Sappy or Sweet at the Great Maple?

Great Maple

1133 Newport Center Drive

Newport Beach, CA 92660

The clock was ticking. It was four days into Newport Beach Restaurant Week, and we had not been to one restaurant yet. Lucky for us we had an open day on the calendar, so we could make it to a restaurant. Which one to choose though? Last year at this time we had tried to go to Rustica for restaurant week. Unfortunately, they were having problems with their computers when we showed up, and they were closing early. Everything ended well because we ended up at Roy's, which was very good. Rustica is no more, and where it once stood is now the Great Maple, so that is where we headed for our restaurant week opening act.

The Great Maple is located in the middle of Fashion Island, right next to Nordstrom's. The restaurant is not huge. They do fit a great many tables in the space, without it feeling really cramped. Wood dominates the darkened dining area. The name Great Maple conjured up images of a hunting lodge in Canada, and the decor here is not too far from that. From our seats in the dining room, it is easy to see into the open kitchen. There is also a large patio that overlooks the hustle and bustle of the shoppers at the mall. After ordering from our casually clad server, this is what was brought to our table.

Before our meals arrived we were brought this bread, which came to us in a brown paper bag. The tiny loaf was sliced and served warm. The butter was soft, creamy, and maybe touched with a little olive oil and dry herbs. A very nice start.

Katie did not want to order off of the restaurant week menu, so she struck out on her own with this Baguette Grilled Cheese with Salted Rosemary and Clover Honey. This is unlike any grilled cheese my Mom ever made me. This one was made with Brie cheese, which had a great flavor but was really too rich. The caramelized onions and raisins served with this helped cut the richness of this sandwich a bit, but after eating half, both Katie and I were not sure we could eat the next two courses that were on the way.

Since Katie does not enjoy Calamari, I had this good-sized appetizer all to myself. The squid was fried perfectly in it's heavy breading and was lacking greasiness. The calamari was sprinkled with chili flakes and accompanied by olives, both of which added a little flavor surprise to each bite. The lemon caper mayo dipping sauce was heavy, and I kind of got tired of it by the end of this large appetizer. If you enjoy calamari, this will be the appetizer for you.

Katie had the run of the menu here, and off of it, she chose the interesting sounding House Fried Pasta. The penne pasta was joined by scrambled eggs, fennel sausage, tomato, basil, and Parmesan. After having the rich grilled cheese, she was happy that this was more on the mellow side. She got a little flavor from the sausage and liked the freshness of this dish.

I knew out of the three selections for main dishes on the restaurant week menu, that I would be having the Flat Iron Steak Strip. This steak was cooked perfectly medium rare but was not as tender as I would have liked. It was still good though. I like a good blue cheese, and the one that topped this steak was strong. The sauce around the plate helped cut the blue cheese flavor just enough. Green beans were okay, nothing out of the ordinary. Good sized hunk of meat.

Lately, most desserts have really let me down. The Great Maple Chocolate Cake can be added to this list. Not sure if the cake was flourless, but it tasted like it was. The cake portion was kind of dry, but we did like the strong cocoa flavor here. The icing was nice and chocolaty, but it still could not make up for the dry cake portion. The Peanut Butter Banana Split will get my dessert attention on my next visit.

The staff at the Great Maple was very nice and professional. The managers were very active running food and refilling drinks. The menu here is not going to blow you away with its wide variety, but  it is varied enough that you should be able to find something to your liking. Serving sizes were generous, and we did leave the restaurant very full. Prices are not crazy bad, considering that you are eating at Fashion Island. No item is over $30, and most sit down restaurants at Fashion Island can probably not make the same claim. The menu does change three times a year, so that will add to the variety as well. We were glad we could make it here before the end of restaurant week.

Out of five bonsai trees, (because maples are a popular choice for growers of the miniature trees), five being best to zero being worst, the Great Maple gets 3 bonsai trees.

For more information on Great Maple, click here: https://thegreatmaple.com/

Horsing Around at the Derby CLOSED

The Derby Deli and Dueling Piano Bar

27741 Crown Valley Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I have been known to go to great lengths for a great sandwich. Last year we went across the country to try deli sandwiches in NYC and Lobster Rolls in Boston. Around home, we have driven from south county up to HB for a Philly cheesesteak and Santa Ana for a Reuben. Yes, that is the life of a food blogger, but it would be nice if there was a great sandwich place closer to my home. My friend Mike thinks that there is a great sandwich spot right down the street from where I live, and the place he is talking up is The Derby.

I have never been to The Derby before. The few times I have been to the Kaleidoscope Shopping Center, I have walked past the restaurant and heard the dueling pianos and customers having a good time. The parking garage at this sparsely populated shopping venue has pictures of colossal skyscraper sandwiches piled high with meat. They look good, but will they really be that great? Let's find out.

We arrived at The Derby at seven on a Friday night. The large dining area was quiet, but that was just because the dueling pianos did not start until 8:30. By the time we had left, the place was raging with the pianist playing everything from country songs to rap. The piano show was fantastic, but I was mainly here for the sandwiches. So let's see how they turned out.

Okay, I promised sandwiches, but we started with an appetizer, Hot Diggity Dawn's Balls. This appetizer is named after the owner's wife, and they are made of prosciutto and ricotta cheese, which is then deep fried. These were served with marinara sauce. None of us were too crazy about these. They had a subdued flavor, which mildly entertained our taste buds. Not sure any of us would get these on our next visit.

Now to the sandwiches mentioned above. Starting us off is the Ying Sandwich. This pastrami sandwich came with Swiss cheese and deli mustard, all on seeded rye bread. This usually comes with sauerkraut, but Mike is not a big fan of pickled cabbage. True to form, Mike called this sandwich "the best pastrami sandwich he has ever had." He enjoyed the thick cut of the pastrami and the flavor of the meat. The onion rings served with this were heavily breaded and crunchy. Not as greasy as I would have thought.

Mike's wife, Dawn, was a little more creative in ordering this Taylor and Stanwyck Sandwich. Almost all sandwiches here are named after a celebrity duo of the past or present. Basically, this amounts to a club sandwich. Usually, this sandwich contains turkey, but for some reason, "Difficult Dawn" opted for ham. She seemed delighted with the result here. Besides the ham, this sandwich came with bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted white bread. This sandwich was so packed with meat that she only finished half of it, which I was shocked by because she has a big mouth. Just kidding, Dawn (not really).

There would be no doubt what sandwich I would go after the Laurel and Hardy was in my sights. This sandwich featured a royal couple of deli meats, pastrami, and corned beef, along with Swiss cheese, Cole slaw, and Russian dressing, on seeded rye. The meats on this sandwich were a little on the fatty side. I know that just adds flavor, but some of you may like leaner cuts of meat. The meat was flavorful, and like Mike, I wanted the thicker cuts of the pastrami. It really lets you know that it was present. The corned beef was slightly subtler and got lost here, but still good. I would have liked this sandwich better if it had been warmed and the bread had been toasted. Their website makes it known that they make all of their bread with actual New York water. The bread was okay at the Derby. I was not wowed by it. Still a solid sandwich, though.

The fourth and last sandwich we tried was Katie's selection, the Bogie and Bacall. This one came with roast beef, ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato, and mayo, piled inside an Italian roll. Katie enjoyed the fresh ingredients here but felt the sandwich was overwhelming due to its size. She did not have high expectations, but those expectations were easily met within the first few bites. The potato salad served with this had too much mustard for her taste. She will opt for another side item on her next visit.

After the giant sandwiches, we followed them up by getting dessert. Mike and Katie ordered the Cannoli's above. The Chocolate Chip Cannoli was Mike's choice. He loved this dessert, while the rest of us felt it was not sweet enough. The outer shell was average, and the ricotta inside needed to be sweeter and smoother. The same went for the peanut butter cannoli. Not even close to the cannoli's Dawn brought me back from Boston. Thanks, Dawn!

Dawn wanted to try a slice of Cheesecake here at the Derby. This cheesecake was pretty solid. It was not overly sweet, and the strawberries were fresh. I am not much of a cheesecake guy, but even I thought this was good. It really helped get the taste of the awful cannoli out of my mouth, which I was thankful for.

The Derby was more than I expected. I will not tell you that these sandwiches will rival New York or the east coast. They are solid sandwiches with great meats and fresh ingredients. They are a little on the pricey side, though. All sandwiches are in the $10 to $14 range, but you can choose one side item to accompany them. The service the night we were here was pretty good. It got a little spotty as the room got busier, but that was to be expected.

If you come here for a quiet night, get here early because it gets raucous, starting at 8:30 and escalating until the late night hours. If the noise gets to you and you are here on a Friday or Saturday night, retreat to the backroom area behind the hostess stand. They have opened a secret speakeasy where you can converse, order drinks, and gamble. Yes, you read that right, gamble. Of course, it is not real money, but for $10, you get chips, get to play blackjack and craps, and automatically get entered into a monthly raffle for an exotic trip. Fun, and something a little different.

Out of five rams (because the town of Derby, England has the ram as its city emblem), five being best to zero being worst, The Derby gets 3 rams.

For more information on The Derby, click here: http://www.derbymv.com/index.php?p=home

Falling In Love with Romeo Cucina?

Romeo Cucina

28241 Crown Valley Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

I have gotten an Entertainment Coupon Book every year, for the last ten years. I have written on this blog that I like using this book. It helps save us on eating out. As you can probably tell from reading this blog, we eat out quite often. So any help we can get on reducing the amount we pay is a help. For as long as I have been getting the book, there has been a coupon for Romeo Cucina. In all these years we have yet to use the coupon, until now.

Romeo Cucina is an upscale, neighborhood Italian restaurant. They have been opened here since 1991, a long time in the restaurant business these days. They have one other location in Laguna Beach, which is owned by another family member. The crowd here in Laguna Niguel is a little on the older side. They have a small bar area, where some older regulars gathered throughout our visit. Romeo Cucina's space is dominated by large windows, that make up two sides of the restaurant. The restaurant was comfy, without being cramped. The lighting is darkened, to accentuate a romantic vibe. Let's see if  the food will brighten up the room for us.

After being seated we were given this bread basket, along with this olive spread. The bread crust was little on the harder side, but the bread portion was soft though. I am not much into olives, (in fact you can say they are sworn enemy), but I did like this olive spread. The saltiness of this paired well with the bread.

Katie began her meal with a Insalata della Casa. This house salad came with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, chevre and mint, along with their house dressing. Katie liked this dressing, which she denoted had lots of garlic in it. The salad had a very earthy flavor, which she enjoyed.

By now, if you have been a faithful reader of my blog, you know that I went with the Amante di Cesare. I seem to always go for a Caesar salad, whenever it is available on a menu. The one here at Romeo was very tasty. They had plenty of dressing on it, the portion size was good, and the Parmesan cheese was fresh and plentiful. My only complaint about this salad was the garlic croutons. I know croutons need to be hard, but these ones were like trying to chomp down on ice cubes.

Katie heard Lobster Ravioli while the waitress was telling us the specials, and decided that would be what she ordered. She was more than happy with this selection, calling it, "the best lobster ravioli she has ever had!". If I had a dollar for every time we went out and Katie proclaimed something was the best she has had, I would not have to use coupons to go out to eat, because I would be rich! Back to the ravioli though, she enjoyed the sauce here because it was not as creamy or rich as others, and the presence of garlic was enjoyable to her. I felt the sauce needed more cream, but I really like heavier sauces. The lobster was fresh, and did not taste fishy, according to Katie. It has been a week since we have eaten here, and she is still talking about this plate, so I guess she really liked it.

The menu at Romeo Cucina did not wow me. Nothing really caught my eye. I usually know what I am going to order before entering a restaurant, but here I was unsure. I settled on this Vitello Porcini. This veal dish was served with mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and a Marsala sauce. I was disappointed with the serving size of veal here. Two tiny medallions, smaller than the size of a billiards ball.  The meat was fork tender, and had a great flavor, but I felt there could have been more veal here. The mushrooms were cooked well, and because there were so many of them, they became the star of this plate. The roasted potatoes were okay. The larger ones were not as tender as the smaller ones, and harder to get through. The garlic spinach here was real good. Had great flavor, and the garlic really brought the spinach to life.

Time for dessert, and Katie picked the Tartufo. This traditional Italian dessert had a zabaglione cream center, encased by a gianduia cream and crushed hazelnut and cocoa powder. Basically, in English this was a scoop of chocolate ice cream with a cream center. This was very good, and refreshing. The ice cream was really good, not too rich. I would probably gets this dessert next time I came here.

One dessert that I would definitely avoid the next time I was here would be this Butterscotch Banana Rum Cake. All three items mentioned in the name of this dessert were barely present. The cake portion of this was dry, so the rum could not be detected. The banana flavor of the cake was also missing in action. Lastly, the butterscotch cream this was topped with was devoid of any butterscotch flavor. Very disappointing end to my meal.

I had mixed feelings about my time at Romeo Cucina. Katie loved all of her choices, and I thought all of mine were average to okay. I am sure we will be coming back here, because Katie enjoyed her meal so much. Hopefully the next time we visit something will pique my interest more than this time. The service on this night was great. Our glasses were never empty, and the food was brought out promptly and hot. Our waitress, Prisma, really made us feel welcome, and really talked this restaurant up. There must have been lots of regulars here, because she was very personable with everyone. Prices here were a little on the high side, (entrees were in the $20 range and the salads were just under $10), but we had our coupon, so it helped to soften the blow of the bill. Thanks Entertainment Book!

Out of five balconies (because who can hear the name Romeo, and not think of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet? See I know some of the classics!), five being best to zero being worst, Romeo Cucina gets 3 balconies.

For more information on Romeo Cucina, click here: http://www.romeocucina.com/index.html

Shortstop BBQ Swinging for the Fences! CLOSED

Shortstop BBQ

711 N. Placentia Avenue

Fullerton, CA 92831

I admit I am not much into food trucks. They just don't seem convenient to me. The food usually sounds very appealing, but the fact that I did not have a Twitter account until a few weeks ago, (shameless plug, you can follow our blog here, https://twitter.com/#!/eatmywaythruoc), and the fact that, (are you ready to be shocked?), I do not own a smart phone, so it makes it hard for me to keep up with where the food trucks are roaming. Ugh, this makes me sound like I still use eight track tapes, Atari, and a pager! I will try to get more technological in the future, but for now I really wanted some barbecue.

I have heard a lot about the Shortstop BBQ truck. They have a great reputation for serving some great  barbecue, so I was excited that they opened a restaurant that will stay in one place. They are run by two brothers, and one of their wives.  Drawing on inspiration from their great grandfather, they look to serve some  delicious BBQ, with a clean, California appeal.

We were going to a play in Fullerton, so we stopped by their tiny restaurant. We arrived at about six on a Saturday night. There were a lot of people crammed in here. Most were waiting patiently for their food, while the two guys working behind the counter were going at a breakneck pace cranking out orders. After placing our order with one of the guys we watched the game on their nice sized TV, and waited for a table to open up. The menu here is not going to impress you with its large variety, but I was hoping it would impress my taste buds. Let's see how it all turned out for us.

At Shortstop BBQ they do not serve your everyday fries, they serve frites, (which is just a fancy French way of saying fries). The frites here are topped with a variety of offerings. We ordered the Beef n' Bleu Frites. These frites were topped with blue cheese crumbles, tri tip, and BBQ sauce. The fries here are average, but what sets these apart are the toppings. These were delicious, with lots of blue cheese and tender tri tip. A little more BBQ sauce on these would have made this even better. They have other interesting offering for frites as well, including a turkey, cheese, and cranberry chili a top the frites. That one will have to wait for next time though. We still had more food on our trays.

At Shortstop BBQ, they have four sandwiches on the menu, all with a little twist. I am sure if you do not like something, they would omit it for you, but I wanted to try everything as it was on the menu. Above is Katie's sandwich, the BBQ Pulled Pork. Here the the twist was the addition of creamed corn, to go along with pork and BBQ sauce.  The corn seemed a little odd to me at first, but the sweetness of it combined with the tender pork really hit the spot. The flavor of the pork was subtle, but still real good. The brioche bun really held up to the insides of the sandwich, which surprised me. Just like with the frites, a little more BBQ sauce on this would have made this even better.

The picture above does not do my Tri-Tip Sandwich justice. The tri tip on this sandwich was paired with their blue cheese slaw and BBQ sauce. The meat was very tender, the slaw was excellent, and like the other sandwich, the bun held everything perfectly. Really enjoyed this sandwich, and I would not hesitate to get this again. A must order when I come back here.

Of course I could not come to barbecue restaurant and not try some ribs. I got this Quarter Rack of Ribs Combo plate, which comes with two sides. The ribs here are not slathered with sauce. They have a dry rub, and the sauce is very light, almost baked into the meat. The result is an easy to eat rib, with very tender meat. The meat came off the bone easily, and almost all in one piece. Very nicely done. As for the side items, the Creamed Corn was not as sweet as the one at Gulliver's, but it was very good. The blue cheese slaw was great, and I could have eaten more of this. They were very generous with the blue cheese in this slaw.

This was a solid spot for barbecue. Shortstop BBQ is a tiny restaurant that is not much for ambiance, but they definitely make up for it with some good dishes. The tiny menu is accompanied by some specials, which are changed every so often. I have heard about a duck sandwich that has been offered from time to time, but it was not offered the night we were here. The only complaint I have about this place when we were here, was the amount of sauce put on everything. I would have liked more, but I am usually one that enjoys more sauce than the average eater. The prices for the dishes here are very reasonable. Most items are under the $10 mark, and that is saying something for a barbecue place. I'm glad that Shortstop BBQ decided to open up a restaurant, so I know where I can find some good barbecue.

Out of five gold gloves, (because one of the great shortstops in baseball history, Ozzie Smith won 13 of them, and he played shortstop), five being best to zero being worst, Shortstop BBQ gets 3.5 gold gloves.

For more information of Shortstop BBQ, click here: http://shortstopbbq.com/

No Waffling About Our Trip to Bruxie!

Bruxie

292 N. Glassell St.

Orange, CA 92866

I feel like I have cheated all of you, my dear readers. I can not be called an OC food blogger until I have reviewed Bruxie. This soon-to-be iconic waffle sandwich place has been reviewed by numerous food blogs and mainstream publications, and it has even been named the #2 Yelp restaurant in the US in 2011. Pretty strong praise for a restaurant I have not managed to get to in the two and a half years of this blog. I apologize to you, but I am here to make amends. Here, without further delay, is my review of Bruxie.

Here is a short history for the few who have not heard about Bruxie. The restaurant opened across the street from Chapman College in downtown Orange. The location used to be the old Dairy Treet. They serve all their sandwiches on waffles, like a panini, but with a waffle instead of bread. They have savory ones and sweet dessert versions. When Chapman is in session, the lines can get very long. Lucky for us, it was winter break, as my cousin Chris and I met up at lunchtime on a Thursday at noon. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. This is what it looked like.

My Chocolate Banana Nut Milkshake came out before my meal. At Bruxie, they use frozen custard instead of ice cream. This was my first time having frozen custard. Frozen custard is said to be more decadent than ice cream because egg yolks are added. Bruxie gets theirs from Wisconsin, and like the Packers from the same state, I was not such a big fan of this shake. The flavor was good here, but I would have liked the chocolate and banana already mixed up. My other complaint was that this shake was warmer than I would have liked. I know that is a weird thing to say about a shake, but it was too soupy and not even a warm day out. I will definitely try frozen custard again, though.

Chris went with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Waffle, one of their most popular items. The chicken was joined by Cole slaw and a chili honey sauce. Chris was very pleased with his selection, calling it near perfect. He felt the chicken was tender, and the chili honey sauce had a great flavor, but he thought there could have been more Cole Slaw on this sandwich to help balance it out better. Chris has been here numerous times, and this is his favorite sandwich. He also got Waffle Fries with his order. These fries were very hearty and crisp.

I have an enormous appetite, more than my cousin, so this is the first of my two Bruxie sandwiches, the Bruxie Burger. This burger came with Angus beef, cheddar cheese, tomato, pickle, mayonnaise, and lettuce. I have not had a burger cooked this ideally in a long time. It was a perfect medium rare that practically melted in my mouth. The waffle got in the way less than I envisioned it would. The waffle is not sweet and is lighter than I would have thought. It was sturdy enough to hold the sandwich's contents without being intrusive. They got the balance just right. I would have liked a little more mayo on this, but it was a great burger I would get again.

Bruxie always has specials posted on their Facebook page and the specials board where you stand in line. One stood out while waiting, so I had to try it. The Braised Beef Short Rib, with Crispy Blue Cheese Potatoes. Also added to the mix were caramelized onions, horseradish, and chives. This sandwich was as delicious as it sounds. The meat, for the most part, was very tender; the blue cheese was a great addition, but I could have used more. The au jus served with this added some great flavor and moisture. If this comes up on the special board again, do yourself a favor and order it.

Bruxie is one of the restaurants that truly did live up to the hype. It is a concept that seems so simple, yet so many things could go wrong but don't. The main thing is that they use fresh ingredients and cook the food the right way. The menu is a little small, but with the addition of the specials, there is plenty to choose from. I really look forward to many more trips back here. I am happy that I have fulfilled my delicious obligation to readers by trying one of the unique restaurant spots our county has to offer.

Out of five sprouts (c'mon, you knew I could not go through this whole review without playing on the Belgium influence here, and one of my favorite things from Belgium, Brussel sprouts!), five being best to zero being worst, Bruxie gets 3.5 sprouts.

For more information on Bruxie, click here: http://bruxie.com/

Dinner Time at Cinnamon Productions! - CLOSED

Cinnamon Productions

22342 El Paseo

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Katie has just recently moved to the wide opened spaces of Rancho Santa Margarita, which opens us up to a whole new area of restaurants to try. We have come out here before, for trips to see her wonderful brother in law and her average sister, but now we will be spending more time in the city with the longest name in California.

Not wanting to stray too far from home, we decided to try Cinnamon Productions for dinner. I know this joint is more of a breakfast place, but I had a coupon and wanted to see what they offered for dinner. CP was started in Seal Beach in 1987. That location has since closed, and they now have another location operating not far down the road, in Ladera Ranch.

We arrived at 7 on a Wednesday night, and the restaurant was deserted, except for us and another couple. A few more customers would ramble in throughout our visit, but it never got busy. The first thing you notice when walking in Cinnamon Productions is the bakery case. This thing is huge! Wish I had taken a picture of it because it was massive. I was also surprised to see that it was fully stocked even at this off-peak time. They offer brownies, cookies, cakes, and of course cinnamon rolls. We ordered at the counter, and this is what was brought to our table.

We could not eat a place called Cinnamon Productions, without getting to try their signature offering, a Cinnamon Roll. The cinnamon roll was pretty good. The outer shell of it was little on the harder side. Maybe because these were made a few hours before our visit. The insides though were pillowy soft. These were not overly sweet. The cream cheese icing was more on the tangy side than the sweet, and insides were not as full of cinnamon as some of the other rolls we have had. Not a bad start to our meal, (of course we started with dessert, and how can that be bad?).

Katie tried the Pepper Turkey Pannini. This turkey sandwich came with Swiss cheese and sliced tomato on seven-grain bread. Katie felt this sandwich was a little on the dry side when consumed as it was brought to our table. She added some mustard to it and was much happier with the result. The pasta salad served with this was fresh tasting and not oily, but did not stand out for her flavor-wise. An average meal for Katie.

The menu at CP is not huge and mostly filled with sandwiches and salads. They do offer four specialty entrees though, and the Penne Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage is one of them. The sauce is a tomato and basil cream sauce, which was very smooth and good. The pasta was cooked nicely and held the sauce well. The sausage was not of the best quality, but it did have a little spice to it.  I thought the $11 price tag for this was a little on the steep side for this portion size, but I would get this again.

Cinnamon Productions is not going to blow you away with their lunch and dinner options. Everything is decent here though. The dinners should feature at least a slice of garlic bread or a roll, (this is a bakery!). CP is worth the trip if you are in the area and want a quick dinner. I hear better things about their breakfast items and can not wait to try them. Now that Katie is in the neighborhood, we will definitely make it here for breakfast.

Out of five volleyballs, (because the national sport of Sri Lanka is volleyball, and that country produces 90% of the worlds cinnamon), five being best to zero being worst, Cinnamon Productions gets 2.5 volleyballs.

For more information about Cinnamon Productions, click here: http://cinnamonproductions.com/

For Pete's Sake, an Awful Time at Peter's Gourmade! - CLOSED

Peter's Gourmade Grill

600 East Bay Ave. Ste. A7

Newport Beach, CA 92661

I am not going to sugar coat this review. I was more than a little upset after leaving Peter's Gourmade Grill. I had heard all of the great reviews. I had seen all the wonderful pictures of the burgers. I admit I was already writing a positive review in my head even before walking in the joint. All the fanfare, all the high hopes, dashed like most of my favorite sports teams success this year, (a tough year for my Ducks and Jaguars, but I will save that topic for when I start a sports blog).

By now I am sure that you know the story of Peter's Gourmade Grill. Opened in a Valero gas station in Tustin, this tiny 100 square foot restaurant got food critics and bloggers talking by serving up gourmet burgers, sandwiches, and fries. The gas station closed down, and they were still serving food out of the tiny space. New owners came in, the lease agreement became in doubt, and finally, according to Peter's Gourmade website, the relationship with the new owners became toxic, and they decided to relocate to the corner of McFadden and Newport Avenue. This location opens later this month.

While all this craziness was going on with the Tustin location, they managed to open up a second location at the Balboa Fun Zone. Near where the carousel used to turn, this is a bigger location for Peter's. Plenty more storage space than the digs in Tustin. This area of some of my favorite childhood memories would soon become one of my worst as a food blogger.

We arrived at 6:30 on a colder than normal, Saturday night. The Balboa area was not deserted, but foot traffic was not what it would normally be on a warmer night. We got to Peter's, and there were two tables of four eating their food. Stepping up to the counter to order, I already knew what I was having. The iconic ABC Burger. Denied. I was told they were out of avocado and cheddar cheese. Okay, a little disappointed, but stuff happens. I will take a Rammer Burger. No can do. They are out of pastrami, and they do not have Swiss cheese. In fact, we are told they have no cheese on the premises other than Feta. So, with such a limited menu, this is what we decided to consume.

I finally settled on a Mushroom Swiss and Bacon Burger. The burger did have a good taste, but without the cheese on this burger, it was really salty. The patty was way over seasoned. I am sure the Swiss would have mellowed this out a little bit, but of course, that is conjecture on my part. I did find the potato bun a nice touch.

Katie got a little creative with her Veggie Burger. She added Feta cheese to it. Like me, she felt this burger was very salty, and the patty fell apart on her.

The only item we ended up coming here for, and actually getting was Peter's Greek Fries. These shoestring fries were topped with gyro meat, tomatoes, feta cheese, onion, oregano, and served with homemade Tzatziki sauce. These fries saved our trip from becoming a complete bust, they were great as advertised. The gyro meat was very tender and tasted great, the Tzatziki sauce really balanced this out wonderfully. Unfortunately, we got their last fork in the entire place, so we had to take turns eating this. One fork in the entire place, really?

The menu at Peter's is not the largest, and it is made considerably smaller when they are out of basic things, such as cheese and pastrami. Out of the seven burgers on their menu, five of them have either cheese or pastrami. That works out to them being out of 72% of their burgers, as written on their menu. Throw in the fact that they were out of lids for soft drinks, there aforementioned lack of forks, and the marshmallow they used in the interesting sounding  Sweet Potato Gooey's, and it is a wonder that this place is open at all. They even had another two hours until closing time. What would they be serving by the end of the night, mustard, and ketchup sandwiches?

I know ordering in a restaurant can be hard. I am sure that it is difficult to predict how many people will come through the door. I am sure it is tough to control shrink. But not having forks and lids? These things do not go bad. The only thing I can think is maybe they are spread too thin, or maybe they are so intent on opening the Tustin location on time that they have let this place go. The crew of two workers here did not seem to care in the least that they were out of so many things. They spent almost all of our visits talking to their friend, rather than going out and getting supplies. It may not be their job to make sure supplies and food are stocked, but they did not seem bothered by it in the least.

Will we try Peter's Gourmade again? Yes, we will, but not this location. They have a lot to prove to us when the new restaurant opens up. Hopefully, they will be able to focus all their attention on the new place. I look forward to finally trying the ABC Burger, the Gooey Fries, and their specials. I just hope they remember to order enough for a whole day's worth of business.

Out of five slices of cheese, (so it might remind them to order enough next time), five being best to zero being worst, Peter's Gourmade Grill gets 1.5 slices of cheese, (or one and a half more than they had in the entire restaurant the night we were here!).

For more information on Peter's Gourmade Grill, click here: https://gourmadegrill.com/Welcome.html

Not Eating Like a Bird at Crow Bar - CLOSED

The Crow Bar and Kitchen

2325 East Coast Highway

Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

Crow Bar has been on my list of places so long that I almost forgot about it. Lucky for us my good friend Ed was going to be visiting from Philadelphia and staying nearby in Newport. I happened to look at my list of places to try and spotted Crow Bar near the top. Ed likes to experiment with new restaurants, and Crow Bar seemed to be like a great place to nest for the night, (sorry, I will try to limit the bird puns in this review).

Crow Bar has been open since 2007. Since that time they have won rave reviews for their hamburgers, fries, cocktails, beer selection, and they were named best bar in Orange County. They want you to know that they are not just a bar, but they consider themselves a gastropub. The distinction that makes this a gastropub is the chef twists common pub food into making it his own, and using seasonal ingredients, that compliment the beers and cocktails they serve. The last time I wrote about a gastropub was when we went to Haven Gastropub almost two years ago. I was not too fond of the experience at that time, because I thought they were trying too hard. I was hoping this trip would be more to my liking.

We arrived at Crow Bar at 7 pm on a Thursday night. The place was packed. Our party of three did not have a reservation, but we pulled up a seat at the bar and had a quick drink while we waited fifteen minutes for our table to be ready. The bar was jammed, with young professionals out for an after-work drink. During our stay, the professionals moved out, and the young hipsters moved in. After paying for our drinks we were moved to a table and ordered. This is what came our way.

We started off our night with the Sausage Trio with a Soft Baked Pretzel. This trifecta of sausages included a smoked cheddar bratwurst, spicy Polish sausage, and a Nurnberger bratwurst. These were all paired with a condiment. The nuerinberger brat was paired with spicy mustard. My favorite one of the three sausages was the spicy Polish served with the house-made tomato chutney. This one really popped with flavor, and the chutney attempted to cool it down. The cheddar brat was okay, but I did not sense a lot of cheese in this one,  but the "crow", sauerkraut made up for the lack of cheese. The pretzel here was not just an afterthought. The pretzel came out warm, soft and salted perfectly. We could have eaten a few more of these.

Let's start the main course with our guest for the evening, Ed. He ordered up this Chicken Pallard. Roasted chicken, organic tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted garlic, and basil were combined to come up with this dish. Ed finished this plate rather quickly, calling this both, "great and savory". He enjoyed the smaller portion size here, so he could save room for dessert later. What a lightweight!

Katie was on the fence about what to order, but she settled on the Classic Burger, adding Havarti cheese. This quenched her burger craving. She felt this burger was very rich, and loved the addition of the Havarti cheese on it. Unfortunately, she ordered this burger well done, but the bite I had was still very juicy. The Duck Fat Fries were not as crisp as we are used to, but were still good. The seasoned truffle aioli that was served with this was a little too strong of a flavor for her, but I enjoyed it when I dipped some of her fries into the sauce.

I know that we are only a few weeks into the new year, but this is by far the best thing I have eaten all year. The Braised Veal Cheeks, paired with house-made tater tots, mushrooms, and braising jus were a hit in my book. The veal here tasted like the most tender pot roast you have ever had. The jus was a little on the salty side, but it still worked with the meat. The tater tots needed to be a little softer, but I would definitely get this plate again.

Onto the dessert portion of our show, and Ed's selection was the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding. The bread pudding was moist, and the banana flavor was subdued. The ice cream on top of this was a nice touch, with plenty of caramel sauce.

Katie always loves chocolate, so I knew she would lean towards the Liquid Chocolate Cake. This was served with caramel brown sugar swirl ice cream. She described the cake portion as, "divine, and it paired well with the caramel ice cream". It was rich, without being over the top.

Not to be biased, but I had the best dessert of the night, the Butterscotch Pot au Creme. Not only did this dessert feature a smooth butterscotch creme, but it also came with salted caramel, and palmiers. Not sure if the palmiers cookies were house-made, but they were really good. Salted caramel is also one of my new favorite things as well, and it really went well with pudding here. This would be a dessert I would get again for sure.

After leaving Crow Bar I was disappointed that we had not been here sooner. The food was definitely well worth the trip, and the vibe here was hipster cool. The dining area can be a little on the loud side. The young, good looking servers kept thing moving along and got us in and out. Seating here was a little cramped. Prices were what you would expect to pay in Corona Del Mar. Main entrees were in the $15 to $25 range, while most burgers were under the $10 mark, a bargain for these delicious burgers. The portion sizes were a little on the small size, but they more than made up for it with their well-prepared plates. At the end of the night, we were all chirping about how great the Crow Bar was, (see, I only limited the bird puns to two for this whole article, your welcome my little chickadees!).

Out of five moneymakers, (because that was the name of the Black Crowes debut album back in 1990), five being best to zero being worst, Crow Bar Kitchen gets 3.5 money makers.

For more information on Crow Bar Kitchen, click here: http://www.crowbarcdm.com/index2.html