This, That, and The Other Thing

Yeah Turnip Rose Cafe

Turnip Rose has been an event venue and catering company for many years in Orange County with a well-earned reputation for quality and creativity. It was good to see that carried through in their newly-opened café located in the Von’s Center at Harbor and Adams in Costa Mesa. There is ample seating inside as well as a patio with umbrella tables that suites my dog and me just fine.

The menu is large and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. You order at the counter and your food is delivered to your table in a very timely manner. It took a while to decide from the 12 salads and 12 sandwich options as well as pannini and soups and even 8 Mexican food entrees. Hunger was pushing aside my lingering over the menu, so I opted for the Cashew Chicken sandwich – with celery, lettuce, tomato and avocado stuffed into a large croissant. My brother chose The California panino – Rotisserie pulled chicken, avocado, bacon, tomato, Swiss cheese with ranch cream cheese spread, grilled on sourdough bread. It makes me hungry just writing about it!! They were both large and very tasty and came with your choice of 4 sides.

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The entire menu looks delicious. It would take many, many visits to try everything but it’s definitely worth a shot.

April 11, 2017 0

Ballast Point a Winner!

Ballast Point Sign

A restaurant with a fabulous view, good food and attentive service – what a concept! Ballast Point in the Long Beach Marina should be a must on your “Let’s go out” list. It was a beautiful day but my camera was not cooperating and didn’t do justice to the view. BP is on 3 levels, all featuring a beautiful view of the marina, Shoreline Village and downtown Long Beach. There is a huge bar on the middle level with outside seating on all 3 levels. Lots of comfortable furniture under umbrellas, bar seating everywhere.

Brewing and Spirits is how they are advertised so the beer and ale list is extensive, but there is wine. However, this place screams – Have a beer!! Not being beer drinkers, Julie and I asked the waitress for the lightest, sissiest beer on the menu. It was a warm day and the glass and beer were very cold and it tasted yummy to us and quite refreshing – who could ask for more?

The roof seems to have the best view, if that is possible, so this is where we had our delicious lunch. The huge chicken salad sandwich for Julie was unlike any ever seen before, with chunks of chicken breast, bacon, white cheddar, Napa cabbage and tomatoes. My pepper-wrapped grilled ahi burger with roasted tomatoes and sautéed beer onions was heaven!

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One other thing – This is a place that you don’t want to leave. Come back just for a beer and enjoy the view. Bring your friends. Have dinner. It is worth the experience.

March 21, 2017 0

Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking

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Ritter’s Steam Kettle Cooking aka Cajun food is on MacArthur in Santa Ana. I had blogged on July 7th about Sandy’s and my experience at Kettle Bar at the Union Market at The District. We enjoyed that experience very much. Not so much with Ritter’s. Their concept is exactly the same but what they produced wasn’t nearly as good. I was looking forward to the oyster po’boy but was disappointed. It was huge and impossible to eat as a sandwich (which is OK) but the flavor of the oysters was overpowered by a thick crusty breading. Sandy’s Half Chicken and Sausage Pan Roast was pretty good but very spicy. Of course, this is Cajun food, but a heads up on the extra dose of spice would have been appreciated.

The highlight of the meal was actually the salads. The greens were crisp and fresh and the dressings quite delicious.

One other thing – Ritter’s was not our original destination that day. We were headed to TRADE on Jamboree in Irvine. It is a new retail center with a large food hall. The website was a little misleading, however, because the food hall wasn’t finished. There were no EATS and DRINKS for us – only the large signs. So that adventure will have to wait a while. Stay tuned…..

March 20, 2017 0

OC Restaurant Week March 2017

I treated myself to lunch on March 9th of Restaurant Week at Wild Goose Tavern on 17th Street in Costa Mesa. Their pub menu is most unique. One page lists all kinds of knackwurst/sausage sandwiches. On their special $10 Restaurant Week lunch menu I opted for the wedge salad and the pulled pork sandwich. In my not so humble opinion it was the most flavorful pulled pork I have ever tasted. It was just the right amount of juicy and it didn’t fall apart all over the plate or my lap.

An added benefit of my dining experience was the conversation of the four handsome gentlemen at the table next to me. Seemingly very successful, they spoke with pride about their jobs, business trips, sports and their families. This reminded me of my working past when I spent my lunch hour(s) in the company of men instead of watching soap operas in the lunchroom with the ladies. Men’s conversations were so much more interesting.

On March 10th, my Friday night date with my brother David, we went to The Hub Kitchen & Taps. Located on Newport Boulevard near 17th Street in Costa Mesa, The Hub is the latest restaurant to open in this space. I think we have a winner this time. We got there after 7pm so we expected it to be busy and it was, but pretty noisy inside. Lots of people at the bar were watching the March Madness games. We sat on the patio which was much quieter even with bar and TV access from the patio.

From the special Restaurant Week $20 dinner menu we both chose the fish and chips with tomato basil bisque for me and the wedge salad for bro (I had a wedge at lunch the day before). The soup was quite lovely, the fish lightly breaded with plenty of fish inside, French fries nice and crispy. Dessert was a big chocolate chip ice cream cookie for David and a small banana split for me. The waitress commented on our plates licked clean. “I guess you really hated that,” she laughed.

All in all a tasty Restaurant Week for me – and very affordable. This is certainly a wise marketing tool for local restaurants. The special prices allows diners to go out to eat somewhere they might not normally afford to go.

March 11, 2017 0

Tea and Toes

I am treating myself on this Valentine’s Day. Royal Tea and Treatery on Grace Lane in Costa Mesa is aptly named. This was a special treat made even nicer as owner Bridget Reilly let me drop in a Tuesday, which is her baking day. I had my own private catered affair. I chose The Siren from the tea party service menu. It is amazing how delicious gluten and dairy free treats can be.

While waiting for my order to be meticulously prepared by Bridget, I enjoyed my surroundings. It was almost like having a tea party in the fantasical playhouse you dreamed about as a child.

The Siren includes a pot of tea, tea sandwiches of the day, seasonal fruit, scones, and 3 mini desserts. I enjoyed Midnight Blue Tea (blend of blue lavender, corn flowers, blue mallow blossoms, rose petals and lemon grass) and …

3 Mini Scones with coconut cream

White chocolate peanut butter with apple

Egg salad on house-baked focaccia bread

Roasted red pepperjam with home-made hummus

Traditional Cucumber with Dilled Cream Cheese

Seasonal fruit

3 mini-desserts

Vanilla cupcake with strawberry frosting, gluten-free and very moist chocolate brownie topped with pecans and roasted coconut, and a luscious lemon bar.

There are also some interesting sounding sandwiches on the lunch menu – how about Tiffany’s Turkey, Marilyn’s Tuna or The Gina Lollobrigida Panino.

Bridget bakes and delivers weekly treats to Fermentation Farm. I blogged about them last week. So next time I am there, I must sample the German chocolate brownies, vegan banana bread and snicker doodles and Royal Tea and Treatery’s special coffee cake.

One other thing – I treated myself from head to toe. Robin at Style Lounge in Fountain Valley is the “Nail Queen” of Orange County. A soothing soak and massage and “Kung-fucshia” polish on my toes, my feet were screaming with joy!

I loved my totally pampered day. I really should do this more often. After all, I do deserve it – and so do you. I highly recommend Bridget and Robin as the ultimate pamperers.

February 15, 2017 1

Friday Night at Side Door

Early Valentine’s Day dinner treat with my brother, and what a coincidence that Side Door just happened to be on my blog list. Located in the same building as Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, it has the same cozy atmosphere. Side Door has a lighter pub-style menu and a nice selection of wines and craft beers. They do not take reservations, but our wait was only about 15 minutes – not bad for a Friday night. I had a glass of their house chardonnay, which was a lovely Bernier (Loir).

The service was attentive, and our waiter gave helpful suggestions as what we should order for our first visit. We started with the Side Door Cheese/Charcuterie Sampler consisting of Ribiola Tres Leches, Invierno, and Tomme pur Chevre paired with Prosciutto La Quercia, and Napoli apple-smoked salame – accompanied by walnuts, honey and blackberry coulis. Sounds pretty ritzy, doesn’t it? It was certainly all very delicious, and that board was emptied in short order.

Second course was a shared Reuben with pastrami, gruyere and thousand island on grilled rye. The pastrami was very tender and flavorful, cut in quarters – not very large and a little light on the dressing. The Winter Mushroom Soup was served with a float of parsley oil that lent a distinctive flavor to the subtlety of the soup. Oh that last sentence sounds so pretentious.

Dessert was a real winner and one of the house specialties – Whisky Bread Pudding with raisins and whipped cream.

side-door-dessert

One other thing – although parts were disappointing, this overal dining experience was pleasant. I would like to come back again – maybe for lunch when not so crowded. Good service and a friendly atmosphere can cetainly compensate for flaws in other areas. Some places are simply worth another try.

February 11, 2017 0

Yeah Fermentation Farm!!

Fermentation Farm is at 1125 Victoria Street in Costa Mesa. It is in a small strip mall but their store is on the corner and the sign faces the street. You can’t miss it, and you shouldn’t. Lizzie (one of several friendly and helpful staff members) waited on me and took me on a first timer’s tour of the small but very busy space. The best way to explain what they sell here is to quote from their flyer. They specialize in handcrafted fermented foods and drinks. Their goal is to bring back traditional foods from the past that are high in nutrients, electrolytes, collagen and minerals which are necessary for gut and immune system function and overall body wellness.

This is not a café. It is a store. There is, however, a small tasting bar where you can experience some of the flavors. You can order a bowl of chicken or beef bone broth (goodbye Swanson) then add your own ingredients from the condiment bar. I opted for chicken broth with generous portions of chopped organic carrots and celery, ginger, scallions, barley, turmeric (very strong flavor so just a dash), and fermented garlic. Wonderful bursts of flavor and very satisfying.

Kombucha fermented tea is quite popular right now and they have many flavor options. I bought a “growler”(64oz jug) and filled it with the natural fresh flavor. My son has been drinking Kombucha for quite a while and to quote him, “It has changed my life”.

Fermentation sells the organic beverages, bone broths, crock-fermented vegetables, raw dairy and organic locally-sourced products. There are also classes in fermenting, and they sell the supplies.

Fermentation Farms is actually a private club that charges a whopping $25 for a lifetime membership. Check them out at http://www.fermfarm.com. Eating healthy can actually be fun!!

The one other thing is the pico de gallo being made in the kitchen area. Several huge tubs of fresh tomatoes being blended with a special mixture of organic herbs and spices. the smell of that wonderful concoction was reason enough for my visit.

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January 29, 2017 0

Bangkok Corner

Located right in my neighborhood just 2 blocks away, I had driven by this Thai restaurant many times. It is hidden in the corner of a small retail center at Wilson and Newport in Costa Mesa. Good reviews finally drew me in. It is very small, with only 8 tables, but it has a very large menu.

The Combination Fried Rice was mentioned in the reviews so I wanted to try that. It contained beef, chicken, and shrimp with jasmine rice, egg and onion. Yummy and enough leftover for my dinner. Julie ordered the Chicken Yellow Curry on the lunch special – tender chunks of chicken, carrots and potato in mild yellow curry. The menu indicates that you can order your dishes mild, medium or hot. The waitress did not offer this option to Julie, so her “mild curry” pretty spicy….. she liked it though. The Thai iced tea (with coconut milk) was a pleasant and flavorable contrast to the tart and spicy flavors of our entrees.

One other thing – Bangkok Corner is quiet and unpretentious. Most tables were occupied when we arrived a 12:30. They do a lot of takeout business. I could walk there so I may just become of the their takeout customers. The slogan on their sign and menu is “Experience Faraway Flavors”. I would say that is true.

January 20, 2017 0

Public 74 Gastropub

Since my friend Jennifer lives in south Orange County and is my “food expert”, I asked her to join me for lunch at Public 74 in San Juan Capistrano. She had eaten there when it first opened two years ago but the current menu was unfamiliar to her. This restaurant offers fresh ingredients in the farm-to-table concept which allows for frequent menu changes.

The menu looked quite tempting with unique flavor combinations. For a starter, we ordered the Tomato Addiction which was practically a meal in itself. It consisted of cast iron roasted crushed garlic, sweet tomato and herbs finished with balsamic and served with a large wedge of St. Andre brie and grilled breads……a tasty mouthful of flavors!

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Choosing a sandwich took a while. Following the waiter’s suggestion as one of Public 74’s signature dishes, Jennifer opted for the Smokin Reuben – hickory roasted corned beef piled on grill-toasted rye, dressed in a spicy sauce combination, with kraut and emmentaler Swiss cheese. The corned beef was so very tender and flavorful but the sauce in the kraut was way too spicy for our tastes. That’s just us – there are plenty of fire eaters out there.

I ordered the Porto Burger, an herb roasted Portobello mushroom stacked on an onion bun with herb garlic aioli, Swiss cheese, caramelized onion, tomato and fresh lettuce. Both our sandwiches were accompanied by house made chips that were very crisp and light. Our overall experience was very enjoyable.

Diner Alert – Do NOT under any circumstances cut the Porto Burger in half unless you are prepared to eat it with a knife and fork!!

The other thing is the atmosphere. Piped in music was from the 50s and 60s with a little 70s and 80s mixed in – songs I hadn’t heard in a very long time, was enhanced by an attentive wait staff very high on the hottie meter.

January 14, 2017 2