Banana Pudding Bonanza at Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery

8389 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Never underestimate the power of pictures. I'm sure most of you don't really read the drivel that I write on these blog pages. Blogging is so 2009, but I still like to express my thoughts on restaurants, for the three of you that still read my reviews. Even my mom doesn't read this anymore, and the only way I know this is that she hasn't said a word about my poor grammar in a few years now, and I know I haven't all of the sudden become a punctuation wizard. 

I bring this up because pictures can be quite persuasive. I have been stalking Magnolia Bakey for years on their Instagram page. I find myself salivating over the pictures of their different versions of banana pudding and other baked goods a lot of the time. I finally decided a trip up to LA was needed to find out if Magnolia Bakey is just a collection of beautiful pictures or if their stuff is as delicious as what is depicted in those pictures. 

Magnolia Bakery opened for business in 1996 in New York City. They are a scratch bakery, and everything here is made on the premises daily. In 2007 there was a change of ownership, which resulted in a pretty aggressive expansion, including spots in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and India. Domestically there are seven NYC locations, along with one in Chicago and this one in LA, which opened back in 2010.  

The number of offerings at Magnolia Bakery is a little overwhelming. They have plenty of cupcakes and cakes to choose from, along with pies, mini cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, muffins, scones, icebox desserts, and of course their famous banana pudding. There's also monthly specials and weekly cupcakes to consider as well. Way too much for someone like me that wants to try everything. 

I enlisted my boss Melissa and her husband Kyle to meet us up in LA. After a very good meal at a nearby barbecue spot, we walked the three blocks to Magnolia Bakery. Due to covid restrictions Magnolia Bakery limited the number of people inside at one time, and there were no onsite places to eat what we ordered, so we decided to part ways and try our goodies at home instead and compare notes. I admit it was very hard not digging in while we drove south on the 5 freeway, but my lack of eating utensils helped to keep me from having everything finished by the time I got home. Let's take a closer look. 

I'm not sure where I first had Hummingbird Cake ($7), but every time since, I'm compelled to try it when it's offered. For those of you that are not aware, hummingbird cake is a cake very popular in the south. It's a banana-pineapple spice cake, which I'd describe as carrot cake, but without the carrot and sweeter. This version at Magnolia was first-rate. Little bursts of sweetness from the pineapple, but not too sugary. It was a very light and moist cake, almost falling apart as I dug my fork in for each bite. Their cream cheese frosting was wonderful also. 

Now for the real reason, most people come to Magnolia Bakery, including myself. I started off my banana pudding binge with the Large Classic Banana Pudding ($7.50). The classic comes with sliced bananas and pockets of vanilla wafer encased in the lighter than I expected banana pudding. This is not a dense pudding, but light and fluffy. The banana flavor was present but did not overwhelm. Each spoonful was a surprise as to what I was going to get since there was no rhyme or reason to the layering in this, which was an added bonus. Definitely the best banana pudding I've had, but I had two more to try as you will see as you continue reading. 

Magnolia Bakery rotates their special flavors I think monthly. When we visited last month their special pudding was the Gone Bananas Pudding ($6.25). This was actually vanilla pudding with banana chocolate chip bread, Nutella, and sliced bananas in it. I liked this one too, even though I was skeptical about the bread being in here because I thought it was going to be all mushy. This was not the case. It held together nicely over the two days that this managed to hang around. This was a bit heavier than the regular banana pudding I had above, but that's probably due to the bread being in here. They could have added a bit more Nutella, but I'd still get this one again. 

Now for my favorite version of the Magnolia Bakery pudding on this trip, the Chocolate Banana Pudding ($6.25). Full disclosure, I'm a big fan of chocolate, so that might be why I liked this one best. The chocolate pudding was rich but light enough to allow the chocolate wafer crumbs and sliced bananas to be showcased. Each bite was a delight and I was actually sad when I had finished this medium-sized version way quicker than I intended to. I'll definitely get a larger size on my next visit, and I've already been online trying to find copycat recipes so I can make it on my own in the meantime. 

I'd say that Magnolia Bakery really lived up to the hype that I had built up for it. My go-to for banana pudding had been the one from Paderia Bakehouse in Irvine, which is good, but Magnolia's version is better in my book. It's a little sweeter, and I like that they have different versions. Prices were pretty fair when you consider how popular Magnolia Bakery is. I was expecting prices to be in the double digits, but that was not the case here. Service was very good, as the woman helping us answered all of my questions and indecision like a pro. I'm glad the pictures on their Instagram feed finally prompted me to make the trip up to LA. Well worth it. 

Out of five beetles, (because Magnolia flowers are pollinated by beetles and not bees like so many other flowers), five being best to zero being worst, Magnolia Bakery gets 4 beetles.  

For more information about Magnolia Bakery, head to their website here: https://www.magnoliabakery.com/

Slobbering Over the Barbecue at Slab - CLOSED

Slab

8136 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

It's starting to feel like life is returning to normal. Now that Katie and I have begun getting vaccinated, we have become more active and social. We even took advantage of the lighter-than-normal Sunday traffic to go to LA to meet with my boss and her husband, Kyle. Our main motive was to visit a nearby bakery, which you will read about in my following review. First, we needed a protein base before we scarfed down a bunch of sugary treats. That's where Slab came in. 

The story of Slab begins with an Israeli immigrant visiting Texas on a business trip. That man is Burt Bakman, who found his calling as a master pitmaster. He gained wide acclaim serving barbecue in his San Fernando Valley backyard under Trudy's Underground. Renamed, Slab began to take form in 2015 with his new business partner, and three years later, after finding the perfect space, getting the kitchen the way he wanted, and perfecting his recipes, they opened this location a few blocks west of the Original Farmer's Market on the very trendy 3rd Street. 

The four of us agreed to meet at Slab at 1 p.m. on a recent Sunday. I was a little worried about my restaurant selection because we were the only ones in the small place when we arrived. Then I realized this is prime brunch time in these parts, as the long lines at Toast and Joan's on Third could attest to. As we did go through our meal, there was a steady stream of customers dining in and getting food to go.  

The menu at Slab is precisely what you'd expect from a Texas barbecue joint. Brisket and pulled pork are sold by the pound only, while baby back pork ribs, spare ribs, and chicken are sold in half or whole portion sizes. There are sandwich options, along with seven sides to choose from. There's also the wildly popular pastrami sandwich, served on Mondays only, and beef ribs, which you will see in a moment, are available only for your enjoyment on weekends. We ordered at the counter, waited for our meats to be weighed and our sides to be dished out, and then made our way out to one of the four tables out in front of the restaurant, which was excellent for people-watching. Let's see if the food could overshadow the people watching here. 

First up for Katie and me was the Frito Pie ($8.00). Like when we ate at the now-departed Barrels and Ashes in Studio City, this Frito Pie was an excellent way to start at Slab. Fritos are layered with a cheese sauce, ground beef chili, grated cheese, onions, and chopped cilantro. I'm usually not too fond of cheese sauces, but this one was unobtrusive, and it was layered well enough that it was not hard to get all the ingredients in one bite. These Fritos held their crunch while we focused on the main reason we were here, the barbecue. 

It was not listed on their menu online, but I was ecstatic to see that Slab had combo plates, which is a great way to try a good amount of their menu simultaneously. Since we would be stopping at another place while we were up here, Katie and I decided to make the wise move to share our meal. For this 2 Item Combo Plate ($26.00), we selected Brisket, Pulled Pork, Collard Greens, and Mac and Cheese. Both portions of meat were the best I've had in Southern California, even a tad better than Heritage BBQ, which is closer to where I live. The brisket and pulled pork were tender but did not rely too much on smoke for flavor, instead allowing the taste of the meat to be the star of the show. The brisket had a lovely ribbon of fat running alongside the bottom and the beautiful pink hue of the smoke ring, which even Katie did not mind. The pulled pork was on point, not too mushy, and had some lovely bark in there to help keep each bite a bit diverse. The collard greens were solid, but the weak link of this plate was the mac and cheese, which was a little boring. I waited for a burst of flavor to come through, but it never did. The potato salad or beans would be my choice on future visits. 

This Beef Rib ($29) might be too pricey, as it will set you back more than what the combo plate will, but this one rib is well worth the cost. It's the best thing I've eaten in a long time, and that's not an understatement. Nicely cut by the guys on the line, this is the most tender steak you've ever had. Again, it does not rely on smoke for flavor but allows the meat's natural flavor, along with a nice amount of fat distributed through each piece, to wow your senses. I regretted instantly not getting two of these, and I will not make that same mistake again. Well worth the trip up here for this weekend-only special. 

I haven't really focused on what Melissa and Kyle have gotten yet because they basically got the same thing as us, except for a delicious jalapeno cheese sausage that I forgot to take a photo of (I'll blame my euphoria over the beef rib), and this 6 Piece Smoked Wings ($9). I usually avoid chicken in barbecue restaurants, but these beautifully done wings have me rethinking this decision. Great flavor and tender, these were a nice reprieve from the usual overly breaded and fried wings you see on menus all over town. I still would have enjoyed some blue cheese with these, though. Some habits are hard to break. 

Slab really rocked my world this afternoon. I love that some people have learned the Texas way of barbecuing and brought it to Southern California. Maybe people will realize there are better options than Lucille's and Famous Dave's here. Yes, barbecue is moderately expensive, but you should be okay with paying for it when it's this high in quality. The sides were fine, but not going to blow your socks off like that beef rib and brisket. Slab was well worth the hour drive from OC, so if you are lucky enough to live closer, make that trek. 

Out of five cacti (because Slab City, California, is an off-the-grid squatter community situated in the desert near the Salton Sea, and I'm sure there are plenty of cacti out there), five being best to zero being worst, Slab gets 4 cacti. 

For more information about Slab, head to their website here: https://www.slabbarbecue.com/

Celebrating a Step Closer to Normalcy at Bandeno Mexican Food

 Bandeno Mexican Food

466 South Anaheim Hills Road

Anaheim, CA 92807

It was my first vaccination day. I had been working with the public for the last year with the threat of coronavirus looming over my head with every customer that reached over me as I was stocking my shelves. I knew I was going to be fine, but the thought of bringing the virus home to Katie was enough to make me want to decrease the risk and get the vaccine as quickly as I could. 

Orange County did not really have their stuff together in early March, with no appointments available to front-line grocery workers. My friend suggested that I try my luck making an appointment at Corona High School in Riverside County. I was able to make an appointment that day for two days later. The process could not have been easier, and I was in and out of there in 30 minutes, including being observed for 15 minutes for complications after my shot. Since I was near my parents, I took this opportunity to meet them for lunch at Bandeno Mexican Food in Anaheim Hills.  

I don't really know too much about Bandeno. I know they are a family-run business that opened up in late 2019. Thanks to some hints from their website, I think their family is from the state of Gerrero in Mexico, which is located south of Mexico City and borders the Pacific Ocean. They took over a Mediterranian restaurant in a sleepy shopping center tucked deep inside Anaheim Hills, which is also home to a Papa John's, Subway, a CVS Pharmacy, and a small supermarket. 

For such a small place, Bandeno really has a pretty diverse menu. There is plenty to choose from with many varieties of combo plates, burritos, seafood options, tacos, bowls, tortas, appetizers, and plenty of breakfast choices to pick from. Ordering is done at the counter and we were able to sit inside since we were the only ones in the place, except for a steady stream of people getting to-go orders during the duration of our stay. Let's see if Bandeno Mexican Food was a worthy spot to celebrate my first step towards being fully vaccinated for covid. 

Let's start off with what my parents got first. They are pretty predictable when it comes to eating in Mexican restaurants. My dad most of the time gets a Chile Relleno ($4.75) and a Shrimp Taco ($3.99), while my mom usually veers towards a quesadilla of some sort, this time it was a Plain Cheese Quesadilla ($5.90). My dad called this the best chile relleno he has ever had, and he's eaten a lot of them over his 70 plus years. The poblano chile was fried well and was plated with plenty of cheese surrounding it on the plate and inside of it as well. My dad was also impressed with the shrimp taco because they used bigger shrimp than what he usually gets at other places where he orders shrimp tacos. The shrimp was cooked wonderfully and the sauce topping it tied everything together perfectly. My mom was pleased with her quesadilla and really enjoyed the guacamole that they included with it. 

My parents were paying, so I went a little large here, sorry pop. I started things off with two tacos, Asada ($3.25) and Pastor ($3.15). Both were very good. The pastor was my favorite of the two with its big flavor, but the asada was tender and not bland at all, which is not always the case with asada. The meat to tortilla ratio was a plus in my book also. The Beef Taquitos ($5.50) was bigger than most and filled nicely with plenty of shredded beef. Next time I'll order three for sure, as it's only an extra buck and a half. The Carnitas Plate ($10.75) was pretty good-sized with lots of sliced pork, rice, and beans included. There were a few bites of the pork that were a little on the dry side, but the majority of the pork was tender and moist. The beans and rice were a nice vehicle for the pork and I could have easily made at least four tacos with the provided flour tortillas that came with this. A very good value. 

Bandeno Mexican Food ended up being a very good neighborhood spot. It's probably not destination dining if you are reading this from half an hour away or more, but if you are in the area and are looking for some good Mexican food nearby that won't break the bank, this is the spot for you. The service was very friendly and it felt great getting to eat indoors again. Now I'm just looking forward to getting my second shot and getting back out there to do more restaurant reviews for all of you. 

Out of five health care professionals, (in honor of all the people who have been working on the vaccine and all that are involved in getting it out to all of us), five being best to zero being worst, Bandeno Mexcian Food gets 3 health care professionals.  

For more information about Bandeno Mexican Food, head to their website here: https://bandeno.com/

Goldenbox Express Full of Surprises or Disappointments? - CLOSED

Goldenbox Express

21212 Bake Parkway Unit C and D

Lake Forest, CA 92630

If there's one thing I've learned in the past 12 months, it's that some foods are conducive to takeout and many others are not. We've gotten meals from high-end steakhouses that we have enjoyed and were left underwhelmed when we brought them home. French fries don't travel too well either, and they are never quite the same when reheated. Seafood is also a little dicey to bring home, but the worst traveling food by far is naturally ice cream. 

However, many foods travel like champs. Pizza, Mexican food, and hamburgers come to mind right away. You could also add Chinese food to that list. The Chinese takeout container is so iconic that it could not be left off this list of the best takeout foods. I had been feeling like some Chinese food after a long-overdue haircut. A quick Yelp search led me to GoldenBox Express, which had some promising reviews. 

Strike one with my visit to Goldenbox was that they did not answer their phone when I tried to call in my order at half past 11 on a Thursday morning. This is one of my biggest pet peeves about getting takeout. I shy away from using third-party delivery services, as they cut into restaurant profits way more than they should. If restaurants don't answer the phone, it tells me they don't really want my business or would rather I order through a delivery service. 

Undeterred, I soldiered on my quest to have Chinese food for lunch and drove the fifteen minutes to Goldenbox, situated on the corner of Bake Parkway and Trabucco Road. This cramped parking lot was teeming with many people getting an early jump on their lunch from one of the other food offerings at this location; Subway, El Pollo Loco, and Kanji Japanese. I ordered and then waited 25 minutes for my to-go order. Strike two. 

The menu at Goldenbox is dominated by a wide array of bento combination meals. They list 15 on their menu. There are also plenty of single items to choose from, many that you've come to expect at your local Chinese takeout spot, to a little more exotic stuff like duck legs, sea bass, yellow croaker, and pigs feet. Nothing on their menu will set you back any more than $20, and they also have a wide selection of teas, smoothies, and other beverages available. Let's see if they can make up for not answering their phone or the long wait for the food. 

Before we get to my bento meal, I needed to try their Orange Chicken ($12.99). Everyone loves the orange chicken from Panda Express, but I need to tell you that there are better versions out there, and this was one of them. This good-sized portion relied on something other than an overly sweet and syrupy sauce. It was more subtle, with a big orange flavor contrasting nicely with the tender chicken. Each piece of chicken had a nice crunch, which was a feat in itself since the breading here was lighter than most versions of orange chicken I've ever had. This had temperature issues (something that will become a trend as you read deeper into this review). 

Bento boxes are the way to go at Goldenbox Express; as you can see, you get an entire meal for the same price as most of their single-item entrees. This Combo H2 ($16.99) is the one that piqued my interest. It came with a sweet-skinned duck leg, spicy Szechuan chicken, a whole bunch of egg-fried rice, honey balsamic salad, and a drink. Let's start out with the proteins. There were five duck legs in here, and the meat was pretty solid, but there wasn't much of it. The chicken was ice cold when I got it home, but it was much better after half a minute in the microwave. There was some spice with this, but I could go up a spice level on future visits. The abundance of peanuts added an earthiness that detracted from the tender chicken. The egg fried rice is one of the lightest you will find anywhere. It lacked the greasiness that others possess. The salad was a spring mix topped with quinoa and a vinaigrette. I used some of it but switched to the blue cheese in my fridge midway through. Last but not least, this meal was rounded out with a strawberry green tea, which I found a bit too sweet, as I'm more of a black tea with no sugar kind of guy. 

Goldenbox Express showed some promise on this visit, but there were too many miscues for me to rate them too high based on this one visit. Would I go back? Yes, they may have been having a bad day with not picking up their phone, how long I waited for my order, and the almost unforgivable temperature issues with the food. Even with all of this, this was elevated Chinese takeout, lighter than most, and not relying on overly sweet sauces to distract you from the inferior meat that they use. I'll try their online ordering process the next time I am up this way. This is another example of one of the biggest lessons I've learned during these last twelve months, all takeout is not created equal.   

Out of five helmets (because Lake Forest is home to the largest public skatepark in all of California, but you need a helmet to use it), five being best to zero being worst, Goldenbox Express gets 2.5 helmets. 

For more information about Goldenbox Express, head to their website here: https://goldenbox.us/

An Early Sunday Morning Visit to Taqueria Zamora

Taqueria Zamora

3121 Main Street

Santa Ana, CA 92707

If I had a dime for every time that there was a mention in the now-departed OC Weekly about Taqueria Zamora, I'd probably be able to have been retired by now. Almost every best-of-list mentioned this tiny, out-of-the-way restaurant which sits alone at the end of Main Street, nearer to South Coast Plaza than Downtown Santa Ana. 

The biggest fan at the OC Weekly of Taqueria Zamora was the Editor in Chief, Gustavo Arellano. He mentioned numerous times that he loved the chilaquiles here, that he would eat here most mornings, and that he never needed to order because they just assumed that he'd be having his favorite dish once again. Chilaquiles just so happens to be my favorite Mexican breakfast dish as well. That's all I needed to know to put Taqueria Zamora on my restaurant wishlist. 

Taqueria Zamora started out in the backyard of Don Alberto, who would cook a variety of Mexican food for his family and friends who would come to buy what he was making. During the week he filled his shopping cart and would sell tamales, chorizo, tortillas, and other foods around his neighborhood. This led to him opening his restaurant in 1992. In the 29 years since Taqueria Zamora has garnered a lot of love from the community and has been mentioned numerous times as one of the best Mexican restaurants in OC. 

As has been my custom on Sunday mornings during the pandemic, I get up early, do a little writing, and get Katie breakfast and her first of two daily coffees from Starbucks. The drive up to Taqueria Zamora was not going to be any more than 20 minutes on a Sunday around half past 8. Their online ordering process made ordering painless, and I was given a pickup time of  8:45. 

There was a pretty impressive amount of variety on the menu here. Yes, they have combo plates, tacos, and burritos, but there's also plenty in the way of seafood options, soups, and what I was here for their breakfast options. I made it up to Santa Ana with plenty of time to spare. Even though it was still quite early on this sleepy Sunday, there were plenty of people waiting for their orders. I grabbed mine and headed back home to have my first taste of Taqueria Zamora. 

When I picked up my bag of neatly packaged food from Taqueria Zamora, it was really heavy. The heft was primarily due to these Chilaquiles ($16). I was almost afraid the to-go container was going to give way when I lifted this out of the bag, but it held firm. I opted for the red version, which is my favorite, and added carne asada to it for an extra dollar, which was a great investment. Let's start with the chilaquiles themselves. They were as advertised. The chips stayed relatively crisp even with the 20-minute drive home and time allowed for taking my pictures. Each chip was coated wonderfully with the flavorful red sauce. The carne asada could have been one of the best I've had in a Mexican restaurant. Thin, flavorful, and very tender it went well with the chips underneath. I ate half of this one day and then added two fried eggs the next and it was even better. Beans and rice were on point. 

Katie is all about Breakfast Burritos ($9.25) on Sunday mornings. She got this one with extra bacon, adding cheese and avocado, but omitting the beans and rice that Taqueria Zamora usually has in their breakfast burritos. Katie loved the light and fluffiness of the eggs and that the burrito was grilled for a short time on the flattop to give the tortilla a pleasant crunch when bitten in. There were bacon and cheese in every bite, but she did wish for more guacamole in this. She would not hesitate to get this again. 

Even though I had that big plate of chilaquiles, I just had to give their tacos a try. I went with the Paator Taco ($3) and Asada Encebollado ($3.50). The pastor taco had a great flavor running through it, but the pork needed to be more tender. The steak and onion taco was my favorite out of the two. The steak was done nicely, and there were plenty of onions included in this. The salsa that came with this, (no picture, sorry), really made this pop. I'm not much into corn tortillas, but these were very good, and you'll never be satisfied with the corn tortillas you get from the supermarket ever again after eating these. 

I think it's safe to say that Taqueria Zamora is worth all the media mentions and online praise that they receive. Just this small sample size of their menu showed me that I have to make some return visits very soon. I'm looking towards trying the carnitas, birria, burritos, and more in the next few weeks. I did not think the prices were crazy out of control here for the quantity and quality that I got. Taqueria Zamora is definitely on my Mount Rushmore of great chilaquiles I've had so far in OC, right along with Anepalco's, El Camino Cafe, and Amorelia Cafe. It will be hard for a spot to knock one of these places out of the top 4, but I'm looking forward to that quest. 

Out of five stagecoaches, (because the first Wells Fargo office was located in Santa Ana back in 1874, and they are known for their stagecoaches), five being best to zero being worst, Taqueria Zamora gets 3.5 stagecoaches. 

For more information about Taqueria Zamora, head to their website here: https://taqueriazamora.net/