Gaining Pearls of Wisdom at La Perlita? - CLOSED

La Perlita

26771 Portola Pkwy., #3-B

Foothill Ranch, CA 92610

Being a food blogger can make you feel really popular. Katie thinks it is because of our great personalities, but I know who we are and that is not it. I think it is because everyone wants you to experience their favorite restaurants. On this night it was my friend Scott and his wife Francisca who wanted to show us one of their favorite spots, La Perlita.

La Perlita is a small strip mall joint. They have about twenty tables, and on this night we were one of about three that were occupied. The decor here is very bright and colorful. The service was good, not great. A lot of up selling was going on, but it was evened out with some jokes that I am sure have been told to many, many tables over the years.

La Perlita is owned by Humberto Huerta. He opened La Perlita in Santa Ana in 1978. That location has since closed, and in 1994 he opened this location in Foothill Ranch. The reviews on-line have been mostly positive for this place, so I came here with some high hopes. Let's check it out.

As usual with Mexican restaurants we will start with a look at their chips and salsa. To be honest these were nothing special to me. The chips were a little dry, and the salsa was more like a taco sauce. There were no hunks of tomato, onion or cilantro inside of it. I have had more flavorful sauce out of the packets at Del Taco. Also one more tip about the chips, if you for some reason go through a whole bowl of them, the next bowl they will charge you for. I am not sure how much they charge, because our party of four did not even come close to finishing them, but be forewarned. I did enjoy the carrots and onions that were served with the sauce though.

As an appetizer we got two orders of Taquitos with Guacamole. I felt these were a little over priced, $9.50 for the two orders. That works out to $2.37 for each taquito, but that of course does not include the guacamole, so maybe they are worth it. They were not. Although they were decent, there was nothing that would make me crave these on my next visit.

Now on to the main dishes. Here we have Francisca's Carne Asada plate. She was pretty unhappy with the steak here. She felt that it was not as tender as it should be. She did feel that the rice and beans were good though.

Next up was Scott's meal, the Pancho Villa Combo. This consisted of a beef taco, a cheese enchilada, and a chili relleno. Scott enjoyed the enchilada because it was drenched in sauce. It looked like to much sauce to me, but different tastes for different people.

Katie went with her standard order at a Mexican place, when she got two Chicken Tacos. She liked the crispness of the tacos and the rice stood out for her. She felt that the rest of the dish however was just average.

The menu at La Perlita says they have the best carnitas in town. Honestly, I think they just might. The meat had a great flavor, and was very tender. I tore through this meal very quickly. The ends of the carnitas were a little crisp just like I like them. Very good plate.

So how does La Perlita rate? If I had to base it on just my plate they would be rated pretty well. Unfortunately we have to take into account the rest of the meals. Sadly, they are just an average Mexican restaurant. The bites of the other meals that I had did not impress. The prices might be a little on the high side for what you get. I hope Scott and his wife still want to hang out with us after reading this.

Out of five $2 hats, (because perlita in Spanish means little pearl, and Minnie Pearl wore a hat that had a $1.98 price tag on it), five being best to zero being worst, La Perlita gets 2.5 $2 hats.

La Perlita does not have a web site, but you can find information about them here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/la-perlita-mexican-food-foothill-ranch

 

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/