A Big Milestone for Love at First Bite Catering

Love At First Bite Catering

18281 Gothard St. #108

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

This post is a little bit of a departure from our usual restaurant reviews. I usually try to stay away from featuring catering and event planning companies, but I had to make an exception for my good friends at Love At First Bite.

This Huntington Beach-based catering company just celebrated their 35th anniversary with a big event and ribbon cutting at the Rainwater Gallery in Downtown Huntington Beach. It was attended by a number of government dignitaries, local Huntington Beach business leaders, past and current clients, numerous employees, and friends and family of the owners, John and Stacy LaBrake.

I've known John and Stacy even before they took over this already widely respected Love At First Bite Catering over 15 years ago. I've seen them continue to grow their business, which started as a two person operation, into a little mega empire with over 50 employees, and doing 1,000 events a year. I've been to a number of events where they have done the catering and planning, and I even worked ineptly one morning in their kitchen a long time ago. I was never asked to come back.

This 35th-anniversary party was more than a celebration of the past, as it was a celebration of the future. I heard numerous toasts and speeches where they mentioned, "here's to another 35 years." Of course, John will be 105 by then, or at least look like it. Kidding, of course, John. This party was kind of a chance to stop and breathe while looking towards the future. A future where they see themselves continuing to do business in their beloved Huntington Beach and giving back to the community by supporting local schools and kids athletic teams.

This was not only a milestone celebration but also a chance for Love At First Bite to showcase what they do on a daily basis. Guests were treated to a multitude of well-presented appetizers and salads. Highlights for me were the California Salad with a wonderful orange vinaigrette. The Edamame Salad was not only colorful, but tasted great.  Another standout was their scratch made hummus varieties. They had an eggplant, cilantro, and bell pepper hummus, which not only were unique but were very fresh and went well with the provided pita chips.

Lucky attendees of this anniversary party were treated to some barbecue, along with a bottle of ACE LaBrake's BBQ sauce. Barbecue has become one of the trademarks of Love At First Bite's events, and this barbecue sauce created by owner John LaBrake has won rave reviews. I'm looking forward to using my bottle very soon.

The highlight of the evening for me, besides seeing old friends was this Grilled Cheese Bar, which was helmed by Donnie Bruyn. Donnie has over 45 years in the restaurant business and is a vital part of the LAFB family. He's been featured in numerous magazines, and also held a position working on President Reagan's Inauguration Ball. Here at Love At First Bite he serves as a chef, trainer, and staff motivator. Donnie was doing a great job feeding all of us at this party, as he expertly manned the grilled cheese bar. Three kinds of cheese, avocado, plenty of bacon, and some caramelized onions made this sandwich a winner and sent me home happy.

It's great to see a local business thrive for 35 years and keep their upward trajectory going. It's even better when they are your friends, and you can say that you knew them before they became a success in the catering business. While driving home, I realized that whether you were a supportive friend, satisfied client, or one of the government officials invited to this event, you definitely could feel that you were part of the Love At First Bite family on this evening. Congrats on your 35 years in business, and here's to many more years of catering success.

For more information about Love At First Bite Catering, head to their website here: http://www.lafbcatering.com/home

Swinging by Old Vine Cafe for Brunch - CLOSED

Old Vine Cafe

2937 Bristol Street A102

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Brunch is a magical time. Some might even argue that it's the best time of the week. A time to gather your thoughts about what you have going on in the upcoming seven days. A chance to reflect on the past week and rethink your decision to have that extra gin and tonic the night before. For me, brunch is a good time for all these, but mostly, it's a great time to combine breakfast and lunch, and being a fan of sweet and savory in the morning hours, this is definitely a meal I'm always excited for.

Old Vine Cafe is a place I have followed forever on Instagram and a restaurant that most of my food friends have been to many times over. I have salivated from afar over their hunger-inducing photos online. They have gotten some great press, have favorable Yelp ratings, and their dinners look amazing. We got up bright and early for brunch, as I heard this small restaurant gets very busy, and wait times can be pretty long.

Getting to The Camp at 9:30 AM, where OVC is located, marks the first time I have not had any problem finding a parking spot at this popular shopping center. Of course, when we left an hour later, we saw numerous cars circling the lot, searching for that elusive open space. Once parked at The Camp, head to the back of this retail center, past Taco Asylum and East Borough, and you will eventually run into this wooded area, which almost immediately transports you to a place more reminiscent of the Northwest instead of Costa Mesa.

Old Vine is brought to the good people of OC by Chef Mark McDonald, who not only helms the kitchen here but is also the owner and wine director. A graduate of Laguna Culinary Arts, he also holds the lofty title of California Director for Aregala & Cooks Without Borders, and he also partners with the Italian Culinary Institue to lead their Splendors of South Italy and Splendors of North Italy culinary trips every year. A busy man who also takes great care of Old Vine, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, a significant accomplishment in the restaurant industry. After being seated right away, Old Vine filled up quickly with hungry customers, so Katie and I made our selections rapidly, and this is how it all came out for us.

First was Katie's entree, the Southern Brunch ($16), which comprised two eggs, a freshly made biscuit drenched with pancetta gravy, scrapple, and a panko-crusted fried green tomato. When this was placed in front of her, she was slightly intimidated by its sheer size. It was massive. The focal point of this plate was the great-tasting gravy and biscuit, which melted away wonderfully when consumed. This was one of the better gravies we have had. Rich and creamy, but not overpowering the rest of the plate. We were unsure what scrapple was but learned that it's a pork product combined with cornmeal and flour and then fried to create a kind of pork loaf. I'd like to try it as a sandwich, which would be delicious. In honesty, the eggs did get a little lost here, but with all of this deliciousness, it was not a big deal. Katie boxed up half of this and had it for dinner the same evening. It held up then, too.

Man, I had a rough time deciding here, but I finally decided on this Open Faced ($15.85). After my first bite, I knew I made the right choice. Amazing is how I would describe this plate. This was basically an omelet with a biscuit inside and plenty of chicken sausage, and then it was topped with chipotle gravy and queso fresco. The gravy on this one was just as good as the version used on the southern brunch, but even better because it had a spicy kick. A biscuit inside an omelet was a genius idea, and it was done perfectly. I subbed out the potatoes for the Cheesy Grits for an extra $2.50. Best two and a half dollars I have spent in a while. These cheesy grits have dethroned my favorites at the temporarily closed Lillie's Q in Brea, the best I have had in OC. A great meal to start off my day.

We were expecting this Cinnamon Roll ($5.25) to come out before our meal, but it came with our entrees. As time wore on, this cinnamon roll grew on me. At first, I was put off because the icing was not as prominent as I would have liked, and it was not as sweet as I thought it should be. Because I was not distracted by the sweetness of this cinnamon roll, it allowed the buttery roll to shine. It's still not my favorite cinnamon roll, but it's very formidable.

Katie and I disagreed with this Baked Caramel Apple French Toast ($15). She loved it, and I was a little more tempered in my assessment of this almost dessert dish at Old Vine Cafe. To make up this dish, two pieces of apple french toast are drizzled with caramel and chocolate. I thought this bread portion resembled a less moist bread pudding, which bored me. I would have liked some extra moisture and sweetness here to add excitement. On the other hand, Katie loved this, and she happily finished it for us.

Even with the miss on the French toast, Old Vine was really impressed. Chef Mark has done something that is hard to do for many brunch spots: make brunch their own. The creativity and big-time flavors made our morning; we have thought back over this brunch many times since coming here. This is definitely a brunch spot that we want to explore more. The rabbit mole, Reuben omelet, peanut butter, and banana crepe are on my list of things to try out on our next visit to OVC. Service here was warm and friendly, even at this early morning hour. They did try to turn over tables quickly to help alleviate the wait times, but we did not feel rushed. You can move Old Vine Cafe to one of the top spots to experience brunch in OC. Whatever your reason for loving brunch, you will like it even more after eating at Old Vine Cafe.

Out of five dragons (because this is the official animal for the country of Armenia, which also happens to be home to the first winery, dating from around 4,000 BC), five being best to zero being worst, Old Vine Cafe gets 4 dragons.

For more information about Old Vine Cafe, check out their website here: http://www.oldvinecafe.com/

Taqueros Media Day - CLOSED

Taqueros

31401 Camino Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

It has got to be an uphill battle for a Mexican restaurant to make a name for itself in San Juan Capistrano. A quick online search of Mexican restaurants in this small south OC city, bisected by the 5 Freeway, yields 14 Mexican restaurants, not counting Del Taco and Taco Bell. But, of course, most people probably wouldn't count those two fast-food places anyway. My point is that in a Mexican food-rich city like this one, you have to get your name out there, and that's what Taqueros did recently when they invited a group of food bloggers, including us, to try their food.

I had heard of Taqueros before when they used to be located across the street from Mission Viejo City Hall. I had eaten there once and remembered liking it, but it was long ago. I also remember that they had an eating challenge, which I do not recall at this moment. My friends from work and I had planned on doing it, but we must have forgotten about it before attempting it.

Taqueros is a family-run business, which is owned by the Lezama family. They have had successes and some tough times in the restaurant business, but they feel they have finally found a home in San Juan Capistrano. The locals have embraced them since they opened here over two years ago. Taqueros describes their food as a nod to Mexico's past, emphasizing modern flavors. They want you to feel like partaking in a home-cooked meal with no dishes to clean up afterward.

Located a few blocks north of the mission and across from Junipero Serra High School, Taqueros was pretty busy this late Saturday afternoon. Not only was this place crawling with food media, but they also had a steady stream of people coming in to partake of their extensive menu. I was impressed that this small restaurant had a varied menu, including an extensive juice menu, which Katie took advantage of. She had this Jamaica ($2.29), a hibiscus-tinged tea. It was fruity but not overly sweet, which is how she likes her beverages.

While Katie enjoyed her tea, I was excited to try the Tacos de Trompo, which Taqueros offers on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. These pork tacos originated in Central Mexico and are cooked on a vertical rotisserie called a Trompo. The pork is marinated in dried chilis and spices, then cut off the Trompo, placed in some delicious house-made tortillas, and garnished with cilantro, onion, coriander, and a slice of pineapple. The pork was juicy and flavorful after being cooked on the Trompo. I look forward to returning here to eat about a dozen more of these pastor tacos soon.

Katie and I are big mole fans, so we wanted to try Taqueros Mole Poblano Enchilada ($3.49). We are glad that we did. The mole here is complex, with a richness that can not be described. It's sweet and savory at the same time, but not overwhelmingly. This enchilada was filled with plenty of chicken and queso fresco and drizzled with sour cream. I enjoyed dipping my chips in the excess mole.

I guess my Chilaquiles ($6.99) obsession of late has spread to Katie, as she tried it here. This is one of ten breakfast items on the menu at Taqueros, and all of them are served all day long. Breakfast for dinner is always a good choice. The chilaquiles were solid, but I would not have gotten my eggs over easy like Katie. I prefer the runny yolk to coat the chips and the red or green sauce. This portion size was very generous, and Katie had difficulty finishing this plate.

I wanted to try as much of their food as possible and continued my tour around their menu with this Hard Shelled Potato Taco ($1.89) and a Carne Asada Taco ($2.79). The carne asada taco was delicious. I've been burned too many times by under-seasoned, tough-as-sandpaper beef in Mexican restaurants, but that wasn't the case with this carne asada. The meat was excellent and tender; you could tell it was marinated well. Again, they were very generous with the beef in this taco, which is a plus in my book. Katie is all about potato tacos, which can be a little boring, but that wasn't true at Taqueros. The crunchy outer shell was a nice contrast to the tender spud inside.

By this time, I was getting pretty full, but I had heard some good things about the Cubana Torta ($7.49), so I had to try it. This sandwich was stuffed with a well-done breaded beef, ham, sliced sausage, tomatoes, jalapenos, guacamole, onion, cheese, and beans. With all this included, the bread was the real hero, keeping everything together. I liked this torta but was not too keen on the sliced hot dog used in this, but it was easily discarded. I also used some of Katie's leftover refried beans to improve this. I'd probably get the carnitas torta on my next visit.

I'm glad the folks at Taqueros reached out to us and had us come down for a visit. Since we live so close, Taqueros will definitely be in our restaurant repertoire of places we eat when we want to stay close to home. We will also make it our mission to visit on nights they feature their Tacos de Trompo. They were delicious. I also wanted to make note that this is a pretty comfortable restaurant to eat at. It was well-lit and very clean. It's easy to see why the good people of San Juan have really embraced them.

For more information about Taqueros, head to their website here: http://taquerosmexicanfood.com/