No Place Like the Gnome?

Restaurant Gastrognome

54381 Ridgeview Dr

Idyllwild, CA 92549

Katie's Mom, Lynn recently went up to Idyllwild and found the relaxing pace very comforting.  She loved it so much that she rented a cabin for the whole family. So the ten of us city folk left our wifi, jobs, and warm weather behind and headed up to the mountains to experience this peacefulness for ourselves.

We were going to be making dinner on Saturday night, so that left Friday night for a chance to experience one of Idyllwild's dining options. We chose Restaurant Gastrognome, or as the locals call it, "the Gnome". The Gnome has been around for over thirty years, and in that time has developed quite a following. They also boast the largest dining room in Idyllwild, and the centerpiece of that dining room is the roaring fireplace that was a nice contrast to the forty-degree weather outside. Let's see if the Gnome's food can heat us up.

To start things off a few of us got soup and salads. Jason had the French Onion Soup above. He felt that the bread was too thick, but the soup portion really hit the spot. I ordered the Caesar Salad. This was one of the most unusual Caesars I have had. It had a very distinctive citrus taste to it. Almost too much. I did enjoy that this salad came out nice and cold though. They probably have no problem keeping things cold up here.

Dennis had no complaints about this dish. He got the Chicken Parmesan. He liked the tenderness of the chicken and thought that the marinara sauce was really good. I did not get a chance to try this, so I will take his word for it.

Emily and Jason split the Shrimp Scampi above, and could not have more differing opinions about this plate. Emily felt that this was, "as dry as the Sahara desert", while Jason loved the pasta and shrimp here. Emily does admit that her taste in food is not so great, so we will defer to Jason's opinion on this one.

Kevin went old-school for his meal, Beef Stroganoff. Again he did not say much about this, other than it was good. I have never really been a fan of Stroganoff, so I abstained from trying this.

Sara, the light eater among us, only ordered a Baked Potato. This one came with sour cream, chives, bacon, and cheese. She called this, "a damn good potato". She also added that this has inspired her to want to cook more baked potatoes at home, to which Kevin replied, "You might need a map to find the oven at home". Good one Kevin!

As further proof that great minds think alike, both Jimmy and I got the Sausage Pasta. Hot Italian sausage with rosemary, a tomato cream sauce and served over penne. Jimmy loved this, finding it warm and comforting. I would agree with him, but I liked this plate a lot more after I added some red pepper flakes to it. Not a bad plate of pasta though.

Katie also went the pasta route, when she chose the Asparagus Portabella Mushroom Pasta. This was sauteed with garlic and sundried tomatoes served over penne with a cream sauce. Katie felt that this was delicious. She loved the sauce and the warm temperature this was served at. I tried this dish, but it was a little too mellow for my taste buds.

Last but not least, was Lynn, who ordered the Chicken Scaloppini with Asparagus. The chicken breast here was rolled around mozzarella and asparagus and served over a mushroom sauce. She likes this dish a lot. She gave me some of it, and I felt that the chicken was a little tough, but it did have good flavor.

Restaurant Gastrognome was a pretty decent place to start our family weekend in the mountains. The food here is not going to be the best you have ever had, but it will not be the worst thing you have ever eaten either. The atmosphere was nice and relaxed. The service was very attentive, and it was a real nice place to get out of the cold for a while.

Out of five garden gnomes, (because there are gnomes strewn all around the restaurant), five being best to zero being worst, Restaurant Gastrognome gets 2.5 solid gnomes.

For more information on Restaurant Gastrognome click here: https://gastrognome.com/

Special Preview of 901 Thursdays at Sol Cocina

Sol Cocina

251 E. Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Sol Cocina has been on our list of places to try for awhile, so when we were given the opportunity to attend a tequila tasting event and sample some antojitos served up by executive chef Deborah Schneider, we could simply not say no.

Sol Cocina is partnering with  901 Tequila to launch the appropriately named 901 Thursdays at Sol Cocina. 901 Tequila, in case you are not aware, is the tequila that Justin Timberlake launched in 2009. Until now it has been made available in very few restaurants, so Sol Cocina has invited 901 Tequila to be the cornerstone of their new Thursday late night fun spot. Let's see what this night had to offer us.

First off some drinks. They were offering us four creations made with 901 Silver Tequila. The first was my favorite, 901 Rocks with a lime. I am not much of a straight tequila drinker, but this stuff was pretty smooth. A great sipping tequila. Katie ordered the 901 Paloma, the second drink in the pictures. This beverage paired the tequila with grapefruit juice and grapefruit soda, then sprinkled with salt. She found this drink to be very refreshing. The last drink was also mine, and one of the more creative of the evening, the 901 Pepino. Agave nectar, lime juice, pineapple juice, basil leaves, and cucumber combined to make this cocktail. This drink was the favorite of Katie's, and I liked the unusual flavor of the drink.

Now on to the antojitos made by Chef Deborah Schneider. Chef Deborah is the author of four cookbooks, and has a very impressive resume. She was nominated for a James Beard award for one of her cookbooks, was executive chef at the Turf Club at Del Mar Racetrack, and opened Sol Cocina with her partners over eighteen months ago. In that time, Sol Cocina has generated great buzz from bloggers and print media. Not only does she have all of these accomplishments under her belt, but she was also very personable and a pleasure to meet this night. Let's see what she whipped up for us to eat.

One of the two appetizers served to us, this is the Corn Soup topped with crab. Very buttery taste, and smooth. I liked this the best. I could have eaten the whole bowl myself, but I decided to share with Katie.

Above is a Squash Blossom. Squash lightly breaded and fried, served with a mole sauce and sprinkled with cheese. This was like nothing I have had before. Very good, and she could not churn these out quick enough.

Sol Cocina and 901 Silver Tequila seem like a great pairing. The night introduced us to a great tasting tequila, and has whetted our appetites for more food from Sol Cocina. A special thanks goes out to Mona at Moxxe. Thank you very much for the invite.

For more information on Sol Cocina, click here: http://www.solcocina.com/

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/