Papa's Big Night Out at Cask 'n Cleaver! - CLOSED

Cask 'n Cleaver

125 North Village Ct.

San Dimas, CA 91773

When I told people where we would be taking Katie's Grandfather for dinner, almost everyone said, "they are still in business?" Yes, believe it or not, they are. I can see where most of you would think they have gone the way of record stores, payphones, and VCR's. I mean all of the Cask 'n Cleaver's in OC have closed, but there are three still operating. Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, and this one we were at, San Dimas, can all lay claim to having a Cask n Cleaver in their cities.

Cask n' Cleaver has been around since 1967. Opened by college sweethearts, Chuck, and Linda Keagle, they wanted to combine their love of the restaurant business with their growing interest in wine. They opened their first location in Rancho Cucamonga, with just six items on their menu, which were printed on wine bottles. They created a steakhouse without pretentiousness. The servers wore shorts, and they were one of the first Southern California restaurants to feature a salad bar. Enough about their past, let's talk about today.

This location of Cask 'n Cleaver is located in a large shopping complex, which featured many vacant spaces. I thought this was odd considering that this shopping center is in a great location right off the freeway. I found it weird also that there was a Sizzler right next door to Cask 'n Cleaver. Talk about having your competition right on top of you.

We got to Cask 'n Cleaver at about 4pm on a Sunday. Throughout our hour and a half long visit, there would be no more than four tables of people at one time in this restaurant. Maybe because this place was empty, but this restaurant seemed really large and quiet. Ceilings are high, and the inside of this restaurant might be in need of a makeover in the decor department. They do seem to keep the lighting low, but we were sitting under a skylight, so my pictures had a chance of turning out. Let's see if the food needs a makeover as well.

One of the things I enjoy most about Katie's family, besides the great company, is that they always get appetizers to start a meal. On this afternoon we got two. First up is the Steakhouse Potato Skins ($7.95). These skins are topped with jack and cheddar cheese, scallions, and bacon. I really enjoyed these. The potatoes were cut into thin strips, fried well, and had a good amount of toppings on them. Not the best potato skins I have had, but not the worst by a long shot. Thanks for the hand modeling shot Sara. Don't quit your day job though!

The second of our starters was the Garlic Cheese Bread ($4.95). I was not too big of a fan of this. The bread might look very flavorful in the picture, but don't let the picture fool you. This bread was not very cheesy, and the garlic was barely noticeable. I also hoped that this bread had been a little softer and come out warmer than it did.

With the selection of steak, prime rib, or other entrees, you have the option of having a wedge or Caesar salad, or you could visit the all you can eat salad bar. I snapped a few shots of the salad bar, while there was no one filling up their plates. This is your basic salad bar. This really reminded me of the salad bar at Marie Callender's, without the potato cheese soup. All of the basic items are here to make your favorite salad, and all the produce really seemed fresh.

I am almost embarrassed to show you my salad creation from the salad bar. I went very simple, with regular greens, bacon bits, cheese, red onions, croutons, and lots of blue cheese dressing. Not a bad tasting salad, if I do say so myself. This is the usual salad I make when visiting a salad bar.

I knew this was going to be an easy review to write after I heard Kevin, Dennis, and Papa Chris order the same thing, The Prime Roast Beef Dip ($14.95). This is served with a horseradish sauce, au jus, and fries. Not one of the three of them mentioned anything positive about this sandwich. Dennis called the meat, "tough and flavorless". Kevin is never into critiquing food, but even he was not excited by this sandwich, saying, "I have had lots better sandwiches". The fries were pretty average.

Of course, I had to try what Cask 'n Cleaver is famous for, their meat. I went with what the menu called, "the king of steaks", the New York Strip Steak ($28.95). If this truly is the king of steaks, it will not be long until the king is overthrown. The meat on its own was tough and fatty, even though I ordered this medium rare. I did opt to add their famous Over the Top option to the meat for an extra $2.95. This is a concoction of melted blue cheese, mushrooms, and onions, which actually saved this by adding at least some taste to the steak. Definitely not the best steak I have had. The garlic mashed potatoes really matched the meat with a lack of flavor. Just because you say these are garlic mashed potatoes on the menu, does not make this the case. You still need to add garlic. The fried onion straws were okay, but nothing to write home about.

Katie kept the meat train rolling when she tried the Steak Kabob ($14.95). With these kabob's you select if you would like these with teriyaki, bbq, or like Katie's choice, mesquite pepper. Katie has the awful habit of getting all of her meat well done, so we are not going to critique her steak here. It would be almost impossible to have a steak cooked well done, and still taste good. She chose the rice pilaf as her premium side item. She called the rice, "plain tasting".

Lynn went to the sea for her dinner selection, Cask Shrimp ($20.95). As with the kabob's you have three options as to how you want your shrimp prepared. Scampi style, tempura fried, or charbroiled, which was Lynn's desired method of cooking. Lynn really admires Cask 'n Cleaver's consistency over the years. She has not eaten here for at least ten years, and this dish still tasted the same to her. This dinner looked a little boring to me, but I did not try any of this. She thought the shrimp was cooked well, and the baked potato was just average.

I guess I now know why most people think Cask 'n Cleaver is out of business. Simply put, people do not come here. The whole two hours we were here, there was never more than four tables eating at a time. The food and concept might have been really good back in the day, but this is the kind of place that time might have passed by. Salad bars were a real novel concept back in the late '60s, but now they seem dated. The prices here are also a little out of whack for the quality of the food we received. My steak was not even close to being a $30 steak. Not tender, and pretty much flavorless, this was a steak I would expect to have at Cocos or Carrows. I also thought Lynn's order of one shrimp skewer with seven shrimp for $20 was as big a rip off as we have seen in a while. The service for us here was pretty good. Our waitress was right on top of things. Glad we could get together with Papa Chris, but next time we might just head next door to Sizzler.

Out of five lifeguards, (because the city of San Dimas, where this restaurant is located is also home to Raging Waters, a water park which employs many lifeguards), five being best to zero being worst, Cask 'n Cleaver gets 2 lifeguards.

For more information on Cask 'n Cleaver, click here: http://www.caskncleaver.com/

California Avocado Week at Downtown Disney

California Avocado Week at Downtown Disney

1580 S. Disneyland Drive

Anaheim, CA 92802

I had a real dilemma ahead of me. I could go to the Second Annual California Avocado Week at Downtown Disney or go to my usual Monday night bowling league. I guess you can tell by the picture above that I went with the first choice. I think I made the right decision.

In case you do not know it, Downtown Disney is hosting Avocado Week from July 1st til July 7th. Right smack dab in the middle of the avocado growing season, which runs from April til September. So this makes it a great time to grab some avocados for that Fourth of July barbecue, or even better head on down to Downtown Disney to enjoy some of the fun events that the California Avocado Commission and Disney have mashed up for you.

Each day from July 1st to the 7th, one of the chefs from the restaurants of Downtown Disney will be demonstrating their culinary excellence with California avocados. On the day we were here, Thomas Keavney, from ESPN Zone was showing the captivated audience how to make Mini California Avocado Shrimp Clubs. This recipe seemed real easy, and the best part was that they passed out the finished result after the demonstration. I really enjoyed the salty bacon with the smooth and creamy avocado.

Right after the cooking demonstration, members of the audience get a chance to show off their Guacamole making expertise in the "Guac Off" competition. The three contestants above were given 19 different ingredients to use in any combination, to create their perfect guacamole concoction. The winner on this day was Kristin, with her key ingredient being cilantro. For her efforts, she won $100 gift card for the ESPN Zone, and a California avocado gift pack, worth $85. Not too shabby for smashing up some avocados!

Tortilla Jo's also passed out samples of their guacamole. This guacamole is prepared table side in their restaurant at Downtown Disney. All of the premiere restaurants at Downtown Disney are having California avocado inspired menu items until July 7th. Even Sephora, the cosmetics store is getting into the avocado craze by offering avocado facials.

After the avocado demonstration, a group of bloggers were invited to Catal Restaurant to sample some avocado inspired items that Chef Nicholas Weber whipped up for us. The room we were siting in had a birds eye view of the very crowded Downtown Disney scene. It also had a great view of the recently revamped Uva Bar, which is Catal's outside patio featuring a small bites menu.

After we were seated we ordered drinks. I went with a Catal specialty drink the Mojito. This version was very refreshing, and great after sitting out in the sun watching the avocado demonstration. Kat, from Kat's 9 Lives had a Lava Flow, which is a Pina Colada with strawberries added. She was not very forthcoming in letting me try this, but it looked good from across the table.

Here is a quick shot of the bread basket that we were offered. I really enjoyed this bread. It was really good with the supplied olive oil. I could have eaten more of this, but Kat was very possessive of the bread basket, almost keeping it under lock and key all night. Thanks Kat!

Our first course was a Tartare of Japanese hamachi with green shiso, crispy wakame, agretti and a California avocado-jalapeno sorbet. Yes you read that right, avocado-jalapeno sorbet! The hamachi was very tasty, but the sorbet was velvety smooth, but I did not get much of the jalapeno. That was okay since the avocado really shined through. Not your everyday use for avocado.

The main course was a little less adventurous, but just as delicious. Confit of pork with sweet corn, zucchini blossoms, smoked pork au jus, smoked California avocados, and house made chicharrones. Besides the avocado slices, the best part of this dish for me was the crispy top of the pork. Man that was great. I also admire Chef Weber taking chances by making the chicharrones. Lighter than I have had in the past, but still had a great flavor. The avocado really helped balance the saltiness of the pork. Really well balanced plate.

Of course when I heard that California avocados would be featured in our dessert, I was very intrigued. We were given a double chocolate tart with California avocado mint puree, lace tuille, and blackberries. This was great. The avocado was hanging in the background of this dessert, but you could sense its presence. The tart was very decadent, and the tuille was very addictive. I could have eaten a whole bunch more of these.

I got one last shot from the window of our dining room before I left. California Avocado Week is a must for anyone that loves avocados, which pretty much includes everyone. The most interesting fact I learned while being here is that, the very first Hass avocado tree is from right across the border of OC, in La Habra Heights. So, it would be sacrilege not to enjoy our native fruit. Glad I made the right choice by skipping out on bowling this Monday.

I would like to thank our hosts for this wonderful evening, the California Avocado Commission. Especially Jan DeLyser, actual avocado grower, Doug O'Hara, and my table mate for the evening, the wonderful Angela Fraser. Thanks for the laughs. I would also like to express my gratitude to everyone at Catal Restaurant, including General Manager Albert Leung, Chef Nicholas Weber, and the wonderful waitstaff on this evening. One last thank you goes out to Elizabeth Santos with GolinHarris, for the invite to this great event. Thanks for everything Elizabeth!

For more information about California avocados, click here: http://www.avocado.org/ If you would like information about Catal Restaurant, you can find that here: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=52

Flapping Our Wings at Crow Burger Kitchen - CLOSED

Crow Burger Kitchen

3107 Newport Blvd.

Newport Beach, CA 92663

We have been on a real burger kick recently. It could have something to do with it being summer and the smell of all the barbecues around my neighborhood. More than likely though, it is probably the fact that I am a burger-aholic. If there was a BA, (Burger's Anonymous), I would probably never get my three-day chip. Luckily there is no BA, so I do not have to worry about weaning myself off of burgers. I had this place in my sights after we ate at their sister location, Crow Bar Kitchen, and I found out that they have another restaurant devoted to hamburgers. That was all I had to hear, and with that, we were on our way.

Crow Burger Kitchen is located on the Newport peninsula, in a recently revamped shopping center that used to contain an Albertson's and a KFC. Both of these are long gone now, replaced with a remodeled Pavilions and a Chipotle. I had heard that the owners of this shopping center wanted to liven things up by adding some new life to this shopping venue, and Crow Burger Kitchen is one restaurant that is doing just that.

Crow Burger Kitchen is an offshoot of the very successful, Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona Del Mar. The two restaurants appear like they want to be independent of each other though. Both of their web sites have no mention of the other restaurant. They do not even share any common burgers with each other. They do share the same top-secret blend of prime chuck, short rib, hanger steak, and brisket to make their burgers. I was hoping I would like Crow Burger Kitchen as much as liked the Crow Bar and Kitchen. Let's see if this is the case.

We arrived at the restaurant at six on a Saturday night to a thirty-minute wait. Guess we should have made reservations, but our friend Becky is notoriously late, so we knew we had some time to kill. After being seated I noticed the hip and energetic staff buzzing around the place. The restaurant is darkened, and dominated by a brick wall, and lots of light-colored wood.

I admit I am no beer connoisseur. I asked the waitress to bring me something light, so she brought me a Joe's American Pilsner ($5)  from Avery Brewing Company. She was right on the mark with this selection. Light and refreshing. This pilsner did not get in the way of any of the foods that were upcoming. You can tell that they take their beer and wine selections very seriously at Crow Burger Kitchen. These are not your run of the mill beers that you are going to see at all of the other restaurants. I admit to not knowing more than a quarter of their offerings, but like I said, I am by no means a beer expert. Even though I have drunk my fair share of the golden brewed elixir.

We each picked a side item to go with our burgers, and this was Katie's choice, the Grilled Green Bean Fries ($3.95). When I heard her order these I did not think I would like these. They were actually seasoned really well and served with a nice olive tapenade. If these were just a little crisper they would have been even better.

One item that both Crow restaurants do have in common is the Duck Fat Fries ($3.95). These fries are as rich as they sound. Again, like the green beans, they could have been a little crispier, but they were still good. These were served with house-made ketchup that was not as sweet as store the store-bought version but was still good.

The last of our side items was the Vidalia Onion Rings ($5.95). I thought these were okay, but the breading separated from the onion very easily. This breading was very heavy, but not too greasy. The serving size of these were not overly large, six rings. So that works out to a dollar per ring, not such a great value.

Both Katie and Becky ordered the same burger, the aptly named, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger ($8.95). This cheesy burger comes on a wheat English muffin with black pepper cheese, cream cheese, goat cheese, garlic mayo, and an onion ring. Both of the girls really liked this burger, especially Becky, who paired this with a cabernet. This burger did feature lots of cheese, but the cheese did not overpower the meat here like I thought it would. I was also a little apprehensive about the cream cheese on this, but it melted down to a nice consistency. The onion ring added a nice crunch, and the English muffin really held everything together well.

I had looked at the menu before we got to the restaurant, so I knew I would be having the Hangover Burger ($8.95). This burger was almost made just for me. Fried hen's egg, bacon, and sharp cheddar joined the 5-ounce burger patty on a buttermilk bun. A real breakfast burger. The meat was cooked very nicely, and seasoned well. The fried egg was plenty runny after I broke the yolk. The bacon was thick and full of delicious flavor. My only minor complaint would be that this needed a mayonnaise type condiment of some kind to put this over the top. Really good burger though.

Crow Burger Kitchen is just as good as their sister restaurant, Crow Bar Kitchen. All of the items were very good, and the burgers are superior to most out there. There are only eight burgers on their menu, but they also offer an option to build your perfect burger, so the combinations are immense. I did not think the prices were out of control for gourmet burgers. The service was great the night we were here. They were busy, but our waitress was hustling and checked on us regularly. I imagine that wait times for tables can be quite long here because a lot of people eat and then have drinks at the same table. Glad we made it to Crow Burger Kitchen, and we are looking forward to having a summer filled with great burgers just like these.

Out of five pieces of licorice, (because there used to be a brand of black licorice named, "Crows" in the early 20th century), five being best to zero being worst, Crow Burger Kitchen gets 3.5 pieces of licorice.

For more information on Crow Burger Kitchen, click here: http://crowburgerkitchen.com/index.php

Mastering Dessert at Mastro's

Mastro's Steakhouse

633 Anton Blvd.

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Okay, yes, this is a review of Mastro's Steakhouse, but you will not see any meat in this review. That was not our purpose on this trip. The steak aroma that wafted through the air was definitely intoxicating, but we had just come from another restaurant and were only here for dessert. Well, not just any dessert, but the dessert we have been hearing about for some time now: the Mastro's Signature Warm Butter Cake.

We got to Mastro's at about 7 on a Sunday night. We did not have a reservation but planned to sit in the bar area. We were directed down the hallway and found an empty table in the darkened lounge. They had a couple of musicians playing hits from Billy Joel, Hall and Oates, and others. The vibe here was of a fancy restaurant, but maybe because we were in the bar area, it seemed less stuffy.

I was surprised to learn that Mastro's has only been around since 1999. It seems like I have been hearing about this place forever. Started in Scottsdale, Arizona, this very respected steakhouse has grown to nine locations, with a tenth opening up in Palm Desert later this fall. OC is blessed to have two locations of Mastro's, with the other in nearby Newport Beach.

Just because we were here for dessert did not mean that I had to forgo a chance to have a birthday cocktail. I ordered a Rum and Coke ($8.00). I usually do not show the drinks I have on this blog, but this one I thought was unique because they gave me this tiny bottle of soda along with my rum. It is very rare that a place does not shoot the soda out of a gun. Of course, I only used less than half of the Coke.

We were here for the cake, but Katie also wanted some Chocolate Gelato ($9) for dessert. I mean, who could have cake without ice cream? Okay, technically gelato, but you get the point. This came with three scoops of the delicious, light gelato. The chocolate was prevalent here, and Katie called this gelato "superior."

We were here because of the Mastro's Signature Warm Butter Cake ($14). This picture does not do this dessert justice. Biting into this is just like how winning the lottery would feel. A loss of your senses, a feeling of an out-of-body experience, then the realization that this is real life. This butter cake was all that it was hyped up to be. This was served with vanilla ice cream on top and some assorted fruit around the outside. The cake was mildly crunchy on the outside and warm and buttery on the inside. Kind of tasted like a very rich Twinkie, but much better. The only thing that would have made this greater would have been more ice cream on it. Be warned, this is very rich, though. I almost ate this all myself and paid the price, but it was worth it. Get this cake!

If we did not have enough dessert, our server brought out this complimentary chocolate sin cake because Katie had mentioned it was my birthday. I wonder what people around us must have thought with all of the desserts cluttering our table? Anyway, this cake was moist and predictably had a rich chocolate taste. This is the cake to get if you are into chocolate. The next day, I shared this with my parents, and it was still moist. Just in case this was not rich enough, they gave us a plate of real whipped cream to top this with. With all of our desserts, we did not need it.

I know this is a dessert review about a place famous for its steaks, but the desserts also need to be acknowledged here. Even if you are too full from eating steak here, leave room for dessert. You will be sorry if you miss the butter cake.

Out of five Arabian horses (because Mastro's was founded in Scottsdale, home of the aptly named Scottsdale Arabian Horse show, which has been held since 1955 and draws thousands of visitors to the area), five being best to zero being worst, Mastro's Steakhouse gets 3.5 Arabian horses.

For more information on Mastro's Steakhouse, click here:http://www.mastrosrestaurants.com/

Birthday Dinner in Newport! - CLOSED

Cucina Alessa

6700 W. Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92663

It was birthday dinner time, but where to go? Katie would be paying, so I did not want to go out for a crazy expensive meal, but I still wanted something nice. I checked out my list of restaurants that we had to try and found Cucina Alessa. So, we cut the birthday nap short and headed to Newport Beach.

Cucina Alessa is located a little off the beaten track in Newport. It is right on PCH, right before you cross the bridge to head into Huntington Beach. The parking lot is tiny, so that might be a problem during peak meal times and when the beach is crowded. We were allowed to sit inside or out, so we opted for the small but lovely patio.

Cucina Alessa has three locations, all in beach towns, Laguna, HB, and this one in Newport. Chef and Owner Alessandro Pirozzi was born in Naples and learned his cooking style from his grandmother. His menu has all the usual Italian favorites from all over Italy. Let's see if this will be a birthday dinner to remember or if I will forget it because of my advancing age. 

First up, a check of the Bread Basket and Pesto Dip. The bread here was simple, but we could not stop eating it. They cut sturdy Italian bread into strips and paired it with a solid pesto dip, which included basil and olive oil. It was a good start.

Nothing really spoke to me on their appetizer menu until I saw the Mamma Mia ($15.99): three meatballs in a ragu with burrata on top. These meatballs were pretty good-sized, and the burrata cheese made them very rich. The ragu was mild but still managed to have a good flavor. These meatballs were served with focaccia, which had a pizza crust vibe and was good for dipping into the sauce. We would not hesitate to order this appetizer again.

We both got side salads at Cucina Alessa. Katie selected the Della Casa ($4.50). This salad came with organic mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and shaved Parmesan, with an Italian herb vinaigrette. Katie called this salad "good, but nothing out of the ordinary." She did remark that the vegetables used here were very fresh. I went with a Julius Caesar Salad ($4.75). For a side salad, this was a decent size. This salad had plenty of Caesar dressing and garlic Parmesan croutons. The shaved pecorino was plentiful and really added to this salad.

Katie zeroed in on what she would order quickly: the Pollo Tortellini ($14.99). This plate comprised rosemary chicken, shallots, and green onions, all in a tomato vodka cream sauce. This plate came out of the kitchen nice and hot, and Katie could not hold back her praise for this meal. She felt it was one of the best pasta dishes she has had in a long time. She could really taste the rosemary with the chicken. The sauce was full of flavor without being too heavy. She would definitely get this pasta again here.

Unlike Katie, it took me forever to come up with what I wanted for my birthday dinner. I finally went with the Penne Funghi E Salsicce ($14.99), a fancy way of saying mushroom and sausage penne. I almost always gravitate towards a sausage dish in an Italian restaurant. I might have to change it up in the future. I liked the sauce in this pasta dish, but this meal really needed more of the pop I expected. It required more sausage, and some red pepper flakes could have helped. The pasta is freshly made, and I could definitely tell the difference. Good-sized portion, but I will try something different on future visits here.

We really enjoyed our visit to Cucina Alessa. The restaurant, like the parking situation, is very cramped though. The patio, where we were seated, was very narrow, and the tables were very close to each other. Inside seemed to be the same and very noisy. The menu at Cucina Alessa is diverse enough that you should be able to find something you will definitely like. They have all of the Italian standards, made with very fresh ingredients. I look forward to trying more of their menu and finding my "go-to" item here. The service was good on this night. Our waiter kept things moving along at a decent pace. The restaurant has a laid-back but nice feel to it. It's not overly stuffy, but it's not a place to wear your swim trunks after a day at the beach. Prices are reasonable, especially for this area, and the portion sizes were also suitable. I am glad we finally made it to Cucina Alessa, and I look forward to returning.

Out of five tongue depressors (not because this place will make you sick, but because this restaurant is just down the street from Hoag Hospital, and it is the largest employer in the city of Newport Beach), five being best to zero being worst, Cucina Alessa gets 3 tongue depressors.

For more information about Cucina Alessa, click here: http://cucinaalessarestaurants.com/