RSMBob's Profile
Family Road Trip Lunch on a Monday between Ventura and Santa Maria...Cold Springs Tavern?
Thanks for the replies. If we had the time, the Jalama Beach Store sounds great, but maybe for another time. I'm going to try and get the family to hold out until we get to Cold Springs Tavern...if not, we'll hit something in Ventura or Carpenteria.
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Jalama Beach Cafe
404 E Ocean Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436
Family Road Trip Lunch on a Monday between Ventura and Santa Maria...Cold Springs Tavern?
Heading up to SLO from SoCal next week for a week of vacation/camping. Looking for a great lunch spot Ventura-Santa Barbara-Solvang-Santa Maria. Is Cold Springs Tavern ok for kids (7 and 12)? From what I hear it looks like it would be a fun place to stop.
We're in no hurry so we could even do the Lompoc-Vandenberg-Casmalia route as well. If HP2 in Casmalia were open for lunch, we'd probably do that.
Looking for good food, nothing pricy. A great burger or BBQ would be good, a view also good. We fdo the trip every year although we are coming from the coast this year instad of across the central valley on Highway 166. Our usual lunch stop is either Jocko's for a burger or more recently, Rancho Nipomo Deli/BBQ.
Thai, Sushi, or Meditteranean in North OC?
Ok chowhounds...I've got an out-of-state friend (I know, shocking) who is looking to get a gift card for a friend in North OC (Brea, Yorba Linda area)....their favorites ore sushi, Thai, and Meditteranean. Look, I can do steak, BBQ, pizza, etc., but those other three are NOT my strong suit.
Any help you can provide is appreciated.
A New Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in Newport Beach?
I don't know if it is related or not, but apparently there is a new Chicago-style pizza place in Yorba Linda called P.H.A.T. Pizza (Yorba Linda Blvd and Imperial Highway, just down the street from the RN Library). Interesting that it is not that far from Tony's Little Italy in Placentia. P.H.A.T. has gone in where Massimo's used to be. For what it's worth, they are the "Screamin' Daily Deal" of the day.
As for Irvine/Newport Beach, the only thing I can think of is possibly the former "Chicago Chicago Pizza" guys (UCI campus area) might be the ones setting up shop. I remember them from very good thin crust pizza, but not deep dish/stuffed.
It's going to be hot in Chicago this weekend! Ice cream recs, pls!!!!
West burbs - Every Day's a Sundae in DG
SW - Plush Horse in Palos Park (worth the drive)
Italian-style - Marios's on Taylor Street across from Al's
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Plush Horse
12301 S 86th Ave, Palos Park, IL 60464
Mr. Beef of Chicago - Venice boardwalk
Uh oh...hope this isn't a real bad thing. Notice on the Mr Beef LA Facebook page an hour ago said closed until further notice.
Inexpensive lunch in Costa Mesa (close to South Coast Plaza)
Yep, I stand corrected...the address should map you correctly. Heck, it's hard enough to find KNOWING where it is, let alone me putting someone in the wrong place!
Inexpensive lunch in Costa Mesa (close to South Coast Plaza)
I'll add one more...Hans' Homemade Ice Cream just N of SCP in Santa Ana on Bristol. Decent sandwiches, but oh, that ice cream! If you need to indulge in a treat, there's your spot!
Inexpensive lunch in Costa Mesa (close to South Coast Plaza)
My pick is Chicago's Best in a food court on Main betw Von Karman and McArthur. Italian Beef sandwiches, very good burgers or hot dogs, even a plate of ribs.
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Chicago's Best
2540 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
sheet cakes from Pavilions or Costco...are they any good?
If the time works out, just do Costco. They put out a VERY good cake and you will not come close as far as your bang for the buck.. Costco's half-sheet cake costs about what Vons/Pavs quarter-sheet cake costs.
One day in Chicago - Mr. Beef or Johnnie's?
Personally I don't think it's much of a contest. Johnnie's wins hands down. A combo dipped (no peppers for me), fries, and a lemon ice is about as good a lunch as I can imagine. I have not been to the AH location, but I hear it holds up well to the original, even without the same atmosphere. I've probably had Italian Beef or combo's from 30-50 places in the Chicago area over the years (counting multiple Portillo's locations as one), and Johnnie's is special...the sandwich is great, and the atmosphere of the Elmwood Park location is interesting for sure.
Mr. Beef is good, and when I am downtown, I will make the trek there, but I've never been wow'd by it.
Santa Maria BBQ in Culver City
Finally made it to Santa Maria BBQ in CC with the family and thought it was good, but not great. Had a sampler plate of ribs, chicken and tri-tip. It was all ok, but just didn't have much flavor. The best was the tri-tip but I don't think it is in the same league of my favorite tri-tip (Buckboard Grill in Upland). $80 plus for 2 adults and 2 kids and that is w/o alcohol or dessert...not an inexpensive place.
Mr. Beef of Chicago - Venice boardwalk
I'm looking forward to giving it a try, hopefully this weekend. $6.99 is pretty pricey for an italian beef sandwich. That being said, even the prices at the 2 Portillo's here in SoCal are about 20% higher than those in the Chicago area. I believe the Portillo's Big Beef is 9".
Great find....that gives 4 very legit IB places in the LA area....Portillo's (2 locations), Chicago's Best in Irvine, Taste Chicago in Burbank, and now Mr. Beef LA.
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Chicago's Best
2540 Main St, Irvine, CA 92614
Taste Chicago
603 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505
Mr. Beef LA
1809 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
What's your best burger in OC?
Nice to see some old topics pop back up.
As mentioned above, I'm a condiment-free guy...no ketchup, mayo, lettuce, sauce...just give me meat, cheese, and bun.
That being said, for non-ridiculously priced burgers, I think Ruby's is underrated and consistently very good. Portillo's is another very good burger. And dare I say it, Fuddrucker's does it pretty well, also, although I miss the days of Flakey Jake's on Katella E of Disneyland.
I'd still like to find a $7 or less burger (with good fries) that is a good thick hunk of quality beef, seasoned nicely, cooked medium rare to medium, some gooey melted cheddar, on a great bun.
Types of pizza in and around Chicago
I'll agree with nsxtasy and ferret here...if you say "Chicago-style pizza", 90% of people would think deep dish/stuffed.
And as a true Chowhound, I am equally partial to thin crust and deep dish/stuffed. More often than not, it's thin crust because it is easier to find and frankly, easier to eat. However, there are some times when the craving for deep dish/stuffed hits, and for me, that means a 40 minute drive (I live in SoCal but my pizza heart remains in Chicago).
Types of pizza in and around Chicago
Every time I go back to visit my family in Chicago ('burbs) I just wonder how the heck Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's do ANY business there.
Types of pizza in and around Chicago
nsxtasy,
Don't get me wrong here...I'm a big fan of all of your posts and think you are one of the op contributor's here, but I will strongly disagree with you here. Despite the proliferation of Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, and others, varieites of thin crust pizza still dominate in the Chicago area. I can't get the source for the life of me, but I recall getting a number from a pizza industry person about 3 or 4 years ago that estimated 83% of restaurant pizza sold in the Chicago area was of the thin crust variety. I believe that to be fairly accurate, as if you think about it, the majority of deep dish/stuffed crust places also sell thin crust, while most places that specialize in thin crust do NOT do a deep dish/stuffed crust version.
Looking for Italian beef
I will say that IMHO Chicago's Best is hands down the best Italian Beef in SoCal, and I've tried about 6-8 places...and I'm a huge Portillo's fan as well. I have found that the beef at CB is MORE flavorful than at Portillo's and you certainly get a bigger sandwich for the $$. The combo (with itlaian sausage) is superb, and coupled with some of the best fries in Orange County, it's my top choice. Very good burgers and ribs as well. Biggest negative is the hours...no weekends and close at 6 on weekdays.
Portillo's just makes me happy. Consistently good food and reminds me of being back "home", with outdoor seating as a CA bonus. Last time my friend was there, Jay Leno was 2 tables over (he E-Mailed me a pic), not that it means anything other than Jay knows good food! Great burgers, snadwiches, salads, veggie stuff, and chocolate cake to boot!
Central Coast Red Oak Wood - where to buy?
Thanks to both for the info...man, I'm getting hungry for it already.
Central Coast Red Oak Wood - where to buy?
Not sure if this is should go in Home Cooking but it is SO area specific that I think it belongs here...
We're making a family camping pilgimage to the central coast next week (we will be at Lopez Lake near Arroyo Grande/Pismo Beach - between Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo) and I expect to be doing a lot of outdoor cooking for 10 or more of us. I'd like to pick up some red oak wood to properly do the tri-tips in the Santa Maria BBQ style....where can i best get a lot of the wood (and some to take home?
Am I best using regular charcoal and mixing in some "chips, or should I just burn down some larger pieces?
FWIW, we've hit two of the Holy Grail....Jocko's and Far Western Tavern. Hoping to make it to The Hitching Post this time around as well as of course to the Thursday night Farmer's market in SLO.
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Far Western Tavern
899 Guadalupe St, Guadalupe, CA
Hitching Post
3325 Point Sal Rd, Casmalia, CA 93429
Your Single Favorite BBQ Dish in SoCal?
I've got 2:
1. Baby back (pork) ribs at Tulsa Rib Company in Orange (throw in a side of Tulsa potatoes, please).
2. Tri-tip from Buckboard BBQ in Upland.
NY+C Pizza -- 1 out of 2 ain't bad
Yes, it's true...thin crust (usually cut into "squares" represents 80-85% of all pizza sold in the Chicago area according to industry experts. There are a multitude of well-known places for "tin crust" or bar/tavern style pizza. The deep dish/stuffed just gets more of the attention as "Chicago-style" because of its relative uniqueness.
That being said...in SoCal my favorite thin crust "Chicago Style" is Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock and for stuffed/deep dish it's Tony's Little Italy in Placentia.
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Little Italy
627 S San Jacinto Ave, San Jacinto, CA 92583
Santa Maria BBQ...catering?
I second Buckboard. It's the real deal and catering is a big part of their biz.
"Hidden" restuarants around LA/OC?
I'll give a late 3rd to Sabatino's and throw in one of my favorites....Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse in Trabuco Canyon. A different kind of adventure finding it vs Sabatino's but equally satisfying and enjoyable. Unique locale and atmosphere, and the food is really good.
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Sabatino's
251 Shipyard Way, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in LA?
TP, I'd be intrested in hearing your thoughts on comparing (or contrasting) Tony's with "authentic Chicago Deep Dish". I see the stuffed crust pizza at Tony's as being very similar to Giordano's, as is that at Chicago Pasta House.
I was just at Tony's last night and it was great as usual. Probably a good thing it's not closer to my house!
Best BBQ Ribs in LA in the style of Twin Anchors (Chicago)?
Twin Anchors falls into a category scorned by BBQ purists...they call it "meat jello". That being said, it's pretty darn tasty no matte how it's prepared.
Although it's not local to where you are, I would highly reccomend a trip to Orange County and the Tulsa Rib Company at Tustin and Collins in teh City of Orange. Not quite Twin Anchors-style, but close enough, and the tenderness and taster will likely bring you back (get the Tulsa potatoes, too).
A beautiful Italian sausage?
I'll add to the Sabatino's reccomendation. Best italian sausage I have ever had...and I'm a native Chicagoan.
Chicago-Style Pizza in OC
Yes, one, Tony's is the closest of the 3 to me (yet still 20+ miles, grr), and I like the family run neighborhood atmosphere of the place not ot mention the pizza itself! CPH was my go-to before I discovered Tony's but the distance made it quite the trek.
OC Birthday Dinner, tired of all the chains...Help!
I'll put in a sugggestion for one of my favorites (and I think it would be great for a birthday celebration)...Sabatino's in Newport Beach.
