Delius
2951 Cherry Ave
Signal Hill
562-426-0694
WOW, WOW, WOW. What a great dining experience I had at Delius. It didn't start off good but the food was wonderful and the food service was exactly what it's suppose to be.
I started off with spicy crab cakes, $11. They weren't really spicy but had a lot of garlic. They were a bit thin but there was little filler, just a lot of crab. I thought the crab wasn't as fresh as it could be. Maybe they used canned crab. I also thought it was a bit pricey for the amount of crab you got.
I loved, just loved my entree, bacon wrapped, blue cheese stuffed chicken breast with a rosemary cream sauce, $17. What a wonderful dish. The entree started off with a salad filled with mixed greens, carrots and tomatoes. The salad was fresh and tasty.
I was a bit concerned because rosemary can overpower a dish. But they used the right amount of rosemary. But the bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed chicken breast was awesome. The chicken was a bit on the dry side but had wonderful flavor and the cream sauce helped add some moisture to the chicken. This was very much worth the $17.
What I liked about Delius was the serving size was just right, that you could have a four course meal without feeling stuffed.
I normally don't get dessert but I got the chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream, $7. This was so good. Hot, fresh chocolate chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream. The goeey rich cookie filled with tons of chocolate chip and topped with that cold ice cream was just awesome.
Table service was the best I've ever had at any restaurant. But before I tell you our table service, I want to talk about the worst experience I've had with a hostess in a long time. This is what I meant by 'it didn't start off good'.
I walked into Delius and the hostess was on the phone. I grabbed the wine list and sat down in the lobby less than five feet from the hostess. The hostess and I made eye contact when I walked in. There is NO WAY that bitch didn't see me. Well for the next five minutes or so, she NEVER said ONE WORD TO ME. Not even HI, may I help you. When my dinner guest arrive, the hostess barely said HI. She didn't ask how many guests. She didn't ask if our party was here.
I had to tell her we wanted a table for three and we wanted to sit down at our table and would wait for the third person to come. This is NOT the way to make a good first impression. She was not friendly or welcoming. She was flat out a bitch. The hostess should have said, Sorry, I was on the phone. How can I help you? Or Welcome to Delius. Are you waiting for somebody? But no, this bitch said NOTHING. Terrible, just terrible. If I had a restaurant I would fire her on the spot.
But this was forgiven, I never forget, because of the wonderful service we got from our server. The server's name was Michelle and she should write a book about how to be the best server. She was so nice and friendly. She answered all our questions and even gave us a tour of Delius' two private dining rooms. We were never lacking for anything. If our drinks were half empty, they would be refilled quickly. She knew everything on the menu. She knew the list. She always made sure everything was ok and if we needed anything. Michelle was the best server I've ever had.
I would go back to Delius anything. If I saw that bitch hostess, I would be rude to her. She needs to learn how to be a hostess or find another job. But the food is great and table service is outstanding.
UPDATE: June 12
I went back to Delius and ordered the chipotle mac and cheese, $12.
But before I talk about the mac and cheese, I want to talk about the hostess. I didn't have the bitch as the hostess. I had a very nice young woman who greeted me as I walked into the restaurant. She was nice and friendly, everything the bitch wasn't.
Maybe the bitch was fired? Or the owners of Delius read my review and had a talk with the bitch and the rest of the host staff to ensure proper service. Or maybe they didn't and this hostess takes her job seriously and wants to do a good job? Who knows? But whatever happened, I much prefer this hostess than the bitch.
I ordered the chipotle mac and cheese because the first time I went, I had a taste of the it and it was wonderful. But when I got the order I wasn't as impressed. The top part was basically burnt crisp. Not good. It had been in the over too long. Once I got past the burnt stuff the first thing you notice is the chipotle. There is a kick to this mac and cheese. There are four cheeses that included gorgonzola and romano. I thought they could have used more chese throughout the dish. Towards the middle and at the bottom of the dish, it was basically all mac.
Table service, as always with Michelle, was great.
If I had to do it over again I think I would have ordered something besides the mac and cheese. I wasn't impressed and really I should have sent it back.
I may go back to Delius to try another dish but I hope the bitch isn't the hostess.
