Living the Burger Dream in HB? - CLOSED

The American Dream

21058 Pacific Coast Highway #130

Huntington Beach, CA 92648

It's been quite some time since we have reviewed a burger spot. Okay, it was only two months ago, but that's a long time between burger reviews on this restaurant site. Needless to say, I was craving a burger, and it didn't help that the Orange Coast Magazine's edition of best burgers has been sitting on my desk, staring me in the face for weeks now. So, finally, I had to turn the magazine over because my burger cravings had gotten so bad.

The American Dream was not listed in the Orange Coast article of best burgers, but that doesn't mean they don't get some very high praise. They nabbed the number 2 spot on the OC Register's Best Burgers of 2017 list by famed Restaurant Critic Brad A Johnson. He also called their fries the best in the county. Very high praise for a guy who has written about french fries. I was pretty excited to try this place, and we also took my parents along.

This would be my parent's first trip to Pacific City just south of the Huntington Beach Pier. Pacific City is a pretty impressive shopping center, with many shops and restaurants we have wanted to try. The American Dream is situated in Lot 579, the food hall here, but they have their own seating area.

I don't know much about who started The American Dream, as their website is pretty much bare-bones. They list their address and have a few pictures of their burgers, and that's pretty much it. No menu, no history, or other locations listed. It is infrequent these days to not have a functioning website, but I checked out their menu on Yelp. They offer fries, appetizers, six burgers, a chicken sandwich, and three salads. They also feature about 60 beers on tap and 10 wines. No drinking for me this evening, even though I was with my parents. Let's check out the food we had at The American Dream.

I was surprised to see Buffalo Cauliflower ($8) on the menu here, as fried cauliflower is a mainstay on most Persian restaurant menus and one of our favorite things to get when we have Persian food. We had to give it a try for sure. This was a big serving size, and the four of us had difficulty finishing it. The fried cauliflower was tossed with buffalo sauce and served with carrot and celery sticks. I enjoyed this appetizer, although some of the pieces of cauliflower needed to be cut down in size so we could dip them into the provided ranch and blue cheese dressing. Not as greasy as I expected, this was an excellent start to our meal.

The burgers do not come with fries at The American Dream, so we got these Truffle Fries ($7) as another appetizer. The fries are hand-cut and not frozen, which is a big plus in my book. They reminded me of the fries at Islands, but a little crisper with bigger fries than you get at Islands. These fries came with black truffle salt, oil, garlic, parmesan, and parsley. I'm always worried that the truffle will be overwhelming, but that wasn't the case here, as the garlic was the dominant flavor. The fries come with your choice of dipping sauces. We tried the ranch, garlic aioli, and blue cheese, which were pretty solid but did not stand out any more than any others we have had. I liked that they allowed you to have as many sauces as you would like to try. I'll try their spicy aioli and Thousand Island dressing on my next visit. 

After our apps disappeared quickly, our burgers were next, starting with my mom's choice, the 55 Chevy ($12). This is the most basic burger on the menu. It comes with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, and cheddar cheese. It was not as big as I expected, but it was the perfect size for my mom, who split this and another sandwich you'll see in a bit with Katie. My mom liked this simple burger well enough, but Katie thought it was average, and nothing about it stood out. She admits she's not really a burger person, though.

This Pastrami Burger ($14) is the burger that Brad Johnson had rated as the number two burger in all of OC, and this would be my dad's pick on this evening. He loved this burger, calling it one of his best. My dad is really particular about his pastrami, needing it to be sliced thin for some reason. I personally like thicker pastrami, so you can taste it better. Along with the pastrami on this burger were some cheddar cheese, pickles, mustard, and spicy horseradish cream that caught me a bit off guard. However, I really liked this burger as well. The spicy condiments, the salty pastrami with the cheddar, and the delicious chuck brisket patty made this a winner for me. Also, an excellent toasted bun held everything together well.

Since my dad had gotten the pastrami burger, I decided to try this Chorizo Chili Burger ($15). This one starts with their signature chuck brisket patty and then is topped with chorizo chili, lettuce, tomato, cheddar, avocado, and spicy aioli. Next time, I'd probably get this without any of the produce and add some red onion. I'm not a fan of lettuce and tomato on a chili burger. However, the chorizo chili had a little kick, which I appreciated. I also thought having avocado on this was weird, but it worked out nicely. The toppings overshadowed the burger, but I was not complaining after eating this one. 

Katie did not get the memo that we all had burgers this evening, as she selected this Buffalo Fried Chicken Sandwich ($12). The lone chicken sandwich on the American Dream menu comes with some blue cheese slaw, pickles, and buffalo-sauced fried chicken breast. Katie was pretty pleased with this one. She liked the buffalo sauce's slight spiciness, the tender chicken, and the slaw added a nice crunch. However, Katie wished the blue cheese was a little more prevalent. Still, she would get this again and maybe ask for a side of blue cheese dressing for dipping.

After leaving The American Dream, I started thinking about our visit. This is an excellent burger spot, one of the upper echelons of burger venues in OC, but it can't crack my top four list. Close though. American Dream reminded me a lot of Hopdoddy, but just not as good, in my opinion. I usually get the chili burger there, and I like it a smidge better than the one I had at American Dream. I'd come back here when I'm around this area. The service was pretty good this evening. There were no significant issues at all. Glad I could break my burger drought, and I now look forward to tackling more of the best burgers in OC.

Out of five white picket fences (because the American Dream for some people is a home with a white picket fence in front of it), five being best to zero being worst, The American Dream gets 3 white picket fences.

For more information about The American Dream, head to their website here: http://www.theamericandreamhb.com/ 

Inhabiting Citizen Kitchen - CLOSED

Citizen Kitchen

1500 South Raymond Ave.

Fullerton, CA 92831

I always feel sorry for chefs who operate hotel restaurants. Yes, they have a captive audience of ever-changing guests, but it has got to be a challenge getting locals to find out about your restaurant. With tourists, you never really get the loyal following that other restaurants require to survive. For travelers, you must also dumb down the menu or make food that appeals to the masses. Executive Chef Zach Geerson is attempting to break that mold.

For those unaware, Citizen Kitchen is located in the Hotel Fullerton, which can be seen as you crawl along the 91 Freeway going westbound. For the past two-plus years, it has been home to Chef Zach Geerson, a Florida native who left the Sunshine State to pursue a degree at the Culinary Insitute of America. OC diners might remember him as the Executive Chef at Tempo Urban Kitchen in Brea, a position he attained after just two months at that restaurant.

Now firmly entrenched at Citizen Kitchen, Chef Zach oversees everything here. He oversees the menu and the food but has also taken charge of the cocktail menu and handled the rest of the staff. As if there's not enough on his plate already, he has another restaurant opening up on the other side of the hotel, but more on that later.

I had the excellent opportunity to invite my sister to this media dinner. I always enjoy sharing a little of what I am lucky enough to experience semi-regularly with my friends and family. We met in the spacious parking lot and found Citizen Kitchen by walking through the lobby and listening to the other guests enjoying their plates. Chef Zach's menu can best be described as global, with many influences worldwide. Even if something looks pretty pedestrian, there's a good bet that there's a twist somewhere. Let's see what Chef Zach had in store for us this evening.

A drink was in order since it was a trek coming to Fullerton from South OC. The first of my two cocktails was the Canned Heat ($10). I'm always drawn to a spicy cocktail, and this one did not disappoint. It uses Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur and some Illegal Mezcal as its base. It is then softened just a bit with some orange and lime, then finished off with chili powder streaked across the rim of the glass. It was a smooth beverage balanced between spice, sweetness, and alcohol. 

The Bread Service at Citizen Kitchen had us food people raving, and not just because we were hungry. The bread is made in-house, and it is light and airy. I overheard that the butter is left out for an extended time, but I'm unsure how long. It was some of the creamiest I have had and spread nicely over the bread. I had more than my fair share of it on this evening.

The plates started coming out of the kitchen at a furious pace, beginning with these Kimchi Crab Rolls ($9). For kimchi lovers, this starter is a must-order. These rolls were filled with kimchi crab, a light touch of cream cheese, and topped with yuzu teriyaki and green onions. I liked these, even though I'm not a big kimchi fan. The crab was overpowered by the kimchi, but the yuzu balanced things out for me.

I really enjoyed the Truffle Fries ($6) at Citizen Kitchen. They were smashed fingerling potatoes dusted with parmesan Reggiano and parsley and then served with house ketchup and one of the better chile pesto aiolis I have enjoyed consuming. The potatoes were fried perfectly, with a nice crunch to the outer shell and a fluffy potato underneath. The parmesan was a nice touch that helped the truffle not overpower. 

When this hit the table, I did not really know what to make of it. My immediate thought was how we were going to cut it in fifths so we could all try it. We somehow managed. This Stuffed Crepe ($10) was filled with sweet potato and served on top of a lemongrass and grapefruit salad. It's not something that I would normally order, but I'm pretty glad I got to try it.

Much more to my liking was this Short Rib Agnolotti ($14). Short ribs are one of those things you see on a menu, and you just know it will be good. That was the case with this short rib and noodle dish. It was very comforting and accentuated with some fennel and garlic to round it out. I could see some hotel guests eating this after a long day of sightseeing.

Chef Zach put a different spin on the usual mac and cheese dish with his creation, the Sweet Potato Gnocchi ($11). The gnocchi was bathed in a parmesan fondue sauce and then seasoned with some lemon and rosemary, with breadcrumbs added to the texture. I thought the sweet potato would be odd, but to tell the truth, he could have put an old shoe in there with that excellent cheese sauce, and it would have tasted great. He could have had a lighter touch with the breadcrumbs to allow the fondue to shine even more.

Shrimp has always been a favorite of mine, so I was pretty excited to see this Shrimp Escabeche ($15) arrive. The shrimp was cooked simply with fennel and thyme and accompanied by a grilled piece of bread that was excellent for dipping into the sauce after devouring the shrimp. 

A first for my sister. This was her first time having boar, which she was not too excited about trying, but we finally got her to give it a whirl. With this Wild Boar Pipian Rojo ($13) Chef Zach takes us south of the border with this Mexican inspired dish. The boar was coated in a red mole sauce made with what I believed to be pumpkin seeds. Some red onion, roasted grapes, and coriander were also thrown into the mix. I liked the multi-layered flavors of this dish. The boar was fine, but I could not get a good handle on it with everything else happening here. It tasted like pork to me.

Octopus is one of the most underused items on menus in OC. Chef Zach tried rectifying this with his Grilled Spanish Octopus ($14). This was presented wonderfully, and the octopus came with a well-done black garlic barbecue sauce, some chile, and some pressed fingerling potatoes. The octopus reminded me of one I had at Splashes in Laguna a few years back, but at half the price.

With all this food coming out, it was time for another cocktail. This time, I went for the Sour Skittle ($12). This one used a mixture of Spirit Works Gin and 329 Lager and was then finished with some pomegranate and lemon. When something on a menu says spicy, sweet, or sour, it's muted. That was not the case with this beverage. It was sour. The candy coating on the rim was the only thing that broke up the tart. This might be more for those who enjoy really sour things, so I'll stick with the Canned Heat cocktail I had earlier on future visits to Citizen Kitchen. 

Pizza was next on our agenda. The Ham and Cheese Pizza ($13) was the better. A mellow parmesan cream and burrata teamed up with some thinly sliced serrano ham to top this good-quality pizza crust. I liked the creaminess of the cheeses and the saltiness of the ham, but what made this pizza for me was the pizza dough. It was crisp and light but added to the pizza instead of detracting. I'm biased against fruit on pizza, so I already had dismissed the Orchard Pizza ($10) when it was in front of us. Sliced apples, a fig jam, and hazelnuts made this feel more like a dessert pizza than an entree. It was okay, but I still believe that fruit does not belong on pizza. I'm looking at you, pineapple.

I really enjoyed the look of this Citizen Burger ($17). It reminded me of a fancier version of a Big Mac. Chef Zach has two burgers on his menu, this Citizen Burger ($17) and his base model, which he calls a bland burger. This burger is kimchi-focused with kimchi mayo and house-made kimchi included, and then it's topped with a fried egg. I liked the burger but found the kimchi overwhelming here. The fries were still outstanding, especially with the provided pesto aioli. Good stuff.

The last entree of the evening was the Braised Beef Short Rib ($29). The short rib was tender, flavorful, and bathed in a delicious sauce. It was ringed around a moat of polenta, which went well with the beef. It was a nice finish to our evening.

As I mentioned earlier, Chef Zach has a new passion project in the works and will also be located at the Hotel Fullerton. His latest restaurant will be called Journeyman, and it's taking over where a Chinese restaurant was located a few years back. The owner of the Hotel Fullerton has given Chef Zach a full range of what to do with this restaurant. While we were there a couple weeks ago, they were still going through the construction phase, but we were told it would be ready for opening in December. They were pouring the flooring the next day we were there, and everything looked great.

Chef Zach gave us a little taste of what to expect from his Journeyman menu. I'd describe what we tried as daring and a little out of the box. Guests are in for a fascinating evening at Journeyman. The food here is unlike anything else we have had in the area, and it will be exciting to see how it is received once it is open. It reminds me of how Tempo Urban Kitchen used to be when they first opened. Their menu changed daily, so you never knew what would be on it next. I'm eager to see how Journeyman evolves once they are open for business.

We'd like to thank Chef Zach Geerson and the rest of his team at Citizen Kitchen for this fantastic opportunity to experience their food and get a special sneak peek at the new Journeyman Restaurant, which will be opening in December. We loved your passion, and it was an absolute pleasure to get the chance to meet you and see you in your element. I'd also like to thank my tablemates, some of the best food influencers around, and live up to the saying that food people are some of the best people around. That is very true with this group. Also thanks to my sister for joining me on this food adventure, it's always a blast to hang out with you.

For more information about Citizen Kitchen, head to their website here: http://ckfullerton.com/

Our First Trip to Little Arabia

Little Arabia Lebanese Bakery and Cuisine

638 S. Brookhurst St. 

Anaheim, CA 92804

It's been a grind at work lately. New manager, the holidays are fast approaching, and people are getting crankier as they have more to do. Around this time of year, it's easy to get in a rut after a long day at work and just want to stay at home, lock the front door behind you, and not have to have any interaction with people for the rest of the day. I have to realize that's not fair to Katie plus it's not good for this restaurant blog. The three pages of restaurants I want to try is never going to shrink if we stay home all the time. So we decided to head out on a Saturday night to cross another one off the list.

Our destination on this early fall evening was Little Arabia Bakery and Cuisine. I had heard some pretty good things about their shwarma, and I know Katie is crazy for that and the garlic sauce that is found in lots of Lebanese restaurants. For those that are not sure, like me, shwarma is a lot like gyro meat, as it's cooked on a slowly moving spit, which allows it to cooks in its own juices. Shwarma is spiced differently though and not served with tzatziki sauce like its cousin the gyro.

Little Arabia Lebanese Bakery and cuisine is situated in a corner of a shopping center anchored by an old-school Stater Bros. Market at the intersection of  Brookhurst and Orange Avenue, just north of Ball Road in Anaheim. We arrived at just before 5 on a recent Saturday evening. There was ample parking and we had our pick of tables when we walked in the restaurant. During our stay the booths filled up around us, but at no time would I say that they were busy.

There's a nice fenced patio out front, but we elected to eat inside. The interior of the restaurant was inviting, with a number of booths lining the far wall, and a good many tables in the center of the dining area. If you are getting food to go you order at the register, and for dining in guests you'll be directed to a table and a server will take your order. The menu at Little Arabia has all of your Mediterranean favorites. There's plenty of hot and cold appetizers, sandwiches, plates, and savory pies to choose from. They even offer pizza for those who are a little skittish about trying something new. I was going to forgo the pizza but still had a tough time making my meal decision. Let's see if Little Arabia was worth the drive up from South OC.

Starting things off for us were some of the baked goods that were featured prominently in the display case near the register. At $1.49 each these were a great way to start our meal. We got one each of the Mini Spinach Boat, Mini Cheese Boat, and a Mini Balabaki Square, which was filled with meat. My favorite of the three was the plain cheese, which had the tanginess of parmesan cheese, which mellowed into a smooth and creamy cheese. The spinach was nicely done, but the spinach could have been a little more prominent. The meat one missed the mark for me. It was spiced a little too much and did not let the meat shine. I really liked the dough that encased these, as it was soft and light and did not interfere with the contents of these baked goods. Worth a try for sure.

Katie had no problem deciding what to get at Little Arabia, as she eagerly anticipated this Chicken Shwarma Plate ($13.99). This massive pile of seasoned chicken really impressed, and that's coming from me, who is not really a big fan of chicken. It was tender, juicy, and seasoned well. Definitely the best chicken shwarma I have had, not that I have had a ton in my day. The garlic sauce was a tad too light with the garlic but did the trick. I knew there was no way Katie would be able to finish this all, so I had it for lunch the next day and it even held up then. Wonderfully done.

Whenever I'm in doubt about what to order, I always lean towards a combo meal, so I can at least get a good lay of the land if I'm going to end up visiting a restaurant again. At Little Arabia, I selected this Combo Plate ($17.99) as my meal on this evening. With this one you get either a beef or lamb skewer, I picked the lamb, a ground beef, and a chicken skewer. Not normally my thing, but the chicken one was my favorite of the three. It was seasoned like Katie's shwarma but in cubed form. It went nicely with the garlic paste. The lamb and the ground beef skewers were both slightly overcooked, but I still enjoyed them well enough. The rice was full of flavor and spiced with something I was not expecting but kind of warmed up to. It had a subtle sweetness to it. The hummus was silky smooth and I found myself using it to jazz up the ground beef and the lamb. I did not really get into the salad here, but it seemed fresh.

Both Katie and I enjoyed our time at Little Arabia. We have had slightly better Mediterranean food in OC, but this was a very solid visit and worth your time if you are in the area and craving some shwarma. It's definitely the thing to get here. Next time I'll try the beef. We felt very welcome during our stay, and the service was cordial, but they did seem to forget about us a bit when they got a little busier. Prices seemed fair when you consider the serving size of the food that you get with each meal. Glad I dragged myself out of the house to come here. Good food is what will definitely get me through this hectic holiday season.

Out of five briefcases, (because the first law school in the world was built in Lebanon, and all lawyers use briefcases), five being best to zero being worst, Little Arabia Lebanese Bakery and Cuisine gets 3 briefcases.

For more information about Little Arabia Lebanese Bakery and Cuisine, head to their website here: http://littlearabiarestaurant.yolasite.com/