Calivino Wine Pub (Anaheim, CA)

by: guest blogger @btsunoda

Sporting events and concert venues don’t typically serve cutting edge food and so I’m always on the lookout for restaurants that are situated near these types of establishments. Calivino Wine Pub opened its doors in May 2014; located on Katella Ave in Anaheim, they are ideally situated between the Honda Center and Angel Stadium of Anaheim.
 

The interior of Calivino Wine Pub resembled a modern cafe: stylish chairs and tables, spot lights from ceiling and single seating by the bar. Colorful wine bottles adorned the wall of the bar area.

 I began with their bacon wrapped dates and a glass of Clayhouse Adobe White Blend.
 
The saltiness of the goat cheese combined with the natural sweetness of the dates and honey paired quite nicely. The white blend was a good beginner’s wine.
 
 The honey roasted brussel sprouts with pork belly had a crisp exterior and I thought that the sweetness of the honey combined with the salty and smoky nature of the pork belly was an effective way to serve an otherwise bland vegetable. I paired this with an Argentine Malbec: Elsa Bianchi. This soft wine is ideal for the person that isn’t fond of bold complex red wines and is well suited for appetizers.
After reviewing their wine list, I was not surprised to see white wines from Sonoma, Napa and Paso Robles. What caught my eye was the fact that their wine list transcended the US and included wines from Italy, New Zealand and South Africa.

A number of their entrees interested me: lamb burger with mint & gremolata yogurt, fried chicken sandwich made with Jidori chicken, pork belly burger with gouda. After speaking with the owner, Daniel Bradford, I decided on their house burger. His conviction in their house burger broke my indecision. While I was waiting for my burger, I noticed quite a few people were ordering sliders. Calavino Wine Pub offers 3 short rib or pork belly sliders for only $10.
 I was delighted to learn that they use brioche hamburger buns. Like other gourmet burgers, this burger was stacked tall and looked impressive. The burger was topped with caramelized onions, shoestring onions, and havarti cheese. I loved the entire combination; the charred brioche bun with the beef and caramelized onions was delicious.
 
 The Spellbound 2012 Petite Sirah was my favorite wine of the evening. It was a full bodied red that was full of berries. It paired perfectly with the house burger.

 I selected bread pudding with caramel and bacon brittle for dessert and was delighted at the execution.
    
 The bread pudding was moist and the bacon brittle and caramel added a salty/sweet taste.

 Wine lovers will appreciate “Wine Wednesday”. Many of their wines are 50% off from 7pm on. There's a list of “Death Row” bottles, featuring exclusive wines that have been open for 1-2 days and are heavily discounted. Bradford added that there are sometimes up to 4 glasses remaining in a single bottle. Thirsty Thursdays feature 4 different wines; two red, two white, 50% off after 7pm. Beers from smaller breweries are available and they often feature a “Tap Takeover”. Hangar 24 in Redlands and Bootlegger Brewery in Fullerton have been exclusively featured on their beer taps. Beers are generally rotated every 2 days, at most a week.

Calivino Wine Pub is an ideal destination for joining up with friends over good food and quality wine and craft brews. While it’s a perfect restaurant prior to attending an event in Anaheim, the fact that Bradford rotates the wine and beer regularly keeps them a destination worth going to on a regular basis. Happy Hour is 3-7pm Sunday-Friday and 9-11pm on Saturday. Calivino Wine Pub’s hours are: Mon - Thur 11am to 10pm, Friday 11am to 12am, Saturday 5pm to 12am and Sunday 3pm to 8pm.

Calivino Wine Pub
2410 E Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
(714) 939-7735
 Website: http://www.calivinowinepub.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalivinoWinePub


Disclaimer: This event was hosted.