OCGirl's Profile
Dinner near Wadsworth Theater in Brentwood?
They are traveling from north OC/Whittier area. Oh and I found out that the show starts at 8.
Thanks for all the recs!!!
Dinner near Wadsworth Theater in Brentwood?
My parents are going to a show at the Wadsworth tomorrow night. Any suggestions of good restaurants in the area? They like all types of food so any reccomendations are appreciated?
TIA!!!
Charlie Palmer's at Bloomingdales
My husband and I ate here Friday night to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I agree, the decor, service and wine list are amazing. I was substantially less impressed with our food. Maybe we just didn't order the "right" things. I started with the roasted corn soup. It had chanterelle mushroom tortellinis and some sort of foam on top. It was quite delicious and easily the best part of both of our meals. My husband had their nightly app special which was a seafood sausage. His impression- "meh."
For entrees I had the butter poached lobster and he had the crispy sea bass. My lobster was extremely fishy tasting and the texture was not firm, as I would expect. It was either several days old or had been previously frozen, neither of which I would expect of an entree that costs $43. It tasted a few minutes underdone, which given the fact that I am 35 weeks pregnant had me slightly concerned. I wasn't sure if I was just being too picky though so I didn't send it back. (also we were headed to a concert after dinner so I didn't want to take up too much time waiting for a new entree.) My husband's sea bass was actually pretty good, but not great.
For sides we ordered the trumpet mushrooms, which were big, hearty and delicious, and marinated in a balsamic based marinade then grilled. We also ordered the artichokes which were just ok.
We ran out of time so didn't have dessert but they brought us complimentary sugar beignets with an espresso dipping sauce that were the perfect small bite of something sweet to send us on our way.
Overall, we both agreed that we would go back and try again (taking heed to do some more research on what entrees outshine the others) because we loved the room and vibe so much. Also, I'd love to get my hands on that wine (and cocktail) list once this baby is born!
Nice dinner near LA House of Blues
So many options to choose from! Of those listed, which is the best dining experience? Oh and my husband just told me we will only have an hour and a half (boo!) to eat before we are expected at the HOB. We like all kinds of food so type of cuisine is not as relevant as quality.
Nice dinner near LA House of Blues
My husband and I are taking one of his client's to dinner next week before a show at the House of Blues. We are from Orange County and not familiar with the area at all. Anyone have suggestions/recs for a nice client dinner location near the HOB? I did a search but didn't see any recent threads on the topic.
TIA!
Ruby's Diner
I have two small kids so I go to Ruby's at least twice a month. My favorite burger used to be called the beach burger, but now it's called the super burger. It is a grilled patty with melted swiss and avocados on grilled parmesan cheese bread. Delicious! But VERY fattening so I don't indulge often. Ruby's recently introduced sliders as well (kobe beef, pulled pork or....I can't remember the third.) I like the kobe beef slider. There are three and are served with grilled onions on King's Hawaiian rolls. The meat is perfectly spiced and the sweetness of the roll balances it out nicely.
That being said, the simple cheeseburger is also quite good. I guess it just depends on your mood and your appetite. Oh and the shakes/malts are great as well- but again I don't indulge often.
My Favorite Trader Joe's Items [old]
Some of my favorites:
green tea low fat yogurt
flat iron marinated steak (in the fresh meat section)
organic kosher dill pickles
chicken/beef taquitos
spicy black bean dip
frozen stir fry veggies
masala simmer sauce
frozen naan
shelf stable daal (dal?)
fresh pressed apple juice (my 3 yo says: Mommy this juice tastes like I'm eating an apple!)
handmade corn and flour tortillas
mediterranean hummus (with the pine nuts on top- HEAVENLY!)
maple chicken breakfast sausage links
four cheese frozen mac& cheese
frozen jasmine rice
REVIEW: Five Guys Burgers [moved from L.A. board]
This post just made my entire day! I used to live in DC and would eat at Five Guys pretty regularly as there is no In & Out or Fatburger back there. I actually enjoyed it more than either of those places. Although I live in the OC there may be hope for more showing up! I'm currently pregnant and someone recently mentioned this place which sparked a craving i thought I would never be able to satisfy. Wahoo!!!!!
You didn't mention that you can order a junior burger with just one patty that is less expensive. That's what I used to get. It always seemed to fill me up. And from what I remember (although it has been several years since I lived back there) the smaller burger is bigger than the small/junior burger you can get at FatBurger.
Thanks for the post! You just made a pregnant lady very happy indeed!
good dining options near the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts?
Love Darya! I really enjoy the chicken and filet kabobs. The Indian restaurant next door is fantastic also.
Dinner at the District in Tustin
The sliced tri-tip at Lucille's is delicious! I really like the sweet potatoes too.
mmmmm.....BBQ......
yuengling, where to get it?
Oh I'm so sorry! I know how it is to crave the unattainable. I'm pregnant and dying for this lemon chicken concoction I used to get from a stand on Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley.
Bummer that they aren't carrying it any more. My husband will be disappointed too. He's from back east and that's one of his favorite, hard to find, beers.
Chili in Orange County?
I agree. When pregnant with my daughter I used to go there at least once a week (husband works across the street) for their chili in a bread bowl. I wish I could remember which kind it was, but it had lots of tender beef and beans. They also have Cincinnati style, veggie, and several others.
Across the street from my office is Boudin SF. Also a decent beef chili (with beans) that is particularly good in the sour dough bread bowl. Another chain, but a decent chain as far as chains go....
New cupcake shop!!!
The cupcakes on the website look amazing! Have you had Sprinkles? If so, how would you compare them? I like Sprinkles, but find them to be dense and dry at times- especially the chocolate varieties.
The mini cherry pies look great too. Can't wait to try it out! Thanks for the head's up!
yuengling, where to get it?
They definitely have it at the Philly's Best in Irvine on Barranca. My husband has had it there on several occasions.
saGe - a waste of space -__-
I've been several times and have always had a great meal. The scallops were particularly delicious with a nice crust and tender middle. Granted it's been several months. I've eaten at Sage at the Coast as well and was less impressed with the food there, but I wouldn't say it wasn't worth going back.
I'm hoping your experience was just an abberation and not an indication of a serious decline in quality.
Chopped egg in tuna salad?? Is that strange?
My favorite tuna salad from The Back Bay Rowing Co. in South Coast Plaza made their tuna salad this way. I will admit, it's the only restaurant prepared tuna salad that I've had with eggs, but I thought it was pretty tasty. I think it also had poppy seeds in it. What it didn't have was relish or onions- both of which ruin tuna salad for me. Granted I hated everything else I ever ate at that restaurant, but for some reason, the tuna just always tasted good. I'm sad that the restaurant no longer exists because I'm pregnant and craving that specific tuna salad. Oh well.
Crystal Jade and Irvine
That's so weird. I haven't had the dim sum yet, but the menu definitely says that they make it in house.
newport beach/laguna brunch
There's also Taco Rosa in Newport Coast. They do a great brunch. It's off of Bonita Canyon and Prairie in the Pavillion's shopping center right next store to another branch of the Pacific Whey Cafe mentioned above.
Nobu Malibu or Go's Mart?
I would agree with this. Compared to all of the other wonderful dishes at Nobu, the sushi is sort of an afterthought for me. It's decent, but I would never go there just to eat it.
The salad with lobster and citrus dressing is an other worldy experience. We've had the best results there by not ordering off the menu and instead asking our server to just bring us an array of hot and cold dishes that they think are not to be missed. We've gotten some special dishes that aren't on the menu this way. It's expensive as you don't always know what you are getting, but we've never been disappointed.
Dinner/breakfast at same meal along 405 from LAX to Costa Mesa?
Just for clarification, the Jerry's is on Anton, not Bristol.
Worthy delis in OC?
There's also a location in La Habra. Their garlic sausage is even better than the sweet! Great sandwiches, cold cuts, fresh sauce, pasta, etc. We've been going there for years but never the day before a holiday. You'll be in line for 2 hours at the deli counter!
Mariachi band restaurant recs please
I wholeheartedly agree with this recommendation. This is the band that backed up Linda Ronstadt on her mariachi albums. I even hired them to play at my wedding.
If your father is a true fan, you must take him here!
Very oily cheese fondue
Several recipes I saw suggested this, but the one I used didn't. I will try this next time. Should have looked up Alton's recipe to begin with! :)
Very oily cheese fondue
Very good to know. From now on I'll make sure to heat gently and keep the flame low.
THanks!
Very oily cheese fondue
That makes sense. When my friend was putting the pot together for me she put the cannister underneath at full strength- i.e. without the little metal lid thing to contain some of the heat. The water in the pot was boiling over until I closed the vents on that lid. Next time I'll be sure to keep a better eye on the heat.
Thank you!
Very oily cheese fondue
what did I do wrong? I made cheese fondue for the first time yesterday. I followed what seemed to be a pretty standard recipe. I started by rubbing the inside of my saucepan with garlic. I then added white wine and lemon juice to simmer. I gradually added the cheese (emmental (sp?) and gruyere) stirring the entire time in a figure 8 pattern until melted. Once the cheese was melted I added a blend of 1TB cornstarch and 3TB kirsch that had been whisked together and let simmer for a few minutes. I added some paprika, fresh nutmeg and white pepper then added to my fondue pot. At this point it was smooth and creamy.
After I added to the fondue pot it started to separate so that the top layer was just oil. It never stayed completely blended. I adjusted the temperature a few times, but it just never seemed right.
Was this a temperature issue? An ingredient issue? Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have!
OCGirl!
Accidentally bought extra large eggs
Thank you all! I had no problems with the extra large eggs. All recipes turned out great!
Accidentally bought extra large eggs
My recipes call for large eggs. Is there any adjustment I need to make to the quantity of eggs used when baking with extra large v. large eggs?
Thanks Chowhounders!
Geena
Need recommendation for birthday cakes in Orange County
I got my wedding cake at Beverly's. I agree that the French buttercream is excellent and would probably suit your husband's taste. That's what we ordered on our cake and it was fantastic. The cakes themselves are inconsistent in my experience. I have ordered well over 10 cakes for various occasions and while some are moist and delicious, others are dry and crumbly. The moist outweighs the dry though so maybe I've just had a few spots of bad luck.
Where to buy in OC
I have purchased all of these things at Gelson's. I go to the one on Jeffrey and Alton.
