smiles33's Profile
Ideas for kid-friendly Monday lunch options in South Bay?
Falafel Drive In sounds good to me, but I'm also intrigued by Anjappar Cettinad, as we usually get standard Indian fare or chaat. Thanks for the rec. I've been to that McCarthy Ranch Center before (we're Chinese) but I'm really picky about my Chinese food and have been disappointed the last few times I've tried places there. My favorite is still the Chinese Muslim restaurant Peking House/Chinjin Eastern House which has moved between Fremont/San Jose/Campbell over the past 15+ years.
Ideas for kid-friendly Monday lunch options in South Bay?
I'm looking for ideas for places open for lunch on Mondays anywhere from Milpitas down to San Jose. We usually go north to Oakland and Berkeley places (Wood Tavern, Hawker Fare, random ethnic places) but we have an appt down by 880/101 and I don't know that area well.
Budget is open, but obviously not a 5 star place since I will have my 3 and 6 year olds with me. We eat everything, and my girls are adventurous eaters (they love Korean, Afghan, Japanese, and Indian food, but I'd prefer something different since we get those all the time close to home). I mention kid-friendly places just because I don't want to bring them to places that cater primarily to the business lunch crowd (it always makes me feel uncomfortable even though the girls are usually well-behaved and quiet).
The only complication is that my youngest has a peanut allergy so we usually avoid Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.
Thanks in advance!
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Great rec, DU! We got 2 rice plates (lemongrass beef & shredded chicken) and ordered bang mi for breakfast. Kids loved it and the owners were really nice. Thanks again.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Uh-oh, Nhu Lan went downhill that fast? Where do you recommend now? We can drive there instead of walk, since we're planning on leaving DLR everyday for lunch and the girls' nap.
As for my youngest daughter's peanut allergy, it doesn't seem severe so far (she broke out in a rash when I gave her some peanut butter when we ran out of almond butter) so I took her in for a blood test. I don' t think that peanut dust in her vicinity will set her off. I'm more concerned about peanuts being put in some sauce or thickening agent.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Bumping this thread up again as we're now just DAYS away from making the trek down to Anaheim.
Our Thursday plan for lunch right now is to eat at Harris Ranch and then figure out where to eat dinner depending on where we are. I have no idea how bad traffic will be, as I've heard the traffic on the 5 near Bakersfield can be tortuous due to the construction. Our plan now is to take the 99 around that section. I hope to try Cham Sut Gol or Indian food in Artesia.
We also decided to have quick easy breakfasts as we're now spending 3 days in the park (well, only about 3 hours on Sunday but it gives us Magic Morning access on Sat so I upgraded to the 3 day parkhoppers). More important will be delicious but relatively fast lunches so we can maximize our mornings at DLR, grab lunch, and then get back to the hotel in time for our 2 year old's nap at 1 pm.
The other new issue is that our 2 year was JUST diagnosed with a peanut allergy and I am worried about cross-contamination given how much peanuts are used in Thai cuisine. So we may have to ax Thai Nakorn. I also think we have to be careful with some Vietnamese restaurants, as I know they have chopped peanuts in my grilled pork bun before.
Anyone have ideas about peanut-free cuisines/restaurants in the Anaheim area? Do Mexican restaurants ever use peanuts?
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Cham Sut Gol
3700 W Olympic Blvd Ste 101, Los Angeles, CA 90019
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Thanks! I missed that thread as I typed Disneyland in the search field.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
I read about the breakfast option but per advice from the DISBoards, we're making a bee-line for Fantasyland right when they open.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Ah, DU, I was hoping you would chime in! I'm going to research these more fully later this weekend. I believe El Moctezuma is the Oaxacan place you mentioned in an older thread.
THANK YOU!
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El Moctezuma Restaurant
809 N Fairview St, Santa Ana, CA 92703
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
We will be there in Sept, but yes I know we have plenty of time. I am just one those people who like to plan and have back-ups! ;). We all really liked shawerma, dolma, etc. I will go look to that now and find DU's old threads on this.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
I think it may have been Cafe Brasil? I remember it being paintd bright colors inside and white Christmas lights....
Cham Sut Gol sounds Ike a great option as we do love our Korean food!
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Cafe Brasil
11736 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90066
Cham Sut Gol
9252 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92844
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
I agree, I don't want to be on the freeways between 5-7 if I can help it! Artesia sounds familiar but I need to go google it to figure out where it is. Thanks for the Rec--I love Indian food.
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Go Bruins! Yeah, I know Lee's is mediocre but it's open at 7 am and right on Harbor. This way it doesn't sit in the fridge all night and get soggy. We want to be at the security tables 40 minutes before park opening. Is Che Cali close?
We probably will do dinner closer to LA, as I anticipate hitting LA area traffic around 4 or 5 and wanting to avoid the rest of rush hour until closer to 7. With young kids, this is going to be a leisurely drive with lots of stops as opposed to powering through.
Thanks!
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
DCA has alcohol and even a BEER TRUCK, with beer on tap. Only DL itself is dry (with the exception of Club 33 as you pointed out).
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Versailles! Yes, that's it. There was a great Brazilian place someplace too, but very much a hole in the wall.
Yes, we are going to be there in late Sept after Halloween time has started and school is in session. I'm hoping that means less crowds in the parks and on the freeways Sunday morning!
Princess Fantasy Faire (PFF) is a 2 hour wait at times and I'd rather suffer through mediocre food than wait 2 hours in line for a show and then 2 minutes with a princess. Ariel's Grotto guarantees quality 1-on-1 time while DH and I can drink something alcoholic. That is going to be worth the price! :)
The turkey and bread option sounds delicious and creative! How clever!
We have Hong An up here and i do like 7 courses of beef. There is a huge Vietnamese Am community in San Jose so we have great options here too. I am leaning more toward Korean now that you mention it as we have mediocre Korean food compared to SoCal.
Yes, I know Break of Dawn is south but we don't work on Mondays so the only reason we leave Sunday is to avoid Monday rush hour commutes. We can arrive home late Sunday.
Thanks so much for the great ideas!
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Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida De La Carlota Ste N6, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Hong An Restaurant
9862 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove, CA 92844
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
Never head of Zankou Chicken when searching for DL area restaurants. Will go google it now!
NorCal Hound w/kids heading to Disneyland: critique my plan!
I have read a dozen or so threads and think I have a plan of attack for Disneyland now. Special thanks to sku, Das Ubergeek, degustateur, and Kitchen Queen for your great reviews and suggestions in past threads. I learned so much (like avoiding eating in DLR from sku's two great threads).
First a little about us: DH is lactose intolerant but otherwise eats everything. We really only have a problem at French and Italian restaurants that use cream or cheese in many dishes. I eat everything and have a hearty appetite. We have 2 and 5 year old girls who are relatively adventurous eaters for kids. They regularly enjoy Fijian/Indian, Afghan, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Muslim Chinese, Greek, Filipino, etc. Older one doesn't like spicy food but younger one loves it. A prime example of her commitment to good spicy food was when her nose was running, eyes crying with tears dripping off her chin, and wailing when she wasn't swallowing, yet she kept shoveling in spicy Fijian/Indian rice with both hands at 20 months old!
Budget isn't an issue, but I want the most bang for my buck, not a fancy place just because we can afford it. Given the fact that we have our kids. I don't want to do Napa Rose. That kind of experience (and those prices) are best on date nights, IMHO.
THURSDAY
We drive in Thursday, arriving sometime that evening. No dinner plans yet for Thursday night. I would love to go somewhere where leftovers could be reheated for breakfast (we're staying at the HoJo in a Kids' Suite which has a microwave and fridge). Ideas? Probably someplace off the 5 given our drive from NorCal. Not sure what time we hit the LA area which is why we might just play this by ear. I am a Bruin but haven't been back to LA in nearly 15 years. My college favorites were the Cuban and Brazilian restaurants (can't remember where--Sawtelle? Sepulveda?), Monterey Park, and K-town eateries.
FRIDAY
If we don't have any Thursday dinner leftovers for Friday's breakfast, we will just eat Lee's Sandwiches for breakfast or pick up something to go from Mimi's so we can get to the security tables early. I know Ariel's Grotto has crappy food but my 5 year old is obsessed with princesses and I don't want to wait 2 hours in line at PFF. So that will be Friday's lunch.
My girls still nap so we will walk back to the hotel and relax in the afternoon. Before heading back to DL, I want to grab an early dinner at Marisco Puerto Esperanza. Fri dinner hopefully won't take too long (I need to see how early they open for dinner) as I believe DL will close at 7 pm for the Halloween party and then DCA will be packed. If MPE is crowded on Friday nights, maybe we should go to Thai Nakorn Fri? I need a relatively fast option, which is why I'm skipping the Ethiopian restaurants.
SATURDAY
Sat morning we will pick up Lee's Sandwiches for lunch and possibly for Sat breakfast too. Then dinner at Thai Nakorn before heading back into the park.
SUNDAY
Finally, for Sunday breakfast (leisurely since we leave for NorCal and won't be going back to DL), I want try the homemade corned beef hash at Jagerhaus.
Backup options I also have on deck include Park Ave., Break of Dawn for breakfast, and a couple other standard Mexican restaurants (but we have plenty of them up here so the seafood and the Oaxacan paces most intrigue me).
Your thoughts? I am sure we will snack on corn dogs, churros, and Dole Whips in the park. Maybe even try the Monte Christo just to say we tried it (if we don't have to sit down to get it!)?
ETA: Argh! Just found out MPE closed when the auto-add of restaurants didn't include it. Maybe the Oaxacan place Das Ubergeek mentioned in one of the threads?
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Napa Rose Restaurant
1600 S Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802
Jagerhaus
2525 E Ball Rd, Anaheim, CA 92806
Thai Nakorn Restaurant
12532 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Break of Dawn
24351 Avenida De La Carlota Ste N6, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Got a Staub enamel cast iron wok--what to do with it?
I appreciate all the suggestions for how to use it, but I think I may just go the ebay route and try to get $100 for it! If it wasn't so heavy I might consider using it, but we already have a LC dutch oven that I accidentally dropped in the porcelain sink while trying to wash it. I like our "lightweight" All Clad pots/pans much more.
Got a Staub enamel cast iron wok--what to do with it?
I don't see it at WS or Macy's, so I'm guessing it was purchased at a more obscure store. Thanks for the tip though!
Got a Staub enamel cast iron wok--what to do with it?
Received this Staub cast iron wok as a very generous gift (but no gift receipt!). Frankly, we don't use a wok for our cooking to begin with and the enamel cast iron is SO heavy. I tried to sell it on Craigslist (as the thing weighs a TON so I didn't think eBay made sense) but only got lowball offers at less than 25% of the value. Should I try to figure out how to use this thing? Anyone have one and love it? Anyone willing to buy it off me for a reasonable price? :)
Prime Ribeye Steaks at Costco $8.99/lb
We picked up Prime Ribeyes from the Fremont Costco last Monday. Delicious and the best steaks we've had outside of a top steakhouse!
When to send something back to the kitchen?
Oh AKQ, I feel your pain. 30 is a "big" birthday fraught with other issues already, so to get a crappy meal on top of that just further reinforces your already mixed feelings about the night. For us, the dinner was our first date night w/o our older daughter in a while (I'm 7 months pregnant and haven't had an easy pregnancy). It was supposed to be a wonderful evening out to enjoy some good food and each other's company without leaving our daughter for 4+ hours (2 hour drive plus a leisurely dinner). Instead, we spent most of that hour picking at the food, making faces at one another, and whispering about how bad everything was. Don't worry--I already made a reservation at our favorite 5 star restaurant so we can have a proper date night to make up for this atrocity.
When to send something back to the kitchen?
Queencru: I mention the restaurant is in the suburbs and not the City because the typical client here is not one who frequently dines at avant garde/fancy restaurants with trendy preparation methods. In fact, there are very few non-chain restaurants in the suburban area that we live in and I can't think of any non-chain restaurants that use nice tablecloths other than this one and a local traditional Italian restaurant. Thus, I had been excited to think that instead of driving 2 hours (round-trip) to get roasted beets, gnocchi, crab bisque, duck confit, etc. I only had a 10 minute drive. Every other restaurant around here seems to be a TGI Friday's, El Torito, Texas Roadhouse, etc.. There are certainly a good number of hole-in-the-wall ethnic places (which is where we tend to eat if we don't drive to the City), but they're not places I'd go to celebrate a special occasion/date night without the kid. Most of the folks who live near us (and yes this is not our first choice place of residence but my husband owns a small business here and I commute to another area to work) are the typical Wal Mart shopper. The average age not including us in that restaurant that evening was probably 65, with some considerably older (and us skewing it downwards a few decades since we're in our 30s). I felt so overdressed in my little black dress, as most people looked like they just came from shopping at Walmart rather than dressed for a nice night out. It's clearly more of a neighborhood hangout than a special occasion restaurant. That's why I felt like it WOULD be insulting to that group if I had complained.
When to send something back to the kitchen?
Thanks for all the replies. I think if it had been something as simple as "the short ribs are undercooked" we would have sent it back. But if there are multiple problems (and with almost every appetizer and entree), I still don't think it worthwhile to complain about every dish. I should have been more clear in my initial post--we saw it more as an indication of that restaurant's inability to prepare food. If we weren't naturally optimistic people, we would have canceled the rest of the order and left after the appetizers.
And again, like I said in the initial post, this is in the suburbs, not the city. This is an area with 3 Walmarts and littered with chain restaurants and only movie theaters for entertainment. Very few chowhounds live here (which is why I go to YELP when we stay local). This restaurant obviously has its fans, which we really can't fathom at all, but I think they may not be as "picky" as we are.
I went back to YELP after posting here and a new review had the SAME experience as me with the gnocchi, but the rater said she didn't say anything as it seemed like everyone else in the restaurant was having a good time. As I said in my first post, this is a tiny restaurant so the entire restaurant would have heard/noticed if I had complained about every item (or even only the most egregious, the rock-hard gnocchi). I also re-read some of the 5 star reviews and noticed they were more than a year old. Apparently, there was a chef change somewhere in there, so YELP users weren't completely off their rocker.
thew: For what it's worth, I don't think I was being overly critical of YELP itself. I just said I was surprised that they had so many rave reviews for this obviously below-average restaurant. Chowhound has very few members living down here in the suburbs, so I only come here for my City dining choices. YELP isn't always accurate, but it's rarely this out of line.....I also think you've ignored my other points about this being in the suburbs and a TINY restaurant. It's not a place that would meet any gourmand's expectations but they obviously satisfy enough fans to stay in business and fill the house. How does it help me to insult the rest of the patrons who obviously like this kind of swill? Frankly, your post struck me as condescending and rude, devoid of any consideration of the nuances of this particular situation.
When to send something back to the kitchen?
My husband and I had a HORRIBLE meal at a local restaurant in the suburbs that bills itself as offering "Wine Country Cuisine" and charges wine country prices (not suburbs' pricing). We literally looked at one another during the meal and talked about sending it back but just didn't feel comfortable doing so. At one point, the waitress came by to clear some plates and asked how everything was. Before I knew it, I said, "Good." Yes, I'm one of those people who has trouble sharing bad news in a social setting. This a small restaurant with a capacity of about 25 and it was only 1/2 full. You could hear almost every conversation so I just didn't feel comfortable doing it in front of the whole restaurant. Then again, I've NEVER sent anything back to the kitchen before so who knows if I would've done so if it had been a large noisy restaurant. I think it would have been much easier for me to complain about poor service than poorly executed food. The waitress was very prompt and friendly and did her job well.
Anyhow, I'm here because I feel conflicted. I still posted a horrible review of the place on a website (not YELP, which has "rave reviews" about the place) so I feel like I did the cowardly thing by criticizing them publicly without having given them the chance to try and remedy it. But seriously--I'm not sure they could've remedied it other than comping the entire meal. Leaden lumps of dough were passed off as gnocchi and they had the nerve to charge me $18. A "braised short rib" dish had overcooked stew meat like clump of meat and undercooked carrots (around $25). The roasted beets dish tasted (and looked!) like canned beets....
Thoughts?
Chinjin Eastern House (清真東來順 ) Islamic Chinese - San Jose
Thanks for the tip. I just remember the green trim on the restaurant exterior (as I guess that's a common color for these Chinese Muslim restaurants). Unfortunately, I'm one of those ABCs (American Born Chinese) who can only speak Chinese and can't read, so I have difficulty remembering Chinese names.
Chinjin Eastern House (清真東來順 ) Islamic Chinese - San Jose
This has been one of my favorite restaurants over the past 15-20 years. You're correct that it used to be Peking Eastern House (in Campbell, Milpitas, and Fremont). I wrote a lengthy review of it last year for Epinions. See http://www.epinions.com/review/Chinjin_Eastern_House_Restaurant_epi/content_417614499460
Their food is much better than Darda, IMHO, and better than the Muslim Chinese restaurant I regularly frequented 10 years ago in Alhambra/Monterey Park (can't remember the name of it, but I think it was at the large shopping center w/a Ranch 99 as we'd register voters there and then go eat at the Chinese Muslim restaurant).
Decor/ambiance leave much to be desired, but the friendly owners and good hearty food more than make up for it.
Looking at Bottom Mount Freezer, but Single or French Doors?
Hee hee. I posted this same thread over there already, cvhound. :)
Yeah, I bought a deep freezer shortly after the birth of our first daughter, as DH cooks a ton (we help feed his grandparents and great-aunt so we freeze meals for them) and I was freezing extra breastmilk. It's packed to the gills now--at one point there were TWO turkeys in there as the local supermarket had a free turkey giveaway if you spent $150 and DH spends that much every week to feed our family of 3 (2 adults and a 2.5 year old). My only regret is that we got a chest freezer, not an upright, so things get buried. But our Frigidaire chest freezer was a pretty good deal and has been great otherwise the past 2+ years. Good luck on your purchase!
Looking at Bottom Mount Freezer, but Single or French Doors?
We went to 3 stores last night and DH and I ended up really liking the French Door Samsung because its freezer drawer has solid baskets (as opposed to wire ones) and its top level basket "auto-opens" when you pull the drawer open, saving you the extra step of leaning in to pull it towards you. I also found that if you close the right door first on the FD models and then the left, sometimes the right door pops open and doesn't close itself. Fortunately, on the Samsung and some $2,000+ models, the right door pops closed again but it didn't on several of the other brands we had been considering.
I think the counter/island point Caroline1 made is excellent. We have both an island and a counter to the side of where the fridge will be, so french doors would work best so we could utilize both.
Thanks again for all the insight. I think we are leaning heavily towards the Samsung French Door!
Looking at Bottom Mount Freezer, but Single or French Doors?
Thanks, Caralien. I've been on the consumersearch site. I think I'm just hoping to hear from real-life users. My husband does all the cooking, and his preference is for a single door because of the convenience you pointed out when your hands are completely full. But I see Costco is offering a french door Whirlpool for $1299 including delivery, installation package and their satisfaction guaranteed return policy. The single door Whirlpool at Costco is $100 more but smaller (21.9 vs. 24.8) and has a water dispenser inside that we don't need. So we might still end up w/the French Door if we go the Costco route....
Looking at Bottom Mount Freezer, but Single or French Doors?
We're looking at low to medium range refrigerators (under $2,000, preferably under $1500) with bottom mount freezers and would love some advice. We want black, not SS, to match the rest of the appliances and because we don't have time to maintain SS (we have a toddler and a baby on the way!).
I've read numerous threads on bottom mount freezers but mostly about specific manufacturers. I am leaning towards Samsung, but we haven't yet resolved the single vs. french door debate.
Currently, we have a 6 year old Kenmore top mount freezer (about 18 cf?). While it's still working well, it's too small for our growing family and both DH and I are relatively tall and hate bending down to grab fruits/veggies from the bins. This would be moved into the garage as a back-up and we already have a deep freezer. Thus, I think a 21-26 cf would be big enough for us given the back-ups.
Our kitchen has the space for a fridge 36" wide (with 2" extra for clearance), up to 68" high (allowing an additional 4" clearance per Samsung's installation instructions), and no deeper than 60" with the doors fully open (still allowing 2" clearance from the island).
This means we can do a single door bottom mount freezer (Samsung has a 20.5 cf model that would fit), but no one would be able to walk past when the door is open. That's how it is now with our current top mount freezer, though our toddler likes to push the door closed while I'm standing there so she can squeeze by. That's one reason why French doors appeal to me, but I don't know if the price differential is worth it.
Given our familiarity with single doors (and the cheaper price), I'm leaning towards the single door. We also went to our local Lowe's and found the muillon flap a little troublesome. Are there any advantages to the french door models? We don't need ice/water through the door, or even filtered water. If there's an icemaker in the freezer, that's a nice bonus but not required.
Sorry this is a LONG post, but we would appreciate any advice/input you have to share about specific manufacturers/models that might work for us or just general advice about the doors!
