Pinocchio's Pulling the Strings on a Great Meal?

Pinocchio Restaurant

3103 W Magnolia Blvd.

Burbank, CA 91505

I have returned to the home of Katie's forefathers, or as her Dad calls it, "The Motherland". Burbank is where he and his five brothers and sisters grew up. This is the place where some of them still reside. It is also the city where I may have disgraced the entire family. After eating across the street at Tony's Bela Vista, I wrote my review, and let's just say it did not go so well. It was not awful, but very average. That did not sit well with Katie's Dad, but he was not deterred, and he recommended we eat across the street at Pinocchio Restaurant.

Pinocchio Restaurant is connected to Monte Carlo Italian Deli and Market. The market has been opened since the '60s. Pinocchio Restaurant opened their doors in 1971. In those 40 years, it appears not too much has changed. Ordering is done cafeteria-style. Lining up with a tray, and telling the guys behind the counter what you want is how it is done here. We got here at five and there was never a break in the line during the dinner rush. The guys behind the counter were busy bringing out trays and trays of food. Let's see how it came out.

Katie tried the Lasagna with meat sauce here. She felt this was an "old school meal". She was completely satisfied with the amount of meat, cheese, and sauce on this. She would definitely get this again on her next trip here.

I went a different route for dinner with the Large Meatball Sandwich with meat sauce. This sandwich was impossible to pick up, because it was served scalding hot, and also because of all the meat sauce that was piled on this. Definitely a knife and fork sandwich. I really liked their meat sauce here. Very meaty and full of flavor. The meatballs were good but could have used a little more seasoning. The bread held up to the contents of the sandwich valiantly. I wish I would have added cheese to the sandwich, which would have made it even better. Also served with the sandwich, when dining in the restaurant, is your choice of two salads. I went with the Greek Salad and Potato Salad. The Greek was your basic green salad with chunks of feta cheese in it, but the salad was chopped into bigger pieces than I would have liked. The potato salad was pretty good. Good flavor, cooked right, and it reminded me of my Mom's. The sandwich was good-sized, but when the salads were added, this definitely filled me up.

This solid brick of Baked Ziti belonged to Kevin. Again this plate of noodles, meat, and sauce came out lava hot. The meat sauce had plenty of meat, and the ziti was blessed with lots of cheese.  Kevin did a great job by finishing this plate in record time. Very proud of you Kevin!

Sara, on the other hand, ate what my niece ate when she was five. Plain noodles, with a few pieces of garlic bread. Looked great, but I did not get to try this bland looking plate. Nice ordering Sara!

Luckily, Lynn made up for her daughter's horrible ordering, with this Chicken Parmigiana with Pasta. The chicken here looked a little odd to me. I would have thought it would have been pounded thinner, but there were no complaints from Lynn. She did feel that the sauce was a little on the runny side, but other than that, she was happy with her meal. She likes the consistency of the food here. The food is the same as it was years ago when they lived up in Burbank.

Papa Chris and Katie's Dad, Dennis, both went with the smaller version of the Sausage and Peppers Sandwich. This proves that great minds indeed do think alike. Even the smaller sandwiches come with two salads. I did not hear good or bad about the sausage sandwich, but both of them finished their sandwiches with no problem.

Even after the big meal, we wandered over to the market side and tried one of their 24 varieties of gelato. Our choice was the Chocolate Hazelnut. This was a very rich gelato, with large pieces of hazelnuts embedded in the chocolate. If I had more room, I would have enjoyed this a lot more than I did. Very good though.

I really enjoyed walking around the Monte Carlo Italian Deli. They had almost anything Italian that you could possibly want. They had not just a few varieties of olive oil, but probably well over a hundred different kinds. They also had a very large selection of canned tomatoes. More than I have ever seen in a market before. It was six at night, and the deli case was still buzzing with activity. Customers were buying cheeses and meats to take home. Well worth a walk around the market.

Back to the Pinocchio Restaurant though. I am not going to tell you that this will be the best Italian food you have ever had, but everything we had satisfied us. The portion sizes were great at Pinocchio's, and that is no lie. You definitely get your money's worth here as well. All of the sandwiches and entrees are all under $10. They also have pizzas on the menu, although none of us went with that option. Maybe on our next visit. There is plenty of seating here, but the restaurant does fill up rather quickly during meal hours. Katie's Dad picked this restaurant, and I can safely say that it was a good pick. He has definitely redeemed himself for some of the less than stellar restaurant selections of the past. Very proud of ya big guy, let's keep it going.

Out of five crickets, (because Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio's conscience), five being best to zero being worst, Pinocchio Restaurant gets 3 crickets.

For more information on Pinocchio Restaurant, click here: http://www.montecarlodeli.com/pinocchio-restaurant.html

Dancing All the Way to Mambo's Cafe

Mambo's Cafe

1701 Victory Blvd.

Glendale, CA 91201

I have been Cuban crazy lately! We have been on a personal quest to find a Cuban sandwich that was as good as the ones we had in Miami, at the Playa Cafe. I know this is a tall task, but it will be a delicious one to undertake. Luckily we were headed up to Burbank for a family party, and they're just happened to be this Cuban restaurant, Mambo's Cafe.

Mambo's Cafe has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. We have had some good luck with places that have been on this show, and Guy Fieri has lead us astray in some instances as well. It was a good sign that as we got to the restaurant at 3pm on a Saturday it was packed in this tiny joint. This place might have been a gas station in another age, but now it has a black and white checkered floor, with large celebrity pictures hanging on the wall. We were sat at a tiny table for two, ordered our food, and this is how it all came out.

We were started off with this breadbasket. It is always a little refreshing when a restaurant tries to change things up from a normal breadbasket. This was the case here. The bread was kind of like a french bread style, but the sauce was a kind of a cross between a spaghetti sauce and a salsa. There was no heat with this sauce, but a heavy tomato flavor. A very interesting start to the meal.

We might as well start with the reason we came here, the Media Noche Sandwich. This sandwich combined roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles. Both Katie and I thought this sandwich was delicious. This cousin to the Cuban Sandwich differs by having sweeter bread. The result is a well-balanced sandwich that features the saltiness of the meats, the tanginess of the pickles and mustard, and the sweetness of the bread. This is probably the closest medianoche sandwich to the one we had in Miami. Our only complaint about this sandwich would be that some of the bites of the pork were a little on the dry side, but those were far and few between. Very good sandwich.

We were going to be eating again in a couple hours, but I had to get what Guy Fieri ate here the Roasted Pork. The pork here had a great flavor, but like the sandwich, some of the bites were a little dry. I liked mixing the onions with the pork to boost the flavor up another notch. The star of this show was the black beans and rice. Some people enjoy these separated, but mixing them together really was the way to go here. I am usually not too big a fan of plantains, but the Maduro's here were not overly sweet and were cooked well.

We were sitting very close to the couple next to us, (this is a small place remember), so we struck up a conversation with Derek and Jenn. They were gracious enough to let me take pictures of their food. Jenn ordered the Mambo Combo Platter which included, Papas Rellenas, Spanish Chorizo, Empanadillas, Croquetas, and Tostones. She even shared one of her tostones with us, which is fried plantain. Very good, and different from the way I have eaten plantains before. I will have to try these the next time I am at a Cuban restaurant. Jenn also had the Sangria above, which looked very refreshing.

Derek opted to get the Cuban Sandwich. This sandwich had all of the same ingredients as the Media Noche but was put on Cuban bread. This sandwich looked good, and it must have been filling, because Derek had a hard time finishing it.

I really liked Mambo Cafe, but I can not say that I am in love with it. The food was pretty strong here but lacked the wow factor. Media Noche was the best thing we ate here. The prices were great for the amount of food you get. The sandwiches were all under $9, and the lunch entrees were hovering around the $10 mark. Very reasonable. The service was good during our visit here. The restaurant exudes a comfortable, friendly feel to it. If we were back in the area, we would definitely stop by for the Media Noche.

Out of five disco balls, (because the mambo is a famous dance style that originated in Cuba), five being best to zero being worst, Mambo's Cafe gets 3 disco balls.  

For more information on Mambo's Cafe, click here: http://mambosla.com/

Traveling to the Gypsy Den - CLOSED

The Gypsy Den

2930 Bristol Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Being a food blogger, you have to roll with the punches. You have to be prepared for anything. Have your camera ready. Be prepared that one of your dining companions will take your first choice for dinner, so you have to go with your second or third choice. A food blogger should also be ready to sit in less than-optimal lighting for pictures. These are just minor annoyances.  My biggest pet peeve is when I am all geared up to go to a restaurant, and there is some weird reason they are not open or are closed for a private party. This is how we ended up at Gypsy Den. We were all set to go to Taco Asylum, but The Camp shopping center had no electricity. I suggested trying the Gypsy Den in the Lab Anti-mall, and my dining partners agreed.

I have been to Gypsy Den for cookies a few times but have never eaten here. The atmosphere of Gypsy Den fits in perfectly with the vibe of the Lab. Kind of hipster, with a touch of alternative. The tables and chairs are all wood, like something you would find in a cabin. The walls are adorned with rugs and portraits, some pretty creepy. Waitresses are young and exude a trendy aura. The menu is littered with items geared toward healthiness. After checking out the menu, we came up with this.

Jen will start things off for us with her Pesto Portabello Sandwich. This sandwich comprised portabello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and zucchini in a balsamic marinade, grilled and topped with mozzarella and pesto mayo. There were things she liked about this sandwich and other parts she needed to be more excited about. She liked the pesto here and felt the flavors all blended well together. She would have enjoyed this sandwich more if it was not on a wheat bun. Something not as sturdy, like a croissant, would have made this better. For her side item, she went with the interesting-sounding Orzo Pasta Salad, which she enjoyed with its citrusy taste.

After a very long, detailed look at the menu, Clay decided on the Chipotle and Avocado Vegan Chicken Wrap. Are you sure you do not need more time to decide, Clay? This whole wheat tortilla included soy chicken, avocado, chipotle cream, salsa, and a lot of spinach. Clay, not surprisingly, was no fan of this wrap. He called it "awful, with a horrible flavor". I got to try it since he only ate a quarter of this. It was not bad, but definitely not good. The "chicken" texture was off, and the chipotle flavor was like no other chipotle I have had before. More like a curry taste to it. This would not have even crossed my mind to order this for lunch. Not my thing.

Something closer to my thing is this Waldorf Chicken Sandwich. Their version of this famous salad contains apples, celery, walnuts, grapes, mayo, lettuce, and chunks of chicken on a croissant. This sandwich had a very mild flavor. I loved the textures here. I would have liked the chicken chopped into smaller pieces, though. The croissant was a little overcooked. It was not as light as croissants should be. The sandwich was good but should have included a big pop of flavor. The Sweet Potato Salad was another interesting side item here. As I have written on this blog before, I am not much of a sweet potato fan, but this salad was good and held my interest. I would have liked it even better if they had added some brown sugar to it, but it was still good the way it was.

I could not leave here without trying one of their Chocolate Chip Cookies. Looking at the picture above, you can tell my biggest complaint about this cookie. Where are the chocolate chips? Oh yeah, there is one! Besides the lack of chocolate, this cookie had a good crunch, but the taste was just average.

I think I can safely say that Gypsy Den is not my kind of place. I can always find something on a menu to eat, and this place was no exception. The food here is way more on the healthy side than I usually go for. The ingredients were fresh but needed more flavor. The prices were decent. My sandwich cost $8, and the most expensive on the menu is $13 for a pasta dish. All sandwiches are under $10. The service when we were here was slow. Glasses were not refilled, and we felt forgotten most of the time we were here. The Gypsy Den has its clientele, but I am not a member of that customer base. Glad I was flexible enough to at least try the Gypsy Den.

Out of five scarves (because most women gypsies wear scarves on their heads), five being best to zero being worst, Gypsy Den gets 2 scarves.

For more information on Gypsy Den, click here: http://www.gypsyden.com/

G Burger, the G Stand for Go Now! - CLOSED

G Burger

421 East La Habra Blvd.

La Habra, CA 90631

I know I have been neglecting some of you. I know I claim to be "Eating My Way Through OC," but I have let some of you down. I have missed entire cities in my quest to find our county's best food. Really? I have never been to a restaurant in Brea, but I have been to 2 restaurants in Aliso Viejo?  That does not seem right. I have been to zero places in Los Alamitos but have been to 16 places in Laguna Hills! Ugh, this stops now. There are 34 cities in our great county, and I pledge that I will have reviewed at least one in every one of them as soon as possible. So, let's get to it. La Habra, you are up first.

Our first La Habra joint is the well-reviewed G Burger. I read about G Burger in the OC Weekly, OC Register, and one of my favorite blogs, Eat In OC. This place is known for its great burgers, which have been called the best OC has to offer. We arrived at lunchtime, just as a cop was getting on his motorcycle to resume his duties. My Mom, who was joining me for this lunch, asked him how it was. He smiled, gave us a thumbs-up, and told us it was great. Policemen always know the best places to get their grub on, so I knew we would be in for a treat.

Ordering is done at the counter of this small restaurant. Behind the registers is the large grill, where the workers put together the burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. After ordering, we grabbed one of the ten tables in the place and waited for our food to arrive. I can imagine this place gets a little cramped at times, but we found it to be clean and cozy. After about a five-minute wait, our food arrived and looked like this.

To put it literally, I went big here! What you see above is the namesake burger of this restaurant, the G Burger. This hamburger came with everything, and I mean everything. Everything includes house Thousand Island dressing, tomato, sweet pickles, teriyaki glazed mushrooms and onions, homemade Cole slaw, grilled pineapple, fried egg, pastrami, avocado, cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, chili, and an extra hamburger patty for good measure. This was one of the best burgers I have ever had. I thought all the toppings would cancel each other out, but that was not the case. Even with everything on this burger, you can taste the freshness and quality of the meat. The freshness of the toppings came out as well. The bacon's crispness, the pastrami's saltiness, the pineapple's sweetness, and the fresh avocado's creaminess. It was like a chameleon of a burger. Each bite was different and more delicious than the last. I got this burger for the shock value, but I do not think I will get anything but the G Burger on my next visit here.

My Mom was not in the mood for a burger (her loss), but she spied the BLT Ultra-Sandwich and had to have it. She never orders BLTs in restaurants, but this one sounded too good to pass up. This sandwich comprised two types of bacon (applewood smoked and hickory ), lettuce, tomato, chipotle mayo, and avocado. My Mom enjoyed the fresh produce on this sandwich and liked the fact that there was plenty of bacon on it. Nothing is worse than having a BLT sandwich, and they only put 2 or 3 strips of bacon on there. That is not the case here. Also, something needs to be said about the buns here. They were excellent; even with my burger, they stood up to all the toppings. Nice texture, and the bread did its job here.

I had heard of their Onion Rings before I walked in here, so they were a must-try. They do not use the standard onion here at G Burger. They use red onions to make their rings. They also do not use the standard breading; they use cracker meal. The result is a more flavorful onion ring with a breading that sticks to the onion better. The lack of grease surprised me because these rings did not lack flavor. The House Ranch served with these had a great consistency and was a good condiment with these onion rings.

If you could not tell from reading the review above, I really enjoyed this restaurant. We even got to talk with the owner, George, for a little while. He was very gracious when speaking with us. His philosophy with G Burger is that he makes things that he knows he would like. His palate is pretty much dead on. Everything we had on this visit was great. The prices were not too bad either. My burger was $14, but with everything that went on this, it was worth every penny. The BLT sandwich was $6, and all other burgers were under $8. After eating here, I wondered why it took us so long to get to La Habra. It also made me stop and think about what is hidden in the other eight Orange County cities we have yet to get to. Villa Park, we are on our way!

Out of five hibiscus flowers (it is the official flower of the city of La Habra, and I did not want to take the easy way out and make the rating about La Habra's own, Octomom!), five being best to zero being worst, G Burger gets 4 solid hibiscus flowers.

For more information on G Burger, click here: http://www.gburger.com/about_us

Painting the Town at Angelo's and Vinci's - CLOSED

Angelo's and Vinci's Ristorante

550 North Harbor Blvd.

Fullerton, CA 92832

I could not believe I had not reviewed Angelo's and Vinci's yet. I have always had a great experience when I visit here. My sister had her wedding reception here. I have been here numerous times for lunch and dinner when I was attending Fullerton College. A and V's was also the spot where one of my friends always took his first date. Your secret is safe with me, Chris!

Angelo's and Vinci's, of course, is named after the famous artists Micheal Angelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. Opened in 1971, they have been serving Fullerton for the last forty years. The first thing you notice when entering the restaurant is the decor. Think Buca di Beppo, but on steroids. There is stuff everywhere, like a garage sale decorating the walls. Lights are strewn all over, and nicknacks overtake almost every corner of the dining rooms. Pictures of Hollywood stars plaster the walls and pay tribute to late owner Steve Peck's career as a dancer and veteran actor in over 100 movies and television shows. Also, if you are not too scared, they have the Monster Wine Cellar downstairs from the main entrance to the restaurant. Under the black lights and haunting music, you might spy Frankenstein, King Kong, and other ghouls down there. Enough about the monsters; I was ready to eat and hoped the food was not too scary.

We were seated on the patio upstairs for the birthday party we were attending. The light was much better out here, so you could see the food more clearly. This plate of rolls came out before our meals. The bread was soft and chewy with a good flavor. It was a very sturdy roll. I liked that they gave us many butter packets to go along with these. I hate when a restaurant only gives you one pad of butter per roll. I almost always use two.

All of the pasta dishes here come with soup or salad, and everyone around me got the salad, so I am sorry that I did not get a picture of the Minestrone soup they were serving this evening. The salad was decent-sized for a house salad. It was a nice touch that they added garbanzo beans and pepperoncini. The salad ingredients were fresh, but the blue cheese dressing I ordered was a little flavorless. It was one step away from being Ranch dressing. Nathan really enjoyed his Italian dressing, though; I could smell it from across the table. That will be the salad dressing I get here next time.

Nathan was really hungry and also got the Calamari Fritto, which was served with marinara sauce. This fried calamari was presented lukewarm to the table. It was fried in what seemed to be an onion ring batter. Heavy breading. The calamari was not chewy but lacked a big flavor punch. The marinara served with this was very garlicky, which provided most of the flavor here. This half-order was more than enough for at least four people.

On to the entrees, and first up will be Katie's plate. She went with this Tri-Pasta dish that consisted of tortellini, mezzaluna, and ravioli topped with sausage. The marinara sauce really helped make this dish great. Again, it was very garlicky and helped the blandness of the sausage. The pasta was very fresh and stuffed with cheese. The mezzaluna was not only stuffed with ricotta cheese but also spinach, herbs, golden raisins, and pine nuts. It was a very solid plate and a good-sized serving.

Nathan could still eat most of his main course, the Shrimp Giardino. This consisted of angel hair pasta topped with basil, pine nuts, tomatoes, Gorgonzola, shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, wine, and cream. Nathan called this dish "really good". He felt there was plenty of shrimp, it was cooked well, and the sauce had plenty of flavor.

I did not get a chance to snap a picture of Leslie's choice for dinner while it was on her plate, but I did get a quick shot when it was in the to-go container. She ordered the Romeo and Juliet. This romantic-sounding meal consisted of Tortellini and Mezzaluna. She opted to get the basil cream sauce with this. Leslie felt this large serving was "excellent."

I could not let the opportunity of coming to Angelo's and Vinci's go by without getting one of their pizzas. These pizzas have won numerous local awards, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I decided on a Small Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza. The first thing I noticed about this pizza was the crust. It was nice and thick but not dry. It was chewy and held all of the toppings well. They were very generous with the cheese here. The sausage was too crumbly and did not add much to the pizza. The pepperoni, on the other hand, was plentiful and good. The sauce was okay. It really let the toppings and the cheese become the star of the show. I can see why these pizzas are a big draw here. It's one of the best old-school-style pizzas in the OC.

Angelo's and Vinci's did not disappoint on this trip. If you want old-school Italian and are okay with eating in the presence of puppets, Christmas lights, and who knows what else, this is the place for you. The service for our party of 25 was slow, but I understand we were a bigger party. The restaurant is old, and because of that, it might seem dusty. The prices are on the high side. My small pizza was over the $16 mark. Dinners are in the $13 to $20 range. It's not cheap, but it's worth it occasionally. The menu was a little hard to read, but anything you pick from there will make you happy. We were pleased to finally make it to Angelo's and Vinci's to review it and celebrate our good friend Jamie's birthday. Happy 30th Jamie!

Out of five rhinestones (because late A and V's owner, Steve Peck, was in the 1984 movie Rhinestone, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Dolly Parton. A real classic duo!), five being best to zero being worst, Angelo's and Vinci's gets 3 rhinestones.

For more information on Angelo's and Vinci's, click here: http://www.angelosandvincis.com/index.html

Fighting For a Good Meal at Shogun - CLOSED

New Shogun

25521 Muirlands Blvd.

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

Being with Katie means that their is never a lack of birthdays. She has three siblings, and they all have significant others. With her parents added that is a total of ten birthdays a year that need to be celebrated. That does not even include my own family. Luckily, most of the birthdays are spread all through the year so we are not bombarded with lots of presents to buy all in one month. It is February, so that means Katie's mom Lynn is ready to blow out the candles for the 28th time! Where will she pick to eat though? That question is answered when we arrive at the New Shogun.

Of course almost everyone in our party of 11 asked why it is called New Shogun, and what happened to the old shogun. Not sure what happened to the old place, but this New Shogun has been flooding my mailbox with coupons for the four years I have lived in Mission Viejo.

New Shogun is located in a small shopping center that features a CVS Pharmacy and Antonucci's Italian Restaurant that we reviewed sometime back. New Shogun is a teppan restaurant. The best way to describe teppan to someone is to tell them that it just like Benihana. Food is prepared on a large, table sized grill, while the chef makes a show of slicing up the meats and veggies. Let's see if the show is worth the price of admission.

Before the show got started our order was taken, and the soup and salads were brought out. With each entree ordered you get both soup and salad. The soup was a Miso one with tofu. This soup was served steaming hot, and had an average taste. Nothing stood out for me with this soup. Just something to take up time waiting for our meals. The House Green Salad was next. This is your typical green salad served with a tangy ginger? dressing. The salad was better than the soup, but that is not saying much. The dressing at least woke up our taste buds.

The chef opened his portion of the show by forming rice balls and flipping them in every one's mouth. Here you see  Emily's failed attempt at her first try. If you look closely enough you can see the rice flying by her right ear. Fail! She did get it on her second try though. Good job Em!

Of course no teppan show would be complete without the obligatory onion volcano. Behold the onion in all of it's blazing glory!

Here are some random pictures of our guy grilling the meats and vegetables. The chef we had this night did all of the requisite routines, but he was not big in the personality department. Kind of felt like he was just going through the motions. I am sure it can get tiring doing the same thing over and over, day after day, year after year though.

I snapped this picture of Katie's plate before the vegetables and bean sprouts were added. She ordered the Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodles. She liked the shrimp here, but felt this plate was too salty, and the noodles were too hard. After the bite I had of this, I would tend to agree.

Here was my finished plate. I went with the Filet Mignon and Shrimp. The chef asked how I wanted my steak, and I said medium rare. I should have just answered that I wanted it like everyone else, because all the steak was done at the same time. It was more on the medium well side, but it was still tender enough to eat. The shrimp were okay. A little on the chewy side because they were over cooked. They really piled on the vegetables here. I was going to take pictures of every one's plates, but they all pretty much looked the same with the all of the veggies placed on top of the steak and shrimp.

I would sum this place up by saying that it is a poor man's version of Benihana. The restaurant seems a little dated, and maybe in the need of a makeover. The prices of course are on the high side for the amount of food that you receive. The combination dinners are in the $20 to $40 range. Also be advised that fried rice is an extra charge of $3 per serving. I will stick with the steamed rice on our next visit. If you take this place for what it is, you will enjoy your time here. The food is a secondary thought at Shogun. The main attraction is the chef's presentation of the food, and how he interacts with the guests. The New Shogun is not a restaurant that you will come to eat weekly. The food will not blow you away, but it is fun once in awhile in a large group. Now that Lynn's birthday is done, only eleven more birthday dinners to go! Looking forward to each and every one of them!

Out of five swords, (because the term Shogun is a military rank in Japan, and most of the military men back in the day had swords), five being best to zero being worst, New Shogun gets 2 swords.

For more information on New Shogun, click here: http://newshogunrestaurant.com/