Checking out Some Chilaquiles in Costa Mesa

Amorelia Mexican Cafe

2200 Harbor Blvd. C-110

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

My search for the best breakfast burrito has been overtaken by a new passion for me. I have really gotten into chilaquiles, to the point where its what I crave almost every morning. I feel like I'm cheating on breakfast burritos, but the heart and stomach know what they want and at this point in time, both want chilaquiles. So after a one hour walk around nearby Fairhaven Park, we decided to reward ourselves with breakfast at Amorelia Cafe.

I had heard about this place, as I do with a lot of the restaurants on my wishlist, by reading about them in the OC Weekly. They did a feature a year and a half ago about the ten best chilaquiles, and I wrote down about half of them to visit at a future date. We've made it through about half of the list so far, which you can see here.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this simple, yet complex dish to master, it's basically tortilla chips, which are lightly fried, covered in green or red sauce, and is then served with eggs, and sometimes meat. There are lots of varieties of this dish, and almost every restaurant does their version differently. To date, my favorite versions of this classic Mexican breakfast item are from Anepalco's in Orange and the one at El Camino Cafe in Tustin, both of which are included on the OC Weekly list but are also two very different styles of chilaquiles. The one at Anepaclo's is what I would call a fancy version of this dish, which is Chef Daniel Godines trademark item at all of his restaurants. The rendition of chilaquiles at El Camino was more what most people have come to expect from this dish, but done superbly. I was excited to see how the one here at Amorelia was going to turn out.

Amorelia Cafe is located in the K-Mart shopping center on the corner of Wilson and Harbor. Who knew there were any K-Mart's left? Anyways, there's also a Payless Shoes, Flame Broiler, and a Planet Fitness in the same shopping center, just in case you want to get a post workout following your meal.

We arrived here at just before 11 am on a recent Sunday morning. Amorelia Cafe is named after a city in Michoacan, Mexico, a place where Owner and Executive Chef Gloria Seretti praises the food from this Central Mexican city as, "food that tastes like heaven". The inside of this restaurant was one of the most comfortable we have encountered in some time, and maybe that's because we weren't expecting so much, based on the rather rundown shopping center this is located in. Pleasing dark woods, comfortable tables, sturdy chairs, a faux rock wall which was right by our table, and there were many TV's, all of which were turned to the same soccer game on this particular morning. We had about a ten-minute wait on this visit, but once seated, we made our choices rather quickly and patiently waited for our food to arrive.

Since I was here for the Chilaquiles ($13.50) we might as well start off with them. These were awesome. I went with the red sauce and added steak for the four dollar upcharge. The gently fried tortillas were served with scrambled eggs, crema, salsa, and cheese. The key to these was that the tortillas were crisp along the edges and a little soft towards the middle of the chip. The sauce was awesome, with a tinge of spice to it, which was cooled down a bit by the crema. Next time I will definitely save the four dollars and forgo the unnecessary steak, which was overshadowed by the rest of this dish. The ten little pieces of steak were inconsequential here, and my enjoyment of this plate was not dependent on the meat. The refried beans had a good consistency and were obviously homemade. I thought the serving size of the chilaquiles at first seemed pretty small, but these snuck up on me, and I was full by the end of this meal. Very satisfying, and something I will come back for many times over.

When I'm eating breakfast, I always like to mix sweet and savory, and since the chilaquiles only took care of one part of this equation, an order of Mexican Hot Cakes ($6.00) had to take care of the sweet part of my meal. These came three to an order, and I'm not really sure what made them Mexican, other than the fact that they came with both syrup, and what I suspected to be Lecherita. The hotcakes here are fluffy, had a good heft to them, and were made even better with the Lecherita, which kind of tasted like the icing that comes in the Pillsbury cinnamon roll tube. I used quite a bit of the Lecherita and the provided maple syrup and was a little bummed when Katie wanted some, as I did not want to share. Next time I'll make her order her own, as they were too good to share.

I was a little surprised that Katie did not get her usual breakfast in a Mexican restaurant, Huevos Rancheros. She opted for this Burrito Mexicano ($9.95) instead. This souped up breakfast burrito included eggs, onions, serrano chilies, pinto beans, and cheese. She really sang the praises of this burrito, which she said was one of the better ones she has had. She liked that there were some big time flavors in this, and the burrito did not just rely on a breakfast meat to make it good. The eggs were seasoned, the chilis added a subtle heat, and the pinto beans added some moisture. This was a burrito that Katie would get again and again. The menu said that this burrito comes with hash browns on the side, but it was a little misleading, as it came with sliced potatoes, which were topped with a small sprinkling of cheese. Katie did not seem to mind, as these were fork tender and were a nice side item to the burrito.

Amorelia Cafe was all it was cracked up to be. Their version of chilaquiles is definitely one of the best I have had, and this will not be the last time that I partake in them. The breakfast was so good here, we are going to come back and try their lunch and dinner items as well. Service was very leisurely on this Sunday. They did not seem to be in any hurry to turn over tables, and we did wait long stretches between visits from our server. I'm still glad I came here to facilitate my latest breakfast obsession. Even though this version will be hard to beat, I'm looking forward to tackling the second half of the chilaquiles list.

Out of five rock climbers, (because the city of Morelia, Mexico, which this restaurant is named after, holds a festival every March promoting rock climbing in this region), five being best to zero being worst, Amorelia Mexican Cafe gets 3.5 rock climbers.

For more information about Amorelia Mexican Cafe, check them out here: https://www.amorelia.com/home

Pizza Party in the Pizza Capital of OC

TJ's Woodfire Pizza

641 Camino de Los Mares

San Clemente, CA 92673

After almost eight years of writing restaurant reviews, I have learned that there are some foods that are more controversial than others. I judge this by the comments I receive, and the page views that a particular review gets. Burgers, barbecue, and sushi get their fair share of attention from our readers, but by far the biggest response I get is when I review pizza places.

If I had to give a reason for this, I'd say it's because, like barbecue, pizza is really a regional food. Depending on where you are from, or if you just prefer a certain type, you are pretty passionate about your favorite kinds of pizza. Chicago, of course, has a deep dish, New York has their hand-tossed, thin crust pizzas, and California even got into the act by coming up with single-serving pizzas, topped with non-traditional toppings like chicken, barbecue sauce, salmon, and other things that were not included on pizza before the early 1980s. Then there's Neapolitan, which comes to us from the birthplace of the modern pizza, Naples, Italy. With so many options, it's no wonder no one can agree on what kind of pizza is the best.

For the record, I enjoy deep-dish pizza the best, but I've had some really good versions of all pizzas, and try not to discriminate against any kind of pizza. I'm always intrigued by best-of lists, and I took note of Brad A Johnson's, top 20 Pizzas in OC, which was published in the Orange County Register last March. I was a little bummed that my favorite pizza place, Tony's Little Italy did not make the cut, but I realize everyone has different tastes. I did make note of the number one spot on his list, and we finally made it to TJ's Woodfired Pizza nine months later.

Not only had this restaurant gotten the coveted number one spot from Brad Johnson, but another tough cookie, Gustavo Arellano from the OC Weekly gave this pizza a glowing review. Needless to say, my hopes for this pizza were at an all-time high. TJ's gained some acclaim by selling their pizzas out of a trailer at the Great Park Farmer's Market starting in 2011. They got their own restaurant in late 2015, in this pizza-rich city of San Clemente, which already boasts Pizza Port, Sonny's, Cassano's, Brick, and Selma's. Not deterred by the competition, TJ's has been thriving with a four-star rating on Yelp, and all of the good press I mentioned earlier.

We got to TJ's at the weird time of 3 pm on a recent Saturday, which is right after the lunch rush, and before the start of dinner. Predictably, we were the only ones in the restaurant at this time, but as time went by, a few other people trickled in. Being in the same shopping center as a Krikorian Movie Theater, a Juice Stop, and a Wahoo's, I could imagine that parking could be at a premium during the weekends and meal times. We quickly made our pizza selections, ordered at the counter, and found a table close to the TVs, which were broadcasting the NFL playoffs. Let's see if TJ's can live up to their number one pizza reputation.

We had a lot of food coming our way, but I could not resist getting a Caesar Salad ($7.95) to start things out. This was a very basic version, which came with chopped romaine, shaved parmesan, and a few small croutons. It was decent but did not blow me away. The romaine was very fresh, but they were very conservative applying the dressing on this, to the point that nearly half of the produce was not covered by any dressing. A few more of their crunchy and pretty solid croutons would have helped as well. This was still a good-sized salad, which easily fed both Katie and me for under $8. We'll just ask for extra dressing next time.

Like my obsession with Caesar salads, Katie has an affinity for Garlic Knots ($6.75). Her best to date was from Oggi's, but these rivaled them. Their dough is tied in knots, baked, and then coated with a fire-roasted garlic sauce, Italian parsley, and parmesan, and served with marinara and ranch dressing. I liked these, even though I thought they were a tad overcooked. I like a softer garlic knot. The marinara at TJ's is very good, and I found myself using it more than the ranch, which is rare for me. Katie still holds the garlic knots from Oggi's as number one, but these are closer to our house, so we will definitely come back for them.

Pizza time. Whatever style of pizza you crave, TJ's has a pizza for you. They offer Neapolitan, Cracker Thin Pizza, Deep Dish, and this New York Style Large Pepperoni Pizza ($18.25). This pizza had plenty of cheese and pepperoni topping it, and I found myself eating the crust, which is something that I very rarely do, which is a testament to how good it is. I was not in love with the bottom crust, as it was covered with cornmeal, which I think detracted from the pizza. This pie was not as greasy as I was expecting, which was a plus.

Katie is all about Neapolitan pizzas, so it was no shock that she went with this Gianelli ($18.50) for her meal here. This one comes with plenty of crumbled Italian sausage, a garlic oil base, burrata, fennel pollen, truffle oil, and basil. Both Katie and I really enjoyed the combination of toppings on this pizza. They interacted together wonderfully. The sausage was of pretty high quality and added a nice saltiness, while the slightly melted burrata added a creaminess to this pizza. The truffle oil was applied in just the right amount, as it did not overpower, but you could tell it was there. A very delicate balancing act to achieve. Katie was not in love with the crust here, as she liked the crust on my pizza better. A very solid version of a Neapolitan pizza

So is TJ's the best pizza that we have had in OC? I'd have to say no, but that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. Right now I'd have to say my top three are Tony's Little Italy, Angelina's, and Angelo and Vinci's. Of course, these rankings are subject to change based on my next visit to any of these places, or until I try something better. Back to TJ's though. It's easy to see why they get so much love from everyone. I really enjoyed it, even though I thought it was a tad too expensive, but I get that you're paying for quality stuff here. My pizza was solid, but it did not make my taste buds sing. I actually liked Katie's pizza better, and I'm not really a big Neapolitan kind of guy. So now that you've read this review, commence firing, and let me know that I don't know anything about pizza, or even better, let me know where you like to get pizza from.

Out of five policemen, (because when I think of TJ, I automatically think back to watching the 80's TV show TJ Hooker starring Willaim Shatner as a police officer), five being best to zero being worst, TJ's Woodfired Pizza gets 3 policemen.

For more information about TJ"s Woodfired Pizza, head to their website here: http://www.tjwoodfirepizza.com/

Ready for Dinner at R + D Kitchen

R + D Kitchen

555 Newport Center Dr. 

Newport Beach, CA 92660

I'm not sure if I had mentioned this on the blog or not, but Katie got a new job near the end of last year. It has been a little more challenging, some late nights, and a little more driving for her. After the craziness of the holidays, I realized that I had not been to her new place of employment yet, so I had to remedy that by planning a visit, and of course choosing a restaurant to try nearby. I also brought my parents along to check out her new digs.

She works just across the street from Fashion Island, and I have to admit her new place seems pretty darn impressive. Very professional looking, and we also got to meet a few of her very nice coworkers, who also happened to be staying late on a recent Friday night. After a long grueling day at work, I wanted to take her somewhere special, that wasn't going to break the bank. I had another place in mind, but a quick Yelp search turned up the promising R + D Kitchen, which was within walking distance. We made our way across the street and through the parking lot in that direction.

I did not know it at the time, but R + D Kitchen is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group, which includes some pretty stellar restaurants; Bandera, Gulfstream, Houston's, and others. This is one of four locations of this particular brand, which also has spots operating in Santa Monica, Yountville, and Dallas. This particular R + D Kitchen is located between Canaletto and the Neiman Marcus, right across from the new parking structure, in the northeast area of Fashion Island.

We got here at about 6 pm, without a reservation, and were met with about a 45-minute wait. Not in any rush, we walked around the mall and settled down in the food court catching up with each other. There's never any shortage of conversation when my mom is involved. After about a half hour of waiting, they texted Katie's phone that our table was ready.

We were seated just opposite the bustling bar at a table which was a tad too small for our party of four, but we decided to try to make it work. The inside of this restaurant was almost pitch black, with the only light being directly over the table. With the boisterous crowd, it was a little difficult hearing what my parents had to say, but that might have been a plus. Kidding of course.

The menu at R + D is not going to overwhelm you with choices. Their dinner offerings include eight starters, four sandwiches, four entree salads, and seven entrees. They also must rotate a bunch of stuff, because there were some pictures of a great looking Rueben online, but it was not listed on the menu and was not mentioned by our server as a special. Even with the limited number of items here, I still had some trouble choosing my meal. Let's see what we all came up with on this evening.

I should have known this was a Hillstone restaurant when I saw that they had this Dip Duo ($10) on their menu. It seems to be a trademark of their restaurants to have a dip offering on each of their menus. I remember we had a really good smoked trout dip at Gulfstream a long while back, which was awesome. The dip duo at R + D was made up of a very fresh guacamole and a cheese dip, which was served cold and made up of some coarsely grated cheese. Very unique and addictive. The guacamole was good, but nothing really made it stand out. This came with some very solid tortilla chips, which were a great vessel for these dips.

Entrees made their way out in a timely manner, and we'll start with Katie's first, the Ding's Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($16). This sandwich started with a crispy buttermilk fried chicken patty and was topped with a spicy slaw and swiss cheese. Katie thought this sandwich was good. She liked the textural component of the slaw, but it was not really spicy. The chicken was a little on the thin side but had a good breading around it. She thought the bread was top notch, and she would not hesitate to get this sandwich again.

Kind of an odd choice for dinner, but my dad was pretty excited by this Spinach and Cheese Omelet ($15). With this omelet, you get to pick between swiss, white cheddar, or goat cheese, my dad went with the swiss. The omelet was made well, and I thought it kind of resembled an unwrapped tamale in appearance. It came with a Campari tomato which was topped with a small mixed green salad. My dad kind of gave this salad the cold shoulder, as he focused more on the omelet and the toast. He was pleased with his pick at R + D.

I thought my dad was going to pick this French Dip Au Jus ($20) as his meal, so I was relieved when he went with the omelet and left this one for me. For the meat on this one, they slice prime rib real thin and sandwich it between two pieces of sturdy bread with a little mayo added and au jus of course for dipping. This was a good version of an upscale dip, although it could have used some onions or maybe a little more mayo to make it stand out. The meat was tender, and cooked to a perfect medium, while the bread was spongy, but still did a good job of keeping the contents of the sandwich together. I wouldn't hesitate to get this again.

I did think it was a little odd that my twenty dollar sandwich did not come with fries, so I ordered these Hand-Cut Fries ($5) off of their starters portion of the menu. I thought these were fine, but I was not blown away by them. They were obviously not out of a freezer, but other than that, they were pretty average.

When I had heard that the Carrot Cake ($12) at R + D Kitchen gets all kinds of praise, it was a definite must order for me. I'm probably in the minority here, but this is one of my favorite kinds of cakes. I love the spices, the little shards of carrot, and even though I'm not really a cream cheese frosting fan, it works with this kind of cake. This version at R + D was one of the lightest I have ever had. The cake was light and airy, while the frosting also seemed lighter than air. It was good, but I was hoping for a little more spice to come through here. If you enjoy light cakes, this might be the version for you. For me, I like a little more heft to my carrot cake.

Even though R + D Kitchen was not our original dining destination on this evening, it was a very solid spot to start our weekend off and celebrate our first trip to see Katie's new place of employment. I liked everything here but was not blown away with anything, with the exception of the cheese dip and my french dip. I'd like to try more of their menu on future visits. The mushroom meatloaf and the pan fried fish have piqued my interest and will be on my list to try soon. Service was very good on this evening. Our server Jared was one of the most personable waiters we have encountered in some time. He was friendly and anticipated our every need during our visit. Since this restaurant is so close to Katie's new job, I can definitely see us coming back here again pretty regularly.

Out of five beetles, (because the top research and development spender every year is traditionally Volkswagon, maker of the beloved Beetle), five being best to zero being worst, R + D Kitchen gets 3 beetles.

For more information about R + D Kitchen, head to their website here: http://rd-kitchen.com/

A Night out at Jimmy's - CLOSED

Jimmy's Famous American Tavern

3325 E. Imperial Highway

Brea, CA 92823

There are a few restaurants that I feel a special kinship with. After doing this restaurant blog for nearly eight years, we've grown up with some of these restaurants. One such restaurant I feel this companionship with is Jimmy's Famous American Tavern. We remember when JFAT only had one location in San Diego in 2010, and they burst on the scene in OC three years later, adding some much-needed life to the Dana Point Harbor dining scene.

It's great watching this mini-chain expand to other areas of Southern California. They now have five locations and a little bird told us that there are more on the way, but they would not let the cat out of the bag about where the next few spots will be. Next month will mark the first anniversary of this Brea location, which is right near where I grew up, Yorba Linda. This is definitely the type of restaurant that North OC desperately needs. A restaurant that is not a mega-chain, one that serves good, honest food in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere while still providing a sophisticated environment.

The success of JFAT should not surprise anyone, especially when you find out David Wilhelm is a Co-Founder here. He's an OC restaurant icon who brought El Torito Grille, French 75, Sorrento Grille, Kachina, and others to the hungry masses of Orange County. Not one to rest on its past reputation alone, JFAT has continuously been praised by local media outlets for its food, intriguing beverage program, and two-star rating by the Green Restaurant Association, which ranks them in the upper echelon of restaurants doing their part of implementing programs which are better for the environment.

With all of this good stuff going on at JFAT, I jumped at the chance to eat here when we were recently invited to experience this Brea location for the first time. For this visit, I asked my buddy, Erven, to accompany me and try JFAT for the first time. This JFAT is located at the corner of Valencia and Imperial Highway in the newly constructed Village at La Floresta. It is difficult to find this restaurant, as they are hidden in the corner of the shopping center. Just locate the Whole Foods supermarket, walk to your left, and you'll run right into the entrance.

Once inside, if you've ever been to another JFAT location, you will definitely be reintroduced to the JFAT vibe, which is sleek and hip without a hint of pretentiousness. The dining room is bathed in plenty of dark woods, muted lighting, trademark American flags used as decor, and very comfy booths filled with people enjoying their meals and cocktails. The restaurant's center is dominated by a lively and well-stocked bar, which allows for great views of the TVs, which were turned to hockey this evening. Score. There's also a rather large patio, which I imagine gets plenty of use when the weather turns a little warmer. After a lengthy conversation catching up, Erven and I made our selections off the menu, which features many enticing comfort food favorites. Let's see what we decided on.

Our first round of cocktails was similar. Erven selected the Classic Mojito ($13) as his maiden beverage of the evening. This trendy drink is muddled to order with fresh mint and also includes some refreshing lime juice, rum, and maybe a splash of soda water. I liked that this mojito had a touch of sweetness but was not overpowered by sugar, and you still knew you were consuming an adult beverage. I've been all about mules lately, and I like that restaurants are getting creative by branching out of the Moscow mule mold. This Gin Gin Mule ($13) included the same lime juice and mint that Erven had in his mojito but also some ginger beer and Nolet's Gin. I liked the inclusion of gin, which adds more of a bite than the usual vodka in the Moscow version. A very refreshing drink.

Since we already had our drinks, some appetizers were definitely in order. We each picked one, and Erven chose the Buffalo Style Meatballs ($13). These meatballs came five to an order and were drenched in a spicy wing sauce and served with a side of honey-garlic ranch dressing for dipping. We liked these but thought they were a tad overcooked. I had wished they would be more tender, but the delicious buffalo sauce and the ranch helped these out a bit. My pick was the Spicy Ahi Poke ($14). Poke is everywhere these days, and this version at JFAT was very fresh. It included avocado, yuzu, serranos, scallions, papaya, and sesame. The cubed ahi was still the star. The crispy wontons were an excellent vessel for this; if I worked back in the kitchen here, I could see myself eating a ton of these wontons.

Erven was sucking down the drinks this evening, probably so he could tolerate listening to my horrible stories. His second cocktail was this photogenic Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade ($13). This combined Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Southern Comfort, Marion Blackberries, simple syrup, and a splash of lemonade. I really enjoyed the sip I had of this. It was sweet, but the bourbon hung around the background and evened this drink out. Very balanced, and this will be my go-to drink on future visits to Jimmy's Famous American Tavern.

Even though we had entrees coming, we were talked into trying the Grilled Santa Fe Caesar Salad ($12) and a Bowl of New England Clam Chowder ($9). Manager Todd Cords really talked up this different take on a Caesar salad, and after my first bite, I realized he had every right to do so. It was delicious. The romaine is grilled, so it picks up the flavors of the grill and is then topped with corn, salsa fresca, avocado, and one of the better salad dressings I've had recently a green chile caesar dressing. I'm usually not too enthused about having to cut up my salad, but I did not mind with this one. The chowder really grew on Erven as he ate it. It had plenty of potatoes and clams and was very creamy. It could have been a tad more peppery, but still a solid version of this classic comfort soup.

Entree time, and Erven and I decided to split two entrees, the first of which was this French Dip ($19). This dip sandwich starts with some thinly sliced, tender prime rib and then is topped with Swiss cheese, crispy onion strings, a creamy horseradish sauce, and, of course, au jus. I liked this sandwich, although I wished the horseradish had packed more punch. The ciabatta bread was good here, as it did an admirable job soaking up the au jus and keeping the contents of the sandwich together. This sandwich came with sea salt fries on the side, which were pretty solid.

I wanted to get a burger here, but I've been on too much of a burger kick lately, so I got the JFAT Blonde Ale Fish and Chips ($18) instead. It was a good choice. This large plate came with three good-sized pieces of fried fish, which were crunchy on the outside and flaky and buttery soft on the inside. I was shocked at how these lacked the usual greasiness that goes hand in hand with fish and chips. This plate was rounded out with a nicely done coleslaw and some salt and pepper potato chips. A very comforting meal.

We did not need dessert at this point, but we could not resist trying this pumpkin and pecan streusel cake ($7). Our server, Zoey, called this an underrated dessert because it gets overshadowed by their larger and more flashy sundaes. She nailed this description. I'm not a big pumpkin fan, but it was understated here, lurking in the background while the pecan and ice cream played a more prominent role. It was a very good end to our meal at Jimmy's Famous American Tavern.

I'm happy to report that this JFAT location was just as good as the one we have visited numerous times in Dana Point. Sometimes, when a restaurant expands, there are growing pains, but that does not seem to be the case with Jimmy's Famous American Tavern. Even though Brea is 33 miles north of Dana Point, they definitely nailed the same vibe for both restaurants. The food was also consistent in both spots, and we look forward to coming back here and exploring more of their menu when we are up this way, maybe visiting my parents.

As for this visit, we thank everyone at JFAT for their warm and generous hospitality. Our server, Zoey, was excellent and very knowledgeable about the menu here, and she was spot on with coming up with suggestions to make our dining experience even better than it would have been. We would also like to thank Manager Todd Cords, who came over and checked on us regularly and answered all of our questions about this restaurant. You could sense how everyone who works here is very proud of this establishment and enjoys showing it off. Lastly, I would like to thank my dining companion this evening, my friend Erven, whom I've known for 30 years and counting. I had a great time catching up with you, and we need to do this more often. Thanks, buddy.

If you would like to experience Jimmy's Famous American Tavern for yourself, find your nearest location and online menus at their website here: http://j-fat.com/