Re-Peter Visit to Peter's Gourmade

Peter's Gourmade Grill

14311 Newport Ave.

Tustin, CA 92780

There is always something going on at Peter's Gourmade. This eatery started in a gas station on McFadden Avenue, not far from their current location. After being written up in OC Weekly, and numerous other print media and blogs, their business swelled. They gained a reputation for serving some of the best burgers and sides in the area.

Then the Valero gas station closed, but they remained open filling hungry patrons' stomachs. According to Peter's Gourmade web site, the new owner of the gas station raised their rent, demanded that they pay all of the utilities on the property, and refused to come to a sensible lease agreement. Needless to say, they needed to find another location, and that is what they did. Just a few blocks away, in the old Masala Bowl location.

While all of this was going on they opened a location in Newport, just steps away from the Balboa Ferry. This was the establishment that I visited when I first tried Peter's Gourmade. Unfortunately, we were not satisfied with that experience. They were out of nearly all of the ingredients for their signature items. They did not even have utensils for both of us. You can read that review here. Even with this sour taste in our mouths, we were willing to give Peter's another try. So we headed to their new location.

We got to the restaurant at about 6 on a Friday night. This little corner strip mall is at an awkward-looking intersection that really sneaks up on you. I never went to their location in the gas station, but I heard that it was a 100 square foot space, so this place must feel so roomy compared to that place. This place is not huge though. They have 6 tables in here. Ordering is done at the counter and then brought out to the table. Let's see if this time our visit is better.

Let's start with the sides first. Last time we were at Peter's, this was the only item we really liked, Peter's Greek Fries ($6.25). Lightning definitely struck twice, because these were just as good the second time around as well. They lay down a bed of french fries and top them with gyro meat, tomatoes, onions, feta cheese, and Greek oregano, then you also get a homemade tzatziki sauce. The skinny fries are overshadowed by the fantastic and plentiful gyro meat. I really wish more restaurants would add this to their menus, but it would probably not be as good as this. This is a must get when coming to Peter's.

Anthony and Sabrina consider themselves connoisseurs of humus, so it was no surprise that they ordered it here. Maria's Hummus ($4.75) is whipped up and topped with Greek olive oil and Kalamata olives. The garlic is very prevalent here. This hummus is smooth and went well with the freshly sliced pita bread. The serving size for this was very generous.

I might have found my favorite way to eat sweet potato fries. If you are a loyal reader of this blog you know I am not too fond of the sweet potato, but at Peter's, I was introduced to the Sweet Potato Gooey's ($6.50). I was basically alone in my love for these unusual fries though. Others at the table were not so excited by these, including sweet potato loving, Katie who said, "she was not feeling the sweet and saltiness of these". I, on the other hand, could not stop eating these sweet potato fries which were covered with brown sugar, maple syrup, and toasted marshmallows. Really more of a dessert than a side dish, these reminded me of a Thanksgiving dish.

Sorry for the lackluster picture of the Basil Chicken Sandwich ($6.79). This was a popular sandwich night because both Katie and Sabrina ordered it. This sandwich featured lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, and house-made basil mayo, on a Parmesan sourdough. Both girls thought this sandwich was good. They really liked the basil mayo, calling it, "tasty". Sabrina really liked that they used shredded lettuce here. They both liked the sourdough bread, but it really filled them up. Both girls would get this sandwich again.

Last time we went to Peter's Gourmade location in Balboa, I could not have the item they were most famous for, because they were out of cheese and avocado, but I was not to be deterred a second time. The ABC Burger ($6.25), comes with avocado, bacon, cheese, mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Dave's spicy pickle chips. This burger lived up to the hype. The patty was seasoned well, the flavors melded together nicely, and the potato bun really kept things together here. The avocado was not as prominent as I thought it would be, but I could see why this burger is all the rage. I scarfed this down quickly.

The last sandwich of the night belongs to Anthony, the Patty Melt ($5.75). Here they take a six-ounce all-beef Angus patty, grilled onions, and American cheese, then place it on corn rye bread. Anthony really liked the meatiness of this patty melt, along with the portion size. Not the best patty melt he has had, but definitely a solid sandwich.

This was more of what I thought our experience at Peter's Gourmade would be. Glad we made a second trip to this location. Maybe since they do not have an extra location to worry about, and a bigger space to store items, they have it more together now. The burgers and side items were all that they were billed to be. All of the items we had were solid choices, and we would not hesitate to come back here. The restaurant is small, and I am sure they get a little busy and cramped during meal times. Spoiled Sabrina wanted me to let everyone know that they serve Royal Crown soda products here, which she is not a fan of. Wow, there is just no pleasing some people! Hopefully, Peter's Gourmade will not have to move for a while and keep serving their good food.

Out of five gas pumps, (in homage to their former location), five being best to zero being worst, Peter's Gourmade Grill gets 3 gas pumps.

For more information on Peter's Gourmade Grill, click here: https://gourmadegrill.com/Welcome.html

Umami Burger Arrives in OC - CLOSED

Umami Burger

2981 Bristol St.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

The burger invasion continues in OC. In recent years we have been invaded by other towns' burger favorites. Five Guys, The Counter, The Habit, and now, LA export, Umami Burger is putting down roots in our great county. This is one invasion I can really get behind.

I have had Umami Burger once before in Santa Monica. You can read that review here. This OC Umami Burger is taking over the old Valhalla Table space at the Camp in Costa Mesa. They have been open here for almost two months. There is also another outpost of this burger chain opening in Laguna Beach on June 13th, and yet another one planned for Anaheim later this year. With all of this expansion, I was really excited to see what they had in store for us in OC.

We got to the restaurant at six thirty on a Wednesday night. The word has definitely gotten out about this place. We had about a fifteen-minute wait to be seated. Once inside we were seated at one of the communal tables in the middle of the restaurant. The seats and tables are located very close to the ground. The atmosphere here is kind of hip, with murals on the walls, and a young hip serving staff. The dining room was very loud and bustling with activity. After checking out the menu, this is what we ordered.

Not your normal drinks at Umami Burger. Kat, from Kat's 9 Lives was eating with us this night, and ordered the Boozy Breakfast Coke Float ($6). What made this a breakfast float? This unique float was made with Kahlua-infused ice cream, Grape Nuts, (that is the breakfast part), and pure cane sugar, Mexican Coke. I had a sip of this and thought it was okay. I did not get the Grape Nut vibe, but the Kahlua was prevalent here. Both Katie and I opted for a more traditional beverage, the Iced Green Tea ($2.50). This was not sweet tea, which is the way I enjoy my beverages. Umami Burger also has an eclectic selection of beers and wines, ranging in price from  $4 to $21.

When we go out with Kat we really like to get a good selection of food, so we got four side items to start. The first were these Truffle Fries ($4.50). I was not too big of a fan of these. I did not like the cheese/truffle sauce here. It really globbed together and the taste was off for me. This might have worked if the fries were a little bigger, so they could have held more of the sauce.

Do not tell anyone, but at Umami Burger, they have a secret menu item, the Cheesy Tots ($4.50). I guess it is not that big of a secret, because our waitress told us about these, but it was cool thinking we were in the know. These were definitely better than the fries. They were fried crisp, but the cheese inside was not overly abundant. These were kind of plain tasting.

The Tempura Onion Rings ($3) were served very hot. The breading here is very light, and not very greasy at all. The onion inside was good, but it broke away from the breading very easily. I would get these again though.

Of course, I saved the best side item of the night for last, the Smushed Potatoes ($4.50). These double-fried creamer potatoes were cooked perfectly. Fried lightly on the outside, and still soft on the inside. These were the unanimous favorites of the three of us. Skip the fries, and go for these smushed spuds instead.

Of course with all of these side items, condiments are a must. We opted to get the Umami Ketchup, Roasted Garlic Aioli, and the Jalapeno Ranch. After looking at the Jalapeno ranch, I thought it was going to be too runny, but this was my favorite sauce of the night. It was a little on the thin side, but you could really taste the jalapeno in this dressing. Very good. I always enjoy a good garlic aioli, but this one was not my favorite. It was lacking when it came to the garlic portion. I liked the texture though. The house-made umami ketchup was not as sweet as the ketchup we are used to, but it worked out well for us.

Now on to the real reason we are here, the burgers. First up is Katie's selection, the Cali Burger ($10). This one came with lettuce, roasted tomato, house-made American cheese, and caramelized onions. Katie thought this burger was just okay. She was happier with her burger here on her first visit. She called this burger, "just okay".

My burger of the night was the Port and Stilton Burger ($11). This burger came with port-caramelized onions and blue cheese. The burger itself was very juicy and had a decent flavor, but that flavor was not due to the blue cheese or the onions. This was a very plain-tasting burger. Nothing really wowed me about this hamburger.

Kat really wanted to get the feel of this place, so this Umami Burger ($11) was the first of her two burgers. The namesake burger of this restaurant comes with shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted tomato, a Parmesan crisp, and umami ketchup. She was happier about this burger than her next one.

Again, The truffle disappointed here. Kat had the Truffle Burger ($12). It is true what they say on all the cooking competition shows, too much truffle is usually a bad thing. This burger got a double dose, with house-made truffle cheese and a truffle glaze. Just like the fries, the truffle cheese had an odd texture for us. Kat was less than enthused by this burger.

By this time I was pretty full, but of course, there is always room for dessert. At Umami Burger, they offer five different versions of these LA Creamery Ice Cream Sandwiches ($5). True to form, my favorite of these three was the peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, with a chocolate cookie. The peanut butter could have been more pronounced here, but it was still good. Other versions included a chocolate ice cream/chocolate chip cookie and a vanilla ice cream/sugar cookie option. All were pretty good, but I was so full from dinner, that it was hard to enjoy them.

I was not so enamored as I was on our previous trip to Umami Burger in Santa Monica. It could be that I was not as hungry as I should have been, because of a big lunch I had eaten earlier in the day. It also could be that we have been eating at some real good burger places recently, and I am subconsciously comparing these others to Umami Burger. More than likely though it was my choice of burger on this night. I should have stuck with a burger that included some kind of pork in it. You can never go wrong with bacon in a burger. The prices here are definitely not a value. For over $11 per burger, these burgers need to be bigger. I know you are paying for the quality of ingredients, but if I had not eaten a big lunch, I would have probably left here hungry. It was busy during our visit here, and the service could not have been better. Our waitress was right on top of things and gave us some good suggestions. We will definitely give Umami Burger another try when I am more hungry. For now, I am just happy that we are getting to try some other regions' burger places.

Out of five storage units, (because Dave Hester, one of the buyers on the show, "Storage Wars", lives in Costa Mesa where this location of Umami Burger is located), five being best to zero being worst, Umami Burger gets 3 storage units.

For more information on Umami Burger, click here: http://www.umami.com/umami-burger/eats/costa-mesa/

A Hot Wing and a Prayer

Santora's Hot Wings

28251 Marguerite Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

Both basketball and hockey are wrapping up their seasons now. Baseball season has been going on for two months, and football is right around the corner. As an added bonus, this is also an Olympic year, and nothing says Olympics like buffalo wings. Okay maybe that is a stretch, but with all of these sports going on, or coming up, I was really in the mood for some good wings. Enter my friend Drew.

Drew works with me, and he asked me where I think the best wings in our great county come from. I had a hard time answering his question. I have been to the chain places, (Hooters, Wingnuts, and Buffalo Wild Wings), I have been to some pizza places that also serve wings, (Pizza Store), and then some of the fast/casual places, (like Wingstop and Wing Street). I would probably say that my favorites up until this point have been Wings N Things in HB, Wingstop for their garlic Parmesan wings, and then Hooters, for their uh, great ambiance. I know, not a very impressive list. So let's see if Santora's can crack this list.

Santora's is located in a strip mall across from Saddleback College. We walked in right after work at 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. To my surprise the bar was packed with what looked like regulars, and there were plenty of people eating at the numerous tables. They have TVs tuned to various games, pop music blaring from the speakers, including Drew's favorites Christina Aguilera and Justin Bieber, (sorry to tell your secrets big guy), and plenty of what looks like family portraits all over the walls. The owner was our waitress, and she told us that they have been here for 23 years. That will explain the homey feel of this restaurant. After getting a cocktail, I was ready for some food. Let's see how it came out.

Before we get to the wings, we started with some Potato Skins ($9.75). These spuds were topped with mozzarella cheese, grated Romano cheese, bacon bits, and chives. I might have been hungry, or these might have actually been pretty good potato skins. The mozzarella was a nice change of pace, and the Romano cheese added another nice surprise. I am pretty sure the bacon bits were not made of real bacon, but it still tasted okay. These could have been made better if they were just a little crisper. Even with the fake bacon and the odd choice of mozzarella and Romano cheese, I would get these skins again.

Here is what we came here for, The Original Buffalo Hot Wings ($14.95, or because it was Wing Wednesday these 20 wings were $9.99). At Santora's they of course have different degrees of heat for their wings; mild, medium, hot, extra hot, and nuclear. I went with all hot, while Drew mixed it up by getting ten hot and ten medium wings. The hot did have a nice slow burn to them. There was plenty of sauce, the plate was drenched in it. I liked these when they cooled and the sauce stuck to the wings, with a slight crunch to the skin. I don't know if it was just by luck or not, but I mostly got all drumettes. There was also plenty of meat on these wings. We got both blue cheese and ranch dressing with these wings, but it was hard to tell the difference between the two.

Santora's probably does make my list as some of the best wings I have had in OC to date. I thought they had a good sauce on them, plenty of meat, and because it was Wing Wednesday, these were a great value at 50 cents a wing. Even at the regular price of 75 cents a wing, these would have been worth it. The service we got at Santora's was good, but not on the overly friendly side. This could have been due to the fact that they were a little busy though. Even with the gruff service, I really liked the vibe of Santora's. It kind of felt like an east coast kind of dive, with all of the old guys lining the bar in the early afternoon, sports on TVs, and the good wings. I am glad Drew told me about this place.

Out of five gauchos, (because this restaurant is right across from Saddleback College, and that is their mascot), five being best to zero being worst, Santora's Hot Wings gets 3 gauchos.

Santora's Hot Wings does not have a web site, but you can find info about them here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/santoras-pizza-subs-and-wings-mission-viejo

Mexican/French Food? Yes Please!

Anepalco's Cafe

3737 W. Chapman Ave.

Orange, CA 92868

Nothing gets me out of bed quicker than a good Mexican breakfast. Breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, and chilaquiles. I love them all, and will even go without sleep for them, and I love to sleep! When we finally made plans to make it up to Anepalco's Cafe, I was up and ready almost before sunrise, that's how excited I was.

Anepalco's Cafe is not your typical Mexican breakfast place. Sure they have the usual Mexican breakfast staples, but they are a little different. Anepalco's is a fusion restaurant of Mexican and French food. I have not come across too many of these types of restaurants, so I was excited to see what they had in store for us.

This is the second location of Anepalco's. Their first location is also located in Orange, on Main Street. That location is only open for breakfast and lunch. This new location that we went to is open for brunch and dinner. It is located conveniently right at the corner of Chapman and State College, adjoining the Ayres Hotel. They have been in this location for two months now.

We got to the restaurant right at 11am. We were one of three tables at 11, but during our visit, the place was filling up, and there was plenty of people out on the patio in the front of the restaurant when we left. Inside the restaurant, there are about thirty or so tables. The decor is nice and understated. Dominated by dark woods and browns. By this point I was hungry, so let's see if the food lives up to its billing.

This colorful plate was Katie's selection for brunch, the Huevos Divorciados ($9.70). Hope this selection was not a secret sign about our relationship. Anyways, this plate had a little bit of everything included. Tortillas, ham, eggs, bacon, red onion, avocado, cotija cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, along with two sauces, red and green. When I pressed Katie as to which sauce she liked better, she could not choose. She did say that these sauces worked well together though. She was also impressed with the way the eggs were cooked here. She did mention that this did have temperature issues, but not enough that she would have sent it back.

This is probably the menu item that has put Anepalco's on the map, so it definitely deserves two pictures. The Anepalco's Chilaquiles ($8.60) was going to be what I was going to order, but my Mom beat me to the punch. This is not like any chilaquiles I have ever had. All of the basic ingredients are here, tortilla chips, eggs, red sauce, cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado mousse, and pico de gallo, but they are presented in a way that makes this a most unusual chilaquiles. I did get to have half of this, thanks, Mom! I thought the red sauce was not as overpowering as it can be in some other versions of this dish. I like a runny egg a little more than scrambled, but this egg was light and cooked perfectly. This was not served hot, but maybe lukewarm, it could have been hotter. What really stood out for me on this was the avocado mousse. Wow! Very light, and one of the best ways I have ever had an avocado. If this had been my plate, I would have asked for a side of this mousse and eaten it with a spoon. It was that good. I can see why this is Anepalco's signature item.

My Dad also went the breakfast route with this Green Eggs Benedictos ($9.70). This twist on an eggs benedict included the usual poached eggs, but then it took a left turn with spinach, tomato, and pesto sauce, served on sliced ciabatta bread. My Dad thought this was very good, pleasant flavor, and light tasting. The only minor qualm he had with this was that the crust of the ciabatta was a little too crunchy, but he would not hesitate to get this again. This was served with some very good roasted potatoes.

Since everyone else was getting breakfast foods, I decided that I would get something off of the lunch area of the menu. The Carnitas Sandwich ($9.80) had my name written all over it. Shredded pork, chicharron, avocado, mixed greens, radish, chipotle ranch, and cilantro piled on ciabatta bread. This sandwich was a little more subtle than I thought it would be. None of the contents of the sandwich really stood out for me, besides the pork. The carnitas was juicy and flavored simply. I would have liked the chicharron or the chipotle ranch to be more prominent, but this was not the case. What did capture my attention here was the Cream of Parsley soup that was served alongside this sandwich. I was not expecting much from a soup that is made from a garnish, but this made me rethink that little sprig that my Uncle used to eat when we went out to dinner with him. The soup was creamy, full of muted flavor, and went down nice and easy. If this is one of their daily soups on a day you are eating here, do yourself a favor and order it.

I am thrilled to report that this place made me happy to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. The food really lived up to the hype that I had read online. I was not so excited by my carnitas sandwich, but everything else I tried was right on point. As you can see, prices were not even close to being bad at Anepalco's. The food presentation is also worth noting here. They really go out of their way to make the food look as appealing as it is delicious. We had great service on the morning of our visit. The food did take a little longer to get out, but that is probably just because we were one of the first tables of the day. Be advised that this location of Anepalco's opens for brunch from 11 to 2pm, then closes until dinner is served from 5:30 till 9. After this brunch, we are really looking forward to trying their dinner menu in the near future.

Out of five stethoscopes, (because this location of Anepalco's is located across the street from UCI Medical Center, and I am sure that many doctors eat here), five being best to zero being worst, Anepalco's Cafe gets 3.5 stethoscopes.

For more information on Anepalco's Cafe, click here: http://www.anepalco.com/home-1.html

Hot Night at the Chili Pepper? - CLOSED

Chili Pepper

167 S. Main

Orange, CA 92868

I admit I was a little nervous coming here. The food had nothing to do with it. We are closing in on our third anniversary with this blog, and I have yet to have a restaurant ask me not to take pictures. In fact, I have never really had a run-in with any restaurant. I did a little research online, and more than one reviewer mentioned that they do not allow pictures to be taken in this restaurant. So, I was prepared to have this be the first incident between a restaurant and myself. Fortunately, this was not the case. I quickly took pictures of the food on the down-low. This explains the blurriness of some of the images. At least, that's the excuse I am sticking with.

Chili Pepper has been in this location since I was a kid long ago. My parents swear this place was owned by the same people who ran the now-defunct Juana Maria's over on Katella Avenue. I am not sure about this, but like the great child that I am, I will go with what my parents tell me. Outside the restaurant is a very tiny parking lot, but there is plenty of parking on the street in the back.

Once inside, you are transported to an old school, an over-the-top Mexican restaurant featuring waiters singing with overly giant sombreros, pinatas hanging from the ceiling, and a dizzying array of colors that one other reviewer described as "a box of melted crayons." Classic! As if all this was not enough, they also have tons of plants all over the restaurant to transport you to Puerto Vallarta without the humidity. I kept my camera on the seat, ready for an all-clear moment. Let's see how this meal turned out.

After we were seated, we were given chips and salsa. The lightly fried chips here go well with this mild salsa, which I really liked because it was chunky. Recently, we have had watery salsa every time we go to a Mexican restaurant. This was a nice change of pace.

We were in a Mexican restaurant, so Katie wanted a side of Guacamole ($4.99). The guacamole is lightly garnished with a few tomatoes and onions at the Chili Pepper. This was pedestrian guacamole. It was fresh but not overly flavorful, and it needed more seasoning. It's a good-sized serving, though.

Chris and Adrienne split their version of a dinner salad, the Ensalada Compuesta ($3.49). Translated, this means composed salad. Reading my blog can help you learn a new language. I should come clean; I just Googled this to understand what it means. This salad comprised mixed greens, shredded carrots, tomato, and ranch dressing. It was a basic salad, but like the guacamole, it was a good size for the price.

Time for the main meals, and starting us off is Katie's selection, the Guanajuato Burrito ($6.99). This unique-sounding burrito was filled with chicken, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and beans, then topped with red sauce and cheese. Katie sounded more like Goldilocks when describing the portion size of this burrito, calling it "not too big, and not too small, but just right." She was also pleased with the taste of this burrito. She liked the chicken and potato and felt the red sauce perfectly rounded this out.

When coming to Chili Pepper, Chris usually goes for the carnitas fajitas, but this night, he felt the Steak Fajitas ($8.99). He thought these were okay, but he would have rather had the pork if given a do-over. These are your standard fajitas with onions, tomatoes, and peppers.

Adrienne loves the food at Chili Pepper and got this Two Item Combo ($7.99) with a Pork Tamale and a Cheese Enchilada. Adrienne called both of these items "delicious," she loves the red sauce this plate is drenched in. The beans and rice round out this plate nicely. She also wanted a special shout-out for the Margaritas ($4.99) here. She enjoys hers with no salt and on the rocks. I ordered mine the same way. They are open about pouring the tequila into these. After a few of these margaritas, I am sure many people break the awkward glasses these come in.

As many of you loyal readers of this blog know, I usually base my initial visit to a Mexican restaurant on a Carnitas Plate ($9.19), and here was no different. This carnitas really surprised me. Excellent flavor, crispy end pieces, and moist. These are the ways that carnitas need to be cooked. One of the best I have had in a while. I wished the portion size was more significant, but this plate was priced under ten dollars. The rice was cooked well but a little on the plain side. The beans were good, but more of them were needed. I will probably ask for double beans next time. Very satisfying meal.

One of the things I remember from my childhood when coming here was the complimentary apple-filled tacos at the end of the meal. I used to think it was the coolest thing to be given free food in a restaurant, and it still is cool now. We let these sit for a while because they came to our table hot. The shell of these is fried lightly and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Inside is an apple mixture that is reminiscent of an apple-filled donut. It was a pleasant end to our meal.

Chili Pepper has been here a long time, and I can see why. This will not be the best Mexican food you have ever eaten, but everything was pretty solid. The portion sizes were average here, but there is little to complain about with these prices. They are definitely not gouging anyone. Reading other reviews, I see that service can sometimes be an issue here, but we had no complaints on this night. Our waiter was on his game all evening and kept things moving. After all the fuss about no pictures in the restaurant, I made it out unscathed.

Out of five Scoville units (because that is the scale for determining the spiciness of peppers), five being the best and zero being the worst, the Chili Pepper gets 3 Scoville units.

For more information about The Chili Pepper, head to their website here: https://www.thechilipepperrestaurant.com/

Cheese-topia in RSM - CLOSED

Mi Casa

22322 El Paseo

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Rancho Santa Margarita is not somewhere that you often think of with awesome dining options. This inland oasis is all of the sudden burgeonings with new restaurants. BJ's opened up late last year, Bruxie opened this past week, and now Costa Mesa's favorite, Mi Casa is now gracing inland diners with their Mexican staples.

We reviewed Mi Casa about a year ago. You can read that review here. At that time we went twice for dinner, which we have also done at this new outpost in RSM. This new Mi Casa has a much more modern feel to it. Taking over the old El Torito space, this restaurant seems brighter, with windows dominating one entire side of the eating area. There is also a large patio area that offers customers the chance to eat outside.

Both times we have been here having been on Friday nights at six. Our first trip was their first Friday being opened. Of course, there were the usual hiccups of any new restaurant. Our wait time was said to be thirty minutes when in reality it was just over an hour to get to the table. Service was spotty on our first visit. Waiters were missing for long stretches, and food was taking a long time to make it out of the kitchen. The staff at times really seemed a little overwhelmed. All of these were totally understandable to me. So, when Chuck and Stephanie decided they wanted to hang out with us, we suggested trying Mi Casa again to see if some of the bugs have been worked out. Let's see if this was the case.

After we were seated we were brought these chips and salsa, then we ordered the Guacamole ($3). The first basket of chips was all broken, small pieces, so we asked for another basket. These were much better. The salsa here is a little on the runny side, but with a gentle kick. Stephanie likes a spicier salsa, so they brought us out a Habanero salsa. This was the real stuff. Very spicy, and a little more chunky. I will ask for this on future visits here. The guacamole was fair, nothing too out of the ordinary.

For those of you that have been to either Mi Casa restaurant, you know that this place is all about the cheese. They cheese everything, including this appetizer, the Carne Asada Fries ($9). This appetizer is made up of seasoned fries, cheese, carne asada, cheese, sour cream, cheese, chives, and cheese. This was gone in an instant. The cheese really dominates this plate, but the steak and fries are prevalent here. The fries could be a little crisper, and this would make this even better. Four people could split this easily. We did not get the nachos, but they looked really good as well.

Both Chuck and I got the same thing. Way to be original Chuck! We both went with the Large Mexican Pizza ($14). He ordered his with chicken and I got mine with Chile Verde pork. Here they take a tortilla and top it with the meat of your choice and a plethora of items including; olives, tomatoes, beans, green chiles, onions, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. The menu says this serves 2 to 3 people, but I had no problem finishing this. I had wanted this without olives, but it came with them anyways. Chuck really seemed to like his dinner as well, but he had more to take home than me.

Both of the girls got Combination Dinners at Mi Casa. Let's start with Katie's 2 Item Combo ($11). She went with her standard combo meal at a Mexican restaurant, a Chicken Taco, and a Cheese Enchilada. Katie felt both of these items were very solid. She opted for the black beans, instead of the refried beans, and was happy with her choice. This platter of food was so big, that she had plenty of food to send with me to work the next day.

Sorry for the lack of diversity on this trip. I guess they all forgot I was food blogging. Chuck's much better half, Stephanie got a Two Item Combo ($12), as well. She changed it up a bit from Katie's by getting a Chile Verde Enchilada and the same Chicken Taco that Katie got. This plate was so big that she had the pork enchilada put in a box for lunch the next day. She really enjoyed the chicken taco with the habanero salsa. The beans were more to her liking than the rice.

After eating at Mi Casa twice in the last two weeks I have come to the conclusion that I like Mi Casa, but I am not in love with it. I really enjoy the fact that they opened up in RSM though. This is the kind of Mexican comfort food that this area needed. The Mexican food here is not going to wow anyone, but it is consistently good, in a very safe way. Mi Casa kind of has a Don Jose's vibe to it. The service was much better on our second trip here. They really righted the ship quickly. Food came out very fast, and our waiter was on top of everything all night long. We will definitely be back to have a side of Mexican food, with our cheese.

Out of five lips, (because President George H. Bush once ate at the Costa Mesa location of Mi Casa, and he once famously asked us to read his lips), five being best to zero being worst, Mi Casa gets 2.5 lips.

For more information about Mi Casa, click here: http://www.micasa1.com/