Steak Oasis In the High Desert - CLOSED

Idle Spurs Steak House

690 Old Highway 58

Barstow, CA 92311

When making the drive to Vegas, most people probably just grab some fast food and go along their way. I mean there's glitzy Las Vegas ahead, and most people can't wait to get there. For Katie and I, we like to take our time getting up there and experience a little of the desert life. I usually do a little research and find a place to stop halfway, so we can stretch our legs and feed our stomachs. On this trip, that stop was Idle Spurs Steak House.

Idle Spurs came across my radar because they were on Man V. Food, so I checked out their Yelp page. Since Katie would be working a half-day on the morning we were going to be leaving for Vegas, it was going to work out perfect that Idle Spurs was open for an early dinner, when we would be passing through. Steak might not be an ideal thing to eat while driving the rest of the 157 miles to Vegas, but I skipped breakfast and lunch just so I'd have some room.

This restaurant used to be the dream home of Jeanie and Chuck O'Hare, who built this place in the mid-'50s. They opened up Idle Spurs Ranch to feed hungry travelers along busy Highway 58, which connected Bakersfield to Vegas. Then in 1974, the restaurant was sold to Donna and Morgan Ray, owners of the Morgan Meat Company, which is down the road and supplies all the beef here. A name change to Idle Spurs Steak House, an expansion of the restaurant has occurred, and now Ray's daughter, Judy, and son-in-law Mark are now running the place. Even though there's a new highway, which bypasses the restaurant, Idle Spurs has still persevered, and still serves locals, and travelers willing to go five minutes out of their way to forgo the fast food along the highway, and enjoy a nicer meal on their way traveling through the High Desert.

Our GPS put us here at about half-past four on a recent Tuesday afternoon. The restaurant was pretty empty as we started our meal, but there was a constant building of customers during our stay. You could totally tell this used to be a house back in the day. We were seated in the center of the restaurant, in an enclosed patio room, which featured many plants, a skylight, and a floor that is made up of 56 tons of flagstone. This restaurant kind of had the feel of the Cask and Cleaver Restaurants in the Inland Empire.

The menu, of course, is dominated by red meat at Idle Spurs, but there are some seafood options, along with one chicken offering. Prices are in the range of $20 to $30, with only the Steak and Lobster combo going over the $40 mark. I had already looked over their menu, so I was very quick making my selection on this early evening. Let's see if the food at Idle Spurs is worth making a pit stop on your way to Vegas.

No bread basket here, they make sure that you start off your meal with some veggies. Maybe because they know you're going to gorge on some red meat for your meal. We were given this small bowl of cut-up vegetables. some of these were pickled, and some were not. Pretty basic, but much appreciated while we waited for our meals.

Since I had skipped breakfast and lunch in anticipation of this meal, I was pretty hungry, so we ordered the Deep Fried Zucchini ($8) to start with. I really enjoyed this starter. The zucchini was heavily breaded but lacked a greasiness to it. What made this even better was a very well done ranch dressing that came out with this. It coated the zucchini well and added some great flavor to this summer squash. One of the better-fried zucchini appetizers we have had.

Unlike at expensive steak restaurants, the meals here at Idle Spurs come with soup or salad. Katie selected this salad to start with. This salad was created table-side, which I thought was a nice touch. The greens were fresh and chilled, with cheese, croutons, and a slice of beet topping the produce. Since we had such a good experience with the ranch dressing that came with the zucchini, Katie wanted to see if the ranch dressing was just a fluke, so she got the blue cheese dressing on her salad. We found out it wasn't a fluke, this blue cheese dressing was also good. It coated the lettuce well and really added to this salad. A basic salad, but one that Katie enjoyed.

I'd also usually opt for the salad, but since Katie wanted to get the salad, I went with the soup, which was Clam Chowder this evening. This version was very heavy on the chowder, but rather light on the clams. Not too many were noticeable to me. It was a very creamy soup, with larger chunks of tender potato. Good, but not great. More of creamy potato soup, than clam chowder, I'd probably get a salad on my next trip here.

Also coming with your dinner entree is a basket of Garlic Cheese Bread. I had a few bites of this and decided to avoid this the rest of the meal. The bread was toasted and very dry. I did not get any garlic flavor on this, and there was no cheese to speak of. Kind of false advertising, but it was included with the meal, so I couldn't get too angry about it.

It always makes me cringe when listening to Katie order steak in a restaurant. When we first started dating, she always ordered them well done, which makes me gag just thinking of it. She now orders them medium-well, which is at least a step in the right direction. She had this good looking Filet Mignon ($32) on this evening. I loved the look of this steak, with the crossed grill marks, and it actually tasted pretty good to me, even though it was overcooked for my taste. Katie threw around words like clean, smooth, and great tasting to describe this steak. She had a little trouble finishing this eight-ounce steak but made a gallant effort to do so. Also on the plate was a baked potato and seasoned veggies. Both of these were good. The baked potato was also dressed table-side, and they used plenty of butter and sour cream inside of this rather massive baked potato.  This plate definitely filled Katie up.

I'm always in a quandary when picking a steak for my meal. I love the flavor of the ribeye, but sometimes they can be too fatty. I love the tenderness of the filet, but then you have to sacrifice flavor. On this early evening, I went with the Boneless Ribeye. ($24). This 12-ounce hunk was prepared simply, might have been a little on the fatty side, but it had a good, meaty flavor to it. It was prepared to my desired medium rare specifications and was pretty tender. Not the highest quality of steak here, but for the price, not bad at all. Like I said earlier, the veggies were pretty average, and the garlic mashed potatoes had a good consistency to them, but were devoid of flavor. I did not taste any garlic going on here. I'd opt for a baked potato next time.

Idle Spurs is not the best steakhouse we have been to, but it's definitely worth a visit if you are in the area, want to avoid fast food, and want to take your time coming from, or going to Vegas. The steaks here are pretty legit, and if you have steak here, you can avoid the more expensive ones in Las Vegas. I felt for the price, this was some pretty solid food. Yes, there were some hiccups, but the majority of the things we tried we liked. The service was pretty solid on this evening. Gloria did have a lot of tables as the night went along, but she always came by to make sure we had everything we needed and got us on our way in a timely manner. It's good to know that a steak is always an option, (except on Mondays when they are closed), on our drive to Vegas.

Out of five meteorites, (because Barstow is home to the Desert Discovery Center, which houses the largest meteorite found in California, and the second-largest in the US), five being best to zero being worst, Idle Spurs Steak House gets 3 solid meteorites.

For more information about Idle Spurs Steakhouse, head to their website here: https://www.theidlespurs.com/

Eclipsing Our Expectations at Kutsi? - CLOSED

Kutsi Cocina Lounge and Bar

201 North Broadway

Santa Ana, CA 92701

I feel like Chef Chris Tzorin and myself are playing a game of hide and go seek. It seems like I have been chasing this guy all over the county. I never ate at Savannah Chophouse during either of his two stints there. I never made it to the Tortilla Republic when he was in charge of the kitchen at that Laguna Beach restaurant either. When I heard that he has moved yet again, I knew I had to make a real effort to try his new place, Kutsi Cocina in Santa Ana.

Kutsi is located in the old Memphis spot in Downtown Santa Ana. Occupying part of the historic Santora Building, I have read glowing reviews for the food here, which is no big surprise when Chef Chris is heading the kitchen. He's become quite the celebrity chef as of late. With appearances on two Food Network Shows, winning some culinary competitions, and lots of positive press for his latest venture, I was pretty excited to make the journey to Kutsi on a recent Friday night, with our fellow food blogging friends, Tom and Daniele.

I'm probably one of the few people that had never made it to this address when Memphis was here. I always went to their Costa Mesa location instead, so I really don't know what kind of changes they made when they took over. I did like the feel of this restaurant though. It kind of had contrasting feels to me, which I liked. On one hand, it really conveyed mellow energy, but then you have the single light bulbs dangling from the ceiling, along with the guitar player set up in the corner, and it helped bring this space to life.

Also bringing the space to life is the menu at Kutsi. Their website describes their food as, "modern Mexican, representing cuisine from all over Mexico". There are plenty of appetizers and starters to choose from and a limited number of entrees. When we talked to Chef Chris, he mentioned that the menu will probably be changed a bit the next time we visit, but he assured us that mot customer favorites will remain, at least in some incarnation. Let's take a look at what we had this evening.

We were out with Tom and Daniele, so of course, drinks were in order. I only took pictures of our first round, as with this couple, I could use up all of my space describing the drinks that they had. Just kidding Tom and Daniele. Tom started things off with the Spicy Margarita ($10). This uses Torado Reposado tequila, which I learned means it's aged in an oak barrel, and also utilizes jalapeno to make it spicy, along with cucumber and lime to help cool it down. Tom drank this very quickly, so I guess I can assume that he enjoyed it. I went with a fruit-based cocktail, which is a little out of the norm for me. The very photogenic La Morena ($10) also uses a reposado tequila as its base, and then includes muddled berries, triple sec, lime, and jalapeno. I did not really get the jalapeno heat here, but I do believe it helped balance this cocktail out a bit. More of a one and done drink, I liked this, but think I'd probably try something else on my next trip here. After much deliberation, Daniele selected the La Flaca ($12) for her first beverage of the night. This was made with Partida Blanco Tequila, Partida Organic Agave, and fresh lime juice. She was pretty unhappy with this tart drink until she got some Sprite to sweeten this up a bit. The sweet soda allowed her to enjoy this until completion.

Before we get to our appetizers, here's a quick shot of the Chips and Salsa that was brought out as soon as we sat down. The chips shined here, as they were puffier than regular tortilla chips, and they had just a hint of grease on them, which tells you they were fried fresh. I always appreciate when a bean dip is presented with chips, and this was a good one. The salsa is not a spicy one, and it kind of brought to mind the red sauce that was served at the Huntington Beach food stands where I had the iconic strips and cheese when I was a kid. Good flavor, but if you're looking for heat, it's not here.

We actually got this Chorizo Clams ($12) as a mistake, but I was rather happy I got to try this popular starter. We ordered another chorizo appetizer, which you'll see next, but our waitress brought this one out to us first. This rather generous serving of sauteed clams came with one of the best sauces I have had this year, a chorizo crema. I needed a few more toasted points to sop up this delicious sauce. Very well done, even though some of my clams were a little on the gritty side. I'd get this again, just for the sauce.

This was the Chorizo ($10) dish we had originally wanted. I have to admit, this was a little different than what I was expecting. Toasted bread is topped with chorizo, manchego cheese, and a citrus fig jam. This was okay. The fig jam kind of overpowered and the chorizo kind of got lost in the shuffle. Not bad, but we'd probably skip this on our next visit.

Daniele was not feeling either of these two appetizers, so she selected this Beet Salad ($11) to start with. This good-sized salad was made up of baby spinach, oregano, goat cheese, fresh raspberries, candied walnuts, and drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette. She enjoyed this salad but enjoyed it even more when she asked for some extra goat cheese to help cut the sweetness. She did manage to finish this salad, while still talking a mile a minute. Very impressive D.

Entrees hit the table next, and let's start with Tom's choice, the Chicken Enchiladas ($12). With the enchiladas here, you have your choice of protein, (beef, chicken, or shrimp), and you also get to choose your sauce, (red, green, or mole). As you can see, Tom went with the mole with chicken inside. He really enjoyed the mole here. It was not as sweet as others but still added a good flavor to the dish. No complaints from Tom with this.

Katie also got the Chicken Enchiladas ($12), but a different style. She claims that these were in the upper echelon of chicken enchiladas that she has encountered. She loved the green sauce, which provided a lingering heat, the chicken was tender, and she really enjoyed the marinade that it was cooked with. She'd definitely get these again.

With the big salad that she ate, Daniele could only manage to finish one of her three Chicken Tacos ($9). These street sized tacos came out filled with chicken of course, but also, cabbage and a very well done Sriracha creme fraiche. I also spied some onions, peppers, and cheese in these as well. The menu fails to let you know that there are three tacos to order, and at three dollars per taco, Daniele exclaimed that this would definitely be included on her website Dani's Decadent Deal.

One of the most popular dishes according to diners on their Yelp page is this Steak Mole ($22), and after consuming this, I can see why. The steak here was a flatiron, which was encrusted with pistachios. It was placed upon a pile of jalapeno mashed potatoes and then surrounded by a moat of mole and chimichurri. I found the mole here to be a little less complex than at other places, but that does not diminish it at all. I really enjoyed this simpler version, which went well with the tender flatiron. I was glad it was as tender as it was because I was not offered a steak knife to cut it. The chimichurri was a nice touch, but kind of got pushed to the sidelines with the mole taking more of a starring role. The potatoes claimed to include jalapeno, but there was no spice here to speak of. Still a very good plate, and one that I hope will remain on their menu after their menu overhaul.

After our dinner, Chef Chris came out and talked with us for a while, and since Daniele was with us, she also asked for a few dozen pictures with him. After speaking to him for awhile, it's easy to see why this guy is one of the most loved chefs in OC. He's so nice, answered all of our goofy questions, and was so open about his journey so far. He also produces some pretty good food as well. I really enjoyed the time we spent at Kutsi. I thought the prices were more than fair, and the vibe here really meshed well with the Downtown Santa Ana scene. Our waitress Brenda really kept things moving along for us, and you can sense the pride that she has in this place. I'm glad that I finally had the opportunity to catch up with Chef Chris and we look forward to coming back to Kutsi again real soon.

Out of five moons, (since Kutsi means moon in one of the indigenous Mexican languages), five being best to zero being worst, Kutsi Cocina Lounge and Bar gets 3.5 moons.

For more information about Kutsi Cocina Lounge and Bar, check out their website here: http://www.kutsirestaurant.com/

Breezing Into Tropical Smoothie Cafe - CLOSED

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

23841 El Toro Road Suite C-E127

Lake Forest, CA 92630

If you are an ardent reader of this blog, it's probably not a surprise that I'm not really much of a smoothie drinker. Yes, I understand that they are a great way to get my fruit servings, but I'm not much into just stopping by somewhere for just a smoothie. I know it's not healthy, but I'd rather get my fruit servings from a slice of dutch apple pie or maybe even from a glass of orange juice at breakfast with two eggs and a side of bacon. Needless to say, I was a little skeptical walking into Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

We were recently invited here to experience this latest entrant to the smoothie battle going on here in Southern California. Tropical has been around since 1997. They started in Tallahassee, just selling smoothies, and two years later added a few wholesome food options to go along with their smoothies. Fast forward to 2016, and they are making a western push with the opening of their first California spots. Already opened in Rancho Cucamonga, and opening recently in Foothill Ranch, we were lucky enough to attend their Lake Forest opening a few weeks ago.

This Lake Forest spot is kind of secluded, but it's on busy El Toro Road. It's right next door to the Bank of America nearest the 5 Freeway, and in the same shopping center as Costume Castle, Guitar Center, and a 99 Cents Only Store. I've driven by numerous times after this event, and it appears that people have had no problem locating them, as there are always people inside this spot when I sneak a peek while driving by.

The space is lighted well, had a great energy to it, and it's hard to believe that this spot used to be a dry cleaner in its last incarnation. Of course, there are plenty of smoothie options on the Tropical menu, but I was actually pretty impressed with their rather large selection of wraps, bowls, salads, flatbreads, and sides. A large majority of the customers on this evening were taking advantage of their half-priced smoothies during their grand opening celebration, but this offer is also available daily from 7am to 9am. I was here mainly for food, but I also tried one of their smoothies as well. Let's check out what's going on at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

The first thing out for us this evening was their Roasted Mexican Street Corn ($1.29). This was not something that I expected to see in a smoothie shop. This half ear of corn was topped with a southwestern aioli, queso fresco, and cilantro, and then stabbed with a stick for easier eating. I liked the subtle flavors of this fresh corn, but I would have liked a little more aioli all around the cob. Not a bad accompaniment for the other food here at Tropical, or a healthy midday snack.

To no one's surprise, including my own, Katie selected a bowl this evening. This Island Buffalo Blue Bowl ($6.25) really had Katie singing its praises. You do have the option of having this as a wrap or bowl, but this good-sized salad seems like the way to go here. The bowl is filled with citrus slaw, mozzarella, romaine, ranch dressing, Gorgonzola, Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce, and finished up with your choice of beef or chicken. Katie selected the chicken. When I heard that the produce here is provided by Melissa's, I knew Katie would spout off about the freshness of this, and of course, that's what happened. She also mentioned that this salad really exceeded her expectations. She loved the tang from the citrus slaw, the slight heat from the hot sauce, and that there was plenty of cheese included here. She'd definitely get this again.

When I ordered this Chipotle Club Flatbread ($6.75), it kind of shocked me. I was really expecting more of a pizza-like flatbread, but instead, something that resembled a taco was placed in front of me. This was filled with beef, bacon, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, and the same chipotle aioli that was used with the corn. I really enjoyed this a lot more than I expected as well. Yes, it could have included a little more beef and cheese, but the chipotle sauce and the bacon added a flavor boost to this flatbread. I'd also have to commend Tropical Smoothie Cafe for choosing to go with Melissa's Produce because the veggies on here really shined. Beautiful, vibrant tomatoes and nice, crisp lettuce helped add to this satisfying sandwich.

Smoothie time and Katie selected the Chai Banana Boost ($5.95) as her inaugural smoothie at Tropical. This had a whole plethora of stuff in it. Bananas, coconut, almonds, dates, cinnamon, whole grain oats, chai seeds, and peanut butter rounded out this beverage, which Katie called, "hearty, and a complete meal in cup form." When it came time for me to make my smoothie selection, I just went with the one which sounded like it was the closest to a chocolate shake. That one would be the appropriately named, Chocolate Chiller ($5.95). Instead of ice cream, this was made with peanut butter, yogurt, and chocolate. How can that be bad, right? This was very filling, and at 24 ounces, I had a hard time finishing it. Not overly sweet, I could really enjoy this subtle chocolate and peanut butter combination, without having to worry about how bad this would be for me if this was a shake instead of a smoothie.

After our trip to Tropical Smoothie Cafe, I could see this becoming one of our recurring spots to stop by for having a light lunch or dinner. I definitely see the allure of smoothies more than I did before my visit here. I still wouldn't consider myself to be a smoothie kind of guy, but I'm not as opposed to them as much now, especially since I know that they have some pretty legit food items on their menu. Definitely worth trying to find them on busy El Toro Road. Welcome to the neighborhood Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

We would like to thank everyone at Tropical Smoothie Cafe for their wonderful hospitality, and the opportunity to try them out.

If you would like to experience Tropical Smoothie Cafe for yourself or would like to find your nearest location, head over to their website here: http://www.tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/

Raising Cane's Has Everyone Talking

Raising Cane's 

26801 Aliso Creek Road

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

There's a new chicken restaurant invading Southern California. This one has a lot of people excited, especially people from the southern part of the US. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of them before they opened up their first OC location in Costa Mesa late last year. I went to their soft opening, and liked it, but wondered if a chicken finger restaurant would make it here in OC. I've been to their newer location in Aliso Viejo a couple of times now, and judging by the crowds, it appears that Southern California has embraced Raising Cane's.

The story of how Raising Cane's has come to be is a good one. Started by CEO Todd Graves, he started this restaurant by writing up his business plan in college. His professor was less than impressed with it, gave him a bad grade on it, and told him a chicken finger restaurant would never work. Undeterred, he raised the money to open his first restaurant by working in a Southern California refinery, and then working long hours up in Alaska on the salmon boats. He came back to his beloved Louisiana with just enough money to open up his first restaurant, and people loved it. They were open almost around the clock, and people still could not get enough of their chicken fingers.

Back in October, when they opened their first California restaurant in Costa Mesa, they had similar lines. People were clogging up Harbor Boulevard while getting into the lot, the drive-thru line was long, and the inside of the restaurant was bustling as well. When Aliso Viejo opened it was a little more controlled chaos, with the drive-thru line being staged in another part of this large shopping center, and the big dining space of this former Burger King spot, which was torn down and rebuilt, was busy, but there was plenty of seating.

One thing I've noticed about where they have placed their restaurants is that they appear to be coming after Chick-fil-A. Just like the Costa Mesa spot where Chick-fil-A is right across the street, at the Cane's in Aliso, there's a Chick-fil-A right in this same shopping center. Even their new Cane's location, which is yet to open in Orange, is only a block away from their chicken competitor. A very aggressive business strategy in a competitive marketplace. Of course they'll clean up on Sunday's when Chick-fil-A is closed, and people want some poultry. Let's see what's got a lot of people all excited, the chicken at Raising Cane's.

The menu at Raising Cane's is not going to amaze you with its diversity. They do one thing here, and it's chicken fingers. Just like In-N-Out Burger, the folks at Cane's are reluctant to change their menu. In fact, their menu has not changed since they opened over twenty years ago. They have four items available on their menu, a 3, 4, or 6 chicken finger meal, and a chicken sandwich made up of, you guessed it, three chicken fingers. There's also their sides, which include; crinkle cut fries, coleslaw, and Texas toast. Let's take a look at what made up my Box Combo ($7.29) at Raising Cane's.

Of course we have to start things off with what they are most famous for, their Chicken Fingers. On their own, these chicken fingers are a little on the bland side, like a lot of chicken tends to be. Yes, they are freshly made, and tender, but without the Cane's Sauce, they would be kind of boring. The sauce is kind of a peppery version of thousand island dressing, without the pickles. It's made even better with the addition of a packet of hot sauce, that you have to ask from the workers behind the counter. Mixing this in the Cane's Sauce gives it an extra kick, which turns the sauce up a notch. Some might lament the absence of ranch dressing at Cane's, but this sauce goes well with the chicken here, and I haven't even missed my favorite condiment. They do offer honey mustard or ketchup for those of you that are not a fan of the Cane's sauce, but those are your only other options for dipping here at Raising Cane's.

Now on to the sides that are included in the Box Combo, like this Coleslaw. I wasn't really a big fan of this slaw. It's got a kind of soupy texture to it, which is fine with me, but other than that, it's kind of bland. Maybe if they would have made it with their Cane's Sauce it would be better. You should know that if you are not a fan of one of the sides here, you can swap it out for one that you do like. Not a fan of the coleslaw, have extra fries or an extra slice of Texas toast. I'd probably swap out this coleslaw on my next trip to Raising Cane's.

The Fries here are pretty average. I liked the crinkle cut they featured, but they are under seasoned and kind of boring. Only made better when dipped into the Cane's sauce, or maybe if you ask for them well done. I'm also not really a fan of the Texas Toast, but I might be in the minority when it comes to this opinion. My friend Richard, who has accompanied me on most of my trips to Raising Cane's, is in love with this toast. He always skips the coleslaw and gets an extra piece of toast, and I always end up giving him mine as well.

These reviews go pretty quick when the menu is this limited. If you are not a chicken finger person, not in the mood for chicken fingers, or are dining with people that don't like such a restricted menu, you might want to skip Raising Cane's. Even though I said that the chicken is boring on its own, the sauce here makes it worth while to try Cane's. I'm not really a big fan of chicken, but I have found myself craving a trip to Raising Cane's for their chicken fingers, and I never thought that was going to happen. It's something about the freshness of the chicken, the light batter, and most importantly, the sauce. I have a theory about why people from the south are so crazy about this place. It's a little piece of home, here in Southern California. It'd be like In-N-Out putting a restaurant in Boston or Miami, (not that I'm a big fan of In-N-Out, but that's a story for another day). Service has been really good on all of our visits to Raising Cane's. Employees here really seem to care about their customers, and make routine sweeps through the dining area frequently. I'm also a fan that they do a lot of work with local charities, and tailor their restaurants decor to correspond with each city they are  located in. A nice touch, and it helps me understand why people are so crazy over this restaurant, even if I'm just moderately excited by it.

Out of five red sticks, (because this restaurant was founded in the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, which translates to red stick in French), five being best to zero being worst, Raising Cane's gets 2.5 red sticks.

For more information about Raising Cane's, go to their website here: http://raisingcanes.com/