Maggie's in the Alley is a local restaurant that specializes in tapas. Tapas, for those not familiar with the term, mean "little dishes" with BIG flavor. These tasty morsels made of seafood, veggies, eggs, meat and cheese are available both hot or cold and are simply delicious. Served by the plate, you can fill up on these savory bites without realizing that you've eaten a meal.
I was introduced to Maggie's by its Sous Chef, Shawn Hubbell who is the resident tapas specialist. Shawn teaches local cooking classes (I attended his tapas class at the local library) which whet my appetite for tapas by cooking tortilla a la espanola (a potato and egg fritata), prawns in sherry, and an unusual dish which won me over: panko coated fried avocado w/aioli sauce.
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5-10PM, you can enjoy the excellent tapas, over 40 kinds of martinis, great Spanish wine, even a little jazz and feel like you've been on a little vacation. Maggies is a much welcome addition to the Orange County dining experience.
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