treated to a complimentary meal in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.
Connect with Fig Tree Cafe Liberty Station on social media!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FigTreeCafeLibertyStation
Twitter; www.twitter.com/FigTreeLS
Instagram: www.instagram.com/FigreeCafesd
#Figtree4life
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