#9 - Pickled Egg at C4 Deli: Cure for the Common

Since errands took me over to downtown Santa Ana for lunch today, I checked my handy map and decided to visit C4 Deli: Cure for the Common. I thought I could knock out two items from my list, but looking back, I realized only the pickled eggs were on the top 100. The reason I thought there was another item was due to this recent review of the place by Register critic Brad A. Johnson. So, armed with that, I was ready to get some pickled eggs and a porchetta sandwich.

First off, this place's decor is downright awesome. I just love the whole feel of the place. There's a few tables up front which were occupied by businessmen and women on lunch and in the back is a long bar with two amply stocked tap stations. As for the beer, a great selection. A wide range of styles and many beers that I don't often see on tap at other restaurants around the area. I opted for a Boulevard Brewing Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale as I've had it from a bottle a few times but never on tap - the bartender assured me I'd like it more on tap than bottle (it tasted pretty much the same, but was still very good).

First up were the eggs. They have three types of pickled eggs - regular, smoked, and spicy. I just went with one smoked and one spicy as the smoked one was what the bartender recommended and I love spicy things. I started with the smoked and found it a bit harder than I would have expected it to be - very firm, but easy to cut through and eat. I've actually never had a pickled egg so I unfortunately don't have much to compare it to. It had a white exterior and looked like a normal hard boiled egg (I was half expecting it to be purple).

The smoked egg did have a slight hint of smoke and pickling to it, but nothing overpowering. It was tasty, but I was expecting just a bit more. The spicy egg also had about the same amount of pickling, but was devoid of any spiciness whatsoever. Work still needs to be done on that one. Next time I go, I'll get the regular egg, maybe the smoked, but probably not more than one. It's a nice little appetizer, but nothing to write home about.

Next up was the porchetta sandwich. With the rave reviews showered on it by Brad Johnson, I was expecting my mouth to be alive with flavor. While the bun for the sandwich was a good pick, it really didn't add anything to the sandwich. The porchetta was nicely cooked, still piping hot from the griddle (I'm guessing...maybe stove?), and the broccoli rabe was a nice addition. The aioli got lost a bit with the bitterness of the rabe, and the porchetta was also a bit muddled in the flavors.

While I'm definitely going back, I'll veer away from the porchetta to the reuben or the pork belly sandwich. Either way, they'll be accompanied by a good beer and a tasty chocolate chip cookie to finish the meal.