Fesdwino's Profile
Hatch Chile Roasting 2010
I have had good luck with El Rey Farms noted elsewhere in this topic. The key is to order early (early to mid July), prepay, and get an early appointment. It is always organized chaos! Takes me "only" about 30 minutes to get my peppers and have them roasted, although I roast anything under a sack on the gas grill at home. A friend of mine roasts two full sacks at home the same way. That's an all day affair. If you pay at the site, or have a later appointment time, they tend to get backed up. I also order the ground red peppers, the ground green peppers, and dried red pods - for my red chili. I generally pick up some yellow Guerro and jalapenos for ABTs (atomic bufallo turds - cheese & meat stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon and then smoked) and salsa. The "mild" (Big Jim's) work nicely for chile rellenos so I buy 5 lbs of those, a sack of the X Hot, 10 lbs of the XX Hot, and this year I picked up some Hot. The heat tends to vary a little among chiles from the same sack.
Teresita's is the best rendition of Chile Verde I have found. Almost as good as mine! My recipe is similar to yours, but I used leftovers from a smoked pork butt, add a jalapeno or two, depending on the heat of the Hatch peppers I'm using, and a little white pepper instead of the black. I eat alot of salads and use the frozen chile throughout the year in those. Green Chile sauce is another big use for me - it goes nicely with so many dishes. The hassle is definately worth it for me!
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El Reys
9131 Mission Blvd, Riverside, CA 92509
HATCH CHILE ROASTING 2009 Please add dates
El Rey Farms has a great selection from mild to XX HOT. Dried pods and chile powder as well. A little more expensive than Albertsons but less than Bristol farms. Buy them fresh or have yours roasted on site. Pick up is La Puente High School. Ordered my X-Hots (Barkers), Medium (Big Jims) and XX-Hots today. Below are delivery dates and their website. I froze a bag last year but only lasted until February.
1st LOAD Saturday, August 15, 2009
2nd LOAD Saturday, August 22, 2009
3rd LOAD Saturday, August 29, 2009
4th LOAD Saturday, September 12, 2009
5th LOAD Saturday, September 19, 2009
www.elreyfarms.com/contactus.html
Enjoy!
ps - You can buy by the lb as well. No need to get a whole sack.
**5th Load Depends on Mother Nature
Pizza Downtown
PnD is one of my favorites. The best deal right now is Zucca's happy hour - free pizza! Not NY or Chicago, but excellent!
Mexican Oxtail Soup
Although not a Mexican Oxtail Soup, I enjoyed a Cuban dish of oxtail with a thick, mild red sauce. Meaty and succluent oxtail with a side of rice and black beans. I'll be back soon.
On Pico not too far from Staples Center.
El Colmao
2328 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles 90006
Porky's BBQ: Feh
I tried the pulled pork sandwich for the first time today and found it juicy, slightly smoky and a good value for the size. A half pound of great BBQ pork on a freshly toasted bun with a taste of slaw. I picked up a pound of spicy hot links (also had mild) for later. Had to sample one immediately and found it to be decent. Nicely spiced, a tad too lean for my taste and lightly brushed with BBQ sauce (I prefer mine without sauce). Both the pork and links came with extra BBQ sauce on the side. I liked the BBQ sauce - not too thick or cloyingly sweet with a nice vinegary taste on the finish. A drive-through to boot, almost across from the Forum. I'll be back to sample some other items, but I suspect the pulled pork may be the best item on the menu.
Nick & Stef's... Underserved & Overcharged
Four of us enjoyed an excellent dinner before the Eagles concert on Friday. We called letting them know we were running 30 minutes late and we were seated promptly when we arrived at 6:15. Service was decent for a busy night but far from exceptional. Our waitress was very good about making sure we got out in time for the 8:15 event. I brought an '82 Cab and a back-up '98 cab (love the free corkage Patina Group!). The waitress did not handle a broken cork properly on the '82 but it did not detract much from the wine. A bit sloppy on the pour, as each bottle had a fair amount of sediment (I had made sure to keep the bottles upright for many hours). Dinner was excellent. Entrees included the aged rib eye, prime rib end cut, filet mignon and Elk chops. All were cooked as ordered (medium rare) and side sauces were excellent. The meats were juicy, tender and flavorful, with the prime rib and rib eye being the group favorites. Sides included mixed mushrooms, mac & cheese, garlic fries and mashed potatos. Fries were ok, mashed were good and the others were excellent - some of the best mac & cheese I've had. Did not have time for dessert. Free parking and free shuttle to L.A. Live Nokia Theatre were a nice touch. Excellent evening; I will return.
Best Fish Taco in Ensenada in Los Feliz
Stopped today for 3 fish, 1 shrimp, 1 coke. Fish tacos are $1.50, Shrimp $2.00 and canned beverage $1.00. My standard of excellence is Gardenia's in Cabo San Lucas ( going from the airport to the town turn left at McDonalds, half way to The Office). IMHO in SoCal BFTiE is right there at the top with Tacos Baja Ensenada, but is definitely a different style. The Tecate six-pack someone mentioned they saw is actually for the batter. BYOB (Pacifico?) from the liquor store up the block. For you red line fans, BFTiE is a couple of blocks from the Vermont station. An easy trek. Taco Nazi? He seemed like a nice guy with a passion for the quality of his product - the tacos. People around me were able to order multiple tacos at one time. I stuck to the one-at-a-time method and had a better product as a result -- the use of a single tortilla and the multiple salsas leave you with the need to quickly consume this delicate morsel before it self destructs. Here are the reasons I believe these are at the top of the fish/shrimp taco heap:
1) One tortilla and generous fish/shrimp portions make for an excellent blend of flavors and texture. My meats were hot from the drip rack.
2) I prefer my cabbage very thinly shredded and BFTiE's is perfect.
3) Beer batter is understated with a hint of spice and beer. Almost a light tempura beer batter. Thin and crunchy without the heaviness I have seen at some places.
3) Non-traditional salsas (all excellent!) include a guacamole-based thin but chunky salsa, a pineapple (not sweet) with a great blend of peppers leaving a nice lingering burn, a slightly less spicy Mango, and something else mild I neglected to try. Finish it off with a shredded pickled radish mixture and creme. I prefer my "creme" mixture a bit tangy but theirs blends well with the salsas.
A lone bottle of Tapatio graced one of the outdoor tables but I did not see a need. These are unique fish tacos and I would stick with their wonderful salsas.
Downside? A one trick pony. Fish and Shrimp tacos are the sole items on the menu. Parking could be a challenge during peak hours. A "B" rating may turn off some diners. Fine by me for this type of quick and easy comfort food. You will need a bit of self constraint to avoid pigging out.
Adoro Grill at 7th/Fig downtown: gotten any better?
Had dinner last night for the first time. I had the carnitas (dry and uninspiring) and my coworker had a combination plate (taco, enchilada and chile releno). Again, pretty bland. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has alfresco seating - a nice touch for a summer evening. Well appointed bar. The owner is a marvelous hostess and service was excellent. If found myself wishing we had driven to La Parilla or Chichen Itza to satisfy my mexican cravings. At these prices I was also thinking Ciudad would have been better. Improve the food and it's a winner!
good sushi in Orange County?
Tried Jizake last night. Excellent, on par with Gen Kai (our favorite in South OC). Small but fresh and clean Not many people at 6:00 pm. Seemed a bit more expensive than Gen Kai but that could have been what we had - Blue Fin sashimi, Hawaiian roll (spicy tuna with seared albacore) Double Double roll (similar to a crunchy roll but wrapped with tiger shrimp) Uni sushi. Sushi Burrito. Total was $60 before beer, tax & tip. No prices on the menu. Everything we had was excellent -- we will be back.
LA DOwntown: Phillipe's, Langer's, and other
Not a Langer's, Phillipes, etc by any stretch of the imagination but...Ralph's Fresh Fare on 9th & Flower. Available sandwiches include hand carved Tri Tip, Prime Rib and a greater selection of deli-foods than anywhere downtown. Amazing variety. Wine tastings late afternoon and evening with a small walk-in wine cellar. You won't believe it until you see it.
downtown disney
Napa Rose hands down -- if you enjoy wine try one of their matched wine dinners. Most of the staff is trained as sommeliers. Excelent lounge too. Let them know it's a special occasion for a treat!
New Orleans style (Cajun) food in Orange County?
I agree. Left this one off my list in error. Second location in Santa Ana too!
New Orleans style (Cajun) food in Orange County?
Brennan's in Downtown Disney - heard it is ok, haven't been
Jack Shrimp - BBQ shrimp passable
Iva Lee's - mixed reviews but I have had good luck
Bayou St. John (Seal Beach) - I have had good luck, but it's been a while
Riordan's Tavern
I had lunch there yesterday. Was not impressed. Fairly expensive. They offer a daily sandwich special, "The Carvery" for $12.95. Consists of a "slow roasted" meat of the day. I chose the Monte Carlo Beef - basically the same meat from the Pantry (next door) on a nice bread selection (sorry, can't recall the bakery they buy from). Coleslaw (sound familiar?), lettuce,tomato and onions. Condiments were deli mustard and mayo. The server brought out some au jus - looked familiar and upon tasting it was that brown "gravy" they put on so many dishes at The Pantry -- except it was room temperature. Bottom line? For $20 (sandwich, iced tea and tip) there are much better choices! To be fair I do need to try something new from the menu. I'd like to give their $38 steak a try but Morton's is only a little further walk down the street.
I visited the new downtown Ralph's on Saturday for lunch and enjoyed a marvelous tri-tip sandwich that was much better than the sandwich from Riordan's Tavern. Ambiance? The people watching was better at Ralph's but the plasma display at the Tavern was good too.
Explain to me why I like the pastrami at Oinkster better than at Langer's?
Sorry, did not mean that Yorkshire Grill's pastrami is a close second to Langer's; rather the style of pastrami sandwich at Yorkshire is closer to Langer's than The Hat or Oinksters. I have not had many of the sandwiches outside of the pastrami at Yorkshire Grill, but the Yorkshire sandwich does have lots of meat, decent bread and is not bad if you are Downtown. Certainly not a destination restaurant, but it beats many of the Downtown alternatives.
Best Tacos/Burritos in Newport Beach
Not on the web site, but also on PCH in Dana Point. A sister concept Chronic Cantina is located in Triangle Square in Costa Mesa (looks wild!). The wife & kids seem to enjoy the tacos but I have not tried them.
Best Bochwurst in So Cal
Thanks for the reminder! I have been going to Matterns for their wursts for many years but have not been for a while. Great sauerkraut too!
good sushi in Orange County?
Gen Kai in Dana Point is my usual - always good and reasonable. I'll have to try Jizake if it was started by a former sushi chef at Gen Kai.
Wasabi in Tustin is my favorite.
Tried Uoko in Lake Forest - not as good as the posts I've seen. The fish looked tired!
Ichibiri is decent (Dana Point or Laguna Niguel) and has teppan.
Good Choice Sushi - average neighborhood place, but the sushi floating by in a moat is fun for the kids.
Riptide Sushi in MV - novel, noisy and fun. Don't eat the raw crabs! (I'm sure they are gone after the big parasite issue).
Moisun Sushi - Laguna Beach - I mean to try as it has local specials and has some good reviews.
philly cheesesteak!
Philly's Famous Cheesesteaks
Larwin Square
648 East First Street
Tustin, CA 92780
714.505.6067
Small, authentic family hole-in-the-wall. No beer but killer cheesesteak. Fresh ingredients and excellent options.
Next door to Orange County's best Baja style fish tacos - Los Cotijas #2
Naan & Kabob a block west is great for succulent kabobs.
Explain to me why I like the pastrami at Oinkster better than at Langer's?
Taste is such a personal thing. Langer's to me creates a magical combination of tastes and textures with its #1 - hand cut tender pastrami with a perfect blend of spices, layered on soft rye with a crunchy crust, topped off with a layer of slaw and finished with a simple but tasty "Russian Style" dressing (prefer mine on the side).
After a curbside pickup one afternoon, I treated our monthly poker group with a Langer's buffet rececently at our dinner break and it was voted best poker meal ever. The individual components were good, but combined they were a heavenly treat. Yes, some preferred mustard to the Russian Style dressing, but the mustard does not combine for that other-worldly experience for me.
Oinksters is merely a different treatment (as is the Hat). Yes, different meat and different preparation, but well crafted for its style.
A closer second to Langers style for me is the Yorkshire Grill in downtown LA.
