Best Restaurants of 2021

The years keep flying by. It's hard to believe that this is my 12th year of writing this restaurant review blog. Even though the last few years have been decidedly different, I still love writing about restaurants. They are magical places that can transport you across oceans, make a bad day a little better, and most importantly, give you nourishment to sustain life. 

It's no secret that restaurants have been hit hard over the last few years. They've had to deal with a global pandemic and government restrictions, but they have also had to deal with rising food costs, labor shortages, and customers that want to fight against the rules that these restaurants did not even set. It's got to wear on them. 

I look back to the early years of this blog when I was averaging more than two restaurant reviews a week. Back then I had way fewer distractions. I did not have Netflix or other streaming services to occupy my time, I had not gotten into my latest obsession, audiobooks, and I was not married and living with Katie, so I had way more time to myself to knock out reviews. 

This is the usual part of the year-end post where I promise to you my dear readers that I will devote more time to writing reviews and getting back to where I was posting twice a week. I'm going to deviate from making these false promises to all of you that have followed me and my awful writing for the last decade-plus. The best I can do is say that I will continue to review restaurants at a clip of once a week, which is what I've been doing for the last few years. My goal has always been to hit 1,000 reviews, and I might not be on target to hit that within the next year, but I will get there, so please be patient with me. 

I'd like to thank all of you that have taken a few minutes every now and then to see where we've eaten recently, used my blog as a reference point to see if you should part with your hard-earned money at a particular restaurant, or even if you've just looked at the pictures, I sincerely thank you. I'd also like to thank all my family and friends for putting up with all of this for all these years. Even my parents know now that I have to take a few pictures before they can dig in. It's much appreciated. Happiest of New Year to all of you!

And now, without further ado, here are the best restaurants we ate at in 2021. 

#10 - Royal Wok - Orange

When Yen Ching closed in Orange, I'm sure a lot of citizens of this great restaurant city were worried that they would have to leave the city limits to find a replacement for Chinese food. Not the case. Royal Wok stepped right in with all the Chinese classics you crave, and one of the best Mongolian Beef dishes you will ever taste. 

#9 - Matiki Island BBQ - Fullerton

I'm a big fan of Hawaiian barbecue, and the best I had this year was found in a shopping center alongside Harbor Boulevard. Matiki Island has some really good chicken and mac salad, but you'd be remiss to skip their beef ribs, which not only feature plenty of meat on them but will have you licking your fingers after tasting how great they are. 

#8 - Navarro's Taqueria - Santa Ana

2021 could be called the year of birria, as it's on menus all across OC. The best we had this year was from Navarro's, which is near the corner of Standard and Edinger. Their orange-hued tacos with consomme are something to behold, but even better might be their Quesabirria, which is full of birria and cheesy goodness The best of two delicious things. 

#7 - Kabob Republic - Costa Mesa

Katie had been on a quest to find the best garlic sauce in OC, and her journey might have ended at the Kabob Republic. Not only was the sauce great, but this is some of the best Mediterranian food we have had in the last few years. I savored every bite. 

#6 - Cupid's Hot Dogs - Fullerton

Looking for the best chili dog in OC? You need to check out Cupid's in Fullerton. This offshoot of the legendary spot in the valley, opened this year. Their limited menu and red and white color scheme are reminiscent of In N Out, but unlike that burger chain, they are actually good. Sorry to throw shade on everyone's favorite burger spot, but after your first bite of Cupid's chili cheese dog, you'll never be able to enjoy a Weinerschnitzel hot dog ever again. Another fast-food chain feels my wrath. 

#5 - Taqueria Zamora - Santa Ana

The best Mexican food we had this year was from this legendary spot that took me way too long to get to. Taqueria Zamora has won praise from lots of people that I respect, but most of them did not do their chilaquiles, tacos, and burritos justice. I regret little from this year, but most of all I regret not eating here more often this year. I'll hopefully rectify that in 2022. 

#4 - Sapphire. Cellar. Craft. Cook. - Laguna Beach

The only breakfast spot on this year's list comes to us from the restaurant group that runs, Vine, Ironwood, Olea, and now this spot, which is situated at Greeter's Corner in Laguna, Sapphire. It's the only one of their restaurants to serve brunch, and that's a shame because this was some awesome food to start your day. We will be back soon to try out their dinner soon. 

#3 - Sauced BBQ and Spirits - Orange

To be honest, I did not have much faith I would enjoy Sauced when I heard that they had other locations in Northern California because in my experience the best barbecue restaurants are usually just one-offs. I can admit I was wrong. The sausage, ribs, and pulled pork were all very good, while the cheesy grits and other sides were very solid. All this and ax throwing, count me in. 

#2 - Subculture Sandwiches - Huntington Beach

In a city which I think is the best sandwich city in all of OC, the sandwiches from Subculture might be the best of the best. I've only tried two of the 13 sandwiches available, but look forward to trying them all in the very near future. It's worth the one-way half-hour drive from where I live, plus they have Dutch crunch bread. 

#1 - Gibroni's Pizza - San Clemente

There are plenty of pizza styles to keep everyone happy; New York, Chicago deep dish, Neapolitan, thick crust, and Sicilian to name a few. 2021 was the year I was introduced to Detroit-style pizza, and after my first visit, I can say that I'm a big fan. Gibroni's operates out of JD's Bar in San Clemente, and they are worth a visit from anywhere you live in OC. Cheese all the way to the edge, crispy crust, and toppings and sauce on top makes this pizza a winner, unlike most Detroit sports teams. Sorry, Tony, I had to throw that in there. 

There are the best restaurants I had the pleasure of eating at this year. Happiest of 2022 to all of you and I hope you make it a delicious new year. 

Wedding Weekend Starts off at Rosine’s in Monterey

 Rosine's

434 Alvarado Street

Monterey, CA 93940

It was the wedding weekend for my brother-in-law Jimmy and my soon-to-be sister-in-law Rachel. This long-overdue event was 13 years in the making. They are high school sweethearts who have had their wedding postponed at least twice by the pandemic. They surprised us in July with an invitation to their destination wedding in Big Sur. I'm always up for a destination wedding, as it gives me a chance to get a few days off of work and of course, try some new restaurants. 

We flew into San Jose at noon and took the hour-long drive south to Monterey, where we were going to be staying for this quick weekend getaway. I had done a little research on places to eat in Monterey and decided Rosine's would be a good place to meet up with Katie's parents, get some nourishment, and wait for our hotel room to be ready. 

Rosine's is pretty much a Monterey institution at this point. They have been in business for 41 years, been voted best family restaurant, having the best desserts, and many other accolades by the local press, and been featured on Guy Fieri's Diner's Drive-ins and Dives. They have a very respectable 4-star Yelp rating with over 2,000 reviews posted. Very impressive stuff for a family-run business that is now on its third generation of the family helping to run the restaurant. 

Rosine's serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week. Their menu can best be described as coffee shop classics with a more elegant twist. No matter who you are dining with at Rosine's, they will find something on this menu which will get them excited. The lunch menu that we were presented with was full of starters, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta dishes, and bigger entrees, Prices were pretty modest, with most items under the $20 price point. Let's see if Rosine's was a great pick or should have been skipped. 

We started things off at Rosine's with these Stuffed Potato Skins ($8.99). These potato skins came filled with jack and cheddar cheese, nicely fried bacon, green onion, and sour cream on the side. A classic presentation, and definitely one of the better versions that I've had in a long while. These reminded me of the ones that you used to be able to get at Claim Jumper back in the day before they were bought out and everything went downhill there. These skins were fried nicely, had plenty of bacon, and were the perfect starter for four hungry travelers. 

Since I had my potatoes in the form of potato skins, I made the executive decision to forgo the fries with my upcoming entree, and take the two-dollar upcharge and get this Caesar Salad ($1.99) instead. I reasoned that this was a healthy decision, even though I know I was kidding myself. Rosine's Caesar is pretty traditional with romaine lettuce, a tasty anchovy-based dressing, romano and asiago cheeses, and large croutons. The greens were fresh and crisp, there was plenty of cheese included, and the croutons contributed a nice textural element. I only had wished that there was a bit more dressing, but this ended up being a very solid Caesar. 

My father-in-law Dennis is a big fan of Boston Clam Chowder ($7.99). Just as he did this afternoon, he will forgo an entree and just have a bowl as his meal. From my vantage point across the table, this appeared to be a very chunky version of chowder, which is only served on Fridays at Rosine's. Dennis seemed pretty pleased with his selection, calling it very flavorful, and with plenty of clams included. 

Compared with Dennis, it's always a crapshoot as to what my fantastic mother-in-law Lynn will order when dining out. She's always so full of surprises, like when she ordered this Hot and Hearty Turkey ($14.99). This Thanksgiving-Esque plate came with sliced roasted turkey smothered in gravy and mashed potatoes on top of two slices of bread buried deep below this mountain of food.  As if all of that was not enough, this also was served with cranberry sauce and the daily veggie of the day, which was carrots when we were here. As I could have predicted when I saw how much food this actually was, most of this went to waste because she had zero chance to finish it. She did enjoy what she did eat though, and would probably get something a little less hefty next time she visited Rosine's.  

Katie got something a little more manageable, with this Roasted Turkey Reuben ($14.49). Some nicely toasted marble rye was piled high with thinly sliced turkey, coleslaw, melted Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing. She loved the freshness of the turkey, which was not processed lunch meat like other restaurants would use. She felt they could have gone a little heavier on the Russian dressing, but that allowed the Swiss and turkey to be the star of the show. The marbled rye was nicely toasted for an extra textural component. Katie ended up being very happy with her selection at Rosine's. 

When I spied the Ultimate Burger ($17.99) on the menu here, I knew it would be in my future. As it was placed in front of me, it drew the eyes of curious diners throughout the restaurant. This burger included two patties on a buttered french roll, with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, and grilled onions topping it. Because of the french roll, this was a little awkward to eat, but once I got the hang of it there was no stopping me. The burger itself needed to be seasoned a bit more, and once I ordered some thousand island dressing it was much more enjoyable. A great choice for a weary traveler who skipped his usual Egg McMuffin at the airport on this particular trip. 

Just like the candy bars that line the supermarket checkout lane, it's hard to resist the giant cakes and other baked goods that dominate the front entrance at Rosine's. I had just eaten a salad and that huge burger but had to try a piece of cake. We went with the Caramel Cake ($8.49). This five-layer cake slice was huge and easily fed the four of us. Yellowcake with white frosting and caramel is not really a combination you see all too often, but it really worked. The cake portion of the slice was nice and moist, while the icing and the caramel provided the right amount of sweetness. If I lived in the area I would definitely attempt to eat as many varieties of their cakes as possible. 

I've had some hits and misses with restaurants that have been featured on Guy Fieri's shows, but Rosine's was a pretty solid spot and better than a lot of the Triple D restaurants we have visited. Everything was very well made, the portion sizes were very generous, and prices were not too outrageous, especially when you consider the area. Rosine's is definitely a family-friendly spot, and the service was on par with that. Everyone we encountered was very cordial, and it was evident that they were excited to share their restaurant with us. Before eating here we had thought we were going to go out to dinner as well, but because we ate so much here, that did not materialize. It's just as well, as Rosine's made a nice introduction to the restaurant scene in Monterey. 

Out of five paperback books, (because the city of Monterey is the site of the very first library in California, way back in 1849), five being best to zero being worst, Rosine's gets 3.5 paperback books. 

For more information, head to Rosine's website by clicking here: https://www.rosinesmonterey.com/

Afternoon Meet up at Kenwood's

 Kenwood's Kitchen and Tap

1555 Adams Ave. #100

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

It's one of my favorite days of the year, the day that we pick the Ducks games we will go to for the upcoming season. For the past decade or so my parents, my good friend Steve, and I have split up season seats to the Anaheim Ducks. Whereas 45 games a season would be a bit much, 15 games are just the right amount for all of us. 

It has become our tradition that I pick a restaurant where we can easily distribute the tickets, catch up on each other's lives, and hopefully get something good to eat. No surprise that it's my job to pick where we are going to meet. I selected somewhere in the middle of each of us, and a place that got my attention on Instagram, Kenwood's Kitchen and Tap. 

Kenwood's is located near the corner of Harbor and Adams in Costa Mesa and is located in the same shopping center as Descanso, Kebab Shop, and the Broken Yolk. Kenwood's opened in July of 2020 and comes to us from Ken and Maria Kenwood, the former was an In N Out executive for over 30 years. They wanted to create a restaurant serving American comfort food in a casually upscale setting. The full bar is also a source of pride for Kenwoods, as they offer 18 beers on tap, a wine list that showcases small wineries, and artisan cocktails. 

We arrived at half-past 11 on a Thursday and were met with an almost empty restaurant, which was to be expected at this early hour. During our almost two-hour stay, the restaurant did fill in a bit, but I would never describe it as busy. The dining area is anchored by the bar on the far wall, with three TVs perched above it. The high ceilinged dining room has a mix of communal, booth, and table seating, and gets plenty of natural lighting from the big windows making up the other three walls of the space. 

The menu is divided into starters, soups and salads, sliders, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, mains, and desserts. Most items hover under the twenty-dollar price point, with only a few of the more substantial main dishes reaching into the $25 territory.  We were here for lunch, so we went with lighter fare, but I was intrigued by the sticky ribs, pork chop, and the fried chicken, but those seemed a bit too heavy for lunch, so they will have to wait for a return visit. Let's see what we did end up eating on this early afternoon. 

My parents were going to be going out for my niece's birthday later on in the day, so they only opted to get an order of Onion Rings ($9.50). As far as onion rings go, these were pretty solid. Nice crunchy breading and a sweet onion underneath that did not pull away from the breading. The ranch dressing at Kenwood's was top-notch, with plenty of dill included in it and really good consistency. 

There are seven burgers on Kenwood's menu, and the one that really got my attention was the Morning Glory Burger ($16.50). This one came stacked high with Havarti cheese, thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, an over-easy egg, and bbq sauce. Sounds delicious right? It was kind of lackluster. I really enjoyed the beef patty, which I'd guess was close to half a pound, but this burger fell flat when it came to the bacon and the egg. The egg was more over-well, rather than the promised over easy, while the bacon did not really deliver flavorwise. This burger would have been helped a bit with maybe a condiment to bind it together, maybe some mayo or more of the bbq sauce. The tater tots were nicely fried and went well with the very addictive dill ranch. 

This was my second time out with Steve in the last couple of weeks, and he definitely has a type, and it's a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich ($19). This sandwich started out with some Texas toast and also included a fried chicken breast in buffalo sauce, lettuce, tomato, bacon, garlic aioli, and ranch. Whoever was in the kitchen during this shift had a very light hand when adding condiments to the food. Steve could not detect much garlic aioli or ranch on here. He also would have liked the sandwich to be breaded a bit more and the buffalo sauce to hit a bit harder in the flavor department. He ended up describing this sandwich as fine, but nothing special. 

We were a little let down with what we encountered food-wise at Kenwoods this afternoon, but maybe we just hit them on an off afternoon. They have a four and a half star rating on Yelp, with close to 250 reviews, so a lot of people do like the food here. I'd be willing to give them another shot. Service was nice and warm, and our needs were met as we picked the games that we are going to attend for the upcoming season. I did think that the prices were a bit on the high side, as Steve's sandwich was not anywhere worth the $20 he paid for it. I'm glad we could continue our tradition of getting together and picking our games. Hopefully, it will be a season to remember. 

Out of five boxing gloves, (because the great Muhammad Ali lived in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago for quite some time), five being best to zero being worst, Kenwoods Kitchen and Tap gets 2.5 boxing gloves. 

For more information about Kenwood's Kitchen and Tap, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.kenwoodskitchenandtap.com/

Mariachi Madness at Casa Del Sol

 Casa Del Sol

2497 Park Avenue

Tustin, CA 92782

Opening a new restaurant has got to be one of the most nerve-racking experiences to undertake. There's just so much that goes into it that it's got to feel like a tidal wave coming at you from all directions, and all that you can hope for is that you can withstand the onslaught of everything going on around you. It's probably even more so in these crazy times that we have been going through for what seems like the last seven years, but in reality, it has only been 20 months. 

I used to have a very strict policy of waiting a year before reviewing restaurants on this blog. Then I had a change of heart as many people wanted to know if that new place they were thinking of going to was worth parting with their hard-earned money. Always one to listen to my readership, all three of you, I now go to all restaurants, regardless of how long they have been in business. 

Casa Del Sol, which took over the Auld Dubliner spot at the District at Tustin Legacy opened in mid-September, and we visited during their opening weekend. This visit was almost a near-miss because they were having problems with their computer system, but they got it all figured out and opened their doors a half-hour after their posted 5pm opening time. We did not have a reservation, so we had to wait while they seated people with reservations first, but we eventually got a nice table out on their patio. 

The backstory of Casa Del Sol is pretty interesting. The restaurant is owned by legendary mariachi musician, Jose Hernandez, who has been nominated for multiple Grammy's, and to the right of the hostess stand, there's an enclosed case with plenty of information about him. This restaurant used to be Cielito Lindo, but not the one that is famous for its taquitos on Olvera Street in Downtown LA.  This one was in El Monte since 1986 and held nightly mariachi shows which drew people from all over. 

The pandemic hit them hard, along with all of the LA County restrictions on restaurants, so they looked to move their operations to OC. When we visited they had paper menus, and we were told this was a slimmed-down version of their menu, but it looks pretty similar to the menu that is posted online. They still have their mariachi shows twice an evening but are closed on Mondays. Check the link at the bottom of this review for more info. We were too early for the 7pm show, but I was here for the food anyway. Let's check out this new kid on the block. 

As is the custom on this blog, we have to start with the Chips and Salsa we were presented with as we were seated. The chips were lightly fried, and the salsa was fine, it just needed a bit more pop of spice. I also like a little more chunk to my salsa, but the abundance of chopped onions was a nice touch. 

Katie and I have become Queso Fundido ($12) fiends, so we definitely needed to start our evening off with Casa Del Sol's version. The bubbly cheese blend was topped with chorizo, diced tomatoes, and some cilantro, and was served with flour tortillas. I really enjoyed the cheese and the bigger chunks of chorizo which really made this stand out. The downside of this appetizer was the diced tomatoes topping this and that we were only given three tortillas to split between the four of us. Still, it was worth trying for sure.  

My mom is pretty predictable when she's eating Mexican food. Nine out of ten times she's going to have a cheese enchilada. At Casa Del Sol that meant the 2 Cheese Enchilada Plate ($15) would be sat in front of her. These enchiladas came with red sauce covering them with a drizzle of sour cream on top. She's a light eater, so she only had one and took the other one home, but she exclaimed that she enjoyed these enchiladas. She was not a fan of the rice since it included a few peas. Peas have been her arch-nemesis since she was a child. 

As sure as my mom gets enchiladas, my dad is going to get a Chili Relleno ($19). Coming two to a plate, these chile Rellenos were filled with Monterey jack cheese and finished off with more cheese, sour cream, and a slight amount of ranchero sauce. My dad liked these but stated he'd probably get something else next time he visited. 

Birria Tacos ($23) are all the rage right now, and Casa Del Sol appears to want to get in on that action right now as well. These were the best item of our evening. The beef was nicely flavored and provided an even better flavor bomb when dipped into the provided consume. This came with rice only, which I thought was odd, especially when you are paying nearly eight dollars per taco. Seem like some beans should have been added to this as well. 

I've been trying a new tactic when eating in Mexican restaurants, and it's to try something off of the specialties section of their menu. At Casa Del Sol the one that piqued my interest the most was the Carnitas Uruapan Style with a Cheese Enchilada. The carnitas texturally was just the way that I like them, a good mix of fatty, crispy, and savory pieces, but these needed a bit more in the flavor department. The cheese enchilada was just as my mom stated, good, and was a nice diversion between forkfuls of the carnitas. This plate was good sized with the provided rice and beans. The beans were fine, but I rather enjoyed the lightness of the rice, which was not as heavy as most other Mexican restaurants. 

After our meal, we walked around the District for a bit, and then we wandered back inside Casa Del Sol on our way out to the parking lot to check out the mariachi show. The place was jam-packed with people listening to the very talented musicians on the stage. If you are into mariachi music, you have to check this place out. The food on the other hand was just a bit above average. Nothing that we encountered on this evening was mind-blowing, even though the birria tacos were quite good, but you can get better at other spots nearby for quite a few dollars less. For being a new restaurant the service and kitchen were on point. We got our food in a very timely manner and our server was juggling at least five to six tables with ease during our visit. I'll be interested to see how this place does going forward.  

Out of five cradles, (because Cocula, Jalisco Mexico is nicknamed the cradle of mariachi due to the fact that this type of music started in this town), five being best to zero being worst, Casa Del Sol gets 3 cradles. 

For more information about Casa Del Sol, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.casadelsoloc.com/