meltedcheese's Profile
ISO cinnamon rolls in South Island NZ
Hi. I've been on Chowhound for five years and I've never posted in the NZ area. My sister-in-law lives on the South Island and she's orginally from the U.S. She is pregnant with their first child and she's really craving cinnamon rolls. She thought she found some, but they had Marmite in them.
Can one find cinnamon rolls in NZ and if so where?
Thanks.
Hottest, Spiciest Wings in OC?
I'm still a really big fan of the wings at Lou's Oak Oven BBQ on Brookhurst and Hamilton near PCH.
The cook the wings without the sauce so they are perfectly cooked and very crispy. They put a HUGE squeeze bottle of their wing sauce next to the plate and a bottle of tapatio if you want to mix that in too.
What great about this is you could bring different small bottles of hot sauce into the restaurant and personalize the wing sauce for different tastes.
Just a thought.
PS I drench mine.
Il Dolce Pizzeria- Costa Mesa....finally a real deal unpretentious artisanal pizzeria
I went back a second time tonight on a Thursday. About 4 tables full which I thought was pretty good considering it was the college football championship night.
The crust was WAY better. Black char. crispy on the bottom. I had the asparagus with a fried egg for the 1st time there and it was great. I use half the yolk on my plate to dip my crust into and half on my mashed potatoes. Someone should put a lightly cooked egg yolk on mashed potatoes instead of gravy somewhere.
They have more wines now, although I feel this will probably never be a strong suit.
Their desserts look amazing and the mother of the restaurant makes many of them by handing including a quince thick pie thing with lattice on top that looks so damn good.
One more thing they need to improve on. I got some pasta and some sides tonight. They were cold when I got home. I live about 5 minutes away and they should still be warm. Heat them up please. and
The green beans taste great but need to be cooked less- too soggy.
The mashed potatoes need to be creamier. It seemed like you could grab a chunk and it would break off. Not the right texture.
But after 3-4 weeks of being opened I can def say I will go there at least once a month. It's on the rotation. Hope it gets better and better cause we can use a good non-mexican restaurant on the westside of CM.
best mexican in the OC?
Thanks kc girl. When I think Americanized I think Don Jose or Mi Casa or Mario's not Taco Mesa. Yes I have friends who don't like Taco Mesa and I also have friends who don't like sushi. You can not like Taco Mesa and that's okay but you not liking it doesn't make it suck all of a sudden. And I've never even been to Ladera Ranch let alone eaten there.
best mexican in the OC?
I laugh that Taco Mesa is now non-hip. You're really going to compare it to Don Jose or Super Mex. Come on. I mean I love El Gran and El Toro Bravo, but you have to give credit to Taco Mesa when they first showed up for stretching the idea of Mexican out. Plus daily specials and soups. Their fish special on fridays with the carrots and mashed veggie for 9.99$ is so good for that price- the steak tacos with bacon. It's not AMAZING and it's not HYPE. I'm not going to drive across town to go there, but I've lived down the street for 8 years now and I end up going to Taco Mesa more than any other nearby restaurant.
If you have friends who are hyping Taco Mesa then you have friends who need to get out more. Don't hate it because of them.
Banh Mi & Che Cali Opens in Fountain Valley
I can't believe I haven't visited this thread since May.
UPDATE: they now have a warm display box for pate chaud (pork and chicken) and warm egg rolls to go.
The pate chaud is a welcome edition. I brought some to co-workers and they were pretty happy although I think they liked the egg rolls better. Now if they only served a side of duck sauce or plum sauce we'd be talking.
One more note. Even though they say they are open at 6am I have found that it's better to wait until about 6:30 ish because sometimes they haven't delivered the bread yet. And lastly this place is a beast when it comes to finding close-by parking at lunch so if I don't grab extra sandwiches in the morning I don't bother coming back at lunch.
ISO veggie eggrolls in Little Saigon to buy in bulk
I ended up going to
Bo Di Tinh Tam Chay
http://www.google.com/maps?daddr=15352+Beach+Blvd.+,+Westminster,+CA+&saddr=
on Beach between McFadden and Bolsa near the large Asian Supermarket
We ate lunch while we waited for them to make 20 crispy eggrolls- 75 cents each. Very crispy almost double wrapped with a small piece of fake chinese sausage in their for textural variety. I'm going to freeze them and heat them up tomorrow night. Thanks for the help hppzz. I'll try that place some other time.
ISO veggie eggrolls in Little Saigon to buy in bulk
Thanks. I've been to huong huong and ordered egg rolls, but I didn't know if they had veggie ones to go and I wanted to save the drive over there.
My mom got plum sauce from Canada which is the only plum sauce I like.
http://www.vhsauces.com/products/dipping.do
ISO veggie eggrolls in Little Saigon to buy in bulk
I know of several places where I can buy 20-50 eggrolls in bulk, but I don't know where to go to buy veggie eggrolls in bulk. I need these for Xmas eve.
please help. thanks.
Il Dolce Pizzeria- Costa Mesa....finally a real deal unpretentious artisanal pizzeria
Went there this week as well- I live right down the street and this area screams for a decent pizza place.
I liked the menu the choices and what they are trying to do. I will definitely go back, but there are three problems they need to address.
1. Their wine list is weak. It's like something you'd see at Mimi's restaurant. How about a few special Italian wines- medium priced and seeing as how they have an Argentinian slant a few wines from Argentina as well.
2. While I liked the taste of the crust it is WAY too tough. It may need:
a. more time to develop
b. a hotter oven- I agree with a poster that the pizza needs some black char- perhaps less time in the oven will keep it moist- or it needs some oil in the dough. the dryness of the crust adds to the difficulty in chewing it and it made me want to dip it in oil. At least it's not soggy like Ortica.
3. The mozzarella needs to be in dollops. On the Margarita pizza the cheese spread out in this really thin layer like soup and barely led any textural variance or taste to the pizza. By the way the sauce seems pretty good, and I liked the potato pizza better.
I will be back this week- I will try the Empanadas- the asparago pizza, the pasta and bisteca...
I think it has potential. Hopefully the read the early reviews
Walnut Raisin pie at Avanti today... amazing OC Costa Mesa
So I went in to Avanti today to order Thanksgiving pot pies.
I usually get the vegi beef wellington at Native Foods (which is very good except their gravy has to be fixed) but I decided to try the Avanti offering instead.
While there I picked up a slice of pumpkin pie and a slice of raisin walnut pie since I had a hunkering for something mince meatish...
Boy was I off. It was like a mincemeat mixed with a Pecan pie and it was so dang good. There was a hint of maybe rum in there and if you bought a whole one and put some fresh whipped cream on it you would be the king of a party.
I still don't get how this place isn't packed. Yes sometimes some of the dishes are off in their seasoning- but either stay away from those or just ask them to modify. For example the white pizza is great when you tell them to hold the rosemary salt...But their sandwiches, soups, tamales and more are darn tasty. I love that shallot dressing.
Just as a bakery alone this place rocks- Their cookies, pies, date bars and tapiocas are more SF than OC and it's appreciated.
If this place ever goes out of business it will only be because it's located in Orange County...
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Avanti Cafe
259 E 17th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Help a long-time hounder who is stuck in an early A.M. breakfast rut: OC
You know how hard it is to find places in Saigon so can you tell me...
If I'm going north on Magnolia towards the 22 is Cho Cu on the right or left and is it near anything that I'll see easily.
Help a long-time hounder who is stuck in an early A.M. breakfast rut: OC
I love Champion's (don't tell anyone- I like it uncrowded) but they only serve on the weekends.
Help a long-time hounder who is stuck in an early A.M. breakfast rut: OC
So my treat to myself for working every day is to get breakfast for myself every Monday and Tuesday. I really like it when I can also pick up a lunch item for later at the same place.
My problem is that I need to pick something up around 6am 6:20 at the latest.
I live in the westside of Costa Mesa and drive to work in Fountain Valley. Places I've gone for the past twelve years:
Donut Shop by the Newport Pier for ham and cheese croissant (what I wouldn't give for a real breakfast croissant like at Tartine Bakery in S.F.)
Donuts at the Donut shop on Brookhurst and Hamilton (based on co-workers comments these are the best in the area)
Shirley's Bagels and Big City Bagels
Panera
Banh Mi shops like Che Cali; Tip Top; and Top Baguette
Pierre's Boulangerie on Brookhurst and Hazard
Lily's Bakery for Bignets; Lee's for those Almond Croissants
Alerto's for breakfast burritos and Macha burrito (I ate a macha burrito almost every time for about a year)
Rockin Crepes in Huntington
Magnolia Cafe on Magnolia
Of course I've hit fast food places (hangs head in shame)
I'm willing to drive to: Newport, Huntington, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Westminster and maybe just maybe a little farther.
Help. and Thanks.
Top Baguette has moved in Little Saigon
So I haven't been to Top Baguette in Little Saigon in forever because Che Cali has that new location on Talbert and Brookhurst and it's WAY closer to my work.
Today I was driving down Bolsa and decided to stop for some sandwiches at Top Baguette. When I saw that the location was gone- I felt kinda responsible. Then I saw a big sign that said they had moved to the corner of Bolsa and Magnolia in the same center as the East/West Bank.
The new location has more room for seating. Is more than a bit fancier. New signage everything. It seems like some of the sandwiches are missing and their extra items like shrimp rolls were just laid on a counter in the back.
The beef sandwich tasted different- I think it was missing the chopped green onions.
Their hours might have changed too- I used to be able to go in there before 6am, but I forgot to write them down.
Just a heads up in case you're wondering where it went...
Canadien Pork Pie
As a son of two French Canadians (actually Acadian from N.B.) I cannot tell you how disappointed my dad and I were both of the times we went to Cafe Casse Croute- we went twice just to give them a chance. It's not even close.
I wish that the Pied du Cochon guys in Montreal would open a location in LA. It would kill places like Animal and the like. There's a reason most of my relatives push 300 lbs or like to wear their winter coats way into the spring.
You could make the pie. It's really not that hard if you get the crust right. Heck I'll talk to my dad about it. How many do you want it to serve? It may take one or two days to get back to you on this... some maple sugar pie, some Alpine Beer, some cigs and you're set.
Take out in Costa Mesa near fairground
I agree with the Nick's rec- but not everything at Nick's is great. Stick to the pizza.
It's kinda a culinary wasteland around there. Other options would be:
Newport Blvd. behind the fairgrounds- nothing.
Fairview- I had a friend just go to Lil Pickle on Fairview south of Baker- I went there all the time as a kid, but he just mentioned it out of the blue and said he just tried it and liked it. It's a locally owned sandwich shop.
Harbor- Nick's. Maybe Haus of Pizza, but their cheese is so thick it doesn't do well to go and it doesn't taste good cold. You could go to Wing Nuts for wings (of course) it's on Harbor north of Baker near Target... their homemade chips and chip dip is pretty good.
Sorry it's just the wrong area of Costa Mesa.
Hey you could go to Moscow Deli on Harbor for sandwiches. Some people LOVE that place and it's kinda picnic-y. It's North of Baker on the West side of Harbor.
Good luck.
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Moscow Deli
3015 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Orange International Street Fair
1. Go to the Phoenix Club first near Arrowhead Pond they are always open to the public during the street fair. Get some brats- kraut and just enough beer to safely get over to Orange- or get a designated driver. You can eat in the shade and it's not crowded.
2. Then buy a plastic Viking hat at the street fair. Eat a bunch of food and top it off with some Loukamedes those round donut things with honey on them at the Greek location west of the circle. There is so much honey involved that the place is swarming with bees.
3. Sleep off your stoopor somewhere shady on the Chapman campus and then head home.
Win.
It's not that great, but you have to go at least twice in your life.
Banh Mi & Che Cali on Brookhurst and Talbert is now open at 6am
do the other locations have the same grilled pork. i could be wrong, but because they have a restaurant kitchen i think they cook their meats up a bit different at this location. the grilled pork is perhaps the best meat I've ever had in a banh mi. I also miss that they don't put Maggi sauce on the fried egg sandwich. PS if you bring a box of their macaroons back to your work place after lunch you'll be a hero.
Banh Mi & Che Cali on Brookhurst and Talbert is now open at 6am
Breakfast freeway close. I've been asking when they are going to start opening at 6am for a while now. I had the egg sandwich on baguette which came with two large eggs. She said the best egg sandwich is the one with meatloaf.
Nothing major here just thought I'd let people know.
LA Pizza; But what about Orange County ???
I too have always liked Numero Uno- it's not great, but there's something about it. Have you ever had those round dough balls that are swimming in butter.
It's funny. Maybe since a good pizza is so simple it's hard to make pizza truly great. Plus how many main dishes have a bread as such an important component of the dish- were a part of the bread if not all has to be dry and crisp. It has to be crispy but there's sauce and cheese and fats and toppings...
Indian in "Little India"
Can you get anything else to drink there? Water. Mango Lassi? Coke?
SF hound heading to la (Foubtain Valley)
Not a ton of great fish places unless you want:
Sushi, fish tacos or deep fried fish at a Vietnamese place or Mexican place.
As far as normal fish places there is:
The Fish House (chain)
The Original Fish Company in Los Alamitos (not too far by the 405)
and
The Crab Cooker (which has been around forever near the Newport Beach Pier)
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The Crab Cooker
2200 Newport Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92663
LA Pizza; But what about Orange County ???
If you see the two top posts here. You will see the problem in Orange County. There is no and I mean no A- let alone A+ pizza in Orange County. There is pretty good pizza, but no GREAT pizza.
I'm going to go to LA next week or the week after and hit every pizza place mentioned and let you know if it's the same in LA.
BTW B+ pizza is pretty good with the right root beer or beer.
LA Pizza; But what about Orange County ???
okay I'm gonna put my foot down. I posted a review of Cucina Alessa's pizza and my wife and I agreed that we'd never order it again. Unless we had the substitute chef (it was the Newport location) then people have really weird taste in pizza. To give you an idea of my taste- A16 in SF is the best I've ever had.
Mother and child chowhounds in Orange County
So 30 minutes takes you lots of places. Do you have a younger daughter who is actually a young child or is your "child" about 22ish?
As far as middle eastern goes I'd try either:
Caspian: In Irvine off of the 5 and Culver
Ferdussi off of Bristol in Costa Mesa has a nice little lunch buffet.
Papa Hussan's near Chapman University in Orange has my favorite Foul Madammas but it's not on the menu you have to ask.
By Japanese do you mean sushi or would you like more of a Yakatori place like Kappo Honda in Fountain Valley. Someone just asked about chow places in Fountain Valley and Prof. Salt has some good recs. Just scroll down a bit. If it's sushi just ask.
If you see the pizza in OC thread you will see that pizza is at best a B+ affair in Orange County. Pizza Ortica might be your best bet, but unti they find a way to consistently make the middle of their pizzza crispy and not soggy I'm gonna pass.
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Caspian Restaurant
14100 Culver Dr, Irvine, CA 92604
A The Counter is opening in Costa Mesa-
So their 2nd OC location is opening in a weird location. On 17th in Costa Mesa in the Westcliff plaza where the old Pasta Bravo was.
It's weird because that parking lot is already a mess and that whole center is in the middle of nowhere. Very little traffic passes down 17th by that point, same with Irvine Blvd.
When I went to the location in Irvine- I thought the food was perhaps a B+. I'm sure that new burger joint where Carn's Carney used to be is pretty bummed out. Costa Mesa needs to turn 17th into an actual downtown experience. Big sidewalks. Trees. Farmer's market etc...
SF hound heading to la (Foubtain Valley)
1. Molcajete Grill on Bushard and Garfield near the 7-11. For these four things and only if they make number one right (it's been right every time but one- I don't think this place is doing so hot and I've noticed cost cutting steps lately: 1. Best heuvos rancharos I've ever had. Tons of bell peppers and onions in an unusual sauce; Tacos al Pastor (really good); my co-workers all swear by their Chile Relleno Burrito; and my wife loves their veggie tacos.
2. Lucci's deli on Magnolia and Adams. Has been there forever- a locals market. The food isn't that great except for three things: one the deli is good. Get 99 cent Italian bread really thin sliced and buy your own meats and cheeses. two- the lucci sub in the fridge by the restaurant: something about that sub (it's huge) makes me feel 12 again and three the spumoni in the freezer by the front of the store.
3. I also recommend going to Little Saigon and Kappo Honda.
4. Au Lac: clean veggi asian restaurant that also does raw food with this silent chef Ito guy (love him) on Brookhurst and Heil near Mile Square Park.
5. There's not a ton of place in FV but if you want to adventure out just a few more miles. I'm sure we can recommend more like Fuji Teriyaki Burger or that fish taco place on Beach and Atlanta in HB.
OC FAIR: 2009 questions and reviews
I'm going to go back later this week. My uncle and father-in-law didn't want to eat at the fair so I only ended up having a large lemonade and a large orange julius (half pineapple)
I had the chocolate covered bacon. It wasn't that bad in fact for the first 3 bites it was pretty good. It comes frozen in a little chinese to-go box. There's way too much of it unless you're sharing with like 5 people. The chocolate is so dark and rich that it just does you in after about 3 to 4 bites. Think of each bite as being the equivalent of a truffle. Well I can't eat more than about 3 truffles in a row. It needs more bacon and less chocolate.
I'll probably go tomorrow so if anyone has a request for me to try just let me know.
OC FAIR: 2009 questions and reviews
Okay so I haven't gone to the fair yet this year, but I'm going to see the demolition derby tomorrow- Saturday at 2pm.
1st question: Is the gingerbread house back. It was gone last year and I really missed the warm gingerbread and the strawberry shortcake. That shortcake is the best.
2nd question: Anything new this year worth trying? I heard the Turkey legs are something like 10$ this year.
