mrsjoujou's Profile
Best gourmet ice cream and patisserie?
We tried it last night and it was fine, but too sweet for us. We tried peach pepper and blueberry Chèvre. We also sampled coconut curry lemongrass and maple fig. They were out of strawberry balsamic and one of the guys said they had a busy day yesterday. Their stuff is no where near Berthillon. Their price is very fair, if only they cut the sugar a bit.
Trader Joe's frozen croissants
I have made them all year and I live in OC,CA. The only difference, sometimes they are smaller than other times. The warmer the temp, the bigger they get which is fine with me.
AB No reservations
This must have been one of the worst shows. His non stop drinking is getting boring. His Istanbul and Paris shows in the previous seasons were the best. It feels like, his team is getting lazy and they don't want to make any effort in certain shows.
Pizzeria Mozza, Newport Beach - has anyone been?
Don't you eat Neapolitan pizza in Costa Mesa! Same reason we tried it in Florence. I looked at my notes and the place was Pizzeria Il Pizzaiuolo.Thank god for the notes.
Pizzeria Mozza, Newport Beach - has anyone been?
Yes, I understand they are different styles. I have had neapolitan pizza in
Florence! and Keste in NYC and they were way better than Ortica. We enjoyed our dinner at AC and I still dream about the pea soup.
Pizzeria Mozza, Newport Beach - has anyone been?
Because of your latest encouragement to try Ortica, we tried their sausage pizza and bolognese pasta and we were really disappointed in both of them. The pasta was overcooked and we didn't care about the pizza's crust and the sausage was nothing like Mozza's. Mozza's crust and ingredients are way better.
Visiting Laguna Beach for a week - need recommendations
The place in the Pottery place is called Sapphire and wa ate there this weekend and I would call it over priced. Since I have already tried most of their menu, I made a mistake of ordering their fish tacos. $17.50 for three small fish tacos is hardly cheap!! I haven't been to Toranto in years, but most of the restaurants we go to in LA/OC are not cheap and the portions are not huge.
Grub Street and viruses
Yes, that has happened to me, many times and it is very annoying.
Best gourmet ice cream and patisserie?
The drive to Grom from SM was a breeze yesterday. Very unusual.
Trip report
Thank you for reading. My husband just didn't like the taste of the Pigeon and it was not that juicy. I just wish that I was at the sat farmer's mkt right now.
Another let down was the Blue bottle at the FB. We tried hot chocolate, capuccion, latte and drip coffee and they were all fine, but not great. I had a list of all the great coffee shops, but we either pass by them at the wrong time or it was too far from where we were at the time. Next time!
Best gourmet ice cream and patisserie?
If you like gelato, I like Grom in malibu and Carmela at the Hollywood's farmer's mkt or Pasadena for their great salted caramel ice cream.
Trip report
We had a great time eating and walking all over in SF. Here is a review of the places we tried. Some hits and some misses.
Atelier Crenn
We were there for the first seating and had the whole place to ourselves for the first forty minutes. It almost felt like chef Crenn was just cooking for us and I joked to my husband that I have arranged for the private dining. We choose the five course tasting. We started with a series of amuse bouches and first was the asparagus spongy bread and butter. We were then served a single mussel with a very tasty saffron aioli. Our favorite amuse was kir Breton. Our favorite course of the night was the spring pea soup with the most delicious carrot sorbet, a tiny ruby carrot and I think coconut foam. We just wished we could have more of this soup. Every time a server walked by with this soup I wished we were in the receiving end. We were then served two tiny white radishes with sea salt and butter. Our second favorite course was the sea plate. It consisted of a very tasty white fish, a very fresh mussel, nice uni and some salmon roe. We were then served a palate cleanser of shiso and Saki sorbet. It was nice and refreshing. Walk in a forest was next and we really enjoyed all different kind of mushrooms, but were not crazy about the meringue. It was just too sweet and too much of it. The last savory course was our least favorite because I don’t care for birds and I had no idea a bird course was on the menu. This is a lesson for me to always tell them upfront I don’t care for birds. This course was a Pigeon and I took a little bite and didn’t care for it at all. My husband had a little more than me and didn’t care for it either. Thankfully the dessert was great and chef Crenn told us we were her Ginny pig to try a new dessert. It was a big red beet with stems and root. The beet was a beet sorbet with the root was a chocolate. It was visually beautiful and even though I am not a beet fan I enjoyed it. We finish the meal with pate de fruit, salted caramel and passion fruit meringue. Service was very professional and friendly, except at times we couldn’t understand our waiter’s descriptions of some of the courses. We will never forget that beautiful pea soup.
Barbacco
We had dinner here and started with roasted mushrooms trifolati and truffled mascarpone. It was nice and rich. We then moved to our favorite dish of the night farro with asparagus, radish, parm, arugula and a very tasty lemon dressing. I have to make my own version soon. maccheroni alla chitarra with pork ragu was next and it was good, but didn’t wow us. Next was quid stuffed with ‘nduja and none of us really cared for it and it was on a salty side. Our second favorite was the Sicilian meatballs with raisins and pine nuts. It had a great flavor and it was nice and moist. Service was great and friendly.
SPQR
We had brunch here and it was pretty good. We started with very tasty pumpkin bread. One of the reasons I picked this place is for their pasta dish with bacon, uni and quail egg. On that day, this dish was a part of their Prixe fixe, but our very friendly waiter told us that they can serve it to me as an a la carte. It was pretty good, but a little on a salty side. We also tried the eggs al forno with polenta, SM tomatoes and fennel sausage. It was a pretty satisfying dish. The best dish was the chestnut tagliatelle with suckling pork. We all loved it and it was our waiter’s favorite dish also. We finished our brunch with an assortment of their salted caramel chocolate.
Commonwealth
We had dinner here on our last night and the experience was mixed. I picked this place because I wanted to try it and also because it was close to Tartine and we could pick our bread up. We were there for the first seating and the place was almost packed right away. I started with asparagus, crushed avocado, black olive and chicory root and it was a very fresh starter and reminded me of the spring dishes that we had in Paris last year. I also tried the crushed pea agnolotti with artichoke and my favorite part was the artichoke. I have had better agnolotti than this. My brother didn’t care much for his slow cooked egg with peas and mint bread pudding. Two of us ordered the pork shoulder and my husband had the rainbow trout. My pork shoulder was mostly fat, but my brother’s looked much better. The server never showed up until we were finished with our main courses and when he asked me how I liked the pork shoulder he was surprised with my answer. The rainbow trout was fine. We shared the strawberry dessert with basil and we got strawberry sorbet on the house. It was a nice gesture, but I wish I have gotten a better part of the pork shoulder not the end, dry pieces. Service was cold, except for the helpful hostess.
Knead patisserie
The Pomme d’amore was great and we really enjoyed it. Either that day everything went wrong in their kitchen or I don’t know what happened. We tried the Pain au chocolate and it tasted bready and cakey and the top was hard as rock. The Butter Pecan Croissants was not much better. My bother didn’t care much for the fruit poptart.The Cheese and Herb Pastry was fine. So, besides the Pomme d”amore this place was a disappointment.
Tartine
I called three days prior for the bread order and lucky for me they called me back two days prior to the pickup date. I got one of their each bread, but since it took me two day after to slice it the quality was a little less than perfect. The hot out of the oven piece we tried was as great as the great breads from Paris. We also tried:
Coconut cream pie was pretty good
Chocolate tea cake was pretty good
Pain au jambon our favorite, my silly husband said it was too big for him!!!
Cake aux olives was OK
Gougere was good
Pain au chocolate was good
Frangipane croissant was good
Frangipane tart with blueberry was very good and I like the fact that it was not sweet at all.
We always love Tartine and wish we had one near by. We have Huckleberry and Milo and Olive in Santa Monica, but it is not the same. You pay more for less.
Ferry plaza sat farmer’s mkt
You have the best farmer’s mkt and cheaper than the one in Santa Monica, Hollywood or OC. We started with sour cherry and pear and raspberry galettes from city bakery. I was really looking for Della Fattoria and I even walked by them but I didn’t notice, it was them. I liked the sour cherry one very much. We also really enjoyed the burger from 4505 meats and preferred it over the porchetta sandwich from RR. The potatoes from RR were OK. We wished they were more browned.
Swan Oyster Depot
We saved our last lunch for this place and that was a mistake. Even at two PM there was a long line so I figure we just get a take out. I had to wait for fifteen minutes before they took my order and another ten to fifteen minutes for them to give me my incomplete order. By the time we hiked to Lafayette park and opened our package we realized that they have left out the seafood salad and that was to be shared between me and my husband. Oh, we were so upset. We should have known from the price that something was missing, but after walking all day and waiting for thirty minutes for a take out, I guess we were too tired to notice. What they serve is good, but very basic.
Ferry building Mkt
Cowgirl side kick- We tried their Mt Tam and chutney sandwich and it must have had one to two ounces of cheese in there. It was 99% bread.
Boccalone Salumeria- We tried their sausage sandwich and it was tasty with onions and peppers.
American eatery- We ate here after they messed up our order at the Swan Oyster Depot. We tried the green goddess burger and the chili. The burger was grass fed and it came with avocado, cheese and over easy egg. It was a hefty burger and messy and a good one, but we preferred the one from 4505 better. The chili was good.
McEvoy Ranch- I really like their olive oil and always get one when I am in town.
Cowgirl creamery- I really liked the Gabietou, Keen cheddar and Lincolnshire poacher. The staff is always so helpful and friendly.
Recchiuti - always love this place and picked up the usual fleur de sel caramel, cherry two ways, smores bites(the best). The only disappointing item was the brownie. It was a little sugary and I think the first ingredient was sugar!!
Also got some mitakie mushrooms from the mushroom guy and Scharffen Berger chocolates for a gift. This place is always the last stop for a reason.
I almost forgot Bi- Rite. The salted caramel and chocolate never dissappoints. Also tried lavander honey and orange cardamom and they were great. Now, only if they shipped.
Amedei in Orange County, CA?
Amedei chocolates are my favorites also and I haven't seen it anywhere in OC.
Forbes Top Restaurants in the US?
You are going to Atelier Crenn next weekend too. We are going there next Fri. Hopefully we all have a great experience.
Trader Joe's Yea/Nay Thread - 1st quarter 2012 [old]
The reason I really like the sea salt choc almond is, because the chocolate is not sweet. Not everything is for everyone.
Tasting menu prices in Bay Area
That is interesting, $20 less. We will be there in a couple of weeks and hopefully we will have a great experience, like you had.
Help me choose a restaurant. Providence, Ink, Animal, others?
we were there recently also and loved the foie, specially combined with waffle and marshmallow. Our pork belly was the fattiest pork belly we ever had, like 80-90% fat. We always love the apple dessert. Great thing about Ink, they always change their menu.
Greek yogurt sales continue to soar
I eat the plain 2% and add my own fruit and nuts.
Recommendations for Orange County Restaurant Week 2011 ?
Charlie Palmer's portions are much larger than Marche Moderne, if that matters to you. We just had lunch at MM and noticed thieir prixe fixe portions has gotten much smaller, specially their salad course.
Pastries at Short Cakes???
We tried a bunch of things and overal they were pretty good.
TCHO Brownie- It was good with nice chunks of chocolate, but on the sweet side.
Brunette with Pine Nuts & Thyme- I prefer this one over brownie. It has a unique taste.
Chocolate Cinnamon Babka- it was good, but not worth the money
Twice-Baked Hazelnut- my brother and husband really liked this one, but I found it on the sweet side.
Bacon & Cheddar Croissant- We all really liked this one.
Comté & Thyme croissant- this one was good, but not worth the price.
Costco worth it for a couple?
There is only two of us and we switched to executive almost two years ago. Executive is not a credit card. I buy all my poduce, grass fed beef and most fish from Whole Foods . I buy a lot of cheese, paper products, vitamins and some fruit from Costco and all I had to pay for the membership last year was $19.
Mariage freres tea
To me the Wedding Imperial taste more like coffee than a tea. I don't taste much chooclate and caramel. It must be my tast bud. I don't take sugar and cream and if my husband make the WI too strong, it gives me a heart burn just like a strong coffee. That is why we call WI, coffee tea!!!!!
800 degrees crust
More than half of us picked just two toppings. I picked bacon and baby eggplant and they hardly put any bacon and the baby eggplants were not that good.
800 degrees crust
You are right. I edited my post. Some of the pizza crusts we recieved were so plae it needed at leat 30 second more time in the oven. Obviously they didn't cook all our pizza the same way.
Mariage freres tea
Well, I picked up a a few tea last time I was in Paris after sniffing for half and hour on their shop at Faubourg Saint- Honore
Wedding Imperia-l love it as usual
The Sur Le Ni-l it is a very nice green tea
Earl Grey French Blue- I prefer Imperial over this
Black Orchid- Raelly like this one. Very nice rich taste
Montagne D' OR- This one was Ok. It is china black with some lemon peel and other fruits
Casablanca- This was an Ok peppermint tea
800 degrees crust
Eight of us went there last week and nobody cared for the crust. My crust was OK, but some of the other crusts were really pale and needed more time in the oven. I have had, pizza all over Italy and although the 800 degree prices is on the lower end the toppings are good quality, the pizza as a whole is not that great.
Greek yogurt sales continue to soar
I used to eat Fage 2% a few years ago, but when Chobani came to the mkt in CA, I switched to that. I like the taste of Chobani better, because it is more tangy and it reminds me of the yogurt from Greece and Turkey. To me, Fage taste more like a sour cream. I had a hard time finding Chobani 2% in our whole foods in OC for the past few months and finally in the past two weeks I have been able to buy some.
Bourdain in San Francisco for Layovers
The show's title should have been, where to drink in SF. He wasted too much time drinking in one of the best food cities in the country.
