The Tale of The Cellar in San Clemente

"Save room for dessert." Those words haunted me, tormented me. That foreboding phrase mocked me for weeks. Let me tell you the story: I entered The Cellar* & saw immediately spotted a hefty collection of wine perched on a wine rack as well as a refrigerated case of various cheeses. My boyfriend, Fred, accompanied me, so we found a seat & took a look at the menu.

We came in for lunch, served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., & eyed the menu for available vegetarian options. We took note of a couple items of interest. On the bottom of the page in a bold sans serif font read "Save room for dessert..." I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

About

The Cellar is an American eatery & wine bar located in the coastal city of San Clemente, California. With adorable outdoor dining & an onsite cheese shop, the restaurant offers a friendly environment & unique view point for its guests.

Ambience

The Cellar was pretty packed with most tables occupied. The exposed wooden ceilings & concrete tables supplied an industrial interior design vibe. There was a constant buzz of people chattering but not so loud that you had to ask your friends to repeat themselves.

Food

I got a mocha to start off. It was perfectly chocolaty in a true cocoa powder way. It wasn't too sweet & I chose not to add any sugar. The mocha was delightful, although I found the enormous mug without a handle hard to drink out of. It felt like I was slurping my mocha out of a bowl.

Fred's cold brew iced coffee was slightly sweet, nice & creamy. It deceptively looked like a Coke with ice until you poured in the cream. A good old cold brew is the necessary pick-me-up for your morning or afternoon slump.

Holton, one of the chefs, personally brought out a cheese soufflé topped with chives & course salt for our tasting pleasure. Oh my gourd that thing was just a piece of heaven. The gooey cheese spread for a mile before it broke.

We got the aged cheddar, gruyere, & sourdough grilled cheese with tomato soup. The cheese crusted on the edge of the bread, which I absolutely adore. The grilled cheese came highly recommended, but it wasn't a stand out for me. The roasted tomato soup was mildly sweet, somewhat reminiscent of marinara sauce.

Next up: the Gem Wedge salad with red onion, pickled egg, blue cheese, tomato, & green goddess dressing. What's green goddess dressing? I have no idea, but it was miraculous & enhanced the salad. The Gem Wedge was quite large, exploding with flavor. Fred said it was a lot better than he was expecting (he's not usually a salad fan).

As if that wasn't enough, we decided to go for the small cheese plate with three cheeses. It doesn't matter which size cheese plate you get, anything is a winner. They harmoniously paired cheese with a small complementary snack. My favorite was the d'affinois cheese with raw honey & almonds — a euphoric combination.

Once we were on the brink of spontaneous combustion, a cook in white kept sneaking by & saying "get the dessert, get the dessert." Now I have the biggest sweet tooth — or sweet mouth, as it truthfully is — but we were so stuffed, the thought of one atom of dessert was too much to endure. I asked if I could take something to go but apparently it was served in a glass jar.

To this day I dream of their dessert, the fact I didn't try one. If only I had listened to the foreboding phrase of "save room for dessert" at the bottom of the menu. If only, if only. Maybe one day, maybe one day.

Verdict

The Cellar is a hip place to grab a bite to eat with friends or family in San Clemente. I recommend starting off the morning at the farmer's market then heading to The Cellar for an early lunch. Begin with a mocha, which is perfectly acceptable at noon. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Share the small cheese plate & Gem Wedge Salad. Then make sure you save room for dessert.

You may find The Cellar: 

156 Avenida Del Mar
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 492-3663
thecellarsite.com

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* Disclaimer: Everything was received complimentary from The Cellar. All opinions are 100% mine aka Carmen's. Learn more about my disclosure here. :]