Lots of toothpicks.

So, this kid turned 25 the other day.

…Which means 4 years of (legal) drunkness together, as well as 12 or 13 something years of being friends. First came Dave and Busters, then came Memphis Cafe, the Santa Ana Artwalk, Huntington Beach… But our most recent favorite is downtown Fullerton.

Drunk night in Fullerton is fun because, well, you get exposed to a very mixed population. You can find a nice established grown up (who knows what to order other than rum n’ cokes and jagerbombs) getting sloshed, and across the street you can find a young student get some aged pu-erh tea while reading Wuthering Heights at a tea lounge, AND THEN down the block from that you’ll find a hoppin’ Mexican club that is amped with raging hormones and krunk music. They all flock to this little town to have fun, and manage to do it in harmony. It’s a completely different world from Irvine, and I think that’s what draws Jenn and I to this place so much. Plus, everything is within walking distance, so you can get some food, then desserts, and then get sloshed without driving around.

Which is exactly what we did on Jenn’s birthday.

For dinner, Jenn wanted to do something ‘different’. She was smitten with Riviera since our last visit (the summer cocktail debut night), with the whole concept, the vibe, the drinks, the funness of a hopping scene – so I suggested Lizarran, a Basque-type Tapas bar that opened last year.
It’s part of this humongoid monster chain from Spain, and specialize in pinxtos – little finger foods that are served on top of a slice of baguette and jabbed with a toothpick. You can go up to the bar and point at one of the many offerings in the bar, which the bar attendant will graciously serve…

Or you can wait till the servers come out with a fresh platter of hot pinxtos and pick out what ever you feel like. Each one is $1.75, and they are counted by the toothpick – which you will disponse into the orange cup at your table. Natually, you end up with lots of toothpicks, which the server will count by hand at the end of your meal.

The pinxtos are really fun. Little bread slices are piled attractively with charcuterie like jamon serrano, chistorra (tastes like a slim jim!), chorizo, seafood, cheeses, and fruits.

There’s waaaay too many to go over, but here are some favorites (in their unofficial names): Membrillo (quince paste) with Manchego, Jamon Serrano with Potato Chips and Olive Oil, Chistorra, Bacon-wrapped Dates, Tuna-stuffed Pimiento (bell pepper), Jamon Serrano Wrapped Frittata, some sort of ham and potatoes, and Seafood Salad stuffed Smoked Salmon. The bold ones were my favorites, the others are Don’s.

We washed it all down with some sangria… It’s refreshingly good and strong on the red wine (which we will find out the hard way later).

At Lizarran, they also serve other types of Tapas, with heavy emphasis on seafood.

The calamari (Calamares a la Andaluza) was fried to a perfect crisp, especially with the garlic mayo… YUM!

However, there are some misses. The Judias Verdes con Jamon Serrano (green beans with Serrano Ham) were very meh. Nothing home to write about. The Salto de Garbanzo con Pulpo (garbanzo beans with octopus) was very uninspiring – lots of beans with flecks of octopus, which were dry and rubbery. Octopus being one of my favorite seafoods, this was a disappointment.

The Paella Mixto with chicken and seafood was a whammy though – soooo yummy, especially where the rice burns and caramelizes into a crisp okoge (burnt rice in Japanese). It’s a full frontal attack of flavors on your tongue, and a squeeze of lemon crisps the flavor up a bit. This one’s a must.

Our reservation was at 7, and from 7:30 live music starts. After a little while, the place got packed with late night eaters who were getting ready for a night out in town. Very fun vibe indeed!

Afterwards, we walked on over to Frati Gelato for desserts. Their signature with mascarpone cheese, pistachio syrup, and pine nuts is pretty frickin’ rad. I’ve tried their coffee, strawberry, and white peach before, but I haven’t met a flavor that I didn’t like. However, please note that most of the time I’m a little tipsy from drinking, and anything tastes good when you’re drunk.

We polished off our gelatos and marched on over to the Continental Room for drinks.
Full, buzzed people can become belligerent and find everything and anything funny, especially when they are given full mobility on the streets of downtown Fullerton. We were spooked by a mannequin at the theatre props shop, and then point-and-laughed at a broken cocktail sign. We also some some GINORMOUS cockraches at the crosswalk, which, I swear were as big as a sparrows! Good times.

The Continental Room claims to be the oldest bar in Fullerton (since 1925), and has a nice retro feel to it, with red lights that can make anyone look like a sexy porn star, retro antiques all over the place, and cushy walls. They also have a stage where bands perform on weekend nights.

However, service is pretty bad and the security guards are overly protective of the invisible aisle that apparently runs along the booth. Kyle got escorted out for being in it for too long. Also, if you go out for a cigarette break, they won’t let you back in because the bouncer is not very good at crowd control. That said, it gets packed in there really quickly. There are so many other options in the area, and there is no reason for you to get all riled up by the staff (unless you’re there to see the band). Pffffft!

Anyways, if you’re in town, make sure to drop by Fullerton. There’s always something to do, and there’s a hopping scene for everyone (scroll down below for other suggestions).

Lizarran Tapas Selectas
310 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 879-9009
http://www.lizarran-ca.com/

Frati Gelato
122 W Commonwealth Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 871-1413
http://www.fratigelatocafe.com/

The Continental Room
115 W Santa Fe Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 526-4529
http://www.myspace.com/thecontinentalroom

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Other places to get your drink on in Fullerton:

If you’re the Socal Rocker type… (plus, outdoor smoking patio!)
Slide Bar
122 E Commonwealth Ave
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 871-2233

If you’re a Mexican Cantina goer…
Revolucion
205 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 871-6861

More into the artsy-ish club scene?
Plush Design Lab
207 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 738-5100

Irish Dive. ’nuff said.
Branagan’s Irish Pub
213 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton, CA 92832
(714) 447-3544