bernardo's Profile
ISO Authentic Italian in Vaughan Area
We're from Surf City (Huntington Beach) and will be visiting relatives in Vaughan. We're thinking of talking them out for a nice Italian dinner nearby. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Unforgettable PIZZA CRUST you ever eaten in Southern California
Maybe a little, but I'd hate to think I was totally clueless, so here's OC Weekly's best pizza of 2011:
http://www.ocweekly.com/bestof/2011/award/best-pizza-1144169/
Unforgettable PIZZA CRUST you ever eaten in Southern California
Actually, opening may be imminent if OC Weekly has it right...
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2011/08/pizzeria_mozza_newport_beach_u.php
Unforgettable PIZZA CRUST you ever eaten in Southern California
We prefer woodfired pizza at Ecco (at the Lab Anti-Mall on Bristol) to those at Il Dolce or Ortica, but obviously it's a matter of personal taste. Friendlier and better value too. The 4*s are only for the pizza, everything else is just so-so at Ecco.
Having said that, IOHO no pizza in OC holds a candle to Mozza, but we read they're planning to open in OC so stay tuned.
Ecco's Neopolitan Style Pizza
To continue the discussion from thread http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/735275 on pizza in OC and more specifically Neopolitan style from a wood burning oven, we agree with SIV's assessment in LA Times last week that the pizza at Ecco is quite respectable, if IOHO not quite the level of Mozza but pretty close. Easy to get to and park, and sans the frenzy of Mozza. The rest of the chow was just fair and not as good as Mozza, but much cheaper if that's any consolation. Anyway, a viable alternative to Il Dolce (which as we posted previously is not to our liking), at least until Mozza lands on PCH in Newport this summer. We understand that other place with decent Neopolitan pizza in So County is also coming to the Newport area eventually too, foreboding an embarrassment of artisan pizza riches for which many of us in central coastal OC have hungered so long.
Is there any terrific pizza in OC?
So truth be told, we were less than enamored with il Dolce but absolutely relish Mozza (www.pizzeriamozza.com). So we were both amused & tickled pink to find out Mozza is about to land in Newport, and in all places, on the former site of a rather different Dolce on PCH!
good places to eat in Huntington Beach CA
Please don't tell anybody because the place is tiny, but Mona Lisa (Adams & Magnolia) has seductive Italian chow at favorable prices with superfriendly service. Beats the pants off of MM (assuming you can find a seat). www.monalisacucina.com
Langers was good but............
While my experiences at WF Bella Terra are mostly positive, I would concede there's variability in the product. But being local to Bella Terra, I can and do opt out on occasion sans regrets (other than opportunity risk), namely, one can screen the product in advance -- inspect visually and request samples before committing to purchase. So in my case quality post-screening matters more than variability pre-screening. But for those who insist on certainty and no opting -out, Langer's is undoubtedly worth the extra freight.
Langers was good but............
On a budget, aye matey? So, howbout a smoked (~ 24 hrs on premises) brisket sandwich or platter from Whole Foods Terra Bella, generous servings for ~ $9 (occasionally $2 less for the sandwich). Intensely smoky, tasty, meaty and juicy alternative to NY style pastrami or brisket. Dead ringer for the product offered by County Line restaurants in Texas, NM & Colorado. And most importantly the costumer rules at the smoked meat counter, you choose the slab and slice exactly as you like it, all right before your own eyes. Removes the element of chance from your precious sandwich.
Cheap eats in Laguna Beach?
Romeo, where art thou? Suggest lunching at Romeo Cucina, on Bdwy 1/2 block from PCH. Pastas & pizza while not gourmet are NTL quite tasty, al dente to our delight, and fairly priced (most $11 -$15). Comfortable digs with nice open air ambiance and people watching, complimentary fresh bread out of the wood fired oven & tapenade that fills you fast if you're not careful. Pastas fairly large &splittable if you're looking to economize. Friendly & accommodating, they tailor sauces to your liking. Walkable to Pageant.
Il Dolce Pizzeria- Costa Mesa....finally a real deal unpretentious artisanal pizzeria
So finally had the chance to stop in for lunch today. We had a Margherita with mushies (ordered extra crispy), large bottle of Pellegrino and a mixed greens side salad. Pizza verdict: Perfect crust, good ingredients but very skimpy (had to search for mushies), and runnier than we expected even after cooling. Skimpier than anything we had in Italy and boy, have we've eaten a lot of pizza all over Italy. Salad just OK, Pellegrino at $8 higher than at most upscale joints. Strongest point IOHO was friendly and attentive service.
Bottom line: Tasty pizza with as good a crust as you're likely to find anywhere, but at $35+ with tip a rather questionable value for a somewhat skimpy lunch in pedestrian digs on a noisy blvd. We might give it a second try if we happened to be in the neighborhood, but that's about it.
Pasadena long time passing -- frankly, what's new & exciting?
Can't believe a year + since in Paz last, but with a concert this weekend looking for new, different and houndish to chow down beyond Pkwy Grill, Houstons, Saladang, Tre Venezie and the like, any type but Med preferred.
Fresser's hot pastrami truck is going away
So a few questions my maven if I may.
Is Langer's preparation pretty much public domain or is there a secret method to which only a select few are privy like Crustacean/Anqui claims (work there 10 years before you can get into the secret kitchen)? If Fresser's can emulate can't others? Then why hasn't anyone made the leap with exurban brick & mortars?
OK, let's stipulate Langers is the one and only source for Langers style pastrami. Do they sell the makings by the pound & if so for how much?
I detest Tommy Pastrami's pastrami but love their rye bread, does that rise to the level of heresy?
Fresser's hot pastrami truck is going away
Yeah, second Brent's a mere 50 miles from my adobe. And truth be told, we find Nate N'Al's pastrami edible and new pickles addictive but the bread could be better. Having said that, pickins so slim south of the 10 both frustrates and perplexes this one bloke.
"Hidden" restuarants around LA/OC?
Simultaneously retro and modern, traditional and creative, but invariably friendly and inviting. Is homegrown produce a trip or could you care care less? Do you find juxtapositions, ambiguities and paradoxes stimulating or annoying? Would you excuse an overabundance of cruciferous veggies? Arguably not everyone's bag, but despite all odds we find the chow and ambiance funky and curiously titillating. But try it and see.
"Hidden" restuarants around LA/OC?
Park Ave in Stanton, dine in the adjoining "park" & visit the garden where they grow their own produce. Not unknown or unheralded, but hidden in a town that time forgot. All in all, rather cool.
Fresser's hot pastrami truck is going away
So, what are your faves (if any) outside of downtown (Westside, SM, South Bay, OC) for decent or passable pastrami? Thanx for sharing.
good places to eat in Huntington Beach CA
Our picks are Alessa for Italian (Main St near downtown) & Lou's Oak for Santa Maria BBQ (Brookhurst & Hamilton).
King's Fish in Bella Terra is closest to edible in the freeway-close category..
OK in a pinch: Mangia Mangia on GW, Cafe Gazelle on Bolsa Chica & La Fontana on Beach, all Italian/Med.
What is the best Indian restaurant in LA?
Second Ambala Dahba (Artesia outpost) & Addi's. Honorable mention for a positive Pakistani experience: Al Noor, Inglewood & Marine in Lawndale
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Al Noor
15112 Inglewood Ave, Lawndale, CA 90260
any recent experiences at 555 East in Long Beach?
So, what is the best value steak house around these days IYO, maybe Taylor's? I doubt Black Angus makes the cut, ha ha.
Good middle eastern food in the OC
Slightly across the county line from OC in Belmont Shores lies the epitome of non-intimidating (clientele, staff, chow, prices) Middle Eastern, Open Sesame. Casual, familiar fare at fair prices favored by a youngish beach crowd. Pleasant & tasty if not adventurous or inspired. Not far up the street George's Greek serves a cousin cuisine to Arabic, with lots of lemony flavors, kebabs and lamb chops. Again far from gourmet, but fun & a good value to boot. Come to think of it, not too much in the way of fine dining along this strip, but diverse cuisines and moderate prices means no one goes hungry either.
Il Dolce Pizzeria- Costa Mesa....finally a real deal unpretentious artisanal pizzeria
I must say you have a way of sparking curiosity, Dolce's on the list, voids, char and all that. Seriously, though, the chains -- Sammy's, CPK, Wolfgang, Z pizza -- have become noticeably sloppy and taking more shortcuts of late. It may not matter when you're out with a group and expectations are low, perhaps dining alone one could be more perceptive & dare I say selective. But at the end of the day pizza is still subjective, with some swearing by while others detesting Casa Bianca, Ciaoti, La Bottega Marino & what not. Different strokes perhaps.
Il Dolce Pizzeria- Costa Mesa....finally a real deal unpretentious artisanal pizzeria
Truth be told I prefer Pizza Metro in Vico Equense http://www.pizzametro.it/ but I don't find the CPK corruption that bad either, although Sammy's is 10x better. So what do Dolce & PeV really bring to the table if might be so bold as to inquire?
best mexican in the OC?
The direction this discussion is taking reminds that there's no unique criteria for "best" Mexican or any varietal or ethnic cuisine for that matter. There's no doubt a wide variety of regional cuisines in Mexico that logically would not be pitted against each other (like pitting Cantonese vs Chiu Chow vs Hunan vs Shanghai vs Sezhuan?). And then there's the matter of "authentic" or eclectic or country-style or peasant or whatever, each a category in its own right. Would you really pit CA vs Southern vs Texan vs New England? Or pizza vs BBQ vs chicken vs steak? Or greasy spoons vs family style vs eclectic fine dining? Maybe what works is suggesting some winners within narrower and better defined categories and styles. The "best" undeveined shrimp and fried grasshoppers in the world may not be what the OP had in mind. Or maybe........
best mexican in the OC?
So checked out most recent reviews could find on web for rec #1, Mariscos Puerto Esperanza. Extracts:
Reviewer #1 (12/14/09): ".. a major disappointment. Maybe this place used to be a stellar restaurant.....shrimp wasn't de-veined and the "tostada" was a stale tortilla out of the box.... seafood was over-cooked.... relatively inexpensive, but considering the quality, I don't think we would go back....".
Reviewer #2 (12/12/09)"....What was unforgiveable was the quality of the food......salsa which could at best be described as "angry water". .....relleno appetizer .... casket of chewy, over-cooked shellfish..... ."Langostinos Zaraneados" was another vessel of over-cooked sea creatures...... "Salmon Yucatan" ($12.95) ...... not only was the fish over-cooked as well, but the grilled veggies were bone-chilling cold...."
Hmm.
best mexican in the OC?
Having lived in New Mexico six years and visited on many other occasions, Mexican chow in So Cal is nothing if not a big disappointment. Having said that, some urges are primal and need to be satisfied so strangely enough two extremes of the refined and basic vie for attention. Namely, Taleo on the refined end, especially for seafood and some comforting if not knock your socks off enchiladas. On the basic side, just a smidgeon outside OC on PCH in LB, Enrique's beckons. Nice camarones con ajo (off menu) and chicken soup with avocado, ole. IMHO Taco Mesa only for the experience (suits, students & bikers, oh my) and Taco Rosa & Javier's for NE visitors. And Avila's is to laugh. Still need to try Gabbi's in the quest for salvation.
Mastro's on the Ropes?
US News says Mastro's is on the ropes (http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/flowchart/2009/06/12/restaurants-on-the-ropes.html):
Mastro’s. These elegant steakhouses may be among the nation’s best, but they’re also clustered in Arizona and southern California, where housing woes have char-broiled the economy. With just 7 outlets (including two Ocean Club restaurants), Mastro’s lacks the scale and geographic diversity of bigger chains like Morton’s and McCormick & Schmick’s. Sales have fallen along with customers’ net worth and corporate expense budgets, and Mastro’s cash flow is likely to get worse before the double-cut porterhouse ($68.50) comes back into style..............
Anyone notice a decline in patronage at Mastro's?
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Mastros Restaurant
2087 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Bravo Born-again Bristol
This week it's BF's seafood, veal & lamb on sale at 40% off. Upside of the recession as is less traffic going to work. Sure rather have a good economy with lousy traffic and Bristol's exorbitant prices, but OTOH why stare a gift horse in the mouth?
Langer's question...
This franchise would be an incredible goldmine on the Westside or beach cities. Do you know if they plan on staying downtown indefinitely?
