Is Carnitas Los Reyes the King?

Carnitas Los Reyes

273 S. Tustin

Orange, CA 92866

A rare Friday off for both Katie and I. So, where to eat? We were going to be leaving for the mountains about lunchtime, so this was an opportunity to try somewhere along the way. Somewhere that would prepare us for the long weekend ahead with her family. Of course, I am kidding, kind of.

After checking the food reviews in the OC Weekly, Carnitas Los Reyes looked promising. Even more promising was the fact that there was a line out the door when we arrived after 1 pm. Carnitas Los Reyes is a no-frills taqueria. It is very rare to get a seat in this tiny restaurant. We had to get our food to go, and we were more than happy to eat in the Carl's Jr. parking lot down the road.

Before we get to the pictures of the food, here is a shot of the kitchen area, where about ten guys churn out tacos with the speed of Usain Bolt. These guys were busy chopping, saucing, and wrapping tacos to keep the line moving quickly. It was almost a lost cause though, because the line was just as long when we left, as when we got there. Tacos in hand, we headed down the road to eat alfresco, by the shade of the Carl's Jr. sign.

Behold the aura of the tacos! The first thing we noticed about these were the tortillas. Very well made and fresh. They stood up to the insides of the taco well. We ordered two each of these tacos, plus a hard-shelled taco. The best of the bunch was the chicharron taco. Great taste and the texture of this was awesome. Normally I am not a big fan of chicken tacos, but these had very tender pieces of chicken in them. The carnitas was flavorful, and the edges had a crispness to it that I liked. Oh, and did I mention that all of these tacos were $1.25. Making this one of the best bargains in the OC.

Here is a quick shot of Katie's hard-shelled taco, with a side of beans. The beans were good, but Katie said that she prefers the soft tacos to this fried version. Also of note is the salsa here. It definitely had a little kick to it and really enhanced the flavor of the tacos. Good stuff.

Carnitas Los Reyes was everything it was cracked up to be. Leave your prissy friends at home when eating here. This restaurant is not going to impress people with their atmosphere, but they will do so with their tacos. I look forward to going back and trying more things off of their menu, but I am going to try to avoid busy times. If there ever is slow times here.

Out of five kings, (because Reyes means Kings in Spanish), five being best to zero being worst, Carnitas Los Reyes gets 3.5 Kings.

Carnitas Los Reyes does not have a web site, but you can find information about them here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-los-reyes-orange-2

Taste of the Islands at Roy's? - CLOSED

Roy's

453 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Newport Beach Restaurant Week. One of my favorite times of the year. It is a week when regular guys like myself get to try a restaurant that normally would not fit in our budgets. Unfortunately, this year we only have time to try one restaurant, because we have prior commitments. Damn life getting in the way of food blogging!

Anyways, after a failed attempt to try another restaurant week spot, (their computers were down, so they were closing early), we arrived at Roy's at Fashion Island about eight, on a Thursday night. We were seated immediately.

Roy's was founded by James Beard award winner, Roy Yamaguchi. He opened his first Roy's in 1988, in Honolulu. Since that time he has opened thirty more restaurants, including ones in Japan and Guam. Yamaguchi strives to combine European techniques with Asian cuisine and Hawaiian hospitality. Let's see if he achieves this with our Prix fixed menu.

Once seated at Roy's, you are presented with a basket of Edamame. I am not usually a fan of the pods, but these were spiced so well that I could not stop eating them. Spicy and salty was the way to describe these. A nice alternative to the standard bread basket served at most restaurants.

Before we get to the prix fixe menu, we ordered an extra appetizer, the Lobster Mac and Cheese. This $13.95 appetizer featured two good-sized pieces of lobster, had a nice mellow flavor but was not as rich as I had expected. I think that could be because of the lack of cheese on this. It was more of a lobster pasta dish, rather than a mac and cheese. Still, the pasta was cooked well, and this came out really hot.

Katie started her meal off with Crunchy Golden Lobster Potstickers. These were served with a spicy togarashi miso butter sauce. The lobster in these was very tender, and even with the big flavors in this, the lobster was still the star of the show. It was excellent and bursting with flavor.

Not that I was tired of lobster, but I had to get something different from Katie, so I went with the 5 Spiced Braised Duck Leg. This was accompanied by shiitake and shishito peppers with duck jus. On its own, the duck was tender but lacked the wow factor. The peppers and jus kicked the meat into gear and rounded this plate out nicely.

Above is the Olive Oil Seared Mahi Mahi. This was joined on the plate by cauliflower couscous, Kalamata olives, and a Meyer lemon sauce. Katie felt that all of these items balanced out this plate wonderfully. She was also happy with the way this fish was cooked.

I went with the Grilled Wagyu Meatloaf for dinner. This was served with a braised mushroom sauce, potatoes and broccoli. The first bites of this were good, but then the salt in this took over. Combining bites with potato helped,  but there was not enough potato for this huge helping of meatloaf. The broccoli was very long-stemmed, and a little overcooked. I do not think I would get this again.

Now on to dessert where Katie got the Bread Pudding. I thought this was a little bland, but I am not too much of a fan of bread pudding. Katie, who does like bread pudding, called this one of the best she has had. She felt that the berries were fresh, and this was a "true comfort dessert".

I was in the mood for chocolate, and lucky for me there was a Chocolate Souffle as an option for dessert. This souffle definitely cured my chocolate cravings big time. The inside of this souffle featured rich chocolate, and the ice cream cut the chocolate nicely. One of the best souffle's I have had recently. Really well done.

Roy's is an upscale restaurant that does not seem too stuffy. It has a great comfortable feel to it. The wait staff adds to this, as they were right on top of everything, and kept our drinks full. The food did take a long time to make it to the table. Long delays from one course to the other, but we were not in too big of a rush. We will definitely be back, but next time I will try a more Hawaiian meal, instead of the meatloaf.

Out of five humuhumunukunukuapua'a's, (the state fish of Hawaii), five being best, to zero being worst, Roy's gets 3.5 humuhumunukunukuapua'a's. 

For more information on Roy's, click here: https://www.roysrestaurant.com/

La Siesta a Real Yawner? - CLOSED

La Siesta

920 North El Camino Real

San Clemente, CA 92672

My friends Dawn and Mike apparently love Mexican food. This is the second Mexican restaurant that they have recommended. The first, Flamingo's in Laguna Hills, could have been better. This time, they wanted us to try La Siesta in San Clemente. I found the name of this restaurant appropriate because eating dinner with Dawn usually puts people to sleep. Of course, I am just kidding, Dawn. Well, maybe.

La Siesta has been a fixture and local favorite in San Clemente since 1985. Opened by the Hernandez family, the restaurant has a beach/family vibe. It is a very comfortable restaurant, but the music was blaring out of the speakers. This Friday night, every table was filled, and people were waiting. Thanks to Dawn and Mike getting here early, we got seated right away, and this is the food we got.

We will start with chips and salsa. La Siesta has won numerous local awards for its salsa. I liked the salsa here. I would have liked it a little more if it was not so watery, but the flavor was good and had a mild spice. The chips were decent.

For an appetizer, we went with the Fiesta Platter. This platter included chips and cheese, flautas, tacos, and a quesadilla. The food on this platter came out lukewarm, and nothing blew me away on this plate, either. The quesadilla was average, and the chips and cheese were good, but the cheese was easily separated from the chip as soon as you picked one up. The chicken in the flauta was cooked well, and I liked the $9.95 price for this platter.

With every meal at La Siesta, you get a salad or soup. The salad was your basic green garden salad variety. The soup was decent. It had a nice, relaxed flavor to it. I will choose the soup the next time I come here.

The colorful plate above belonged to Katie. She opted for the #5 Combo, a Beer-Battered Fish Taco, and a Grilled Shrimp Taco. Katie felt the fish was tender and flaky, and the shrimp was flavorful. Just like when I ate dinner with Dawn last time, I did not get a bite of this from Katie, so I will have to take her word on how this was.

A miracle of miracles, Dawn let me try her large chicken Colorado Wet Burrito. The burrito featured tender pieces of chicken and a perfect tortilla. I really enjoyed the tortillas here. They seemed really fresh and tasted even better. The sauce also helped make this burrito a winner.

Mike went with his old standby, a Wet Chili Verde Burrito. Like Dawn's, this burrito was above average, and it started with the tortilla. The green sauce was equally as satisfying as the red sauce. The meat in this burrito got pushed to the side as a supporting character. The beans and rice here were up to par.

La Siesta touts their Carnitas as a house specialty, so that is what I ordered. I will have to admit that this carnitas was right on the spot. They are tender and a little crispy on the edges, just as I like them. They had good flavor, and they complimented the rice and beans well. The only drawback to this plate was that the serving size needed to be bigger because these disappeared quick. I could have eaten another plate easily.

This was a much better dinner out with Mike and Dawn. La Siesta provided a good atmosphere and Mexican food for a nice dinner with a great couple. See, I can say something nice about you, Dawn. The prices were reasonable, and the portions were right up there with them. The service was average, but they were crazy busy the night we were there.

Out of five narcoleptics (because they take lots of siestas), five being best to zero being worst, La Siesta gets 3 solid narcoleptics.

For more information on La Siesta, click here: http://www.lasiestasanclemente.com/

Breakfast Burrito Bliss at Nate's Korner?

Nate's Korner

3960 South Main Street Unit C

Santa Ana, CA 92707

Two months ago Katie and I stopped in at Lucky Boy in Pasadena to try their breakfast burrito. The burrito was fantastic and fueled my quest to find the best breakfast burrito in the OC. That quest has brought us to Nate's Korner in Santa Ana on a recent Sunday morning.

Nate's Korner is in a largely industrial area, just north of John Wayne airport. Their menu says that they have been in the same location since 1975, but the place has a new feel to it. This Sunday it is not too busy. While we are eating, there is a steady stream of customers getting to-go orders though. The guy behind the counter says that their busiest times are weekdays for lunch when they have six people behind the counter preparing breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and salads. Speaking of the food, let's check it out.

Let's start off with what we are here for, the 3 Meat Breakfast Burrito. This burrito was huge, as you can see from the first picture. If I had to estimate the weight of this burrito, I would say it was approaching the two-pound mark. There was meat in every bite of this burrito. The ham and sausage were the best of the meats. The potatoes and egg were good in this, but the burrito lacked cheese. I was also asked if I wanted salsa in this, and after replying yes, they must have forgotten it. It would have probably pushed this breakfast burrito into the upper echelon of breakfast burritos. Next time I will have to try one of their one meat burritos because they do include cheese in those.

Katie was not in the mood for a burrito, so she had the Ham and Cheese Egg Sandwich on a bagel. She also added hash browns to this. She reported that the bagel was lightly grilled and very soft.  Katie was very pleased with this sandwich. She noted that the ham was thinly sliced, and the sandwich was cooked to order. I had a bite of this as well and would have to agree with her favorable comments about this sandwich.

Not only did we have breakfast at Nate's Korner, but we got sandwiches to go for an early dinner. Above is the British Hoagie. The British include roast beef, turkey and ham. Katie felt that this sandwich was good and flavorful, and it held up well, even after waiting a few hours to eat it. Katie could not finish this sandwich so I got a few bites of this as well. The meats were sliced thin, and the veggies were fresh. A very good sandwich.

I can very rarely pass up a Reuben Sandwich, so that is what I ended up with. This Reuben was a little heavy on the sauerkraut, but the meat seemed to be of high quality. The bread was good, but I would have liked to have had some thousand island dressing on this, rather than the mustard. I would get this sandwich again though.

We came to Nate's Korner for the breakfast burrito and it was good. I would not say it was worth a twenty-minute drive, but if I was in the area I would stop by here and pick one up. The sandwiches were good, but like the breakfast burrito, they may not be worth a trip out of our way. If I did work in the area I would make Nate's Korner one of my frequent lunch spots. The prices were good, and the portions were pretty good sized.

Out of five Boeing 757's, (because we were so close to John Wayne airport, and those are the largest passenger planes that service the airport), five being best to zero being worst, Nate's Korner receives 3 Boeing 757's.

For more information about Nate's Korner, head to their website here: http://www.nateskorner.com/home

Up a Creek at Salt Creek?

Salt Creek Grille

32802 Pacific Coast Highway

Dana Point, CA 92629

We were headed down PCH to a different restaurant when we, along with the rest of the unsuspecting motorists were forced to stop, and turn around. Police had blocked off the highway because a crazy lady decided to hold a standoff with the police. So now on to plan B.

Plan B just happened to be Salt Creek Grille. I had been here two times before for brunch, but never for dinner. We arrived at the restaurant at 8, and it was a thirty to forty minute wait. Yikes! No seats in the bar, so it was out to the front porch for us to wait it out. The wait went by pretty quick because there were a lot of cougars in attendance, and it was fun watching them maneuver around to attract their prey.

Salt Creek opened in 1996, and since then they have opened four other locations. Two spots in California, (El Segundo and Valencia), and two other New Jersey locations. Salt Creek Grille is housed in all wood. Being inside gave me the feeling of being warm and cozy up in the mountains, instead of being mere steps from the beach. The staff was young and good looking, and lended to the hip atmosphere, without being too stuffy. Enough about the place, let's see the food.

Here is a picture of the bread basket we were presented with. The bread was good in areas. Some slices of bread were heavy in garlic and some regions of the loaf were, well just slices of bread. The slices of heavy garlic were of course my favorite.

How could anyone pass up bacon and shrimp? The answer is you can't. We had to get the Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp above. The shrimp was wrapped in crispy bacon, and stuffed with horseradish. The flavors in this hit you in waves. The smokey bacon hit you first, and then to a lesser degree the shrimp was present, and then the last kick was the horseradish. The chipotle honey sauce that was served with this was good in doses. Very sweet, I used the sauce on two of the four shrimp that I ate. Excellent starter.

Now on to the salads. Katie went with the Salt Creek House Salad. This salad featured granny smith apple slices, glazed walnuts, Gorgonzola, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Katie felt that this salad was, "nothing special". They were light on the dressing, but the ingredients were fresh. She also made a point of telling me that she enjoyed that this salad came out cold.

A cold salad would not be the case with my choice, the Caesar Over Mesquite. This warm salad also contained asiago cheese and Caesar dressing. Like Katie's salad this needed more dressing. I also was not too keen on the warm aspect of this. The best part of this salad for me was the cheese.

 
Salt Creek offers all-inclusive pirx fixe dinners, and Katie could not resist. Along with her salad, she got the Spicy Gulf Shrimp Pasta. Shrimp served over pasta, with a goat cheese bechamel sauce, and then plated with roasted vegetables. Katie said that she could not be more pleased with this dish. She mentioned that the shrimp was tender, vegetables were flavorful, and the pasta was good. I had one bite of this, and it did taste pretty good.
 

What we have above is the, "Brandt Beef" Blue Cheese Crusted "Baseball-Cut" Top Sirloin, one of the longest named things I have ever eaten on this blog. I almost cramped up my hand typing the name of this plate. This 10 ounce steak was served with caramelized onions and a classic demi glace. The steak was cooked perfectly, the sauce was great and blue cheese did not over power the meat, it enhanced it. The only problem was the meat itself. The cut that I had was too tough, and that is with it being cooked medium rare. It took great effort to get my steak knife through the steak. The jalapeno au gratin potato side dish that came with this almost made up for the tough meat. The flavor was good and the potatoes were cooked perfectly, and melted in my mouth.
 

The end of Katie's dinner came with a special chef dessert. Tonight's offering was Carrot Cake. I love carrot cake, but this unfortunately was not good cake. It was dry, too floury, and the icing was not very sweet. Not the grand finale we were going for.

Salt Creek Grille had a great vibe, and food that almost lived up to it. I saw on the menu that Zagat calls their pork chops the best in the world, and that is something I will have to try next time.  The value here was decent, and we will be back in the future. Plan B worked out pretty well for us.

Out of five pretzels, (because you can not have pretzels without salt), five being best to zero being worst, Salt Creek Grille gets 3 solid pretzels.

For more information on Salt Creek Grille click here: http://www.saltcreekgrille.com/