Best Hors D'Oeuvres Orange County 2013 - The Hobbit
This upscale Orange eatery might be famous for its gourmet prix fixe meals, but besides its unrivaled beef Wellington, the real star of the show is the Hobbit's wine cellar. At the Hobbit, after a cocktail at the mini-bar on the second floor, you file down to the basement and are greeted with a glass of champagne while you gaze at the more than 1,000 bottles in stock, ranging from $50 to $5,000. It's likely your attention won't wander to the walls right away, though, because you'll have a few dozen hot and cold hors d'oeuvres to choose from. Laid out on small tables at either end of the cellar, smorgasbord-style, there's everything from liver mousse pâté (sorry, no foie gras anymore) served on tiny toast to tiny mussels bathed in wine broth to caviar to flaky pepperjack pastries. But be sure to limit yourself: You still have two bottles of wine and seven courses to go.