Hi Friends,
Here’s a sappy aside before we start really yapping today:
Thank you for joining my lil community of 50 subscribers! That may not seem like a lot to you, but that’s a lot to me. I started writing my Substack posts as a simple way to track what I’m eating, breathing, and seeing throughout my life in NY, but it’s now transformed into a weekly catch-up wherever I am geographically and in life. Thank you so much for being curious about my life, engaging with the thoughts I have, and being in this little corner of the internet that I love dearly.
If you’re reading this and haven’t subscribed yet, please consider doing so! I promise I won’t spam you.
Ok back to scheduled programming…
I’ve become a sort of colloquial critic in my social circles, partly due to my own experiences working and indulging in the fine dining industry, but largely due to my decades of experience of expanding my own gustatory palate. As the only daughter to a father who attended culinary school and a mother whose primary occupation has always been a coworker, I’ve fallen into the trap of being overly critical of the food I consume.
There’s no inherent harm in my behaviour; hell, it makes choosing dinner a better curated, conscious choice. I’ve realized, over time, though; I’ve never really gotten into the nitty gritty of food reviews. I’m no Pete Wells, but I am heavily influenced by reading his columns in the NYT, so I figured I’d toss out a review today of a restaurant in the OC area that I’m constantly asked about.
Folks Pizzeria
There’s no getting around the fact that my expectations for pizza have grown exponentially since eating my way through New York. I’ve consumed what I consider to be the perfect pie at Lucali a few times, and have the flavours, textures, and smells of a John’s on Bleecker cheese pie forever imprinted in my senses. However, pizza is a food that is generally enjoyed by all; there’s no disputing the joys of sharing a pretty good pie with pretty good people. Despite my initial hesitation in consuming pizza in Orange County, I’ve found myself back at Folks Pizzeria time and time again, mostly for facets outside of the pies, but always inclusive of a slice or two on my plate at the end of the day.
Folks is like the annoyingly loud classmate that I’ve grown to love, the hustle and bustle of evenings at The Camp. I wrote about Folks back during my first visit; I’ve now been back a couple more times, and Folks has proven itself to be worthy of some applause.
When you walk into Folks’ indoor dining area, you’ll be met with a surprising cluster of TVs airing various sports, a funny sports bar-adjacent atmosphere that contrasts with the romantic nature of the gingham checkered tables and natural wine offerings. The crowd tends to run on the younger side, consistent with its location at The Camp and the $40 per person price point compared to other sit-down dinner and drinks spots in the area. It’s not at all difficult to have dinner for 3 with a drink for $50 per person, or dinner for 2 at $60 per person with enough leftovers for lunch for each person the next day.
On that note, Folks is a joint that works best in groups of 3-6. The pies are 6 slices each, and the average diner can probably stomach two slices, in addition to the wings, salad, wine, and dessert offerings (Hint: there’s not too much to offer other than wings, salad, and pizza).
The menu is succinct with some variety, but one must start with the Caesar and an order of Chicken Wings. The Caesar Salad is far from incredible, lacking in anchovy umami aside from the measly serving of anchovies served in a sauce container to prevent the picky Karen from starting a fight, but the gem lettuce is always crisp and well-dressed in the somewhat bland dressing. There’s a brunch from the breadcrumbs, but a lack of croutons, which may be for the better given the carb-heavy concentration of other dishes. (I still think The Polo Bar and Monkey Bar have some of the best Caesars I’ve ever had.)
On the flip side, the wings are hands-down the pièce de résistance. Packed with the umami punch of Italian fish sauce and the salty spice of nduja, these wings are far from the traditional buffalo wing, bringing a flavour burst that is unexpected from this otherwise predictable Italian American pie joint. The wings are a hefty serving, at a dozen per plate, but heat up well as leftovers the next day. The lemon wedge is a good complement to the otherwise salty and greasy bites, and be sure to ask for a side of ranch with the wings for a creamy, cold contrast.
I’ve heard good things about Folks’ meatballs, though I’m not a huge Folks nor meatballs person. At the same time, I have yet to find a comparable option with as good or better food and hospitality, so I’ll probably keep up my monthly visits to Folks to keep hacking away at their limited but large-enough menu.
My main gripe with Folks is their pies; while I don’t mind the fluffy sourdough crust, I’ve found that the flavours vary significantly per pie, for better and for worse. Avoid all pies that use their fresh mozz, it’s much too salty for the average person to enjoy. Of all of the pies that I’ve tried (which have been everything but the Pep and the White), I’ve enjoyed the Fennel Sausage and the Mushroom pies. Of the two, I’d go for the mushroom, but for those of you who do like a red pie, the sausage pie is the least salty and most flavourful option. I’d recommend adding a side of the Calabrian Chili Oil; although I know it’s not worth $2.50, it’s a great way to add some flavour diversity into each bite, in a way that the ranch doesn’t necessarily do the best.
This last visit around, I had Maria as my server, a good acquaintance I’ve met serving her matchaccanos and cortados at WIP.
The service at Folks has always been hospitable, though my point of view has definitely skewed positive as I’ve grown to know many of the staff through my own workplace. Turn times are quick; your meal won’t last over 90 minutes, but pies are fired to order and starters are always fresh; I’ve never had a less than burning wing served to my table. There’s an okay assortment of natural wines at the bar; and I’ve always been given a decent rundown and tasting offering from the servers working my tables. There’s nothing negative to say about Folks other than that the food doesn’t always fit my own palate, but for the price point, I’d say it’s a great local spot for a dinner date or to catch up with friends over dinner and a glass of wine.
Will Folks challenge palates? If you’re reading this, definitely not. But will Folks be a trusty pizza spot that’s worth booking for a nice yet casual dinner and drinks situation with friends or family? Definitely. Folks is representative of the new age of Costa Mesa and central Orange County, of the millennial-owned restaurants, bars, and coffee shops focused on doing the simple things comparatively well. I went into Folks highly critical at first, but I’ve grown to love its imperfect charm; go with a vet like myself or my coworkers, and you’ll leave full, happy, and probably a lil bit tipsy.
In the grand scheme of things, perhaps food writing becomes easier as the bites become dramatically better or worse. There’s much more to say about an incredible meal or a terrible one than one that is consistently pretty good. Folks isn’t reinventing any wheels, and it’s not trying to (I mean, they’re already swimming in prospective diners most evenings); it’s simply good, affordable, and memorable enough for the people to come back.
RESTO Time!
Reading/Watching: I Regret Almost Everything… or at least trying to
passed on the Keith McNally torch on Saturday with his hardcover copy of I Regret Almost Everything (Thanks so much dude). I’ve been hacking away at the pages, slowly but surely, but so far the memoir has been a pretty dry read. Partly due to the fact that McNally is, at the end of the day, an old white man, and partly due to the lack of culinary dialogue in these first few chapters, I’ve been struggling to get through more than a chapter at a time due to my simple lack of care for McNally’s personal life.I’ll report back on progress next week, but I’m honestly not loving the memoir so far.
Eating: Sandos Galore, again.
I’ve still been on my sandwich kick, though I can feel myself slowly backing out of it.
For starters, I can’t even tell you how many WIP sandos I’ve consumed in the past week or two, but I’m not too mad about it. We 86-ed the Caesar Sando, which was my absolute favourite, so I got my fixing of Caesars before the lemon preserve and olive tapenade flavour-bursts left our kitchen.
On Thursday, I had an LA day, where I was surprisingly impressed by LaSorted’s Italian sub on focaccia. Nothing to line up for, but definitely a good, convenient takeout bite in the Silverlake area!
On Friday, Sam and I went to OCMA to chill on our day off and see the new Nara sculpture installation, and we stopped by Mario’s afterwards to pop his Mario’s sando cherry. We had my all-time fav, the steak sandwich, as well as their Italian sub. It may be time for a deli meat/nitrates cleanse……
Styling: Heat Wave Fits
It was quite hot the latter half of the week, so I found myself dipping into shorts and sneakers combos and my few summer blouses.
Treating: Salt & Straw - The Summer Pies Series
I feel like it’s been a minute since I’ve fallen in love with a Salt & Straw seasonal flavour, but the time has finally come. I’m obsessed with their may pie series; every single flavour is delicious. My official ranking is:
Gruyère & Tomato Custard Tart
Wildflower Honey & Lemon Chess Pie
Rhubarb Crumble w/ Toasted Anise
Wild-Foraged Berry Slab Pie*
Coconut Cherry Pie with Almond Crust (v)
but it says a LOT that I like the nondairy scoop more than I’ve liked some of their previous dairy specials. Sam and I went two days in a row (to be fair, the second time with our friends Landon & Mason), which says a lot in and of itself.
Obsessing: Over San Francisco!
I’ll be in SF for a couple of days next week to kick off my summer travels, and I am so, so excited to eat a good burrito, sip some fun coffee, and return to the Bay Area in probably the longest break I’ve taken from her since high school. There’s a cool coffee popup/residency that I’ve been meaning to check out for months as well as an extensive list of patisseries, burrito joints, and wine bars to chip away at over these two days.
That’s all I got for you today. Thanks for sticking around till the end of this ramble!
With Love,
Anna