Want a Great Sandwich? Grab a Seat at Jeff’s Table

 Jeff's Table

5900 North Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90042

Predictably, it was a late night/very early morning for us up in Burbank at a family party. We scrambled to make ourselves somewhat presentable before our checkout time of 11 a.m. We gathered our things hastily, Katie scrambled to place her Starbucks order, and I quickly searched for somewhere to eat on the way home. 

I was in the mood for sandwiches, and LA is a great sandwich town. I checked out Eater LA's Best Sandwich list and looked for something close to the freeway that would not be too out of the way. A half dozen filled the bill, but some were eliminated because they were vegan or closed on Sundays. When I saw the picture of the Pastrami Reuben at Jeff's Table, I knew we'd be making a beeline to Highland Park. 

The Jeff behind Jeff's Table is Jeff Strauss. He grew up in the delis of New York and moved to LA for a career writing and producing hit TV shows. Tired of the showbiz scene, he opened this place in the back of Flask Fine Wine and Whiskey in late 2019. His love of smoked meats and the cuisine of Los Angeles is apparent when you glance at the menu here. A potato salad that features Wasabi, a ham sandwich paired with kimchi, and a gruyere crisp inserted into the Reuben show that these are not just your run-of-the-mill sandwiches. This uniqueness has made Jeff's Table one of the most talked about sandwiches in all of LA. 

We were ready to get home after the rowdy weekend in Burbank, so we ordered our sandwiches to go. The Jeff's Table website was easy to navigate, and ordering was a snap. Our food was ready and waiting near the front door at the promised time. For those ordering here, step inside Flask Fine Wine and walk to the back of the store, where you'll find Jeff's behind the beer cooler. There's no seating inside, but I spied a couple of two-seat tables out front. We picked up our bag and returned to OC to prepare for the upcoming workweek and enjoy our sandwiches. 

Katie and I got two sandwiches each since we did not know when the next time we'd be up this way would be. The first of Katie's sandwiches was the Dirty Baby on Rye ($17.45 with avocado added). This one starts with a chicken salad that is equal parts smoky and spicy and is not like your mom's ho-hum chicken salad you grew up with. This is a flavor bomb that also includes both fontal and gouda cheeses, crispy shallots, a chili crisp, and pickled red onion on a very sturdy rye. The textures and flavors that are included here are amazing. I loved the crispy shallots and chili crisp as they added texture that contrasted with the creamy avocado and the cheeses. The chicken salad added a punch of spice, but not in an uncomfortable way. Even those sensitive to heat could eat this with no problem. The rye did not fall apart as expected; it held its integrity. A really excellent sandwich. 

Katie's second sandwich was the Big Brekkie ($15.95 with avocado added). We had skipped breakfast because we were scrambling to exit our hotel room before checkout, so Katie got this to remedy that. The sesame-studded roll included a folded chive egg, crispy ham, manchego cheese, a little bit of aioli, and arugula. This was the most straightforward of our sandwiches, but it hit the spot for breakfast-loving Katie. She liked the egg's creaminess and the sandwich's lightness, but she mostly appreciated that this was a unique breakfast sandwich.  

I'm enticed by Cuban sandwiches, and I almost always order one when I spy it on a menu. I definitely had to try the version at Jeff's Table, which is called the Jubano ($14.95). No surprise, but this version is not your traditional Cuban. Sliced pork is joined by not ham but pastrami, while the Swiss cheese is swapped out in favor of comte cheese, which is very melty. Pickle slices, mustard, and aioli round out this sandwich. I really enjoyed this sandwich. It had the balanced feel of a Cuban, but the pastrami provided a big flavor boost. Maybe too much mustard and not enough of the aioli for my taste, but it's an excellent version of one of my favorite sandwiches. 

I really enjoyed my Jubano sandwich above, but the must-get one visiting Jeff's Table is The "Jeff's Special"  Reuben ($14.95). Again, this is not a traditional Reuben, but this could be my sandwich of the year. Hand-sliced pastrami on griddled rye bread with Comte cheese, sauerkraut, a slightly spicy Russian dressing, and, just for good measure, a piece of crispy Gruyere cheese placed in the middle of it. Wow, this thing was good. A great crunch to the bread, the savoriness of the pastrami, and the melty, creamy cheese was a winning combination.  I had planned on eating only half, but I could not stop and ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting. 

The sides, like the sandwiches, are not your standard deli sides. We tried two of the three available. The JT Slaw ($5.95) and the Wasabi Tobiko Potato Salad ($6.95). I was not excited about the slaw, a combo of cabbage, fennel, and red onion mixed with a black pepper/bread and butter dressing. The fennel threw me off, and the dressing was used too sparingly, so all I tasted was cabbage and fennel. I was much happier with the potato salad. The wasabi flavor was present but not as intense as in sushi restaurants. I was hesitant about the tobiko, which is flying fish roe, but they were so small that I did not even notice them. The creamy potato texture and the dill made this side a pleasant surprise.  

It was an absolute pleasure having the sandwiches from Jeff's Table. Their uniqueness, fantastic textural elements, and flavor profiles make these some of the best sandwiches we've encountered in LA. There was not a dud in the four that we tried. Even though it's not a convenient location for us, the ease of ordering online and the promptness of the order being ready, when promised, helped ease the burden of getting to Highland Park, an area we want to explore even further in the future. A great last-second choice by me, but next time, we won't be able to dig into these sandwiches before heading back to OC.  

Out of five puppets (because Highland Park is not only home to this deli but also to the world-famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater, where puppets have entertained over a million people in the last sixty-one years), five being best to zero being worst, Jeff's Table gets 4 puppets.   

For more information about Jeff's Table, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.jeffstablela.com/

It’s a Win-Win if You Eat This Burger in Glendale

 For the Win

1200 South Brand Blvd. #3

Glendale, CA 91204

It was family time again up in Burbank. This time, the occasion was a college graduation party for Amanda, Katie's cousin's daughter. She graduated from USC with a degree in Music Industry and a minor in Sports Management. She's bright, focussed, and a lovely girl, and I'm not just saying this to suck up because there might be some complimentary concert/sports tickets in my future. 

As is our custom when spending the night in Burbank, we always try to sneak in a place to eat on our way up and back home. For the Win has been on my list of places to try forever, so it was not even a question that we'd be visiting here on this trip to try their very much-hyped smash burger. I have yet to read a smash burger best-of list that does not mention their burgers at all. I was pretty excited. 

For the Win was born out of the pandemic. Papilles Bistro was an award-winning bistro, but when lockdown orders came down, the owners pivoted from French food to smash burgers and chicken sandwiches. After many months of tinkering, they created a smash burger with crispy edges but still juicy in the middle, an excellent sauce to compliment the beef and cheese, and the perfect soft potato bun to hold everything together. The chicken sandwich was also a labor of love, and it took a lot of time to get it right. 

Their customers must love their burgers and chicken sandwiches because they have nine locations operating, along with two cloud kitchens in Echo Park and West LA. Unfortunately, they have no OC locations, but the closest one is in Whittier. Their menu is simple to navigate. They offer single, double, or triple burgers, with or without cheese and chicken sandwiches. Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, and loaded fries, which are topped with grilled onions, cheese, and fry sauce. Shakes are also available in vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. Their online menu differs from the menu in-store, as you can not order a chicken sandwich online, and the shakes are available online but not on their current menu at this location. Confusing. 

We arrived at For the Win's Glendale spot just after 1pm on a Saturday. They are located in a small shopping plaza, with only 15 or so parking spots, so it might be challenging to find parking during peak meal times here. There's little in the way of a dining room here, too. They had two small tables outside and a tiny counter space inside, fitting four patrons snuggly. Even with a steady stream of people coming through the door, it only took us ten minutes to receive our food. Here's how everything turned out for us. 

For the Win is mainly known for their burgers, so of course, I'm going to start off with their Fried Chicken Sandwich ($12). This sandwich was dressed simply with pickles and mayo on a pillowy soft potato bun. I'm usually partial to chicken sandwiches made of a single piece instead of pieces, as they are generally easier to eat, but this one stayed together well. The chicken was juicy, but I wished for a little more crunch to their breading, which was nicely seasoned. They could have had a heavier hand when the mayo was applied. It's a good chicken sandwich, but it's not crave-worthy.  

What is crave-worthy are the burgers at For the Win. From my first bite, I was enthralled with this burger. I knew I would be eating at our upcoming family party in the coming hours, and it took all my willpower not to order another burger right away. I ordered the Double Cheeseburger ($12.50 plus $1.95) for bacon). The burgers here come with pickles, fry sauce, and grilled onions. Tomato, lettuce, bacon, and jalapenos are an upcharge of fifty cents to $1.95. The double patty option hit my sweet spot, as it had an outstanding balance of meat, cheese, bacon, and bun. The potato bun is soft and pliable and keeps its structural integrity for the short time it took me to inhale this burger. The beef patty had crispy edges, and the center was juicy in the center, which is not always the case when ordering smash burgers. The cheese was gooey, and even though I'm not the world's biggest fan of pickles on burgers, they worked here to add a little tang to each bite. My one knock on this burger was that it needed some extra sauce, but I'll order more the next time I'm here. This burger is definitely worth the trip. 

For some odd reason, I was not feeling like fries, so we went with Brussels Sprouts ($6) as our side item. This was a very generous serving size, but I quickly got bored with these. They were fried crisp and seasoned with a little too much salt. I would have liked a sweet sauce to help break up the salt and natural bitterness of the sprouts. Not my favorite side, but for people who want a slightly healthier option than fries, this might be more to your liking. 

Okay, I did have some minor misses with the sprouts and the chicken sandwich, but that burger is definitely in the running for one of the best smash burgers I have had to date. It was so good that since we visited, I'm trying to find reasons to come back up to have that burger again. This location of For the Win is not the most convenient to eat at, as there's limited seating, and it's more conducive to takeout orders, but these smash burgers are worth the hassle. I'm looking forward to the day that they enter the OC market. I'll be the first in line. 

Out of five streetcars (because this restaurant is on Brand Boulevard, named after Leslie Brand, a city leader in the early 1900s who was instrumental in getting streetcars to Glendale), five being best and zero being worst, For the Win gets four streetcars. 

For more information about For the Win, head to their website by clicking here: https://forthewinla.com/#

Jacked Up to Try Jack’s Woodside Grill

 Jack's Woodside Grille

30065 Suite A Alicia Parkway

Laguna Niguel, CA 92677

It was vacation week for Katie and me, so we took this rare opportunity to walk at the beach, get our house in order, go through the mail, and eat. We both have full-time jobs, so we only have one day a week to try a breakfast restaurant. During football season, that number dips to zero, as football takes up our entire Sunday from 10 a.m. until the last whistle of the Sunday night game, usually around 8 p.m. Yes, we are a little obsessed. 

We have wanted to try Jack's Woodside Grille since it opened in March of this year. In those eight months, Jack's has amassed a very impressive 4.7-star rating on Yelp and has a weekend wait for tables of anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the day. In the fifteen years I've been writing this blog, this address was the location of Legado Bar and Kitchen and Beach Pit BBQ, and before that, it used to be a Pick-Up Sticks.  

Jack's Woodside Grille is named after Jack Holder, a World War II veteran who opened his first breakfast restaurant in 1957. As the years passed, he and his children opened several other restaurants in Northern California. Jack Holder passed away, but his legacy lives on in the form of the restaurants his children have continued to run, including this one named in his honor and the first one in Southern California. 

Only open from 7 til 2pm, the menu here is geared towards breakfast, but they offer some lunch options, including burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The breakfast portion of the menu is broken up into egg dishes, griddled items, specials, omelets, classic breakfast plates, and benedicts. The average price per item on the menu's breakfast side is around $17, which is reasonable nowadays. Katie and I quickly made our selections, and here's how everything came out for us during our maiden visit to Jack's Woodside Grille. 

Katie took longer to decide what to order than usual, and I wonder if it was because so many things looked good or if she was just extra indecisive this morning. She finally selected the Jack's Special ($16). This scramble came with two scrambled eggs, ground beef, spinach, mushrooms, onion, and jack cheese. She stated that she would generally shy away from ground beef when having breakfast, but she found this to be very much to her liking. She enjoyed the lightness of the eggs, felt the ingredients were fresh, and loved the rye bread that came with her meal. Her only complaint was that the cheese was not melted, and there needed to be more of it sprinkled on top. 

When I eat breakfast out, I tend to look for the items on the menu that have the most breakfast meats. At Jack's Woodside, that meant I would be having the Supreme Omelet ($17). This omelet came with four kinds of meat: sausage, ham, bacon, and linguica, which is joined by some mushrooms, bell peppers, jack and white cheddar cheese, and Spanish sauce. The omelet had a souffle-like feel that I enjoyed, but I was not in love with this plate. The breakfast meats were cut too small to be noticeable, the Spanish sauce was bland and tasted like jarred spaghetti sauce, and the cheese needed to be melted. The outer portion of the hashbrowns was nice and crisp, but the inside lacked seasoning. I always enjoy it when a restaurant allows you to sub out toast for pancakes, and these were pretty solid pancakes. The buttermilk flavor came through, and they had maple syrup on the table, so you could add your desired amount of syrup instead of asking the server for extra. 

No, I did not have two meals on this visit; I returned recently with my friend to try their Chicken Fried Steak ($21). This was better than my omelet. I mixed my hashbrowns and eggs this time and added a good amount of pepper, making them automatically better than the first time I visited. The chicken-fried steak was good, but I would have liked the outer portion of it to be crunchier. The delicious country gravy helped save this from being just your run-of-the-mill chicken fried steak. The Swedish pancakes get a lot of love online, but I failed to see their attraction. They came out lukewarm at best, and the lingonberry butter did not add much flavor. They were okay, but the pancakes are the better option at Jack's.  

I really wanted to give Jack's a glowing review. The service has been stellar the two times I've been here, and the management team has been very hands-on in ensuring everything runs smoothly. Unfortunately, the food has not been up to the same standard. Even though the price point and portion sizes are more than fair, I have not found anything that has wowed me here, and the only thing left on their menu that intrigues me still is the Crab Benedict and maybe something off of the lunch menu. Jack's is okay, but not in my top 3 breakfast spots in Laguna Niguel. In case you were wondering, my top Laguna Niguel breakfast spots are still Mollies Country Kitchen, Plumeria Cafe, and Snooze. 

Out of five wildcats (because the sports teams for the Woodside High School sports teams are called the Wildcats), five being best to zero being worst, Jack's Woodside Grille gets 2.5 wildcats.  

For more information about Jack's Woodside Grille, head to their website by clicking here: https://jackswoodside.com/

Blow the Whistle, We’re at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

 Penalties Sports Bar and Grill

469 Magnolia Avenue, Suite #101 

Corona, CA 92879

There are many things I love about Katie. Everything about her is lovely, but when we first started dating, one of the things I liked the most about her was that she had a big family. She is one of four kids in her immediate family, but what struck me was how close all her cousins, uncles, and aunts were.  Coming from a family of four with only one uncle and a couple of cousins, it was a little overwhelming initially, but I loved every minute of it. 

I met Katie's cousin Alyson at one of my first big family parties. She was awesome, and we have seen each other a few times through the years. As people usually do, we follow each other on social media, which helps us stay in touch and keep up to date with what's happening in our lives. As luck would have it, I was on vacation for the week and planned on meeting my good friend Ozker for lunch in his hometown of Corona. Alyson works at a sports bar nearby, so meeting at Penalties Sports Bar and Grill was natural. 

Penalties opened in April 2023 and has quickly become one of Corona's favorite places to watch sports. As we walked in the door, it was easy to see why. Wherever you sit, lift your head, and you'll have access to at least four TVs within your eyeline. Whether you choose to post up at the bar, a high-top table, or a booth, you won't miss any of the action on the field. When we visited at noon, many people were watching soccer and Dodger baseball. After an introduction between Alyson and Ozker and ordering drinks, it was time to get down to business and eat. 

The Penalties menu will not surprise anyone who has eaten in a sports bar before. Wings, nachos, and mozzarella sticks are prominent on their appetizer menu, while the compact entree portion features a burger, a couple of sandwiches, tacos, and two salad options. No entree is more than $20, and starters are modestly priced at $15 or less. Let's see if the food would be a touchdown or a fumble out of bounds. 

Ozker is a big fan of chicken wings and considers himself a connoisseur of all things chicken. Naturally, we started out with the Penalties Kickin Wings ($18). A boneless version is available, but bone-in is the way to go, according to Ozker. These came ten to an order, and we chose the traditional buffalo sauce to coat these rather large drums and flats. They also offer BBQ or a mango habanero, which I will try next time. These wings were fried well, had a perfect crunch, and the meat inside was tender and juicy. It's one of the better wings I have had in some time. The buffalo sauce could have had more heat, but it was worth getting these. Solid ranch, too. 

After the wings, our entrees were out next. First up was Ozker's choice, the Philly Fans Cheesesteak ($16). He eats like a three-year-old sometimes, as he ordered this without onions and peppers, and it came out by mistake with them. I quickly snapped a picture before Alyson took it away to remake him another one. This cheesesteak is made with grilled ribeye, provolone cheese, onions, and peppers on a hoagie roll. Ozker liked this once it returned to the table sans onions and peppers. From across the table, it looked like it had a good amount of beef, and the bun was soft, holding the sandwich's contents well. 

I asked Alyson what her favorite item on the menu was, and she claimed the Penalties Burger ($18) was the way to go, but with her favorite modifications. She always adds avocado and grilled onions, a $3 upcharge for the avocado. They use a short rib/ brisket mix for their patties, then pile on the sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce. A delicious, straightforward burger. The beef was juicy, and the avocado and cheese added a nice creaminess to each bite. Unfortunately, they don't offer bacon, which would have made this an even better burger.  

This was a great meetup with Alyson and, of course, Ozker. We stayed for two drinks each, and then it was back home for me. Penalties is the kind of sports bar most people wish would be in their neighborhood. I wish it was closer to where I lived. It is a chill spot to catch a game and have some excellent bar food. I would like them to expand their menu, add a hot dog, patty melt, or more sandwiches. Even though Alyson was the only one working when we were here, she handled things like a pro and seemed to have a good relationship with many of her customers, many of whom I imagine to be regulars. I'm thrilled that Katie and her big family brought us to Penalties Sports Bar and Grill.  

Out of five whistles (because the sure sign that a penalty is being called is to listen for a referee's whistle), five being best to zero being worst, Penalties Sports Bar and Grill gets 3 whistles. 

Penalties Sports Bar and Grill does not have a website, but you can find out information about them on their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/penalties-sports-bar-and-grill-corona

Coming up With the Goods in Carlsbad

 The Goods

2965 State Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

This is a little added bonus Carlsbad restaurant review. Usually, when we pick up a birthday present for Katie, we eat at a restaurant and head back up the 5 Freeway home. This time, however, we did not eat dessert at the restaurant where we celebrated her birthday, so we both craved something sweet. A quick Yelp search yielded many results, but one stuck out a bit and was within walking distance. After a nearly six-minute walk, we found ourselves at The Goods. 

The Goods is an artisan doughnut shop smack dab in the middle of Carlsbad Village. They have been around since 2017 and serve what I term fancy doughnuts. These are places like Sidecar Doughnuts, Oliboli, and JD Flannel Donuts in San Juan Capistrano, where a dozen doughnuts can set you back at least $30 or more. Conversely, Old-school donut places can be found in every neighborhood, and they serve very straightforward, no-nonsense donuts. I love both, although I have a soft spot for the old-school donuts I grew up with. I appreciate the finer doughnuts on occasion when my wallet allows them. 

We arrived at The Goods just before 2 p.m., which is usually when bakeries are selling off their remaining inventory and shutting down for the day. Although they listed their closing time as 4 p.m., they still had a good amount of stuff in their case when we walked into their small storefront. Doughnuts are priced in the $4 range, other pastries are $7, and they have a slew of coffee beverages that go for an average of $5. No coffee for me, as I was all about the baked goods. 

Here's a quick overview of what we ordered while at The Goods. We got them boxed to go, but we did have a doughnut and cookie here for research purposes only. Katie also got an Americano, which she enjoyed on the way home. In total, we spent just shy of $40. Let's take a closer look at everything we had. 

It's a doughnut spot, so of course, I'll start with the Cinnamon Roll ($7). This roll was about the size of my outstretched hand and featured cream cheese frosting. I liked this but had wished it had more cinnamon inside, as it lacked the gooeyness of other cinnamon rolls. The icing struck the right balance of cream cheese to sugar ratio, making people who like cream cheese frosting and those who don't both happy. The base was sturdy and well-made and got a little softer when heated. 

I'm always a sucker for cookies, so I got their Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3) as well. I liked this cookie more than the cinnamon roll. It had the perfect amount of chocolate chips spread evenly through the cookie, and the light touch of sea salt added a nice touch. The outside edge had an excellent crunch, while the center was chewy. The way a chocolate chip cookie should be. I ate this before heading home and should have gotten one for the road to heat it up in the microwave for that just-out-of-the-oven feel. Next time, for sure. 

Katie picked our first two doughnuts. She almost always veers towards fruit-flavored doughnuts. Her first pick was this Seasonal Berry Jam ($4.50). It's a yeast-raised doughnut with berry icing and filled with a jam made up of three seasonal berries. I'm guessing the three berries used were blackberry, boysenberry, and strawberry, but I'm unsure. The doughnut part was soft and had a slight chew to it, the icing was not overly sugary sweet, and the jam inside was a little too tart for my tastes. This was a grown-up version of the jelly donut you can get at your neighborhood donut spot. Very high quality. 

Next up was the Strawberry Shortcake ($4.75). Again, this was a yeast-raised doughnut with strawberry glaze topped with mascarpone, graham cracker crumbs, and a sliced strawberry. Like the doughnut above, this was not overly sweet, but the strawberry flavor was loud and clear. I'm not that big of a fan of mascarpone, so I left most of this doughnut for Katie, who liked this one the best.

The best doughnut I had at The Goods was this Brown Butter Doughnut ($4.25). It was a cake doughnut with a slight crunch when bitten into, a toasted brown butter glaze, and a touch of sea salt. I could have just had this one thing and left very happy. I'll have to try more of their cake doughnuts next time. They are delicious and satisfying. 

This simple Chocolate Ganache ($3.65) was another yeast doughnut dipped into a plain-tasting chocolate ganache. The chocolate on this was too muted for me, and after a few bites, I was bored by it. It was not awful, but I want it to be sweeter if I have a doughnut and the calories to go along with it. 

The Goods truly does make good doughnuts. After a few bites, you can tell they are crafted well and utilize high-quality ingredients. It might have been because we got here late in the afternoon, and they were out of the better doughnuts, but only the brown butter doughnut really popped for me and made me take notice. If we had gotten here closer to their opening, I would have liked to try their apple fritter, Boston cream, Nutella buttercream, or the churro cruller on my next visit. The girls working the counter were lovely and answered all of the questions we had about the doughnuts. Are these the best doughnuts in Carlsbad? We will have to wait until next year for Katie's birthday to find out. 

Out of five creatures (because the city of Carlsbad is home to three lagoons, sadly, none of them include a creature like in the 1954 3-D monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon), five being best and zero being worst, The Goods gets three creatures. 

For more information about The Goods, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.thegoodsdoughnuts.com/

2,4,6,8 Will We Appreciate 264 Fresco?

 264 Fresco

264 Carlsbad Village Drive 

Carlsbad, CA 92008

We are in North San Diego County, so long-time and observant readers of this blog know that probably means we were down this way to get Katie something for her birthday at the Carlsbad Outlets like we do every year. It prevents me from coming up with something to buy her that she probably would not like, and it also allows us to have lunch or dinner in an area that we usually would not get to. After about an hour of looking at purses and cosmetics and checking out the clearance racks at various stores, it was finally time to eat. This year, we were headed to 264 Fresco. 

264 Fresco is a modern Italian restaurant a few blocks from the ocean and in the heart of Carlsbad Village. I'd imagine that parking could be pretty bad in this area during peak tourist season, but they have their own parking lot, so parking was a breeze. We arrived just before 1pm on a Friday afternoon and were given a choice to sit inside or on their second-story deck. We took the deck option, even though the sun was starting to peek through the clouds as we were seated, and I had forgotten to wear a hat, so a possible sunburn may be in my future. 

I'm not sure how long 264 Fresco has been in business, but the earliest Yelp review I could find was from 2006. I know that this restaurant's owner, Linda DiNitto, also brought Fresco Cocina to the people of Carlsbad in 2022. That restaurant serves what I'd term elevated Latin American cuisine. 264 Fresco draws upon the Italian food that Linda grew up eating, which has seemed to resonate with the people of Carlsbad. This restaurant is the 12th most reviewed restaurant on Yelp in the area, and they have a very respectable 4.1-star rating with over 2,000 reviews posted. 

Modern Italian restaurants sometimes have menus with too few items or try to get too cute with things, and the dishes are unrecognizable to most people. That is not the case at 264 Fresco. They feature thirteen shareable starters, a six-pack of salads, wood-fired pizzas, pasta dishes, and entrees that include beef, chicken, or seafood. They even have a Wagyu Smashburger here (yes, the Smashburger fad has gotten so big that it's invaded even Italian restaurants now). Entrees range between $19 to $44, while pizzas cost in the $20 range. I had, of course, checked out the menu before coming down here, so I knew what I was getting. The birthday girl took a little longer, but we finally got our order in, and here's how everything came out for us at 264 Fresco. 

When I was growing up, the humble Brussels sprout was nowhere to be found on a restaurant menu. They sprouted up in popularity at the end of the last decade, and as a result, you can now find them on many menus—even here at an Italian restaurant. 264 Fresco served a generous amount of Brussels Sprouts ($15) with pancetta and gastrique, finished with some high-quality grana padano cheese sprinkled on top. The sprouts were incredibly fresh, but I had wished for a heavier hand when the rest of the ingredients were applied. I guess they were trying to have the sprouts be front and center. 

Katie usually gravitates towards comfort food when eating in an Italian restaurant for the first time. I was unsurprised that the birthday girl selected this Short Rib Pappardelle ($26) for her birthday meal. The short rib and large pappardelle noodles were joined in this shallow bowl with a fantastic beef au jus, mushrooms, and a garlic confit. Katie loved the comforting combo of the short rib and large noodles but also appreciated the radishes and Italian parsley that helped cut the dish's richness. It would be hard for her to order this again on return visits. 

The baseline for me when judging an Italian restaurant is to try their lasagna first. This entree has all the components that make an excellent Italian restaurant; the sauce, cheese, and pasta. I really enjoyed this version at 264 Fresco. They used bechamel and bolognese sauce, a healthy serving of sausage, and a sprinkling of cheese on top. This was a light lasagne. The sauces were present but did not overpower. The pasta was done perfectly, and the sausage was mildly flavored. A good lasagna for a midday lunch, as it will not put you to sleep after finishing it. 

Even though we only tried three items from the extensive 264 Fresco menu, I can see why this restaurant has met with widespread appeal from the people of Carlsbad and the surrounding area. This is the kind of Italian restaurant you want to visit and eat through the menu to gleam your favorites. We also were very fond of the atmosphere of this rooftop restaurant, with its birds-eye view of downtown Carlsbad. Sadly, there is no ocean view, but you can't have it all. The service was straightforward and to the point, with no real lags during our stay. 264 Fresco added to our streak of excellent restaurants when we came down this way. I'm already looking forward to Katie's next birthday. 

Out of five accordions (because Carlsbad is home to the Museum of Making Music, and one of their past exhibits was about this beloved box-shaped instrument), five being best to zero being worst, 264 Fresco gets 3.5 accordions. 

For more information about 264 Fresco, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.264fresco.com/

Rerouting to Tijuanazo

 Tijuanazo Birrieria

676 South State College Boulevard #101

Anaheim, CA 92806

Truth be told, we had not anticipated eating at Tijuanazo. We had planned on going to Tacos Los Cholos down the street before heading to an early-season Angels game. Tacos Los Cholos has been on my list forever. After so many false attempts, we were determined to finally experience what many consider one of the best taco spots around these parts. 

It was not to be, though. We cruised into the parking lot to see an extensive line of people around the building waiting to get their tacos. The open-air grill expelled an aroma that told people far and near that the tacos at Los Cholos might be worthy of the hype. I would have to wait to find out, as we had to pivot to find somewhere else to eat, as the mediocre food at Anaheim Stadium would not suffice. A quick Yelp search brought us to Tijuanazo Birrieria. 

They are not to be confused with the famous Tijuana taco stand, which recently opened two locations in the US, one in LA and the other in San Diego. Tijuanazo Birrieria has four locations, all in the Inland Empire, except for this one. Their first foray into OC opened last year. In that time, they have garnered a 4.8-star rating but with only 45 reviews. It's not a big enough sample size, but we were intrigued enough to try them.  

Tijuanazo is strictly a birria restaurant. Want carne asada or pastor? You're going to have to find another spot. They serve birria in many forms; burritos, tacos, nachos, tortas, party packs, and even ramen. Regular birria tacos cost $4, while the quesabirria taco will cost you a dollar more. The rest of the menu is modestly priced, with nothing over $14. They also have Taco Tuesday and other specials throughout the week. We ordered at the counter and sat in the spacious dining room while waiting for our food to be prepared. Let's see if Tijuanazo is a good stand-in for where we were initially going to eat.  

I got two Quesabirria Tacos ($4.75 each) and one standard Birria Taco ($3.99). Pay the extra 76 cents to get the quesabirria tacos. The regular taco was fine, and once I dressed it up with onions, cilantro, and their extra spicy hot sauce, it was just as good as any birria taco I've had. The cheese mixed with the moist birria brings these to the next level. The consome here is one of the best I've had, and when you dip the tacos in it, it is like a flavor bomb going off. I did not have a bad bite while here.   

When we first had Birria Ramen ($13.50), I thought it was just some gimmick to be shown on social media. Then we tasted it, and now we are converts. We can never go back to regular Cup Noodles ever again. The birria and the consome make this more comforting than hot chocolate on a chilly evening. Katie found it hard to share with me, but luckily, this was good sized, so I got a few bites after she got her fill. 

Even though we had not planned on eating at Tijuanazo, our flexibility paid off. These were some of the best birria items we have had to date, and as a bonus, they were not as pricey as other places we have visited. The restaurant was clean, the employees were friendly, and the food will have us returning soon, probably during Duck's hockey season. 

Out of five salads (because the Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana 100 years ago), five being best to zero being worst, Tijanazo gets 3.5 Caesar salads. 

For more information about Tijuanazo Birrieria, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.birrieriaeltijuanazoca.com/