Sweet Brunch at Plums?

Plums Cafe 

369 E. 17th Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

I admit it, I am a guy that likes brunch. Brunch to me usually means going to El Torito, the Hyatt Newporter, or some other restaurant, that serves unlimited champagne, has long tables of all you can eat food, and will result in a two hour nap. That is not the case at Plums in Costa Mesa. Here they have no buffet and the champagne sets you back $8 a glass. So this is a new kind of brunch for me, let's see how it turned out.

Plums has been open for over twenty years. Started as a catering business, their food quickly became a local favorite. Owner Kim Jorgenson, a native of the Northwest, settled in Costa Mesa and created a menu inspired by the cuisine of the Northwest. The wait on the Sunday we were here was 45 minutes long at 11. I figured all of these people must be on to something to wait this long, when there are plenty of restaurants nearby.  Let's hope the food is not as gloomy as a Seattle day.

Katie and I were both intrigued by the Banana Brulee Oatmeal, so we split it. The top layer of this was good, with the caramelized bananas. The oatmeal part of this was very plain, as any oatmeal will be. I would have liked this a lot more if the bananas were spread out evenly through the whole bowl, but I should have known what I was getting myself into when ordering this.

Believe it or not, Katie had never had Eggs Benedict before. So this would be her first foray into breakfast staple. She ordered the Santa Fe Eggs Benedict after reading all of the positive reviews on Yelp. This Benedict featured peppered ham, chipotle-cilantro hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs all served on a baguette. Katie said, "This has set the bar very high for all Benedict's that I will try in the future". I am not a big fan of this egg dish, but it was very good. I thought the chipotle hollandaise sauce could have been a little more flavorful, but overall this was a good dish.

I also went with an egg dish for my meal, the Dungeness Crab and Asparagus Omelet. This very fresh tasting omelet was filled with asparagus and crab. The crab was noticeable, but not very over powering. You could tell that it was good quality crab. The eggs seemed very buttery and full of flavor. I did not even miss the absence of cheese in this omelet. The Plums potatoes that were served with both of our plates were just okay, nothing spectacular.

Lastly, I wanted to show you the bread that came with my omelet. This Organic Nine Grain Toast was not too bad. I am usually pretty picky about such healthy sounding bread, but this had a good taste to it, and with jelly, this tasted even better.

Plums Cafe is a great, but simple breakfast spot. The food is definitely fresh and prepared well. I did not feel weighted down by the food I ate here. The prices might be a little on the high side. My omelet was $15, and Katie's Eggs Benedict was $14. This is not the type of place I would come every Sunday, but I do look forward to exploring their menu more. The service was professional and prompt, especially since they were so busy. We were seated on the patio in front of the restaurant, but it was very pleasant out there. Did Plums change my mind about what a great brunch is? Well, it definitely got me to think about it.

Out of five eye glasses, (because Eve Plumb played Jan Brady, who had to be reminded to wear her glasses. Yes, I know they are spelled differently, but I wanted to work a Brady Bunch reference into my blog sometime!), five being best to zero being worst, Plums gets 3 eye glasses.

For more information on Plums Cafe, click here: http://plumscafe.com/index.htm

Cheese-ing It Up at Mi Casa

Mi Casa

296 E. 17th Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Every neighborhood has one. A local Mexican restaurant that has been around for decades. A restaurant where kids have come with parents, and then they have brought their own kids with them to experience the restaurant for themselves. The kind of place that has a fifteen minute wait on a Friday night, but you do not mind waiting because you know you are going to have a great meal. In Costa Mesa, this kind of place is called Mi Casa.

Mi Casa has been around since 1972. The restaurant has pretty much stayed the same today as it was back in the 70's. A lot of the waitresses have been here from the beginning, learning their customers names and becoming an extended member of the family. The restaurant, now in their third generation owned by the same family, has been the host to presidents, (George W. Bush), singers, (Barbara Streisand), sports stars, (Mickey Mantle), and many more celebrities. So let's see what has brought all the stars to this Costa Mesa restaurant.

We made two trips to Mi Casa. Here is a shot of the chips and salsa. I really like their chips, but the salsa is very watery. I like a little more substance to my salsa. The flavor was still okay without the hunks, but it would have been better with some tomato and onion in there.

This heaping plate of food is the Large Mexican Pizza. The menu says that this feeds two to three people, but I almost finished this all by myself. You have your choice of having this with shredded beef, chicken, chili verde, or a combination of all three, so of course I went with all three. The best meat out of the three was the pork chili verde. Seasoned really well and very tender, I will skip the chicken and beef next time and just get the chili verde. The rest of this dish contained almost everything in their kitchen, beans, green chiles, olives, tomatoes, onions, sour cream, guacamole, and lots of cheese. The tortilla that all of this was served on was lost here, but the dish still tasted good.

Katie's first meal here was Sal's Shrimp Burrito. Of course this featured shrimp, but it also had pinto beans, rice, tomatoes, cilantro, cheese, and avocado sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla. Katie liked that this burrito was packed with shrimp, and she also thought this had a little heat to it. She felt that the beans were great, but the rice was average. Overall she was very pleased with her dinner.

Our second trip to Mi Casa we went with Kevin and Sara. Sara ordered a Chicken Taco with a side of rice. She loved the rice, calling it, "the best Mexican style rice she has ever had in a restaurant." Her praise ended there, because she felt that the chicken in the taco was very dry.

Kevin had the Flautas Rancheras, one with chicken and the other with beef. Like Sara's taco, the chicken flauta was dry. The beef was better, but needed to be cut up in smaller chunks. Kevin said that the beans and rice were above average. Kevin really liked the cheese that was added to the top of the beans.

On Katie's second trip to Mi Casa she settled on the Grilled Mahi Tacos. These tacos were served with  a creamy avocado sauce, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, and queso fresco cheese. I am not a wimp when it comes to heat, but this really packed a punch when it came to spice. Katie would get this again, but she was disappointed that the tortilla gave way under the weight of its contents.

I went big time for my second meal at Mi Casa, with a Three Item Combination Plate. For my three items I chose the Pork Tamale, Shredded Beef Taco, and the Cheese Enchilada. I agree with Kevin, the shredded beef needed to be chopped up more. One bite and all the meat came out of the taco. The tamale was filled with pork, and not dry like a lot of tamales can be. The enchilada was the best thing on the plate. I really liked the sauce, and of course there was no shortage of cheese here. The rice was just okay for me. I liked the refried beans better. I did manage to finish this meal, but I was stuffed afterwards.

Mi Casa is a comfortable restaurant. They are very consistent. The prices might be a little on the high side, but you will probably have leftovers for lunch the next day. The waitresses know what they are doing here, but they may get distracted during busier times. The food is not going to blow your socks off. It is good, but not great. They try to make up for it by adding copious amounts of cheese on everything, and that can never be a bad thing.

So out of five water pitchers, (because they have them on the tables), five being best to zero being worst, Mi Casa gets 2.5 water pitchers.

For more information about Mi Casa, check them out here: http://micasa1.com/

Filing My Report From Philippe's!

Philippe 

1001 North Alameda

Los Angeles, CA 90012

On the plane back from New York to LAX, my Mom had one of her best ideas in a long time. She said, "How about after we land we head over to Philippe's for a sandwich?" So instead of heading down the 405 freeway, after our five hour flight, we headed to the home of the French dip sandwich Philippe's.

I am not saying Philippe's is old, but their was a rumor that their first sandwich was made from dinosaur meat! Okay, that was a bad joke, but Philippe's has been around for a long time. 1908 to be exact. Their signature sandwich, the French dip has been around almost as long, 1918. The story goes that a police officer ordered a roast beef sandwich and the bread was inadvertently dropped into the pan drippings. The officer was in too much of a hurry to wait for a new sandwich, so he took the sandwich anyways. From that day on, the officer always ordered the sandwich like that and told his friends about it. Thus the French dip was born.

My parents were not around in 1918, (although some days they look like they were, just kidding Mom and Dad!), but they have been coming to Philippe's for as long as they can remember. Like their parents bringing them here, they passed down the tradition to my sister and I.  The restaurant has not appeared to have changed in the years that I have been coming here.

Ordering is done at the counter, where the carver creates your sandwich, and any other items that you may want. They only take cash, so remember to stop by an ATM before heading over to Philippe's. After receiving your meal, find a seat at one of the communal tables, and dig into the food.

At Philippe's they offer five versions of their famous dip sandwiches, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, and ham. The debate always rages which one is best. I am not going to get suckered into that debate, I will dodge the question by saying, whichever one you choose, you will not go wrong. The one above is pork. The bread is the first thing you notice when biting into the sandwich. Soft, but sturdy, it holds together nicely and soaks up the au jus nicely. The meats are all roasted on the premises, and are all very moist and have a great flavor.

Here is an inside view of the Lamb sandwich. Never gamey, with moist, flavorful pieces of lamb. The sandwich is not overly large, but there is a decent amount of meat on these.

Katie had the Beef French Dip with Swiss cheese added. I snuck a few bites of her sandwich as well.  At Philippe's you have the option of having a single dip, double dip, or having your sandwich wet. These sandwiches  are all just dipped, but next time I am going to be having mine wet.

I had never had their Potato Salad before, so we tried some this trip. This scoop of salad was topped with cayenne, but the potato salad was just average.

Another thing that makes the sandwiches here so legendary, is the hot mustard. This is not to be played with. I like heat, and this needs to be used in moderation. Not sure but I think this mustard is horseradish based, and if it catches you by surprise, you will be feeling it for awhile. It does go well with the sandwiches though.

Philippe's is not fancy, as you can see from the picture above. Appearing like it has for many years, sawdust on the floor, barren walls, and food served on stiff, brown paper plates, this restaurant has become part of Los Angeles culture. Southern California has so few food icons, let alone ones that have stayed the same for well over a century, that this one should be celebrated.

Out of five pigs feet, (because according to their web site, Philippe's sells 300 pounds of pigs feet a week), five being best to zero being worst, Philippe's gets 3.5 pigs feet.

For more information about Philippe's, click here: http://www.philippes.com/

Street Walking For Great Indian Food in the NYC

Biryani Cart

46th Street and 6th Avenue

New York, NY 10036

Eating street food is something everyone should do when visiting the city. Whether it is a hot dog in Battery Park, or a bag of nuts from any number places that sells them throughout the city, it is really part of the experience of being in New York.  I had a long list of restaurants to try while we were here, but I had no idea where to eat when it came to the food carts that were on every corner. Luckily for us we were staying on 46th street, which just happens to be the home of Biryani Cart.

The smell from the Biryani cart was the first thing to catch our attention. The smell of spices wafting through the air, along with the aroma of the meat got us to stop. Also, plastered all over their cart were reviews and accolades they had received. So we kind of ran into this place with some dumb luck.

I am not going to try and trick you into thinking I know a lot about cuisine from India. I don't know the difference between a Spicy Buradi and a Chennai Roll. In fact the first time we went to this cart I did not even look at the menu, and instead ordered the Spicy Gyro above. Not sure if this has a different name on the menu, but it was delicious. The meat had a great flavor, the bread a nice texture and it held up to the insides of the gyro nicely. The thing that popped out at me with this were the spices. Not just a spicy, big flavor, but savory at the same time.  On our second trip to the cart I had to get another one of these.

Our second trip, along with the gyro, we ordered the Kati Rolls. One with chicken and one with lamb. Picture a soft taco, with meat and seasoned very well and you basically have a Kati Roll in mind. Both of these were very good. We ordered ours spicy, and they were great. I would definitely get these again.

Eating at Biryani Cart really made me want to try some Indian/Middle Eastern cuisine when we got home. Katie felt that the food from the Biryani Cart was the best thing we ate on the trip. I will not go that far, but  it was in the upper echelon of foods that we had on our vacation.

So out of five Bengal tigers, (because that is the national animal for the country of Bangladesh, which is the home country of the owner and operator of the Biryani Cart), five being best to zero being worst, Biryani Cart gets 3.5 Bengal tigers.

Biryani Cart does not have a web site, but you can get reviews and info here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/biryani-cart-new-york

A Little Piece of Havana In Times Square

Margon Restaurant 

136 West 46th Street

New York, NY 10036

I was pretty excited to hear that there was a Cuban restaurant across from our hotel in New York. I have been on a real Cuban sandwich kick lately. The reviews for Margon had all been pretty positive also. Most on-line posts remarked that it was good food, for an even better price. Some have even called it the best food in Times Square. So with all this glowing praise, I could not be any happier to try it.

Margon is a very narrow, counter-style restaurant. Our first of two trips here was during the lunch rush, and organized chaos would be the way to describe what was going on here. The locals all had the system down, like ordering the Cuban sandwiches at the front part of the counter and ordering all other items at the back counter. I could tell my parents were a little sheepish about this place, so I told them I would order the sandwiches and bring them back across the street to our hotel. They seemed cool with that, and after about a five-minute wait we were tearing into our sandwiches. 

The Cuban sandwich here is a little different from what I am used to. At Margon the pressed sandwich comes with roasted pork, ham, salami, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, and cheese. The other Cuban sandwiches I have had contained all the same items, but no mayo or salami. The additional items did not make this sandwich worse, just a little different. I really liked the flavor of this sandwich. It was not the best Cuban sandwich I have had, but it was way better than most. Also, the $6 I paid for this sandwich really filled me up until dinner, so it was definitely a bargain.

Our second trip to Margon was for breakfast. The breakfast crowd at Margon is a little more subdued, and we had no trouble finding a table. My parents both got the omelet's above. My Mom went with the Cheese Omelette served with home fries. My Dad settled on the Ham and Cheese Omelette. Both egg dishes came with their choice of American or Swiss cheese, not my favorite kinds of cheese to come on an omelet. Both of my parents thought the omelet was okay, nothing special about them, except that they cost under $5, one of the cheapest items we had on this whole trip.

I went a different way for breakfast when I ordered the Media Noche Sandwich. This midnight sandwich was served on potato bread with ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard. I liked this sandwich better than the Cuban sandwich. The bread was softer, and the ham had a nice grill to it. The price you ask? How does $4 sound? Cheaper than even Subway's five-dollar foot long, and much better.

I was very happy about eating at Margon. If we had been here longer I would have for sure had some of their more exotic-sounding specials. The oxtail, lamb breast, and octopus salad all intrigued me, but those will have to wait for our next trip to the Big Apple. Also, next time I will try to avoid the lunchtime rush in this tiny restaurant.

Out of five yank tanks, (referring to big American cars of the '50s and 60's still in use in Cuba), five being best to zero being worst, Margon restaurant gets 2.5 yank tanks.  

For more information about Margon Restaurant, head to their website here: https://margon.has.restaurant/

Eating a Blue Streak at Baby Blues

Baby Blues Bar-B-Q

444 Lincoln Blvd.

Venice, CA 90291

We stayed the night near LAX before our trip to New York. Not wanting to let this rare night in Los Angeles go to waste, I did a little research and found a highly rated restaurant, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q.

Baby Blues has been on TV shows, Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives and Food Paradise.  Baby Blues has been open since 2004. It was started by two guys that describe their barbecue as a hybrid of barbecue from all across the US. The sauce is reminiscent of sauces from North Carolina, the rest of the menu draws on barbecue techniques from Kansas City, Memphis and Texas, among others. Needless to say I was pretty excited to try the food, so let's see how it turned out.

Starting us off was my Mom's choice for dinner, the Carolina Style Pulled Pork Sandwich. My Mom was pretty pleased with this dish. She found the meat was really moist and liked the Cole Slaw. Out of the five sauces that were on the table, she liked the sweet chili sauce the best with this.

My Dad is not a big rib guy, so he ordered the Beef Brisket Sandwich. On the positive side, my Dad felt that the meat was tender and moist, and he liked the BBQ sauce best on this. The only negative thing that my pops said about the sandwich was that the meat could have been cut thinner. My Dad also wanted to try a side item, so he got the Mashed Sweet Potatoes, which he called very good. I am not really a sweet potato fan, but I liked the smooth consistency of these and the flavor was pretty good as well. 

Our sandwich parade rolls on with Katie's option for dinner, the Shrimp Po Boy. Katie raved that this sandwich was delicious, with more than enough shrimp on it. She also wanted to try two sides, so she got the Mac N' Cheese and the Blues On the Cob. The mac n cheese was very good, with just the right amount of cheesy goodness. I did not try the corn, but Katie really liked the cheese that was on this. Not sure what kind it was, looked a little like Parmesan.

I was at a barbecue restaurant, so you know that I was definitely going to get some traditional barbecue items. I selected the Bones and No Bones Platter. This dish came with half a rack of Memphis ribs and a half a pound of pulled pork, served with two sides. The ribs were very good. Some of the best I have had in awhile. The pulled pork was equally good, because it was so moist. I experimented with the different sauces on the table. I believe that the regular barbecue sauce was my favorite, but it was also nice changing up the pace with some squirts from the hot barbecue sauce as well. The mashed potatoes were okay, but the collard greens stole the show for the side items. Served in a brown sauce, that I am not even sure what it was, but it really added to the collard greens. Very good plate of food here.

Baby Blues Bar-B-Q is a small, kitchy joint serving up big platters of barbecue favorites. The prices were decent. Sandwiches were in the $9 to $11 range, while the dinner platters were going for $18 to $25. The service matched the southern charm of this place. Our waitress was very sweet, even giving my Mom her cell phone number, so she could give us some restaurants to try in New York. Something unheard of in LA. I was also surprised there was no wait when we arrived at 5pm on a Saturday night. Guess we got lucky in more ways than one by coming to Baby Blues. 

Out of five police cars, (because for a short time in the late 70's/early 80's police cars in San Fransisco were painted baby blue for some reason), five being best to zero being worst, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q gets 4 police cars.

For more information on Baby Blues Bar-B-Q, click here: http://www.babybluesvenice.com/#/home