Local Restaurant Review

The Anaheim White House (887 S. Anaheim Blvd., $$$$): we went here for Shelby's birthday. Listening to local buzz, it was supposed to be one of the three go-to places for ultra-fine dining in Anaheim, the other two being the Napa Rose and Mr. Stox. Our overall verdict: meh.

I should have known that this place was trouble right from the start after looking at their menu and wine list online. The wine list was undistinguished; we brought a Siduri Pinot of our own. Individual menu items are either named after personalities (the "Gwen Stefani" ravioli; the "Sophia Loren" caviar) or luxury brands (the "Dolce Gabbana" sand dabs; the "Coco Chanel" Pacific ahi). I think that the desired effect here is "classy", but it reminded me more of the apocryphal welfare mother who chooses to name her twin girls "Lexus" and "Infiniti".

Our waiter was pretty smarmy. As we ordered, he asked us if we'd like a Grand Marnier souffle; we needed to get our order in at the beginning of the meal, as they took thirty minutes to make. Shelby said no; he persisted, asking "but have you ever tried a Grand Marnier souffle before?" Well, no, but she'd had souffles before, thanks, and she didn't like the taste of Grand Marnier. This became a favorite pattern of his throughout the evening; he'd offer x, we'd decline x, and then he'd ask "but have you ever tried x before?" It's interesting that one of the review quotes showcased on the front page of the White House's web site is "a Fancy Restaurant that doesn't make you feel like a hick", because our waiter was certainly acting like we'd staggered out of a Shoney's or Cracker Barrel, put on some nice clothes, and somehow stumbled into the White House, determined to try some of thet there fancy food like them rich people done et fer a change.

Once the waiter took our order, service became near-nonexistent. It took a long time before someone noticed that our water glasses needed to be refilled, or that we'd eaten our bread, and needed another roll (rolls were doled out individually, like they were some kind of precious commodity ... for a bill over $100, you can't leave a bread basket at our table??)

We needed a lot of rolls — and should have ordered separate appetizers, instead of splitting one — because it took a long, long time for our entrees to arrive. When they did, they were good, and the portions were surprisingly generous (Shelby had a filet mignon, I had short ribs) ... but the food wasn't at that next-level plateau that I'd expect from the class of establishment that the White House purports to be.

Positive note: at the end, they came out with a surprise happy-birthday dessert for Shelby. And they forgot to charge us for corkage.

Final verdict: while I'd love to have a top-class restaurant just blocks away from our house, the White House isn't it; for what you get, this is far from a bargain, and by the end of our meal, we were itching to leave. If you've got a special occasion to celebrate or out-of-town guests to impress, there are better places to do it at than here.