Abandoning Ship for Brunch in Cabo

 Casasola Café and Brunch

Miguel Hidalgo S/N 23450

Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, Mexico

It was day 5 of our cruise, and it was time to bust out. We had spent the first two days of our vacation at sea. Our first port was Puerto Vallarta, where we spent the day at a resort soaking up the sun, indulging in the all-you-could-drink beverages, and partaking in an all-you-can-eat buffet that could best be described as just as good as what we had experienced at Hometown Buffet when they were still in business. Not very good. 

On day four, we walked to Plaza Machado, a central square in Mazatlan. We strolled around this historical district's shops and enjoyed more cocktails and some divine seafood on a heavily shaded patio at one of the local restaurants. When we arrived in Cabo the following day, we were looking to get out of the touristy harbor area and eat where the locals dine. So I did what I would have done when I was back home. I consulted Yelp for a breakfast restaurant with good reviews that would get us away from the craziness that was Cabo during spring break. We headed to Casasola Cafe. 

Casasola Cafe is located five or so blocks northwest of the harbor. The walk was slightly elevated from the port, and I imagine it would be grueling in the summer heat of Cabo. However, on this March day, it was only 80 degrees, so we only needed one glass of iced tea to bring down our body temperature. We were seated in the back room of the restaurant, right near the kitchen. There was a good mix of people here, women celebrating an upcoming baby's arrival, an English couple sitting at the table next to us here on holiday, and plenty of locals. 

Even if you have a minimal grasp of Spanish, you should be fine at Casasola. The menus are printed in English, and communication with our server was a breeze. The one-page menu is divided into egg dishes, Mexican breakfast specialties, sandwiches, specialties of the house, and breakfast breads, such as pancakes, waffles, and crepes. The opposite side of the page features beverages ranging from coffee, smoothies, shakes, and juices. Prices are listed in pesos, but entrees typically average about $12 per plate. Way more affordable than breakfast in the US. Let's see if I made a good selection visiting Casasola while we were in Cabo. 

Katie went pretty vanilla for her breakfast at Casasola with this Glendale French ($10.90).  This plate included French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, seasoned potatoes, and fresh fruit. Little portions of lots of things are how I'd describe this plate. The little round French toast was topped with plenty of berries and served with jam, even though the menu mentioned this would include maple syrup. No worries, though, as Katie really enjoyed this and couldn't help but gush about how fresh everything tasted. I did not snap a picture, but she was also enamored with the coffee here, which she desperately needed after going five whole days without her beloved Iced Americano from Starbucks. 

Frequent readers of this blog have probably noticed my love affair with Chilaquiles ($12.29). It's almost a given that if I see it on a menu, I'll need to order it, and I was in Mexico, the birthplace of this breakfast staple, so it was predestined that I would be consuming it this morning. I added arrachera, which is a skirt steak and a fried egg. This version of chilaquiles was built with some delicious refried beans and then was topped with cotija cheese, onion, crisp tortilla strips, radishes, crema, and cilantro. I got the red version, which was a lot spicier than I expected, but it awakened my taste buds quickly. Really tasty and full of flavor. I'd definitely get this again. 

Casasola Cafe was worth the ten-minute walk from the port. After having nothing but cruise ship food for almost a week, this breakfast was a like a breath of fresh air that woke us up from the doldrums. It was nice to get out of the tourist traps that face the harbor and go where the locals eat. The service was cordial, and the food came out promptly. The check was about $15 less than a similar meal would cost us back in OC, so this was a good value for better food than what you could get near the much more crowded port. 

 Out of five marlins (because this city is commonly known as the Marlin Capital of the World), five being best to zero being worst, Casasola Cafe and Brunch gets 3 marlins. 

For more information about Casasola Cafe and Brunch, click here to visit their website: https://www.casasolacafe.com/

A Little Noshing in Tustin

 Nosh House

678 El Camino Real

Tustin, CA 92780

As I near my 1000th review, I've been trying to hit as many restaurants on my wish list as possible. I have knocked out a good amount in the last few months, but I can not cut my list to fewer than three pages of places I want to try. As we are in the post-pandemic era, new restaurants have sprouted up more frequently and have been added to my list. One recent addition to my list is Nosh House in Tustin. 

Nosh House opened its doors in late 2020 and bills itself as OC's first Glatt kosher restaurant. They are from the same people that run OC Kosher Market a few doors down in the El Camino Plaza shopping center at the corner of El Camino and 6th Street in Old Town Tustin. This is the same shopping plaza that features Cream Pan, Acai Republic, and Kitajimia Sushi. 

So, you are asking yourself what Glatt kosher is? I didn't know either until I looked it up. It's meat that is slaughtered kosher, and the animal's lungs must be adhesion-free, which is another way to say smooth. Also, you will not find cheese included with any sandwich or burger that features meat due to Jewish dietary law. Also, remember that they are closed on Saturday to observe Shabbat. 

The menu at Nosh House is pretty diverse for such a small place. The menu includes appetizers, deli sandwiches, salads, paninis, salads, shwarma, entrees, hamburgers, and specialty sandwiches. The specialty sandwiches are priced right around the $20 price point, the same for the burgers. Dinner entrees will run you anywhere between $25 to $40 for the lamb chops. There's also a small children's menu. 

We arrived at Nosh House on a recent Sunday afternoon at half past one. We were met with a nearly empty restaurant. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. The dining area is sparsely decorated, and most tables seat two people but can be pushed together to accommodate larger parties. We waited about five minutes for our food to arrive. Let's see how everything turned out for us. 

Katie has never met a Hummus Plate ($9.95) that she hasn't wanted to order, which held true on this visit to Nosh House. The hummus here was very creamy and had an excellent depth of flavor. The pita was one of the most fluffy versions I have had. It could best be described as pillowy soft, making this version stand out more than others. 

I've not had a more photogenic Tuna Salad Sandwich ($12.95) on my blog than this one. Even though I'm not inclined to order tuna sandwiches at restaurants, this one was pretty stellar. The tuna salad was joined with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and Katie substituted the whole wheat bread for toasted rye. The tuna was incredibly fresh and was mixed with just the right amount of mayo and other seasonings. She would definitely get this tuna sandwich again.  

From everything I've heard about Nosh House, the sandwich that gets the most love here is the Reuben Sandwich ($18.95). After my first bite, I can see why people love this sandwich. Hot corned beef, sauerkraut, and thousand island dressing are placed between two nicely toasted pieces of rye bread. This version of the classic Reuben comes without Swiss cheese due to the Jewish dietary law observed here at Nosh House. It's a sandwich that will not overwhelm you with its heaping piles of corned beef like other places tend to do. They also do not slather on the kraut or the dressing, instead choosing to let the bread and lean meat be the show's star. A very understated but nicely constructed Reuben. With my sandwich, I could choose from Israeli salad, cole slaw, or my eventual choice, potato salad. This was well done, with an addition of herbs that elevated this from the regular humdrum potato salads I have recently had. 

With just this little taste from the Nosh House menu, I have already made plans to return for their shwarma plate, hungry man burger, or OMG fried chicken sandwich. The only thing that's prevented me from returning sooner is that they are only open until half past six Sunday through Thursday and are only open half the day on Fridays. The guy at the counter was not the friendliest, but he brought our food out to us promptly. I'm glad I could cross this spot off my wishlist as I march toward restaurant review number 1000. Seven more to go. 

Out of five schmucks (because that's a Jewish word for a fool, and I'm sure that some people feel that I'm a schmuck for still writing this restaurant review blog for over 14 years now), five being best to zero being best, Nosh House gets 3.5 schmucks. 

For more information about Nosh House, head to their website by clicking here: http://www.koshernoshhouse.com/

Should This Little Sister Be in Time Out?

 Little Sister

896 Spectrum Center Dr. 

Irvine, CA 92618

The Irvine Spectrum's dining scene always seems to be evolving. The openings and restaurant announcements from just the last few months have been dizzying. Silverlake Ramen, Burnin' Mouth hot chicken, and GrammOO Pasta opened recently, while Shake Shack, Roll Em Up Taquitos, Sprinkles, and Le Shrimp Noodle Bar are all poised to make their debuts within this calendar year. So yes, those parking structures will be even more jam-packed now. 

With all the restaurant comings and goings at the Spectrum, it's easy to understand that I might have let one slip through the cracks. When I discovered that Little Sister had been open for two years, I felt ashamed that I had not been. My audiobook obsession has apparently taken precedence over more than I thought. 

Little Sister opened near Target, in the southeast corner of the Spectrum, near H&M, 85 Degrees Bakery, and the Apple Store. We were here Saturday evening at 6 for a long overdue dinner with my aunt and uncle. There were eight of us, but we had made reservations via the OpenTable website. This was fortunate because the restaurant was jam-packed, and judging from all the people milling about the front of the restaurant, the wait time for a table appeared to be quite lengthy. 

Much like my little sister, this restaurant is quite loud. Little Sister features a wraparound patio for outdoor dining when the weather calls for it and, in addition to, an outdoor lounge across from the entrance to the restaurant featuring a bar and tables shaded by trees in a parklike setting. The inside of the dining space is dominated by a large bar in the middle of the room, with tables of varying sizes surrounding it. The high ceilings, wood flooring, dimmed lighting, and the house music blaring from the speakers brought to mind more of a club atmosphere than a restaurant. 

On their website, Little Sister describes their food as blending the spices and flavors of Southeast Asia while utilizing the European techniques that dominate the region due to the colonization that was rampant for so many years. The result is a menu that might appear too exotic for some, but if you have visited any Vietnamese, Thai, or Laotian spots or are open to trying new things, you will definitely find something on this menu to order. 

The menu is divided into starters, a smattering of rice paper rolls, a few salad offerings, soups and noodle dishes, and entrees. Even though some items might sound intimidating, the menu does a great job of explaining in detail what each dish is made up of. Our server, for some reason, explained that most dishes are meant for sharing, but we did not find this to be the case. She seemed slightly exacerbated when we all ordered, and our orders were less diverse than she felt they should be. As you will see in the upcoming photos, the meals did not seem conducive to sharing, especially for someone like me with a more enormous appetite. So without further ado, let's check out the food from Little Sister. 

We started with two starters, the first of which was the Sesame Sourdough Baugette ($8). The bread is accompanied by a smear of sea-salted butter, pate, and a sour tomato jam. I liked the sturdy bread and the variety of the spreads, but it would have been better if they had sliced it to make it easier to serve once it hit the table. The pate was the best of the spreads, with a vibrant depth of flavor. 

A little more exotic of the two starters for us was the Nem Nuong (Pork Spring Rolls), $13. These came four to an order and, along with the grilled pork, included mint, carrot, cucumber, and red leaf lettuce wrapped tightly in rice paper. It comes with a delicious peanut-type sauce. Due to the overabundance of veggies wrapped in there, the pork got overshadowed. I was rather impressed that these held together so well as I ate them. 

If you check the Yelps reviews for Little Sister, you'll soon realize this plate is easily the most popular item ordered here. The Shaky Shaky Beef ($35) is marinated in a burnt butter soy glaze and served with garlic tomato rice and a watercress salad. Unfortunately, the steak was inconsistent. Some bites were divine, but others were a little tough. The rice was nicely done, but I was not a big fan of the salad dressing used on the watercress salad. It was on the sour side for my taste. 

Much like the steak dish from above, this Suong Nuong (Pork Chop) for $32 had some good bites and others that could have been better. The bites taken from the ends were nice and tender, with a very pleasing taste. However, the inside pieces were dry and overcooked. The chicken fat rice was good, with a sunny-side-up egg perched above the scoop of rice. When broken, the yolk added a nice creamy texture to the rice. I left most of the salad, as it was too bland. 

The House Triple Garlic Noodles ($18) really fell flat. Half the people in our party ordered this, and it was unanimous that these could have been better. They lacked any noticeable tinge of garlic and were way overpriced at $18 for such a small portion. They were made a little better when someone asked for some chili oil to bring up the flavor profile. Disappointing. 

Last is the House Spiced Crispy Chicken ($29). I am not a chicken person when eating out in restaurants. Most of the time, I find that places overcook chicken and often find it dry and bland. That is not the case at Little Sister. This half-bird featured a very crispy skin with tender meat underneath, and it was made even better with the provided chili-ginger sauce, equal parts sweet and savory. I only got the leg, but it was suitable from beginning to end. 

We all left Little Sister a little underwhelmed. Nothing was awful, but I'd describe this restaurant as inconsistent. Some bites were good, while others were not. Nothing we had on this evening would entice me to revisit, but if a friend wanted to meet me here, I'd reluctantly give it another try. Still, I would only hold out a little hope that it would be much better than what we already experienced. Much like Javier's, also at the Irvine Spectrum, most people eat at Little Sister because of this restaurant's hip vibe rather than the food that comes out of the kitchen. That may be harsh, but I'm already looking forward to what's coming next at the Spectrum. 

Out of five pacifiers (because one of the most iconic little sisters of all time is Maggie Simpson, who is never too far from her pacifier on The Simpsons), five being best to zero being worst, Little Sister gets 2.5 pacifiers. 

For more information about Little Sister, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.dinelittlesister.com/