Scratching the Culinary Surface at Surfas - CLOSED

Surfas Culinary District

3303 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Truth be told, I was not too excited to come to Surfas. I am not much into shopping. I very rarely cook at home, even though I love to cook. I had only been to the South Coast Collection (SOCO) center once before and was not so excited by the hipster type vibe I experienced there. I mainly went to Surfas because when Katie had heard that we were invited, her eyes lit up like I haven't seen them in a long time. She was ecstatic about our trip to Surfas. I have to admit that after our trip, I was pretty ecstatic about the store also.

First a little history behind Surfas. Started in 1937, this is truly a family-owned business, now with their third generation working here. The original Surfas operated in Los Angeles as a major supplier of equipment to the burgeoning culinary market that LA was becoming. In 1989, they outgrew their warehouse/showroom on Jefferson and moved to their current LA location in Culver City. This larger location allowed them to carry gourmet cheeses and other specialty food items that are just not available anywhere. Still only open to wholesalers and restaurant industry personnel, in the mid-'90s Surfas flung open their doors to the public to allow them to experience some of the 20,000 food products, along with their large collection of commercial quality kitchen necessities. After many years of people asking for another location of Surfas to be opened up, the owners found what they think is the perfect spot, the South Coast Collection in Costa Mesa.

This is the third location of Surfas, (they have a small storefront in the resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas). This OC location has become a culinary wonderland to the many kitchen designers, chefs, foodies, and just your average run of the mill consumer. From the moment we walked in I was amazed at all of the things that they carry. Lucky for us, we had the wonderful Kaitlin Novell to guide us along on a tour of this food lovers paradise.

We started off our tour by checking out all the products used to make great food. I was really impressed by all of the state of the art kitchen items that they carry. Deep fryers, pots, and pans of all sizes and types, mixers, ovens, ranges, sinks, faucets, freezers, shelving, and more. Surfas not only sells these items but for over sixty years they have helped design and install commercial kitchens for a good many clients, big and small.

Need a gravy boat, tea kettle, bar supplies, or maybe some new glassware? Surfas has small stuff covered as well. Aisle upon aisle of kitchen gadgets of the higher quality than you can find at your local Target store. In fact, I was recently at Target trying to find an ice pick, a simple item that I was sure they would carry. No such luck. During our visit to Surfas, I not only found an ice pick for $4.70, but I also found an ice chisel, ice carving knife, and an ice carving toolset. Great for when I start my new career as an ice block designer. I will for sure know where to go for my tools.

Katie made me promise that I would spotlight the seconds that are offered at Surfas. These are dishes that may have a tiny chip on the bottom of them or have a slight factory defect. The prices on these are incredible, and of higher quality, since they are to be used in restaurants. They have to be sturdy since they are being used every day. These seconds are reason enough for Katie to come back to Surfas.

We, unfortunately, did not get a chance to tour the test kitchen at Surfas because they were holding a cooking class at the time of our visit. This test kitchen is located right off of the showroom and hosts a variety of events. The already mentioned cooking classes take place here on a regular basis, along with chef demos, workshops, and private events, such as wine tastings, pop up dinners, and group parties.

Surfas also boasts a cafe that helps feed hungry shoppers. A good many of the items served here feature items from around the store. Back in 2006, when the first Surfas Cafe opened in Los Angeles, they were named by Zagat as one of the top ten new restaurants in Los Angeles. A pretty big honor for a store that started out as a kitchen supply store. Kaitlin kept us moving right along, but both Katie and I made a mental note to come back to Surfas soon to try out their cafe.

Now for the part of the tour that I was most geared up for, the food portion of the tour. Looking for Himalayan coarse pink salt? They got that. Searching your supermarket for Guajillo powder? They definitely will not have that, but Surfas does. Want to find that olive oil that you had while in Italy? They have close to 100 kinds of olive oil at Surfas, so there's a chance that they will have it. I have worked in the grocery business for 25 years, and have yet to see a collection of food items like the ones they have Surfas. They carry items that other places simply do not. From Swedish pancake mix straight from Sweden, to honey mustard powder to give your popcorn an extra flavor boost, Surfas can definitely get a chef's creative juices flowing.

Not only does Surfas carry dry goods, but they also have a wide array of refrigerated and frozen items as well. Clarified butter, rare bottled sodas, black truffle butter, rabbit, gourmet ice cream, and clotted cream can all be easily gathered at Surfas.

This is not like your Ralph's or Pavilion's deli case. The Epicurean Center at Surfas had almost any kind of cheese you have heard of and a lot of them that I had never heard of. There were plenty of people behind the counter to help you select the right kind of cheese or packaged meat you are looking for. Unsure about some of the cheeses? Off to the side of the cheese, counter are two communal tables where they offer Cheese Taster Trio's ($16.00) and Salumi Samplers ($18.00). After our tour around the store I was very excited to have this opportunity to sit down and rest, and of course, try some of the meats and cheeses.

These were much more than your average meat and cheese trays. You can see that the guys behind the counter really take great pride in their work. For the Cheese Taster Trio, we selected Cowgirl Creamery's Red Hawk, the Midnight Moon, and the Le Amuse. I am by no means a cheese connoisseur, but my favorite of the three was the Midnight Moon. It had a good earthy flavor, while still being a little on the buttery side. The jam that came with the cheese plate was made by the good people behind the counter, with items made from things right in the store. So good, and it went well with the cheese too. For the Salumi Sampler, I wanted something a little peppery, so our guy suggested the Olli Speck Duroc. This was probably one of the best prosciutto's that I have had. It was peppery but did not overshadow the meat. Very well balanced, but still with a kick. This was paired with a San Danielle Prosciutto, which comes exclusively from one of ten regions in Northern Central Italy. The meat can never be frozen and has to be matured for a certain amount of time. This was a very clean prosciutto, very meaty bite, and good texture. It was hard for me to keep from gorging on the slices of bread here, but I definitely had my fair share. This plate was garnished with some dried fruit, almonds, and chocolate. Really good respite after our tour of Surfas.

Surfas really won me over. I admit I went into this with a bad attitude. I thought everything was going to be overpriced, that the employees would look down on me for not being gourmet enough and that the customers here would be too snooty. I was wrong on all accounts.  I found the prices to be pretty good actually. The employees were very helpful, even taking the time to explain cooking methods and making suggestions based on our interaction. The customers were actually nice, and when we stopped to look at an item, more than once a fellow customer would let us know what they thought of a particular item. That's something people don't do at Albertson's. It was a really nice experience at Surfas, and with so many reasons to return, it will not be long before we do.

We would like to thank everyone at Surfas for the opportunity to visit their wonderful store. We were really impressed with all of you, and because of you, we will be back soon. We would also like to thank our tour guide and new friend Kaitlin from Purry Communications Group. She set up this opportunity and took time out of her Sunday to drive down the 405 to show us around the store. We can not thank you enough Kaitlin.

If you would like to know all the latest happenings with everything going on at Surfas, do not hesitate to check out their web site: http://www.culinarydistrict.com/

Stacking the Deck for a Great Breakfast

Stacks Pancake House

27680 Marguerite Parkway

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

I figure that in the span of writing this blog, I have eaten in restaurants close to three times a week. A lot of these restaurants kind of just blend into each other. It is really hard for most restaurants to stand out from the others. That probably explains why most restaurants that we have rated only get average, to slightly above average scores. I sometimes even have trouble remembering what I have eaten in some of the restaurants we have reviewed.

That is not the case with Stacks Pancake House. We first went to Stacks in Dana Point almost one year ago. I can clearly remember the ride down there and the weather on that day. More importantly, I can remember how much I liked our experience, and one item, in particular, the Captain Mac French Toast. More on that later. I was very excited when Stacks had announced that they would be opening a second location, one that would be cutting our breakfast drive time to no more than ten minutes, with none of that time spent on the freeway. So we waited a few weeks to let them settle in, then when we could wait no longer, we headed to their new location in Mission Viejo.

We got to Stacks at about half-past nine on a Sunday morning. This restaurant is located in a pretty low traffic shopping center that features Jojo's pizza, a Chinese restaurant, and no other real stores of note. The word must have gotten out about Stacks because when we arrived the line was nearly out the door. One qualm I have had with Stacks is the ordering process. Ordering is done at the counter, then you have to hunt for a place to sit. This process is not as bad at this location, because the dining area features more tables. We did not have people watching us eat while they were waiting for our table like we had at the Dana Point location. We were given a number and this how the food came out to us.

Let's start off our dining adventure at Stacks with Katie's choice for breakfast, the Kahlua Pork Benedict ($8.50). This Hawaiian twist on the classic eggs Benedict was a favorite of Katie's. She really liked the pork used here, felt the hollandaise sauce was on point, and the egg was well done. She did think this dish was rich, and she did have trouble finishing it all. This was served with home fried potatoes, which Katie thought were pretty standard, but good.

I also could not resist the call of the pork, so I opted for the Kahlua Pork Omelette ($8.50). This omelet comes stuffed with pork, cheddar and jack cheeses, onions, and was topped with a chipotle ranchero sauce. The egg and pork portion of this omelet was very good. The egg was very buttery and well cooked, while the pork was very tender, with just a hint of the Kahlua flavor. I was really surprised that they jammed so much pork in this omelet. My problem with this omelet was that there needed to be more cheese inside, and the chipotle ranchero sauce was used sparingly over the top of it and added no flavor to the plate. Like Katie, I liked the crispiness of the home fried potatoes, but they ended up just being average. I would get this again but ask for more cheese and some Tapatio on the side.

One of my favorite items that we have photographed on this blog has been the Captain Mac Nut French Toast ($6.95). Like a supermodel, this breakfast dish can not take a bad picture. At Stacks, they use King's Hawaiian sweet bread as the base for their french toast. Then they add crushed up macadamia nuts and Captain Crunch cereal to the french toast. As if that was not enough, each table is stocked with a syrup dispenser filled with coconut syrup. The result is one of the best breakfast plates we have had. The sweetness of this french toast is not as overpowering as you might think, due to the earthiness from the macadamia nuts and the coconut syrup. The outer portion of the french toast has a slight crust to it, which gives it some good texture. This is a must-try item when coming to Stacks.

After having the Captain Mac french toast, I could not be happier that Stacks has chosen to move closer to my house. This one item really makes this restaurant for me. We liked the egg items that they have here, but they pale in comparison to the awesomeness that is the french toast. The menu at Stacks is kind of a hodgepodge of different influences. The heavy influence is Hawaiian, but for lunch, they also serve Korean short ribs, teriyaki plates, and crepes, along with burgers and traditional sandwiches. It would be hard for me to come here and not get breakfast though. The service during our visit was pretty good. The girls running the food out and clearing the tables were working pretty hard. I think the prices here are on the good side, and definitely on par with other breakfast joints in the area. I am really happy that Stacks has brought one of our most memorable menu items closer to my house. Thanks, Stacks for cutting down on what we would have spent in gas getting to you.

Out of five kangaroos, (because the leading producer of macadamia nuts and the birthplace of the famous nut is not Hawaii, but Australia), five being best to zero being worst, Stacks Pancake House gets 3.5 kangaroos.

For more information about Stacks Pancake House, click here: http://stackspancakehouse.com/

Slater's Backyard Brewfest CLOSED

Backyard Brewfest at Slater's 50/50

24356 Swartz Dr.

Lake Forest, CA 92630

By now you know about my love for Slater's 50/50. You are probably saying, "Another post about Slater's?" Yes, I am going to subject you to another one. I not only love their over the top burgers, their trivia nights, and their bar areas, where it is always a great place to watch a game, but now there is another reason to love Slater's, they are very committed to the communities that they serve. Case in point, just this past Saturday they had a Backyard Brewfest at their newest location in Lake Forest. The great folks at Slater's were kind enough to invite us to experience the great time firsthand. So we headed over on this picturesque Saturday afternoon.

The Backyard Brewfest not only showcased the great craft beer and food that Slater's offers, but it also benefited a great cause, the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation is an independent, non-profit corporation. They are inspired by the groundbreaking research of Dr. Mitchell Cairo. The foundation quickly grew beyond their Orange County roots. Since 1982, PCRF has raised over $30 million for cutting edge pediatric cancer research, which has led to continuing improvements in the care, quality of life, and survival rates of children with malignant diseases. The Backyard Brewfest is just one of the ways they raise money. They have some great events all year round; including golf tournaments. walks and runs, and they even have bowling events. You can find out more information about the great work that the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation does, and how you can get involved right here: http://www.pcrf-kids.org/

I apologize if I missed any of the other breweries that were in attendance. I was feeling pretty loopy after about the seventh one, so if I missed anyone I am sorry. I am not going to bore you with my lack of knowledge of the craft beer industry. I am definitely not an expert on beer. I do know what I like however, so I will let you know which ones of these stood out for me. I am a big fan of Hangar 24, and their Orange Wheat. I like the fruitiness and lightness of it, without giving up the taste. At the Backyard Brewfest Hangar 24 had a special, limited edition keg that they tapped, the Barrel Roll No. 4 Hammerhead. This Barleywine style ale is aged six months in a charred whiskey barrel. This is a stronger beer than I like, but I sure did get the strong hint of whiskey when sipping this one. Another standout for me was the Coconut Rye Stout from Latitude 33. This Vista brewer was making their OC debut at the Backyard Brewfest, and I really liked the uniqueness of their coconut stout. It was light, and had a very apparent coconut taste, which did not overpower the base of this stout. Very well done. Golden Road is from Los Angeles, and they had a very nice Hefeweizen. It was very smooth, and went down easily. We might have to make a trip up the freeway soon to visit Golden Road, because they have a pub connected to their brewery. The last brewer I wanted to spotlight was the El Segundo Brewing Co. This South Bay brewer made a memorable mark with me, with their Blue House Citra Pale. This was a hoppy ale with lots of citrus. Lighter than expected, and I could have had many more of these.

Of course I was excited to try the beers, but the food was what really got me here. All you can eat Slater's? How can that be a bad thing? They had several food tents set up in their parking lot, doling out some of Slater's classic dishes. I am not much of a salad guy, but Katie was grateful that they had  samples of Slater's House Salad, with chicken added. See, it is possible to eat healthy at Slater's. Of course all that health talk goes out the window when I had about four samples of the B' B' Bacon Burger. This bacon lovers dream starts with Slater's signature 50 percent ground beef and 50 percent ground bacon patty, and is then topped with bacon cheddar cheese, bacon island dressing, two strips of bacon, a sunny side up egg, and for good measure, a bacon pretzel bun. Bacon euphoria in Lake Forest. What about bacon for dessert? Okay, how about the ultra rich Bacon Brownie. This very moist chocolate brownie is coated with chocolate ganache and candied bacon pieces. I could only finish two slices of this.

Slater's was not the only ones serving food at the Backyard Brewfest. I was surprised to see one of my favorite Downtown Santa Ana restaurants here, Chapter One: The Modern Local. They served up the very artistic Scotch Egg above, along with the Red Velvet and White Russian Cake Tastes.The red velvet one was good, but the white Russian one was the best of the two. Had a great taste, and it really did taste like a sweeter version of the cocktail.

The last booth that I wanted to mention was the TapHunter booth. The people over at TapHunter are trying to make it easy for beer consumers to find where their favorite beers are being poured. Craft beers rotate frequently, so before you drive an hour and a half in traffic, you should check their web site, or download their app on your phone or mobile device to make sure you are not battling traffic for nothing. You can find out more about TapHunter here: http://oc.taphunter.com/

Needless to say, the Slater's Backyard Brewfest was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Good beers, great food, and the Southern California weather made for one of the nicest events we have been to. Not only was all the aforementioned great, but the people here were awesome as well. The crowd was very friendly, the beer representatives really knew their stuff and answered all of our questions, and the organizers of this event kept everything under control. Hopefully there will be many more charitable events like this at Slater's. We would like to thank Ali Stanley at Bread and Butter PR for inviting us to this great event. Thanks for everything Ali. A last thank you goes to Slater's 50/50. You guys just opened the doors of this Lake Forest location, and already you are contributing to the community by hosting a great charitable event. Thanks for opening down the street fro me, and thanks for all you do in the community.

To make sure that you do not miss any great events at Slater's, like this one. Go to their web site here: http://www.slaters5050.com/

Is Linx the Top Dog in a City Rich in Hot Dogs? - CLOSED

Linx

285 W. Chapman Ave.

Orange, CA 92866

At this rate, the city of Orange may have to be nicknamed Hot Dog Capital of OC. Not only does this city contain one of my favorite hot dog places to date, Game Day Hot Dogs, but they also feature another on-line favorite, and place that has been on our must try list forever, PCH Dogs. I promise we will get to you soon PCH Dogs. 

Now there is a new hot dog/sausage place in this frankfurter rich metropolis. Linx has moved into the area, just a block and a half west of the Orange Plaza, or as people who do not know any better call it, "the Orange Circle". I have learned my lesson though, so it will be the Orange Plaza on this blog. Anyways, I was pretty excited to try this new hot dog place, and on this trip I had the pleasure of having my good friend Steve, and his wonderful family join me here at Linx. 

The man behind Linx is Chef Scott Brandon, who was the chef and founder of another of my favorite restaurants, Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona Del Mar. Now Scott and his partner, Rick Kagasoff, have opened Linx and are trying to make a name for themselves in this hot dog haven area of OC. According to their web site they are trying to make the simple hot dog into something extraordinary. They are working directly with Europa Specialty Sausage to create all of their specialty sausages. They also get their buns and rolls directly from the O.C. Baking Company everyday. As if that was not enough, they make all their condiments in house, they get as much produce as possible from farmers markets, and they do not add fillers or by-products to any of their sausages. 

We got to Linx at about 4PM on a Monday afternoon. A time that is right in the middle of the lull between lunch and dinner. Linx is not a huge restaurant. They have a large communal table set up in the middle of the restaurant with maybe ten chairs, then a bar along a wall with about seven seats, then two small tables, and dining outside on their adjacent patio. I can imagine that this place can get a little cramped at meal times, but we had our choice of seating. Ordering is done at the counter, and then food is brought out for you. After we studied the menu for way too long, we went to order. This is what came out of the kitchen for us. 

I was going to be eating at my Mom's for dinner, so I limited myself to only three items at Linx. The first was this Beer Brat ($6). This neurenberger bratwurst comes topped with bacon-apple kraut and beer mustard on a salted pretzel bun. First off the bun was really good here. They were soft, held everything in place, and did not get in the way of what was inside. The brat had a nice meaty flavor to it, but was a little mellower than I had thought it would be. I think the veal used in this brat really subdued the pork here. I definitely got the apple in the kraut, but the bacon was not present for me. I did really like the mustard on this though, I could definitely tell it was made here. Not the best brat I have had, but it all came together nicely. 

Not to ruin the rest of this review, but this was the best thing I had at Linx, and the thing that I will definitely come back for. The T.J. Street Dog ($6) definitely deserves three pictures here. This starts with a spicy Polish kielbasa, then is topped with smoked bacon, chorizo mayo, avocado, cilantro, and a giardiniera relish, all on a potato bun. This is like no Tijuana hot dog I have ever had. The big flavors all came together to create a great taste experience. The spiciness from the Polish was evident, the avocado cooled things down a bit, the bacon added a salty element, and the sauces were real good as well. This one was gone far too quick. 

I got an order of Belgian Frites ($5) to split among all of us. I was expecting these frites to be more crisp than they turned out to be. I could tell that these frites used to be potatoes fairly recently. They definitely had that fresh taste. They were a tad too mushy for me though. With the large order you get your choice of two sauces to try. I really had a hard time choosing because they all sounded so good. I eventually went with the  Blue Cheese Bacon Aioli and the Chorizo Mayo. I found the blue cheese bacon aioli to be too watery, and kind of boring. The chorizo mayo was thicker, and clung to the limp fries better. I would say that I would not get these again, but I definitely need something to go along with the sausages. I might just ask for them to be more well done next time. 

The item that I was most excited to try when I was walking into Linx was the Double Down Burrito ($8). I had a very similar item at a hot dog place in Reseda almost two years ago. I still dream about that Texas Burrito Dog. The burrito here at Linx came with two all beef franks, chili, bacon, beans, pico de gallo, and cheese, all wrapped in a flour tortilla. This double down burrito really let me down. Maybe it was because I had such high hopes going into it. The chili was okay, but lacked the pop of flavor I had expected. The cheese was totally lost here, while the pico de gallo featured real big hunks of tomato in it, and not much else. The beans were average, and the only saving grace for this burrito were the two franks, that added a nice meatiness to this otherwise bland burrito. I was really hoping this burrito could save me from driving the hour and a half up to Reseda, but it was not to be.

Steve's wife, Blair selected the Coney Dog ($6) to try. Linx's version of the chili dog started with a griddled frank, then is topped with chili, yellow mustard, and usually onions, but Blair opted for her Coney Dog to come without. The bun used on this was a potato roll. Blair finished this chili dog rather quickly, and then debated as to whether to get another one. She really liked this version of a chili dog. The bun was good, and the chili was mild, just the way she likes it. She would get this again, but might contemplate getting two next time. 

Steve did not have a difficult time picking out what he was going to get at Linx. He knew right away that the Ripper ($6) was in his immediate future. This favorite from the east coast is a frankfurter that is deep fried until it bursts, then mustard, relish, and grilled onions are added to the potato roll. Steve liked this version of a hot dog, but though that it was going to have more crunch to the frankfurter. He liked the condiments used here, and would probably get this ripper again. 

Off of the Custom Linx menu, Steve and Blair's adorable daughter Lucy got a Naked Style Frankfurter ($4), which just came with the dog and a bun. I thought I was going to be able to snag half of this, because Lucy was more into playing Britney Spears on her Ipod, but she eventually was persuaded to eat her hot dog. She did make a pretty good dent in it, and said that it was, "good". Thanks for that informative review Lucy, now go back to singing Britney. 

No Pepsi or Coca Cola fountain drink products at Linx, only Cane Sugar Bottled Sodas ($2.50) are served here. I am not much of a soda fan, so I stuck with water and iced tea. Just wanted to make it known that there are no free re-fills here. The guys at Linx are also really into craft and specialty beers. They have about 10 beers on tap, and another twenty or so that come in the bottle. As with most restaurants, they will be rotating their craft beer selection on regular a basis. 

Just could not pass up the opportunity to show off Steve and Blair's latest addition to the family. Her name is Ruby, and she was just about four weeks old when this picture was snapped. I am sure that she will not remember that Linx was her very first restaurant, because she slept through the whole meal. Lucky girl, because she did not have to listen to her Dad's horrible stories. Just kidding, Steve.

Back to Linx though. I have come to the realization that this restaurant is not for everyone. The portions are on the small side, the prices are pretty expensive for the amount you get, and the seating can be an issue. Linx is more for the person that wants quality over quantity. The attention to detail here will not be appreciated by all, but it was appreciated by me. The great buns, the way they make all of their condiments, and the well made dogs and sausages will bring me back. I do feel like I will have to make multiple visits to Linx to find my ultimate hot dog experience here. It may come form one of the 10 already dressed dogs, or it may come from the custom order portion of the menu. I am looking forward to my journey to hot dog nirvana in what is becoming Hot Dog City USA.

Out of five train cars, (because the now canceled train route between Norway and Sweden was run by the now defunct train company Linx), five being best to zero being worst, Linx gets 3 train cars. 

For more information about Linx, click here: http://linxdogs.com/