Restaurants Archives - Page 3 of 7

Celebrating Solita Tacos and Margaritas Restaurant Two Year Anniversary in Style!

Posted on February 18, 2016 | Filed Under: Restaurants, Restaurants | Leave a Comment

Looking for great Mexican gourmet food that won’t break the budget? Look no further! My friend Shawn and I found such a place! solita Tacos and Margaritas, conveniently located in Huntington Beach, right off the 405 freeway in the Bella Terra shopping center.

First of all, the name of the restaurant is true to form, the tacos and margaritas are fantastic! One of the first things you notice when walking into the restaurant is the amazing smoky fragrance of their grill, mixed with the relaxing atmosphere of their artistically appointed indoor/outdoor dinning areas. The covered patio sports a chic fire pit….more like a fire bar!

Before we delve into the menu selection, let’s start with a quick rundown of this fine establishment.

solita Tacos and Margaritas is unique in that the concept of this restaurant bases it’s menu around well-known simple dishes from Baja California/Mexico…. fresh and healthy dishes that are simply delicious! The key ingredients to their concept is the employment of a wood grill, the freshest of ingredients and the brainchild behind their culinary concoctions, Executive Chef Deborah Schneider, who makes everything from scratch. No pre-packaged, microwave madness going on here! Of course, they pair fine cuisine with a well equipped bar, serving among other things a wonderful selection of various margaritas.

As Shawn and I entered solita Tacos and Margaritas, we were graciously welcomed and then started off the evening with salsa, chips and one of their appetizers, Ceviche Tropical. Here’s the breakdown on this cup of fantastic, diced fresh fish tossed with fresh squeezed lime juice, Serrano chiles, cucumbers, bit of tropical fruit and salsa fresca along with avocado.

The other appetizer we enjoyed was Grilled Corn Elote. This was the best grilled corn I’ve ever had! It was a whole ear of sweet corn off the cob, grilled in butter, chipotle salsa, chilies, cotixa & green onion, totally magnificent! We paired these appetizers with a Solitary Skinny Margarita (but fat on taste!), not as sweet as the house margarita, shaken with fresh lime juice and a touch of agave nectar and soda water. It was like a Club Med experience without leaving your seat!

Next up we were welcomed with a refreshing chicken salad, named Ensalada Ranchera. This salad is jam-packed with all sorts of goodness, such as wood-fire grilled chicken, avocado, black beans, roasted corn, salsa fresca, carrots, cotixa cheese and, of course, topped of with crispy tortilla chips. This salad comes with creamy garlic-herb Ranchera house dressing or Citrusy Pom Vinaigrette. This salad is big on taste and big on healthy!

It’s Taco time, how about a flight of gourmet tacos? These street tacos, must come off streets paved in gold, cause you won’t find a taco taster better than these bad boys. So, Shawn and I experienced five different types of tacos. Numero uno, Oak-roasted chipotle chicken…it’s as moist as pulled, pork and out of this world! Dos, Los Cadillacs, where’s the beef? Oh, it’s in these puppies, wood grilled carne asada with Solita’s house special spice rub, cooked over oak. I suggest a fine Cabernet Sauvignon with this number.

Number three was mushrooms with garlic & Epaztoe. This was the first mushroom taco I’ve ever had and it was totally rad! This culinary delight comes with mixed exotic mushrooms sautéed with fresh epazoted, red chile and garlic. Number four was another meatless taco, Chile Tofu and likewise equally amazing! This menu item is firm-pressed, pan roasted with ancho chile, garlic & comes with a red chile rub. We thoroughly enjoyed our tacos with Solute’s Yucatecan-styled refried black beans.

The grand finale to our wonderful evening was a selection off the specialties section of the menu, Wood-grilled chicken fajitas. When you think it wouldn’t get better….it did! The chicken was like that of the tacos, tender and flavorful, packed with that rich oak grilled flavor, along with roasted poblano chiles, tossed with red peppers, red onion along with guacamole and salsa fresca.

Of course, we had to try this with another of Solita’s signature margaritas. We were served a watermelon margarita that was out of this world! This refreshing cocktail is done up with Agavales Blanco tequila, crushed watermelon and fresh lime juice and was an exceptional coupling with the fajitas.

Everything at solita Tacos and Margaritas that we were served was exceptional. It is a 5 star casual dining experience and a great place to go on a date night or out with the entire family.

solita Tacos and Margaritas is located at 7631 Edinger Ave #1508, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.

Happy Dining!

Mr. SoCal Field Trips

Breakfast Options Abound at STACKED: Food Well Built in Huntington Beach

Posted on February 8, 2016 | Filed Under: Restaurants, Restaurants, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

On a rainy morning two weeks ago, I took Field Trip Boy out for breakfast at the new STACKED: Food Well Built in Huntington Beach, California. STACKED is a full-service restaurant with an innovative ordering approach that enables you to control when you order and pay, and customize your meal in a comfortable, uninhibited way.

The key to STACKED’s success is personalization! From burgers to pizza to salads to pancakes…. Wait, pancakes! Yes, pancakes! STACKED now offers a full breakfast menu at their soul Orange County location.

Since my family is made up of picky eaters, it is nice to go to one restaurant where we can all order exactly what we want as we feel like it.

That’s because STACKED has a fully customizable menu available on an iPad like device that sits at your table.

For example, right now I am on a high protein / low carb diet. So for breakfast I ordered the Southwestern Scramble, one of STACKED’s recommended signature dishes.

The dish comes standard with scrambled eggs, blackened chicken, black bean mix, pico de gallo, avocado, jack cheese and sour cream and served with a side of fire-roasted salsa. To add a few more veggies to the scramble, I selected mushrooms and olives on the iPad. I also ordered a side of pico de gallo and bacon.

The iPad does a great job of keeping you informed how much an item is each time you add/subtract ingredients.

Since I have to limit my dairy intake Field Trip Boy devoured the sumptuous jack cheese right off the top of my scramble!

Guests can choose between dozens of ingredients to create the perfect meal for your taste. Since Field Trip Boy is all about the pancakes right now, he ordered a double stack of buttermilk pancakes. He did it all by himself on the iPad too! That’s how easy it is…even a child can do it!

He decided to customized his order too by adding chocolate chips, warm maple syrup and whipped creme. This is definitely his favorite dish to date at STACKED!

Another added bonus is that while you are waiting for your food, STACKED’s friendly staff will bring out wiki sticks for the kids to enjoy.

To learn more about STACKED: Food Well Built and their all day menu, including dessert visit www.stacked.com.

STACKED: Food Well Built is located at 7490 Edinger in Huntington Beach.

Giveaway: Enter To Win One Dozen Donuts from poqetDONUTS in Irvine

Posted on January 24, 2016 | Filed Under: Field Trips in Orange County, Restaurants, Restaurants | 9 Comments

As a mom, I’m always on the look out for cool and unusual places to take my kids. Usually it is to a park or a museum or some place off the beaten path. But not this time!

Last Thursday, I took my children to poqetDONUTS in Irvine to customize their own donuts! PoqetDONUTS is not your typical donut shop, by any means! The actual name poqet, pronounced “pocket,” is derived from a folklore story of two best friends who met on a park bench daily to share doughnuts, which were kept in their pockets. The story of these “pocket donut” friends is placed on the wall inside the shop to provide a simple explanation of the name’s origins to guests.

At PoqetDONUTS you create your own donut from scratch!

First, you choose a base donut and filling. The base donut selections are glazed, chocolate cake, vanilla cake or vegan, while fillings include creams & butters, fresh fruit and jams.

Field Trip Girl and Field Trip Boy both picked chocolate glazed donuts. Our friendly hostess dipped each donut in chocolate sauce and let it set for a moment.

Then customers get to select their own toppings! This is the best part in my opinion. From endless candies to fresh spices to a large array of nuts, children can put all types of toppings on their donuts till their hearts are content. Each topping does cost a bit though.

For Field Trip Girl’s donut she selected a stock pile of sprinkles and marshmallows!

On the other hand, Field Trip Boy put sprinkles and marshmallows on his donut too, but saved the best part for last – whipped cream!

Here’s my own attempt at making the best poqetDONUTS creation! How did I do?

But perhaps you’re not in the mood to create your own masterpiece. That’s fine! Instead you might enjoy a selection from one of poqetDONUTS’ signature doughnuts that change seasonally:

Avocado – Green is the new black.
Maple Bacon – The main reason we are not vegetarians.
Campfire – Let’s roast some marshmallows and party S’more!
PB & J – Peanut Butter makes everything Peanut Better.
Cookies & Cream – These are like people – the good stuff is on the inside.
Strawberry Fields Forever – If you are what you eat, get ready to be delicious.
Pumpkin Spice – One more excuse to have pumpkin-flavored everything.
Nutella – Spread love as thick as you would Nutella.
Tiramisu – This authentic Italian inspired recipe will have you saying, “Ciao Bella!”
Burnt Pistachio – The reason everyone should own a blow torch.
Lemon Meringue – When life hands you lemons, make lemon meringue.
Cherry Red Velvet – Life is too short to say no to Red Velvet, especially if it’s glazed with cherries!
Blueberry – You can’t buy love but, you can buy doughnuts, and that’s kind of the same thing.
Black & White – I want someone to look at me the way I look at black & white cake.
Vanilla Latte – Life is better buzzed.
Green Tea – I love you so Matcha!
Butter Salt – Abs are cool, but have you had our butter salt doughnuts?
Vegan – Strawberry, Blueberry, and other options available select days

poqetDONUTS Giveaway

Now enter for your chance to win a Gift Certificate for 1-Dozen Donuts from poqetDONUTS (does not include make your own)!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

US Residents Only. No purchase necessary to enter. One winner will be randomly selected via RaffleCopter and notified via email. Winner must respond within 48 hours to claim the prize or a new winner will be chosen via RaffleCopter.

poqetDONUTS is located at 17655 Harvard Avenue, Unit B, in Irvine (at Main). Store hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Happy Donut Making!

Jilleen

Five Crowns Unveils A New Winter Menu For All Types of Dining Occasions!

Posted on November 30, 2015 | Filed Under: Restaurants, Restaurants | 1 Comment

Two weeks ago, I attended a media tasting at Five Crowns Restaurant in Corona Del Mar in honor of their 50th Anniversary. I have been a long time admirer of Five Crowns. My husband and I have been to the restaurant on numerous occasions to celebrate different milestones in our lives – anniversaries, birthdays, new jobs, and more.

But did you know that Five Crowns is more than just a special occasion destination? It is also a fantastic restaurant to visit any day of the week with your family and friends. For example, Five Crowns is a nice place to go for a lunch date with a girlfriend or to savor a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day or to enjoy one of their well-know traditional desserts such as the Apple Crumble.

In November, Five Crowns unveiled their new winter menu for restaurant patrons. At the 50th Anniversary tasting, I was able to preview and sample a variety of these new and classic dishes.

First, we gathered for cocktails and enjoyed the ambience of the Brighton Room, otherwise known as the Speakeasy.

Back in the day, Speakeasies were hidden sections of an establishment that were used to sell alcoholic beverages during Prohibition. Some speakeasies were similar to today’s clubs, as there was singing and jazz performances. To enter a speakeasy, one would need to say a password to the doorperson so that the doorperson would know whether or not they were really secret agents. The word “speakeasy” came from a bartender’s term: people were supposed to “speak easy” when at a bar, meaning not to draw any suspicion towards buying alcoholic beverages by looking nervous or talking quickly.

To enter Five Crown’s Speakeasy, all you have to do is learn the secret password and you too can enter on the first Friday of the month!

After spending some time in the Brighton Room, we ventured downstairs for the main event. With each tasting, we were served a complimentary wine pairing to go along with the dish.

For the first course, I tried a cup of Five Crown’s Butternut Squash Soup prepared with maple-glazed pancetta. If you are searching for that perfect comfort food this winter, look no further. The Butternut Squash Soup is a great option for staying warm and satiated.

Next was a lightly plated Mediterranean Sea Bass prepared with shrimp, cauliflower florets, caper brown butter and chervil. It was divine! Each bite simply melted in my mouth. I also liked the pairing of the 2011 Principi di Butera, Nero d’Avla, Sicilia DOC with the Mediterranean Sea Bass.

After the sea bass, I sampled a magnificent culinary dish called the Fall Vegetable Lasagna, created by Steve Kling, Executive Chef of Five Crowns and SideDoor.

Chef Kling grew up eating southern American and Filipino cuisine and fondly recalls watching his grandmothers transform raw ingredients into beloved family dishes. These early encounters with food sparked a passion for creative cooking that ultimately led to achieving Executive Chef titles at multiple restaurants. Drawn to the institution of Five Crowns and the concept of SideDoor, Chef Kling joined the Lawry’s family group in 2010. Once again he applied his strong work ethic and creativity to his food, which earned him the title Executive Chef in late 2014.

The Fall Vegetable Lasagna is created with housemade pasta, braised kale, mushrooms, arugula and parmigiano. The lasagna had a fresh homemade aroma about it and reminded me of sitting in my grandmother’s kitchen during the cold winter months in North California. I thank Chef Kling for bringing back these sweet memories of my time with my grandmother.

The final main course of the evening was the Deckle Steak. It was by far my favorite dish of the night! The delicious sweet potato coins, haricot vert and herb butter served alongside the steak were great attributes.

To end the evening on a high note yearning for more, Chef Kling served up a classic warm Apple Crumble with Straus vanilla bean ice cream. Bon Appetite!

Five Crowns is open Mon – Thur: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Fri – Sat: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm and Sun: 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm. Reservations are recommended, but not required.

Five Crowns is located at 3801 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar, CA 92625, 949.760.0331.

The Grand Opening of The CulinaryLab Cooking School in Anaheim

Posted on October 11, 2015 | Filed Under: Field Trips in Orange County, Restaurants, Restaurants | Leave a Comment

Written by guest contributor Andrew / Mr. SoCal Field Trips

In September, my friend Don “The Godfather” and I had the great pleasure of visiting Orange County’s new premier culinary school called the CulinaryLab Cooking School! If you are serious about becoming a professional chef, you need to check this school out. The school is a work of art, located at the Anaheim Packing District in Anaheim, California. The entrance alone sits behind the veil of some impressive works of art. And that’s just the beginning!

Let’s start with the foundation of the school, the brains behind this fantastic creation; I’ll call them the fabulous four! Meet Chef Ryan. A successful restaruantreprenuer (…hey, that’s a real word, right?), he brings over 20 years of experience to the table with impressive credentials and experience. He’s been on the Food Network, has owned successful businesses and is a proclaimed “Food Geek”! Yes, you want to learn from someone this passionate about food!

Chef Ryan and his team bring cutting edge technology to the chopping board (…I like that pun too!). When you enroll, you automatically received a Google Chrome book, laden with video driven curriculum. This game-changer of a culinary school also takes a ‘hands-on’ approach with its students…that is, getting your hands working in some of Orange County’s top-rated restaurants. That’s right, you get your internship from the get-go!

Upon entering the CulinaryLab Cooking School, we were greeted by Golgi, who is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to cooking sustainable food. She has a graduate degree in Food Culture and has traveled the globe working the food chain from farmers to chefs. Golgi gave an informative presentation on various herbs and provided us a sample of those herbs, aromatic and refreshing to the palate.

Next up is Chef Mike, AKA “The Diver”. He’s a CIA graduate and seafood specialist, and yes, he’s a sea diver too! He did a wonderful presentation on preparing and marinating beef (consistency of filet mignon) in a couple different ways, served alongside thinly sliced potatoes. Both were delicious. Mike also did a presentation on preparing and serving tuna sashimi.

The grand finale was Chef Colleen. We had the great pleasure of sampling some of Colleen’s treats such as ice cream made with nitrous oxide and freshly prepared brownies. By far, it was a very tasty education! Colleen is also a very accomplished chef, with international experience and has worked with some of the greatest chefs in the world. She has a true passion for educating aspiring chefs, having worked at Cal State University Long Beach.

For sure, some of the world’s up and coming chefs will be born from the premise of the CulinaryLab Cooking School. Even Don, my 81-year-old “godfather” who I brought along for the evening, asked about enrolling!

Happy Cooking!

Andrew

Disclosure: SoCal Field Trips was invited to the CulinaryLab Cooking School event as a member of the media. All points of view and opinions are my own.