New Food Items to Try at the 2016 OC Fair

OC Fair

88 Fair Drive

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

There are certain signs in Orange County that let you know that summer is in full swing. There's less traffic on the freeways during the morning commute, there's no trace of June Gloom when you wake up in the morning, and of course the OC Fair opens. This year the June Gloom dissipated, I shaved ten minutes off my drive to work, and the fair opened, all in the same week. It was karma's way of making sure that I knew that the calendar had finally made it to mid July.

A lot of you probably like the concerts at the Pacific Amphitheater,  yes they do have Earth, Wind and Fire, UB40, and the B52's coming up during this years run of the fair. Others of you might like the exhibits, which are spread throughout the six exhibit halls on the grounds of the fairgrounds. You might be into all the animals that are here too. I've heard the wallabies are one of the highlights, but for me, the thing that brings me back to the OC Fair every year is the food.

I'm sure this is not shocking to anyone, as this is a restaurant blog, and when you mention that you have been to the fair, the first question someones asks is, "What did you eat?" I'm always amazed at seeing what these talented vendors come up with. Every year I think they would have run out of ideas, but the next year they show up and top themselves once again. We were recently invited to sample some of their newest creations, and of course some of their classic items as well. This is one of the food events that I get really excited for, so let's see what's new at the OC Fair this year.

The food media at this event were exchanging stories about the best items they have ever had at the OC Fair, and Tasti Burger's Chili Relleno Cheeseburger kept coming up as the best thing they have eaten here. Well, Tasti Burgers & Tasti Chips have two new burgers added to their already impressive lineup this year. The Bacon Cheddar Brat Burger is great for people that can't make up their mind as to whether to have a bratwurst or a burger. Why not have both? This burger has a burger patty, which is topped with a bacon and cheddar bratwurst, bacon, sliced cheese, Sriracha bourbon sauce, lettuce, tomato, and a chipotle sauce. This was a very solid burger, with a myriad of favors, each coming through at different spot. This is the burger to beat at the OC Fair this year. The All American Reuben Burger was right on its heels, with its eight ounce beef patty, corned beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and two deep fried pickles. This was a good representation of a Reuben, with the fried pickle acting as the kraut on this. It's always a good idea to pair their burgers with their Tasti Chips as well. There are now three varieties to choose from, Classic, Parmesan Garlic, or Cheddar Jalapeno. Tasti Chips are always served hot and crisp, and there's always a line, but well worth the wait.

Chicken Charlie is like the mad scientist of the fair circuit, and this year was no exception. Chicken Charlie probably had my favorite savory item I had on this afternoon, the Bacon Wrapped Chicken Leg. This very manageable chicken leg was easy to handle, had crisp bacon on the outside, and featured some of the most tender and flavorful chicken inside. Really a well done food item. The Chicken and Waffle On A Stick kind of missed the mark for me. Even though it's easy to eat, when it was picked up, the syrup runs down all over your hand. No problems with this flavor wise though. Now things get a little weird. Chicken Charlie gets a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, adds a cheese sauce, then has two versions for you to choose from. The Surf and Turf comes with lobster and steak, while the Black Tide version comes with escargot and caviar. Yes, you read that right, caviar and escargot. I tried both, and felt the surf and turf version was the better of the two, but both were pretty salty. Definitely something you might want to try, just to say you did it.

It's really a shame that I have never made it to Pink's in LA, because I always enjoy their hot dogs at the OC Fair. This year they are premiering two new hot dogs to the crowds at the fair, the first of which is the Lord of the Rings Dog. This simple hot dog comes with some the crispiest onion rings I have had, along with a tangy barbecue sauce. This simply prepared item allowed the high quality hot dog to shine, and I loved the snap of the dog when I bit into it. Heat seekers will want to try out the Daenerys Mother of Doggies. This Game of Thrones inspired hot dog packs some real heat, which is probably why it is named after the mother of the dragons. On this one they use a spicy Polish Dog, then top it with sour cream, kraut, onion, spicy alfalfa sprouts, and drops of Sriracha. This will definitely have you breathing fire like a dragon after consuming this one.

Bacon-A-Fair is definitely a booth that you want to hit up, at least if these two offerings are any indication. The Pepsi Cola Donut Dog is one of the most unusual hot dogs I have ever had. It starts with two glazed donuts used for a bun, then the hot dog, which is marinated in Pepsi, is then joined by peppers and onions, and topped with a Pepsi reduction sauce. It's also served in a half hollowed out Pepsi cup, so your fingers do not get all sticky. I liked the contrasting savory and sweet, yin and yang thing going on here. Neither side really won out, so a balanced taste to this hot dog was achieved. The French Toast Bacon Bombs were another of my favorite items on this afternoon. Little balls of dough are filled with some frozen cream cheese, then wrapped in bacon, fried to a dark brown, and served with whipped cream and maple syrup. These were pretty addicting. I was afraid the cream cheese was going to overpower, but it was subtle. An ultimate brunch item that I hope catches on around at other restaurants.

You either love pickles or you don't. I'd rather not have them, but for the pickle lovers out there, you have to head to Pickle O' Pete's. This will be your Pickle Nirvana, Fried pickles are so yesterday, now it's all about Pickle Fries. Even I kind of liked this version of a fried pickle. The crispy breading and ranch dressing helped me drown out the sometimes overbearing pickle flavor. I did not dare eat the Pickled Cheese on a Stick though. They hollow out a pickle and then stuff it with cream cheese, batter it with a corn batter and fry it. My friend Tom loved this, but I was too chicken to give it a try.

Biggy's is an OC Fair mainstay, and if you love pork, you will be hard pressed not to visit this iconic booth. Pork mania starts with the Bacon Wrapped Pork Belly Dog. A slab of pork belly is impaled with a skewer and then wrapped in more than enough bacon to to cover the whole thing at least two times. This is some hot pork on pork action, and because this is a manageable size, it does not over power like the time I ate a one pound, one hundred percent bacon burger. If the bacon wrapped pork belly seems a little too much for you, then you might want to try the Pork Belly Corn Dog. This eliminates one layer of pork for those who are trying to watch their pork intake.  Even with the one less layer of pork, this was delicious and rich.

My favorite sweet item of the afternoon were these Fried Butter Balls from Fair Fix & Fried A Fair. These racquetball sized orbs of dough came with more than enough butter inside of them, but were not too way over the top. Kind of like a pancake ball when dipped into the provided maple syrup. These can become dangerous when I'm around, because I wouldn't be able to stop inhaling them. A must try at the OC Fair.

There's nothing like a giant sized donut to get food media to audibly gasp when gazing upon its magnificence. This was the case when the S'moreo Texas Donut from Texas Donuts was introduced to us. This glazed bad boy was loaded with marshmallow creme, chocolate sauce, graham cracker and Oreo crumbs. It definitely had the feel of S'more's, without the campfire smell that permeates your clothes after a long night at a bonfire.

When I was driving home after leaving the OC Fair, I was still struck by the way that these vendors come up with new items every single year, and they get more outrageous as the years pass. I was even more struck by the fact that this is some pretty high quality food made in fast time to feed hungry fair goers. I'm definitely not going to try to dupe you all into thinking this is healthy food, but it's the OC Fair after all, and it only comes around once a year, so some debauchery is definitely permitted, and in my case maybe a couple more times during the run of the fair.

The OC Fair runs through August 14th, and they go dark on Mondays and Tuesdays. Fore more information about tickets, concerts, and all other things fair related, head to their very well done website here: http://www.ocfair.com/2016/index.asp

Taking a Dip at Splashes

Splashes at the Surf and Sand Resort

1555 South Coast Highway

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

I do not take advantage of the beautiful coastline of Orange County nearly enough. I realize this almost every time that I drive to one of our beach cities, and can visually see the water through my dusty windshield. The picturesque ocean view always takes my breath away. I'm always thinking to myself, why am I not down here more often. Then I remember that I'm part of the pasty posse. The sun and I do not mix too well, as my snow white skin usually burns in about ten minutes of exposure. Katie's right there with me, so it seems the only time we make it to experience the beach is when we get the chance to dine at the shore, which we had the opportunity to do recently at the Surf and Sand Resort in beautiful Laguna.

Every time we are at this beach front resort, we are instantly transported into vacation mode. You can honestly feel the stresses of your workday wash away with the tide. We were invited to this sun kissed resort to meet their new, or I should say, new to us chef, Chef Ron Fougeray, who has the pleasure of working in this beautiful paradise. With views like this, I wouldn't get much done, but I'm generally a lazy person.

Chef Fougeray comes to us from Philadelphia, where he built up a pretty impressive resume. After graduating from culinary school, Chef Ron went through a snow storm to meet with famous chef, Georges Perrier of Le Bec-Fin, and agreed to work for free for him, just to get a start in the business. Three months after that he was hired, and worked every station in the restaurant, until the business was sold six years later. He then moved on to another French restaurant, the critically acclaimed Bibou BYOB, where he would be named Executive Chef in 2013, and win a whole host of accolades, including being named a finalist for a James Beard Award as Best New Restaurant. Alas, he would leave this prestigious position as a promise to his OC raised wife, that they would move back to her beloved Orange County, and the much more cordial weather.

Philly's loss is the Surf and Sand's gain, as he took over the kitchen almost a year ago. His predecessor at Splashes was more Asian influenced culinary wise, while Chef Ron is of course much more trained in the French style of cooking. This has lead to a complete overhaul of the menu at Splashes, which has been a big hit with the guests of the resort and the locals that flock here for stunning views and world class cuisine. They were going to be featuring Chef Ron's Summer Menu on this evening, which all of us food media were all looking forward to experiencing.

I couldn't resist adding a few more pictures of the spectacular view we experienced. We did get cheated of a sunset because the clouds rolled in, but beautiful nonetheless. We were met with a glass of wine, and situated on a patio right above the pool deck. It took every ounce of my being not to strip off my clothes and join the other vacationers having a great time in the water, but I knew I had some eating to do on this evening.

When I was growing up, I would have never have guessed that Brussels sprouts would be as big as they have gotten. I never really had a bad association with them like a lot of my friends, because my mom never made them. These are not your mother's Brussels Sprouts ($17). They came with a lighter touch than most restaurants deliver, with a splotch of cranberry puree streaking across the plate, along with lardons, dried mulberries, and a watermelon radish julienne. I really liked this summer version of this classic veggie side item. Of course I could have handled more lardons in this, but those little pieces of pork made themselves known, and still allowed the Brussels sprouts to be the star of the show. I was not even bothered by the inclusion of fruits with vegetables like I usually am. A very nice dish with a good array of textures, which kept me interested.

Not on the summer menu, but I think Chef Ron wanted to show off some of the things he picked up on a working vacation he recently took to France with the other JC Resort chefs. This Salmon dish had us all smiling. The salmon was rubbed with peppercorns and espresso grounds, and came with a mustard-mango sauce and a fresh herb salad. The salmon was cooked wonderfully, and the rub did not overpower the natural flavor of the fish, but enhanced it. I liked the sauce well enough, which is a big statement considering I'm not really into mustard or mango. Look for this to make an appearance at Splashes soon, if we have anything to say about it.

Back to the summer menu, and when you think of summer, soup is probably not something you think of, but at Splashes they offer this Chilled Cantaloupe Soup ($15). This is prepared table side, with a dramatic flair which I always enjoy. Little bits of duck prosciutto and mint oil join an orb of melon sorbet, as a cantaloupe and honeydew soup is poured over the top. Unique flavor profile, and refreshing are what came to mind when I ate this. I'm not really into melons, but I think the duck and mint oil kind of softened the sweetness here, and made for a lovely chilled soup that can be enjoyed fully once the temperatures reach the triple digits in a month or so.

Ahi has really hit the mainstream, as you can now get it in any strip mall across OC, but not as fresh and delicious as this Ahi Tuna Crudo ($19). Chef Ron adds a whole slew of items to these dice sized tuna cubes; cured black olives, jicama, raspberry vinegar, mustard oil, cucumber, and an excellent avocado mousse. It's not overly dressed, and the avocado mousse really comes through at the most opportune times.

Lastly, we are just steps from the ocean, so of course more seafood was needed for our last savory item of this evening. This Bay Scallop Ceviche was a fitting end to our evening at the Surf and Sand Resort. Good sized hunks of scallops were served alongside cucumber, radish, dill, celery leaves, citrus supreme, and verde jus. There were notes of citrus, along with a freshness that most restaurants seem to miss when preparing ceviche. I liked this reworked take on this classic dish.

Desserts are something special at Splashes, and we were lucky enough to finish with this Mango Meringue Tart ($13).  I'm always partial to non-fruit desserts, but this dessert might have shown me that there is some merit to non-chocolate desserts. This tart had three distinct layers to it.  The mango puree was sandwiched by a praline crumble on the bottom, and a very well done and eye pleasing meringue topping this. Not overly sweet, but you knew you were having a dessert item.

This was just a sampling of what Chef Ron has in store for his guests when they visit the Surf and Sand Resort. The Grilled Lamb Loin, Duck Breast and Halibut are on my radar for the next time we eat at Splashes, but I'm sure Chef Ron will have some nightly specials that may entice me as well. Perfect for out of town guests, or locals who want to take advantage of where we live, Splashes at the Surf and Sand will not fail to delight.

For more information about the Surf and Sand Resort and Splashes Restaurant, click here: http://www.surfandsandresort.com/splashes/

Centrally Located Peruvian in Laguna - CLOSED

Central

361 Forest Ave. #103

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

As it gets closer to my birthday, we get a lot busier trying out new restaurants. This trip to one of our favorite coastal towns was perpetrated at a birthday party for my good friend Joe. I had not seen my old roommate Rob for close to a year and learned that he had moved down to Laguna with his fiance, Bre. He mentioned that we must have dinner with them at one of their favorite spots, Central.

Central is a Coastal Peruvian restaurant, which of course means it is seafood driven, but there's so much more to it than that. Peruvian fare has been described by New York Times Food Critic, Eric Asimov as being one of the world's most important cuisines, and a great example of food fusion, due to Peru's multicultural makeup. Influences come from the immigrants that came to this South American country from Europe, West Africa, and Asia, and who mixed their cuisines with the indigenous population of Peru, including the Incas. The result is a unique kind of food, but one that I've always been rather fond of. I was especially excited because Rob and Bre talked so highly of this restaurant, and Rob is not always so easy to please when it comes to food.

Central just had their one year anniversary, which is a big milestone in the restaurant business. Located in the old Sundried Tomato space, and sharing the same shopping center as Laguna Wine and the Laguna Beach Visitors Center, this restaurant is kind of tucked away from the crowds, but if you are still lost, just look for the iconic red English phone booth out front, and you'll know you're close. Like a lot of restaurants in their first year, there has been some turnover here, and when we were here in early June, they had just lost their chef but were confident that their sous chef, who had been at Club 33 at Disneyland, could take over. Not sure how it all played out for them, but looking at the menu online, it looks very similar to the menu when we're here just over a month ago.

We arrived at Central at just before 6 pm on a Thursday evening. Laguna had not been hit with a ton of tourists, so it was relatively easy finding parking before the hoards of Pageant of the Masters and Sawdust Festival attendees start crowding this small town. I never came here when this was Sundried Tomato, so I'm not sure how much has changed, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. Lots of exposed wood, cool, hip music, and a small ten-seat bar dominate the space. There's about ten or so tables inside, with a few more outside on their patio, near the fountain. We were finally settled in to see if this place matched Rob's hype for it.

We were patiently waiting for Rob's much better half to arrive from work, so we started with a round of drinks while catching up. Not sure if Peru actually has a national cocktail, but when I typed that into Google, the Pisco Sour ($12) was the first thing listed. The base of this beverage is pisco, a white brandy made with muscat grapes, and joined in the glass by egg whites, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and angostura bitters. This was a very frothy drink, with a unique taste. The sour definitely came through, and I did get the lime, but not much in the way of the syrup. Much better was Rob's selection, Cristal ($6), which is Peru's number one selling beer. This lager went down smooth, with a very mild taste to it. Not too hoppy, and light. I'd get this on my next visit here.

Just as our appetizers arrived, so did Bre. We had ordered two appetizers to start, the first of which was this Pulpo a la Parilla ($17). I was actually surprised that they wanted to order this grilled octopus starter, but I've always been a big fan of octopus, so I was all for it. The wonderfully done octopus was paired with onions and grapefruit, an aji Verde, romesco sauce, and topped off with an organic fried egg. The romesco sauce here was top notch and helped elevate this appetizer to greater heights than it would have attained without it. The fried egg could have been cooked a little less, so the runny yolk could cover the delicious octopus, but it was still delicious. I was trying to play it cool by not favoring this appetizer, but I wanted one all to myself.

A little less to my liking were these Lamb Empanadas ($13). The lamb inside of these was very good, tender with a good seasoning to it, but the empanada shell was a little too heavy and kind of on the dry side. I was hoping that the aji agro dulce sauce, which is like a sweet and sour sauce would have helped, but it kind of fell flat in adding anything to these empanadas.

Rob and Bre also got this oddly named Tomato Tower ($14) before our entrees made their way out. This gets a lot of love from people on Yelp, and from Bre and Rob. This is basically the Peruvian version of a Caprese, with its heirloom tomatoes, burrata cheese, opal basil, balsamic, and the only difference I could detect from across the table was the addition of the zucchini carpaccio. Maybe because of the new chef here, the presentation of this salad is different than both Rob and Bre remember it, and the pictures on Yelp definitely show a different looking version of this. This is a more spread out version, instead of being more vertical, which did not wow Rob and Bre like the times they had this before. Not bad, but a different preparation than they were used to, and one that was a little more challenging to get all the elements into one bite.

Since it was my birthday in a matter of hours, I went big at Central by ordering this Braised Lamb Shank ($32). I don't eat lamb nearly enough, and this version has got me hooked again. This good-sized lamb shank was joined by Peruano beans, crispy kale, sarza Criolla, which is a salsa made up of onions and other items, a cilantro gremolata, and finally, all tied together by chicha de hora jus, which from what I can at least guess by looking online is a Peruvian corn beer, but I might be wrong about that. Whatever it was, it helped make this dish a winner. The lamb was tender, without the gaminess that sometimes comes with ordering lamb. There could have been more sauce here, but the sauce that was present was very good and added to this mutton. The beans and onion salsa helped round this dish out perfectly. A very good meal to start out my birthday week.

When most people think of Peruvian cuisine, they almost always mention the most famous Peruvian dish of them all, the Lomo Saltado ($29). Of course Central has their own version of this dish, and Katie, Rob, and Bre all got this as their entree on this night. This dish, which was inspired by Chinese immigrants in Peru, is basically a stir fry dish with sliced filet mignon, cherry tomatoes, red onions, and french fries, all served on a bed of rice. Katie expected the filet to be a little more tender than it was, and she would have liked there to be more sauce and onions included with this. She did praise the fries though and thought they were a highlight of this dish.

We selected two desserts to share between the four of us, the best of the two by far was this Banana Empanada ($8). The outer shell was a little tough to get through, but I loved the creamy banana inside, which went well with the smear of Nutella and the ice cream. Yes, they needed a little more ice cream added on here, but a very satisfying dessert.

I was not as excited about this Mango Cheesecake ($8) as I was about the banana empanada. I must admit that I'm not really a big fan of mango or cheesecake, but none of my table mates were that impressed by this dessert ether. The mango flavor was muted, and only present in the cut-up mango placed on top of this, and the cheesecake underneath was only average. I did enjoy the cracker crust, but would much rather have ordered an extra banana empanada.

It seems to me that Central is kind of at a crossroads, and still trying to find some stability with their head chef position. This is definitely not unheard of in the restaurant business, but you want the food to be served in a consistent manner from a visit to visit. If they get some stability in the kitchen, the skies the limit for Central. They have a good base menu, and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. The lamb, octopus starter, and the banana empanada were standouts, but other items need some work. Service on this evening was excellent, and we were never in need of anything and felt right at home. The restaurant can get a little loud, especially near the end of our stay when they were doing a booming business. Peruvian cuisine is due for a big breakout in the US, and we're looking forward to experiencing it at Central.

Out of five pieces of chalk, (because the oldest college in the Americas, the University of San Marcos, was founded in Peru in 1551, and I'm sure being that old of an institution, the professors here have used lots of chalk), five being best to zero being worst, Central gets 3.5 pieces of chalk.

For more information about Central, head to their website here: https://www.centrallagunabeach.com/