Had some good news about a job prospect, so I decided to celebrate. It's not often these days that one hears good news about employment, so I thought I'd take advantage of my successful jumping through preliminary hoops.
First choice was Taleo's. I think it's Newport, but it could be Irvine. Not sure. Jamboree and Michelson? Across the way from Fatburger, which is also good, but not the place of choice for the night. Whatever. It has difficult parking.
Got there without reservations, but only a 10 minute wait. Took advantage of being parked in the bar to snag some Blue Moon to set the 'tone' for the moment. Tasty. Nice lady brought us chips and salsa, too. It is not easy to balance beer, chip bowl, salsa dish on a glorified ottoman. But I did it. Well.
Table is ready! This place has a fairly small menu, with some exotic things, but then a lot of seemingly ordinary things. I got fajitas. Oh boy - really going crazy here, I know. I will never eat fajitas anywhere else again. Oh my. Tasty, tasty. Really, really good. If I had to comment on anything it would be the lack of cheese and the fact they they charged for extra tortillas - what the hell with that?! But, not a big deal. It was very indulgent - excellent flavor, fresh vegees - heck, even the beans were good. Carnitas tamales was also an amazing hit. Mamma was in the kitchen cooking this night. Even the corn salsa stuff was amazing. I would highly recommend this place as a destination for celebration.
Nicely unctious staff, pleasant atmosphere, and fire. In the wierd things by the front door. I like fire. Nice touch. Watch out for the ottomans in the bar.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Zov's 3/27
Today was the best day ever. The food was a part of it. Decided that I'd done enough work for a weekend and needed to treat myself with some impulse shopping. Brought my baby along with me for the company - a good plan, that. We started by looking for a craft. That's funnier than you think it is, but only if you know the inside joke. Didn't find one, but that didn't matter. Lucky jeans fit me amazingly well and since I have decided to embrace my weight, I bought them. An exceptionally sycophantic sales clerk merely added to the enjoyment. Found the perfect purse - sometimes they do just jump out at you - and bought it. I bought one for my daughter, too. Now we're twins!
Okay, I know you are wondering when the food is coming. Zov's in Newport Beach makes the best Mac & Cheese known to mankind. Chicken and mushrooms and bacon and cheese and a sprinkle of goodness baked on the top. Don't share this. Eat it all yourself.
We started with, of course, a bottle of wine. Found another Pinot Grigio that was at least as good as the blue screw top wine that Trader Joe's refuses to sell me anymore. Split a bottle of that; of course, I forgot the name. Then the aforementioned M&C along with a Rosemary Lamb salad. Way better than it sounds, and it sounds great. What an amazing combination of flavors! Nothing exotic - lettuce, peppers, a great dressing, and the rosemary lamb - but a perfect blend. Someone was thinking on that one.
After great conversation, mutual amusement and the end of the wine, we applied a nice finish with the apple pie, ice cream and caramel drizzle.
Haven't enjoyed an afternoon this much in a while. Need to do this more often.
That and I bought Batman seat covers for the truck yesterday. A good weekend.
Okay, I know you are wondering when the food is coming. Zov's in Newport Beach makes the best Mac & Cheese known to mankind. Chicken and mushrooms and bacon and cheese and a sprinkle of goodness baked on the top. Don't share this. Eat it all yourself.
We started with, of course, a bottle of wine. Found another Pinot Grigio that was at least as good as the blue screw top wine that Trader Joe's refuses to sell me anymore. Split a bottle of that; of course, I forgot the name. Then the aforementioned M&C along with a Rosemary Lamb salad. Way better than it sounds, and it sounds great. What an amazing combination of flavors! Nothing exotic - lettuce, peppers, a great dressing, and the rosemary lamb - but a perfect blend. Someone was thinking on that one.
After great conversation, mutual amusement and the end of the wine, we applied a nice finish with the apple pie, ice cream and caramel drizzle.
Haven't enjoyed an afternoon this much in a while. Need to do this more often.
That and I bought Batman seat covers for the truck yesterday. A good weekend.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Pei Wei 3/25
When you've got a taste for Chinese, you've got a taste for Chinese. I found it very interesting that the Chinese food I had in China tasted nothing like the Chinese food in California. There, it was noodles with some sort of brown sauce and bits that were supposedly chicken or pork. It was really hard to tell. And, of course, the ubiquitous rice. For every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Very slimy and very boring. California Chinese is way better. It has recognizable food things and fresh vegetables.
Pei Wei is a favorite when you want something fast, but fresh and tasty. I like the sweet and sour shrimp with brown rice. The sweet and sour sauce is not slimy, but nicely tangy. The shrimp is plump and not over-breaded. The honey chicken - also a good one, assuming you like chicken. Nice little bits of chicken that you can snag with chopsticks without fighting! I like the rice bowls and the noodle bowls, too, but didn't eat all that much in one night.
The soda dispenser is the coolest. All techno and spiffy with screen buttons and stuff. You can mix and match your flavors - great for making suicide sodas, or even something drinkable! A bucket of fortune cookies (I will find my inspiration to my goals in the next movie I watch, apparently; not sure what to see next, now. I was thinking of "Paul", but now that seems kind of inappropriate as I do not want to spend my life in an RV with aliens) is a great plus. Not that I need to eat a zillion cookies, but I get the sense that I am playing a part in fate/destiny/fortune when I get to pick out my own cookie. OK, so I'm easily amused.
So, if you're not sure you like pseudo Chinese food, try Pei Wei. Might not really be Chinese, but it's really good!
Pei Wei is a favorite when you want something fast, but fresh and tasty. I like the sweet and sour shrimp with brown rice. The sweet and sour sauce is not slimy, but nicely tangy. The shrimp is plump and not over-breaded. The honey chicken - also a good one, assuming you like chicken. Nice little bits of chicken that you can snag with chopsticks without fighting! I like the rice bowls and the noodle bowls, too, but didn't eat all that much in one night.
The soda dispenser is the coolest. All techno and spiffy with screen buttons and stuff. You can mix and match your flavors - great for making suicide sodas, or even something drinkable! A bucket of fortune cookies (I will find my inspiration to my goals in the next movie I watch, apparently; not sure what to see next, now. I was thinking of "Paul", but now that seems kind of inappropriate as I do not want to spend my life in an RV with aliens) is a great plus. Not that I need to eat a zillion cookies, but I get the sense that I am playing a part in fate/destiny/fortune when I get to pick out my own cookie. OK, so I'm easily amused.
So, if you're not sure you like pseudo Chinese food, try Pei Wei. Might not really be Chinese, but it's really good!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Challenge of the Donuts
The battle was determined after watching 'Adjustment Bureau' and realizing that fate and destiny just might play a greater role in existence than previously given consideration. That and driving out of the parking structure puts one right in front of a donut shop.
The quest to determine the best donut between two establishments that both offered drive-thru service was on. Oh Those Donuts! and Dippity Donuts: the contenders. It was first thought to get the same kind of donut at each place and do a comparative taste test, but as we explored this idea, we determined that it would be better to have a wider variety of flavors and styles in order to better evaluate the overall goodness of the donut shop.
Custard filled, covered with chocolate - in a circle, not a bar - was the first pick at Oh Those Donuts! Nicely plump, with just a smidgen of delicately oozing custard peeping out, the chocolate was layed evenly and appearance-wise, this seemed a winner. The chocolate cracked sweetly when the donut was cut in half (sharing purposes) and revealed that it was, truly, spread evenly without undue thin or think spots which would have detracted from the overall flavor blend. The custard was, we think, actually vanilla pudding, but this was acceptable as it was fresh, creamy, and not overly sweet.
The next selection was a cake donut covered in white icing with multi-colored sprinkles - also from Oh Those Donuts! Again, appearance was a definite plus. The icing was even, the sprinkles evenly distributed, and the cake seemed nicely plump. Surprisingly light, one could taste the oil it was deep fried in, but this was not necessarily a complete thumbs down. The icing was sweet and the sprinkles crunchy - a very fresh delight.
Destiny? Fate? Que sera, sera. Eat more donuts.
The quest to determine the best donut between two establishments that both offered drive-thru service was on. Oh Those Donuts! and Dippity Donuts: the contenders. It was first thought to get the same kind of donut at each place and do a comparative taste test, but as we explored this idea, we determined that it would be better to have a wider variety of flavors and styles in order to better evaluate the overall goodness of the donut shop.
Custard filled, covered with chocolate - in a circle, not a bar - was the first pick at Oh Those Donuts! Nicely plump, with just a smidgen of delicately oozing custard peeping out, the chocolate was layed evenly and appearance-wise, this seemed a winner. The chocolate cracked sweetly when the donut was cut in half (sharing purposes) and revealed that it was, truly, spread evenly without undue thin or think spots which would have detracted from the overall flavor blend. The custard was, we think, actually vanilla pudding, but this was acceptable as it was fresh, creamy, and not overly sweet.
The next selection was a cake donut covered in white icing with multi-colored sprinkles - also from Oh Those Donuts! Again, appearance was a definite plus. The icing was even, the sprinkles evenly distributed, and the cake seemed nicely plump. Surprisingly light, one could taste the oil it was deep fried in, but this was not necessarily a complete thumbs down. The icing was sweet and the sprinkles crunchy - a very fresh delight.
On to the next place - first choice at Dippity was the cinnamon roll. A giant whorl of poofy goodness looked very appealing. Splendidly brown with that clear glaze that crackles when you poke it called forth and make this a player on the field. The swirls broke apart beautifully; at first impression, it seemed that there was a dearth of cinnamon, but upon tasting, such was not the case. Very light, not oily, with a pleasant appley aftertaste (maybe from sitting next to apple crullers?).
The last was the standard jelly filled. The raspberry filling was merely adequate - too much like cheap jam - and definitely brought down the overall rating on this one. The donut itself was light and fluffy, nicely iced, but expectations were not met on the gooshy filling.
So, between the two: Oh Those Donuts! is the location of preference, unless you want a cinnamon roll, then go over to Dippity. As to overall selection, Oh Those wins, as well. A well-lit, open establishment with clean cases and lots of choices. Dippity is a smaller place, a little dingy and maybe a third the choices.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tom's Place, Costa Mesa 2/24/2011
If you ever need food so you don't die, this is the place to go. No surprises, nothing special - but you get what you order and it tastes like its supposed to.
A tiny little place that has nothing to boast about for atmosphere, Tom's has got maybe 10 tables, an outdoor patio I've never seen anyone use, and a drive thru window. It also has a menu board that will take you 10 minutes to read. So far, I've yet to get anything I don't like. Went for the breakfast for dinner motif this day - a breakfast burrito. Three eggs, tomato, potato, and cheese mushed in a giant flour tortilla. You can get salsa in there too, but I'm a big baby, so I got that on the side. A solid piece of dinner, right there. Easily consumable while driving as it is wrapped securely and doesn't drip. I added bacon because I really like bacon. I mean, bacon. Yum. Love bacon.
The wonder and appeal of the place is that everything is fresh and you can watch the dude prepare it. It is truly 'poetry in motion' to watch a good short order cook. The egg smashing, the stirring, the blending - all at the same time as a burger is getting fried and a tuna melt is getting assembled. Fascinating!
Great prices, food like it was meant to taste. A fallback for me and mine; especially when we need to hurry and get food because there is a new episode of Vampire Diaries on TV. We do have our priorities.
A tiny little place that has nothing to boast about for atmosphere, Tom's has got maybe 10 tables, an outdoor patio I've never seen anyone use, and a drive thru window. It also has a menu board that will take you 10 minutes to read. So far, I've yet to get anything I don't like. Went for the breakfast for dinner motif this day - a breakfast burrito. Three eggs, tomato, potato, and cheese mushed in a giant flour tortilla. You can get salsa in there too, but I'm a big baby, so I got that on the side. A solid piece of dinner, right there. Easily consumable while driving as it is wrapped securely and doesn't drip. I added bacon because I really like bacon. I mean, bacon. Yum. Love bacon.
The wonder and appeal of the place is that everything is fresh and you can watch the dude prepare it. It is truly 'poetry in motion' to watch a good short order cook. The egg smashing, the stirring, the blending - all at the same time as a burger is getting fried and a tuna melt is getting assembled. Fascinating!
Great prices, food like it was meant to taste. A fallback for me and mine; especially when we need to hurry and get food because there is a new episode of Vampire Diaries on TV. We do have our priorities.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Market Broiler, Huntington Beach, 2/21/2011
"Eat more Fish"
It says so on the sign. So, okay, I ate a fish. A trout to be more specific. A farm bred little trout. With paprika and butter and no bones. No head either and that is good because I really don't like it when my food looks at me. I think it's rude. Very tasty for a fish that really doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. I know, there are a lot of fish in the sea, but I happen to like this little lake denizen. And when it is served with the steamed veggies - perfectly done so you can stab a carrot without trying - that have little flecks of some herby thing on them and the cheesy potatoes - which are more like twice baked potatoes with something on them that looks sorta like cheese - that taste really, really good, you have got one fine meal.
I miss the half price wine special they used to run on Monday's. Sigh. Now they offer some label I've never heard of and no Pinot Grigio. I get water in silent protest. No one, so far, has noticed my boycott.
There were some odd people sitting next to us. She was worried they were making too much noise. They were eating fish and potatoes, how much noise can a person make? Whatever; maybe she just wanted attention. Seemed very nice, though. Great view out the window to the street (not) though we did get to monitor the existence of our vehicle. Some comfort in that I suppose.
So . . . "eat more fish"!
It says so on the sign. So, okay, I ate a fish. A trout to be more specific. A farm bred little trout. With paprika and butter and no bones. No head either and that is good because I really don't like it when my food looks at me. I think it's rude. Very tasty for a fish that really doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. I know, there are a lot of fish in the sea, but I happen to like this little lake denizen. And when it is served with the steamed veggies - perfectly done so you can stab a carrot without trying - that have little flecks of some herby thing on them and the cheesy potatoes - which are more like twice baked potatoes with something on them that looks sorta like cheese - that taste really, really good, you have got one fine meal.
I miss the half price wine special they used to run on Monday's. Sigh. Now they offer some label I've never heard of and no Pinot Grigio. I get water in silent protest. No one, so far, has noticed my boycott.
There were some odd people sitting next to us. She was worried they were making too much noise. They were eating fish and potatoes, how much noise can a person make? Whatever; maybe she just wanted attention. Seemed very nice, though. Great view out the window to the street (not) though we did get to monitor the existence of our vehicle. Some comfort in that I suppose.
So . . . "eat more fish"!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Cheesecake Factory, Newport Beach, 2/20/2011
If you time it right, you can actually get in without having to wait forever. But you do run the risk, by coming early, of having to dine with a zillion children. Why people in Newport think it is appropriate to bring young humans to a restaurant that does not have accomodations or crayons for them, I don't know. But then people from Newport Beach do a lot of things I don't really understand.
Anyway, this was dinner of choice for today. I wasn't all that hungry - having indulged in a Subway ham sandwich for lunch. You can get the $5.00 footlong, bring it home and add bacon and it's really good. The menu has recently been altered to include a combination section. Some of the big favorites have been combined into one dinner - perfect for sharing. Steak Diane (covered in mushrooms and stuff) along with Chicken Maderia (also with mushrooms and stuff) discretely separated by a snowdrift of mashed potatoes and a spring of something green and leafy made for not only a lovely display, but also a treat for the nose. I absolutely adore thier mashed potatoes.
I know, you are supposed to get this with some spiffy selection from the full bar, but I am a Dr. Pepper addict and they serve it, so I have to have it. It was a splendid complement.
We also got their little house salad with a vinagrette dressing. Not as great - it had that nasty lettuce that looks like kelp on it. Yuck. And some of the leafy field greens looked a little too fresh from the field. But that's just me. Apparently people like the forest leavings salad. Whatever.
Another nom they have that we got was the Pasta Evelyn (Elvira? Eloise? Some woman's name.) Very, very nice. Lots of fresh veggies and herbs and perfectly cooked pasta. Defintiely a 'gonna get that one again'.
Anyway, this was dinner of choice for today. I wasn't all that hungry - having indulged in a Subway ham sandwich for lunch. You can get the $5.00 footlong, bring it home and add bacon and it's really good. The menu has recently been altered to include a combination section. Some of the big favorites have been combined into one dinner - perfect for sharing. Steak Diane (covered in mushrooms and stuff) along with Chicken Maderia (also with mushrooms and stuff) discretely separated by a snowdrift of mashed potatoes and a spring of something green and leafy made for not only a lovely display, but also a treat for the nose. I absolutely adore thier mashed potatoes.
I know, you are supposed to get this with some spiffy selection from the full bar, but I am a Dr. Pepper addict and they serve it, so I have to have it. It was a splendid complement.
We also got their little house salad with a vinagrette dressing. Not as great - it had that nasty lettuce that looks like kelp on it. Yuck. And some of the leafy field greens looked a little too fresh from the field. But that's just me. Apparently people like the forest leavings salad. Whatever.
Another nom they have that we got was the Pasta Evelyn (Elvira? Eloise? Some woman's name.) Very, very nice. Lots of fresh veggies and herbs and perfectly cooked pasta. Defintiely a 'gonna get that one again'.
Auld Dubliner, Tustin CA 2/19/11
I just wanted a soothing alternative for a too-long line to Harry Potter 7.1 (which would have been the third time anyway) and finding some cider seemed just the thing. Where to go was the dilemma solved by remembering an Irish pub completely out of place in a shopping mall surrounded by food and goods from a variety of ethnicities and tastes.
The pub advertised 'craic' which seemed odd, if not illegal, if you say it with the wrong inflection; it did, however, get the giggles started. The semi-naked, headless dress dummies on display in the window continued the giggling, but did not dissuade me from entry. A good choice. I was reminded of a little pub in London that had the same heavy wood and high tables. The enormous bar was very similar, albeit the pub in London did not serve Dos Equis. [And it did not have a giant hamster ball, either, which this place did.]
Magners apple cider was a tasty choice, not as good as some, but not as bad as others. Cold and delivered by a smiling server, it was just lovely. And after the first goes down, the second is that much better. It has a wee bite to it, which is appealing and isn't as sweet as some so the 'apple juice' flavor is nicely subtle.
The atmosphere of the place is as pleasantly cheeky as the flavored chips. Parmesian garlic was the nom of choice on this fine rainy eve. An excellent comfort food. I usually indulge in catsup with fries, but it was totally superfluous with the semi-melty cheese aqnd garlicky parsley. Even more nifty was the goofy conical metal spiral in which the chips were served.
A nice place - good prices and happy people!
The pub advertised 'craic' which seemed odd, if not illegal, if you say it with the wrong inflection; it did, however, get the giggles started. The semi-naked, headless dress dummies on display in the window continued the giggling, but did not dissuade me from entry. A good choice. I was reminded of a little pub in London that had the same heavy wood and high tables. The enormous bar was very similar, albeit the pub in London did not serve Dos Equis. [And it did not have a giant hamster ball, either, which this place did.]
Magners apple cider was a tasty choice, not as good as some, but not as bad as others. Cold and delivered by a smiling server, it was just lovely. And after the first goes down, the second is that much better. It has a wee bite to it, which is appealing and isn't as sweet as some so the 'apple juice' flavor is nicely subtle.
The atmosphere of the place is as pleasantly cheeky as the flavored chips. Parmesian garlic was the nom of choice on this fine rainy eve. An excellent comfort food. I usually indulge in catsup with fries, but it was totally superfluous with the semi-melty cheese aqnd garlicky parsley. Even more nifty was the goofy conical metal spiral in which the chips were served.
A nice place - good prices and happy people!
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