Checking into Lodge Bread Company

 Lodge Bread Company

8532 West Pico

Los Angeles, CA 90035

The holidays were over, and it was time to take a week off. Katie could only take a few days off because she's been slammed at work, so we decided to make one of those days an LA day. I had the bright idea of visiting The Getty, which I had never been to. Katie had to drop some plans off at Children's Hospital LA, after which the rest of the day was ours. We left OC at 8 a.m. and reached LA an hour later, taking advantage of lighter-than-average traffic conditions. I picked Lodge Bread Company as our first food stop of the day. 

Lodge Bread Company came across my radar when I saw a picture of their cinnamon roll in a magazine. One glance was all it took for me to place them on my restaurant wishlist. That was a few years ago, and I waited for the perfect opportunity to finally make my pilgrimage to experience the colossal cinnamon rolls for myself. 

Lodge Bread Company, started in 2015, operates three locations, including this one on Pico Boulevard, Culver City, and Woodland Hills. It was started by Alex Phaneuf and Or Amsalam, who also ran the popular Hasiba, a hummus restaurant, out of this location before converting it into its current conceptualization. They also had the wildly beloved Full Proof Pizza, which had two spots operating but closed suddenly last year. 

We arrived at this tiny storefront at half past 10 on a Tuesday morning. There was plenty of street parking, and only a smattering of people wandered in during our stay. We ordered at the counter, and the food was brought to our table. There's enough seating for 12 people inside. They used to have a small patio in front, but it was not there when we visited. 

The one-page menu is divided into toasts, sandwiches, salads, and other items. The other items include the hummus and pita that were available when this used to be Hasiba. Prices here are modest, with only the Cobb salad going over the $20 price point. There's also a large selection of coffee, beverages, bread, and other baked goods for sale. Let's see what we had on part one of our LA day. 

First up, the Cinnamon Roll ($12.50) that brought us here. The first two pictures are of the one standing proudly on the counter. This massive brick of a cinnamon roll was much larger than any you could get at your local county fair. When we ordered this, they asked if we wanted the whole thing or half of it boxed up for later. I could have eaten all this, but we had a full day ahead of us and didn't want to crash while at The Getty. It was boxed up, and they also included plenty of the icing to be eaten the next few days at home. 

This was a very well-made cinnamon roll. The roll was sturdy, and the top had a good amount of cinnamon, which turned crunchy when heated. I wish the roll had more cinnamon running through it, which would have made it gooey. The abundance of the cream cheese frosting was a remedy for this. It was a light cream cheese frosting with a citrus tinge to it. It was delicious and elevated this cinnamon roll to even greater heights. 

Katie started her LA day with a light meal. The Avocado Toast ($14.50 plus $3 for an egg added) is one of five toast options on the Lodge Bread company menu. They use their country loaf bread as the base and then add a good amount of avocado, lemon, radish, extra virgin olive oil, and some cracked black pepper. Katie got her egg over hard, as she's not a fan of runny yolk. She feels this is the gold standard of avocado toasts she has consumed. Plenty of chunky avocado was seasoned just enough, and she enjoyed the inclusion of the radish, which gave this a little bite. 

Wanting something different, I got the Shakshuka ($15.50). This skillet dish came with stewed tomatoes, two eggs, herbs, salt, pepper, and bread for dipping. It came to the table scaldingly hot, so it took tremendous willpower for me to wait for it to cool down before digging in. Once cooled a bit, it was delicious. Online reviewers have commented that they felt this version was too sweet, but I found it mildly spicy, and I could detect the paprika rather clearly. The eggs were a great binding agent with the tomatoes. This came with plenty of their delicious bread, which almost had me buy a loaf immediately. The bread was an excellent tool for sopping up the rest of the shakshuka. 

Lodge Bread Company was all that it was cracked up to be. I'm thankful for that picture of the giant cinnamon roll I spied in the magazine that got us here. Our breakfast items were top-notch, and we wondered how great their sandwiches would be. I have my eye on the BLT and Pastrami Melt the next time we are here around lunchtime. We experienced good service this late morning and a very welcoming atmosphere. Lodge Bread Company was an excellent start to what we'd hoped would be a great day in Los Angeles. 

Out of five ranchos (because this restaurant sits on Pico Boulevard, which is named Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California before the US took over, and he had over half a million acres of ranchos in the mid-to-late 18th century), five being best and zero being worst, Lodge Bread Company gets 3.5 ranchos. 

For more information about Lodge Bread Company, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.lodgebread.com/

A Perfectly Pacifying Breakfast at Chuponcito

 Chuponcito Mexican Cocina

23411 Aliso Viejo Parkway

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

As much as I try to eat something other than fast food during my lunch hour, there are few options for me to get to and from work and eat at a sit-down restaurant, all in a 60-minute time frame. I have been at my place of business for 24 years, and predictably, I have gotten tired of all the sit-down restaurants near my work. So, when I checked Yelp and saw a new place had opened nearby, I made a beeline for it. That brought me and my coworker, Oz, to Chuponcito in Aliso Viejo. 

Chuponcito opened for business in April of last year and has received glowing reviews from Yelp users. With over 400 reviews posted, it has a perfect five-star rating. They are open daily, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but they close early on Mondays and Tuesdays at 2 p.m. Otherwise, they are open until 8 p.m. I visited twice for breakfast, which they serve until 11 a.m. on weekdays and an hour later on weekends. 

Located at the corner of Aliso Creek and Viejo Parkway, Chuponcito is in the same small shopping plaza as Starbucks, Subway, and the Mobil gas station. This area is off by itself, but the isolation of this strip mall has not deterred people from seeking it out. That might be due to owner Alix Wiesen-Todd's gracious and welcoming attitude, which greets everyone who walks through the door. She's worked in the hospitality business for years, most notably at the high-volume Nick's and North Italia. When COVID-19 ravaged the restaurant industry, she and her family prepared home-cooked meals for people in need in her community. Once again, proving that restaurant people are some of the best people you will ever meet. 

At Chuponcito, you order at the counter, and the food is brought to you. The dining space has a nice and relaxing feel. If the entire ten-seat communal table smack dab in the middle of the restaurant is filled, there will be room for close to 30 guests. There are also a couple of tables out in front. 

The Chuponcito menu is short and compact. The breakfast includes nine entree options, coffee, beverages, and pastry offerings. The pastries are made in-house. I have yet to have lunch or dinner here, but I plan to soon. The lunch/dinner menu features four starters, nine entrees, and three salads. Prices for breakfast hover around the $15 mark, while dinner entrees are a few dollars more. Oz and I made our selections rather quickly since we had to reluctantly go back to work to finish out our shifts. Here's what we had. 

When eating the day's first meal, I try to always pair savory with sweet. That meant I had to try one of their pastries, and the one available this morning was the Coffee Cake ($4). The top of this reminded me of the old Hostess Coffee Cakes I had as a kid, with those cinnamon pellets perched on top. This did the trick, but I would have liked more of the icing on top of this and the fruit (maybe blueberry?) to be more involved here. Pretty impressive that they make their own pastries at Chuponcito. 

I'm a big fan of Chilaquiles ($15), but Oz selected this before I could call dibs. At Chuponcito, you do not have a choice of red or green sauce, but Oz seemed okay with that. The fried tortilla chips came with two fried eggs, sour cream, diced onions, avocado slices, and a sprinkling of cotija cheese. Oz's mom is a former restaurant owner, and he's always partial to her cooking, but he found these to be pretty solid. He liked the slight tinge of spice from the red sauce, and the chips stayed crisp throughout his meal. No complaints from Oz about his breakfast. 

With Oz picking my beloved chilaquiles, I was relegated to my second choice, the Carnitas Benedict ($17). This visually stunning plate included a mound of carnitas perched on top of the split English muffin with verdolagas and an eye-catching cilantro hollandaise sauce. I had no idea what verdolagas was, so I looked it up. It's a green vegetable used in other areas, notably Latin America, which I thought resembled spinach. The poached egg was cooked perfectly, and when pricked with my fork, it released the glorious yolk, which helped bind everything together. The English muffin was a little hard to cut through, which made it difficult to eat. It was hard to get a bite with all the elements, but this is true of most benedicts. The hashbrowns were good, with a nice crunchy top layer, but maybe some added seasoning would have helped the potato underneath. 

My second visit to Chuponcito was with my friend George. He's a very plain eater, as he got the same Chilaquiles ($15) that Oz got, but without onions, and after I was done taking my pictures, he plucked his avocado and sour cream off his plate and gave it to me. I guess there are some fringe benefits to eating with picky eaters. These chilaquiles appeared less saucy than the one Oz had, but George did not seem to mind. He liked this plate and polished it off rather quickly. 

I have steered clear of chorizo omelets since I had a bad one at Broken Yolk many years ago. I should have known it would be bad at that mediocre breakfast restaurant, but I decided it was time to get back on the horse, and I had a feeling Chuponcito would make a better one than Broken Yolk. I was right about that.  This Omlete ($15) has three eggs and chorizo, Oaxaca and jack cheeses, and chayote inside. I should have taken a picture of the inside, but I immensely enjoyed it. The egg was light and fluffy, and the inside was not overly filled, so you could taste it. The chorizo used here was better quality than at the Broken Yolk. This was made even better with the avocado and sour cream George gifted me. Thanks, big guy. 

Again, pairing sweet with savory for breakfast is a good idea. Chuponcito was out of all the pastries I wanted on this visit, so we improvised by getting these Churros ($9) off their dessert menu. The churros were nicely fried and not greasy at all. They were evenly dusted with cinnamon and sugar and tasted fine on their own. The sugar-water sauce that came out with these was fine, but we used it sparingly. Chocolate sauce would have been a better alternative.  

Chuponcito was like a breath of fresh air during our lunchtime. It broke the monotony of going to the same four or five restaurants week after week. It will definitely be in my rotation of restaurants to visit. I'm incredibly excited to try their lunch menu on my return trips. All the food was fresh and light, which I look for when I have to return to work to finish my day. Both times I have been here, Alix has taken my order and been very welcoming. The food arrived promptly, and we returned to work on time. Not that I ever care about that. The longer the lunch, the better. Sorry, boss. 

Out of five pacifiers (because the name of this restaurant translates to a pacifier), five being best to zero being worst, Chuponcito gets 3.5 pacifiers. 

For more information about Chuponcito, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.eatchuponcito.com/

Mixing It up With a $30 Lunch at South Coast Plaza

 Terrace by Mix Mix

3333 Bear Street #316

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

I can not remember the last time I had been to a mall. Shopping is not really my thing. When I need something, I ask Katie for it, and she goes on Amazon, and I usually have it the very next day. If online shopping was an Olympic sport, Katie would easily win the gold medal. It's her superpower, and all the packages on our porch daily are the proof. I only visit a mall when I eat at a restaurant. That was the case on a rare weekday off that Katie and I had together. I decided to check off a spot that has languished on my restaurant wishlist for way too long, Terrace by Mix Mix.  

Terrace by Mix Mix is brought to us by Ross Pangilinan, a chef who always holds a special place in my memory, even though he does not remember me or even know who I am. When I started this blog, I never imagined being invited to any restaurant events, and back in 2010, I was asked to my first restaurant tasting at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge at the Performing Arts Center. In this restaurant, he was Executive Chef. He was the first big-time chef I had ever met, and I can admit it now, I was a little awe-struck. 

In those 14 years since that media tasting, I'm still awkward, but he's gone on to some pretty big things. He has a mini restaurant empire with four restaurants in operation; Bar Becky in Long Beach, Verdant at the Orange County Museum of Art, Populaire, and Terrace at Mix Mix Mix, both of which reside at South Coast Plaza. Chef Ross closed his award-laden Mix Mix in Santa Ana almost two years ago, but luckily, the food is served at Terrace by Mix Mix. 

Terrace is situated at the end of the pedestrian bridge on what was formerly known as the Crystal Court side of South Coast Plaza. This restaurant focuses on small plates that are moderately priced and draw from classic French and Italian techniques, with a nod to Chef Ross's Filipino roots. The compact, one-page menu is served all day and is divided into snacks, salads and small plates, pizzas and pasta dishes, mains, and desserts. We were here for their $30 Express Lunch (available weekdays from 11am to 3pm), where you get a first course, main course, and dessert. A good deal, especially in this high-rent district. Let's closely examine what's happening here at Terrace by Mix Mix. 

The first course was predictably up first, and we coordinated to pick different items to get a better overview of the Terrace menu. I selected my favorite Filipino item of all time, the Shrimp Lumpia. These four lumpia were fried lightly, lacked greasiness, and featured plenty of shrimp. The amazing jalapeno lime aioli elevated this lumpia to even greater heights. I only wish there was more of it on the plate. 

Katie picked the Albacore Tostada for her first course. This riff on a ceviche included thinly sliced albacore, Sriracha aioli, cilantro, a dollop of avocado, and Japanese dressing atop the tostada. Even though it was sliced thinly, the tuna was the star of this plate. It was seasoned well and was complimented by the rest of the ingredients used here. I thought this might be difficult to eat, but the tostada was sturdy and kept its structure until the last bite. 

It's not part of our Express lunch, but we have been on a sprout spree lately. The Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($12) was a nice change from the usual balsamic glaze we've encountered in many restaurants lately. At Terrace, they use a combination of peanuts, citrus, and Gochujang, a Korean red chili paste that is savory and sweet. Again, this was not applied too much, so you could still taste the crispy sprouts. I also enjoyed the peanuts, which added a very nice textural element.   

When this Filipino Brunch was placed in front of Katie, it immediately brought to mind a similar dish I had long ago at the beloved Break of Dawn in Laguna Hills. Like that brunch from long ago, this included longanisa sausage, garlic rice, and fried egg, but it also came with one of the best pork cheek adobos we have ever had and some chicharron placed on top. Everything on the plate was well prepared, and I had to have some great restraint to not immediately order the pork adobo small plate off the regular menu. I'll definitely do that next time, though, maybe even two.  

The 6 Ounce New York Strip Steak was a $5 upcharge, which still seemed like a good deal because how often do you get steak for lunch? The steak was served simply with some chimichurri and peppercorn sauce, which could have been applied with a heavier hand. It was cooked nicely to my desired medium, rare temperature request. The sides that came with this were roasted potatoes and butternut squash with an agrodolce sauce. The potatoes could have been roasted more, but the butternut squash with the sweet and sour balanced sauce was delightful. Not an overly heavy plate, but one that kept me satisfied until dinner. 

Dessert would be our last hurrah at Terrace, and the options this afternoon were sorbet or ice cream, so we went with one of each. I'm a lousy food writer because I forgot to write down in my notes what these flavors were. One of the sorbet flavors was mango. I noted that I liked the ice cream more than the sorbet, but that's not unusual for me. I'll always gravitate towards ice cream because no one makes a hot fudge sundae with sorbet. The sorbet was light and had an excellent icy texture to it. The ice cream was less sweet than I usually like, but it appeared to be made here using natural ingredients. 

I really enjoyed our experience at Terrace by Mix Mix. The express lunch is a great way to try various menu options without feeling like your wallet is being drained. $30 is a steal for a meal of this quality and presentation. The food here exudes a lightness you don't find in many other places. We felt full after leaving but not sluggish, which is good because Katie ditched online shopping for the day and visited the fine stores of South Coast Plaza for a change. What a throwback. 

Out of five lima beans (because where South Coast Plaza stands now used to be lima bean fields until the mid-60s.), five being best to zero being worst, Terrace by Mix Mix gets 3 lima beans. 

For more information about Terrace by Mix Mix, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.terracebymixmix.com/

Living Large at Fat Fish Sushi?

 Fat Fish Sushi

20761 Lake Forest Dr. 

Lake Forest, CA 92630

I have a complicated relationship with sushi. I like it, but I don't really seek it out. I've had some really expensive sushi, and while I appreciate it, I don't like it enough to justify paying a lot for it. An all-you-can-eat sushi option is a better option for me. I know some AYCE sushi places can be a little dicey, with inferior seafood, but I have not had any issues with subpar fish. My favorite AYCE sushi place is Sushi Damu in Tustin, but maybe Fat Fish Sushi would replace it. Read on to see. 

My aunt Hiroko picked this place for her birthday dinner. Like me, she picks restaurants with high Yelp ratings. I think most people head to Yelp to post negative reviews, so if a place has a good rating, it must be above average. Fat Fish Sushi has a 4.1-star rating, with close to 400 reviews posted. This is a small sample size, but it is enough for my Japanese aunt to think this spot might be a good choice for her to celebrate her birthday. 

One of the reasons Fat Fish might have only 300+ reviews is that this restaurant seems somewhat isolated. It's not close to any major freeways; it's in a small strip mall where the big draw seems to be a tire store to its left and a liquor store to its right, and this is an area that I feel is not going to draw a lot of people to. 

Fat Fish has been around since 2017 and is small, with room for 20 people at a time. Reservations for larger parties are a must. The AYCE menu is not the biggest we've seen, but there's enough diversity on it to satisfy most people. As with all AYCE sushi places, there are some rules you must abide by. There's a two-hour limit; everyone in your party must get the AYCE option; no to-go items are available, and items not eaten will be charged at the price listed on the menu. These are all standard rules we've seen in other places. Now that you know the ground rules, let's check out the food.

I will not bore you all by explaining everything we ate this evening. The $37 price for the AYCE option was fair, and I felt I got my money's worth when I walked out the door. I'm not a sushi expert, but the fish here was fresh and presented well. I liked the variety of their menu, and even my uncle, who is not really into sushi, had enough to choose from. The service was okay. We did not order some things that came out for us, but we ate them anyway. I also wish they had left a menu on the table so we knew what each item was on the order sheet for the AYCE. 

Ultimately, Fat Fish will not replace Sushi Damu, my current king of AYCE sushi restaurants in OC. Still, it was slightly above average and worth visiting if you live in the area or want sushi nearby. 

Out of five ocean sunfish (the actual fattest fish in the world, the heaviest of which was 5,100 pounds, which I imagine could be used in quite a lot of sushi rolls), five being best to zero being worst, Fat Fish Sushi gets 3 ocean sunfish. 

Fat Fish Sushi does not have a website that I could find online, so find out more about them by checking out their Yelp page by clicking here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fat-fish-sushi-lake-forest-2 

Clocking in at the Craft Burger Company

 Craft Burger Co. 

1450 North Kramer Blvd. 

Placentia, CA 92870

I miss the days when burgers were king. When I started this blog fifteen years ago, burgers were all the rage, and new burger spots were opening everywhere. Around ten years ago, the restaurant landscape shifted from burgers to chicken sandwiches. My top three burger spots in OC from back then have all closed; Burger Parlor, G Burger, and Fuddrucker's. I'll post my top three as of today at the end of this review. Will Craft Burger Company be on that list? Read on to find out. 

Craft Burger opened its doors in December 2022 in the location that used to be home to Meat Up BBQ and Sue Ann's Kitchen before that. I have reviewed and liked both of them on this blog, which you can find by scrolling down and clicking on them if you feel nostalgic. They have not really changed too much in the way of decor since Meat Up left, but it did appear to me that they lightened things up a bit, but that might be because we sat near the window instead of sitting in the side room to the left of the drink station. 

We arrived here with my parents at 4 for an early Sunday dinner. They came before us and were directed to a table. I was surprised that this was not an order at the counter but a full-service restaurant. The menu is divided into salads, loaded tots and fries, sides, and, of course, burgers. The burgers range between $13 to $18, while the loaded fries and tots are about the same price. They have happy hour every day of the week from 3 to 6pm and all day on Monday and Tuesday. Happy hour is $2 off selected apps and $2 off beer, wine, and champagne. The four of us had looked at the menu before we arrived, so we quickly made our selections with our friendly server. 

The Onion Rings ($5.50 Happy Hour Price) got mixed reviews online, but we found them quite enjoyable. The batter on these rings was light yet crispy and did not pull away from the onion underneath, which is a big thing for me. These came with a trio of sauces; ranch, teriyaki, and sriracha aioli. I liked the ranch and sriracha aioli the best and used both in alternating bites. The teriyaki was OK, but it was too sweet for me. The picture on the menu shows these served with the sauce on top of them, and I was relieved that these came without the sauce so we could add just the right amount for our individual tastes. 

Even though we had ordered two starters, Katie pushed us to order these Chicken Potstickers ($7 for happy hour). These six potstickers came with the same sriracha aioli and teriyaki that came out with the onion rings. These were OK, but they did not rock my world. They were fried nicely, but the chicken inside was underwhelming. I'm not the biggest fan of potstickers and can never really remember being excited by any I've ever eaten. 

Now you can see why we did not need the potstickers. The Craft Burger Loaded Tots and Fries ($13) were more than enough for the four of us. We got fries and tots, an excellent option for the indecisive like us. They were topped with green onions, bacon, grilled onions, house burger spread, crispy onions, and jack cheese, a better version of the awful animal fries people rave about from In-N-Out. Unlike those fries, these were really good and crispy, even with all the toppings piled on top of them; it was the same for the tots. I enjoyed the different textures and the amount of toppings they included on this rather large tray. It was way too much for us with the other two starters we got, but I made a valiant effort to finish the tray. 

My parents decided to split the Regular Cheeseburger ($12), and the good people at Craft Burger Co. were kind enough to split it in half for them and bring it out like a burger kabob. The regular cheeseburger comes typically with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, burger sauce, and onions, all on a brioche bun. My parents opted for no lettuce but kept the rest of the burger intact. They seemed to really like this burger. The cheese was melted nicely to the burger patty, which was juicy and went well with the pickles and tomato. I would have asked for extra burger sauce if this was my burger, but my parents felt it was perfect for them. 

Even though this restaurant is called Craft Burger Co., Katie veered towards this Southwest Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($13.50). At first glance, it reminded me of the bacon Swiss chicken sandwich from Carl's Jr., but with better ingredients. Between the glossy brioche bun is a substantial crispy chicken patty, swiss cheese, ranch dressing, pickles, lettuce, and two strips of bacon criss-crossed. Katie enjoyed this chicken sandwich until the bun fell apart halfway through. She feels they might have added too much ranch dressing, which was unnecessary because the chicken, swiss cheese, and bacon were all delicious.  

I had a tough time picking which burger I was going to have. Craft Burger Co. has an interesting-sounding PB and J burger, a garlic burger, and another one that includes mac and cheese. Ultimately, I went more basic with the Cali Burger ($16). This is listed on their menu as the house special, which helped me decide to pick this burger. Lending to its enormous size was a plethora of toppings. Two strips of bacon, American cheese, avocado, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and plenty of burger spread were piled on here. I loved that the fried egg featured a runny yolk, but with the abundance of the burger spread and avocado, this burger was really messy to eat. The bun slid all over the place, and by the end, I ate it with a fork. The burger patty was good, and the rest of the toppings and condiments were top-notch. 

I really liked Craft Burger Co. The burgers were good, the sides were excellent, and most of all, this restaurant brought me back to a time when burgers were way more popular than they are now, and these restaurants were opening everywhere. I look forward to returning to try another one of their burgers soon. Unfortunately, they fall short of making my top three burgers in OC right now, but not by much. Hammer Burger gets my number one spot, The Cut takes second, and Pour Company in Fullerton gets the bronze medal in my Burger Olympics. I'm hoping that burgers will make a return to prominence soon. 

Out of five ketchup slides (because the town of Seymour, Wisconsin, is home to the Hamburger Hall of Fame, which has a festival annually, and one of the main attractions is a ketchup slip and slide), five being best to zero being worst, Craft Burger Co. gets 3 ketchup slides. 

For more information about Craft Burger Co., head to their website by clicking here: https://craftburgercompany.com/