Nothing Pedestrian About the Cookies from Paderia

Paderia Bakehouse

18279 Brookhurst St. Suite 1

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

There are some places that I'm pretty glad are far away from where I live. I need that extra buffer because, to be honest, I have no willpower. Paderia is one of those places that I'm glad is not just around the corner. I have a twenty-mile barrier between me and this bakehouse, and that does my waistline just fine.

I had been hearing whispers about this modern day bakery since they opened eight months ago. People were throwing around praise like, "best cookies ever", "the malasadas are just as good as the ones in Hawaii", and "the banana pudding is the bomb." It was not until my friend and food writer for the OC Weekly, Anne Marie Panoringan told me that I had to give Paderia's cookies a try, as they were that good. I trust her as much as any other OC food influencer, so I knew when we were eating nearby we would be swinging by to pick up some of their baked goods to take home.

You should be aware of a few things when coming to Paderia. They are not open on Mondays. The rest of the week they open at either 7 or 8 am and close when they sell out, which from what I have read online is generally around 1 pm or earlier. There's also no place to sit and enjoy your goodies, so be prepared to eat them out front on the curb or tempt fate and try to make it home without ripping open the box.

Paderia was started by two local guys that have known each other since junior high and they decided to open a business together. Originally they wanted to open a meal prep company, but then it segued into a bakery, and for that, we are all thankful.  They put together a great group of bakers and Paderia was off and running. The menu is not going to blow you away with its diversity. They have three specialty items, four cookies, coffee, tea, and a couple of specials offered.

We got to Paderia just before 11 on a recent Saturday and walked right in and ordered. I was a little surprised that there was no line, but there was definitely a steady stream of people coming in, and they were out of their banana pudding and their ensaymada. We ordered at the register and then waited for our items to be boxed up to be taken home. I'm happy to say that I was very good and waited to get home to try anything. Of course, I had put the box in the trunk because I know myself pretty well. Let's see if these baked goods are worth all the hype they receive.

Here's a quick overview of what we got on this trip. We got two each of their four cookies, three malasadas, and you can't see it in the picture, but we also tried one of their seasonal items, the banana bread. Let's dive deeper into the box.

Don't judge me, but this was my first experience with Malasadas ($2.50 for filled or $1.75 for plain). The last time I was in Hawaii was 1993, and I was not the foodie I am today, I mean I was just practically out of diapers. Anyways, now that I'm a little wiser, and can do a Google search, I learned that these are a Portuguese doughnut, that became popular in Hawaii when the  Hawaiians needed skilled laborers to work in the sugar and pineapple fields. They got people from all over the globe to help, including some from Portugal, and they probably never left after getting a taste of the island life. They brought their cuisine with them, including the now popular malasada. The malasadas at Paderia are filled with Nutella, coconut cream, ube, or you can have it plain, which is just dusted with sugar.

Since this was my first experience with malasadas I really do not have anything to compare these to, but I did like them, especially the filled ones. They are not as greasy as regular donuts, and they seemed lighter, which would allow you to eat more of them before getting too full. The Nutella one was my favorite, but the coconut cream filled one was close behind. I liked the contrast between the dough and the fillings. Definitely, a must try if they still have some of these when you are here.

The malasadas were good, but the cookies from Paderia are what will bring us back here many times over. Quite simply, these cookies were some of the best I have had. Leading the pack is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). I'm a big fan of PB and chocolate, and this cookie is now one of my favorite ways to have these two things. The peanut butter is in the form of chips in this one and goes together excellently with the dark chocolate cookie. I liked the crunchy outer portion and the slightly chewy center which was the hallmark of each of these cookies. The Chocolate Walnut Cookie ($4.00) was another winner. I'm not really a fan of nuts in my cookies, but it worked out fine here. They were finely chopped and the imported Belgian chocolate really shined in this cookie. Chocolate fiends will feel the love after their first taste of the Triple Chocolate Cookie ($4.00). This rich cookie uses both milk and dark chocolate and brings to mind a swim through the chocolate river depicted in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The Oatmeal Cookie ($2.25) was fine, but could not compete with the other three in my opinion. The texture was spot on, but it needed something like maybe some chocolate chips to really make it pop. Of course it just so happens that oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are one of my favorites. Hint, hint Paderia Bakehouse.

The only miss on this trip to Paderia was this Banana Bread ($1.50). This was one of their seasonal specials on this particular visit. I found this banana bread to be on the dry side, and the banana flavor did not really come through to me. If it wasn't for the nuts topping this it wouldn't have really tasted like anything. Disappointing, but I was still basking in the glow of the cookies.

Paderia was everything it was promised. These are the best cookies I have had up to this point. I find myself daydreaming about them frequently since we made our initial visit. I also find myself trying to come up with reasons to end up in Fountain Valley. Yes, these cookies are not cheap. Katie and I ended up spending $36 on eight cookies, the banana bread, and three malasadas. Steep, but totally worth it. The hype is justified at Paderia.

Out of five flashlights, (because the 4th largest employer in the city of Fountain Valley is SureFire, maker of milatry and commercial flashlights), five being best to zero being worst, Paderia Bakehouse gets 4 flashlights.

For more information about Paderia Bakehouse, head to their website here: https://paderiabakehouse.com/

You Won't Be Called Skinny After Eating at Tio Flaco's

Tio Flaco's

18959 Magnolia St. 

Fountain Valley, CA 92708

It was another rare weekend day off for me, and since Katie has a regular job, with both Saturdays and Sundays off, it was a chance to get out, do a little walk, and cross a restaurant off of our restaurant wishlist. So we hightailed it up the 405 to Fountain Valley to give Tio Flaco's a try.

I had read a very positive review about this small restaurant in the LA Times, and another two in the OC Weekly, so of course, it had to be put on my list. Both articles mentioned that they cook their meats over wood. Very intrigued, we decided to park at a nearby junior high school, walk through a couple of pocket parks, and arrive at just before lunchtime at Tio Flaco's.

Tio Flaco's has been open for two and a half years now, and it replaced a deli, but it appears that this might have been an old Wienerschnitzel, judging by the A-frame building it occupies. Caesar Ruiz and Steven Dabic, both local boys who graduated from Fountain Valley High, wanted to create a place where you could get tacos like the ones they had down in Tijuana. They wanted their place to have homemade tortillas, and fresh salsas and the proteins had to be grilled over wood. Lucky for them, Fountain Valley is one of the few OC cities that permits this kind of cooking.

The menu at Tio Flaco's is very basic. They offer four types of meat, and you can have them as tacos, a mulita, which is best described as a quesadilla with stuff inside of it, or you can choose to have a taco salad. They also offer a cheese quesadilla and tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. That's basically it. Once you open the door to the small restaurant you are hit with the sweet smell of the meat cooking. With a menu as simple as this, we quickly ordered, grabbed a seat on their outdoor patio, and waited for our number to be called. Here's how everything came out for us.

Starting things out for us is Katie's meal. She almost always opts for chicken when eating out, and that was definitely the case at Tio Flaco's. She had both a Chicken Taco ($2.29) and a Chicken Mulita ($3.79). Way to mix it up. Anyways, she liked the chicken but was not in love with it. She thought it could have been a little more flavorful, and the chicken did not seem to pick up too much from being cooked over the wood. She did jazz things up with a trip to the salsa bar, which features five kinds of red and green salsas ranging from mild to extremely hot. Katie was impressed with the tortillas and the juiciness of the chicken. She did say she'd probably skip the chicken next time in favor of one of the other meats. 

With Katie getting two chicken items, it freed me up to try the other three types of meat available at Tio Flaco's. I had a Carne Asada Taco ($2.68), a Carnitas Taco, ($2.29), and finished off my taco trio with the Al Pastor Taco ($2.68). All of these were great, and I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite, but the one I remember the most was the Asada. You could definitely tell it was cooked over wood, as it picked up a smokiness and was very tender. It did not need any salsa, but of course, I used a little bit of the hot ones, and they were excellent. The al pastor and carnitas were fantastic as well and worth getting. The tacos at Tio Flaco's come with onions, cilantro, and guacamole, and they did not skimp on either the meats or the toppings. Some of the best tacos I have had to date.

Round two of food came out next, and this included a Carne Asada Mulita ($4.18) and a Cheese Quesadilla ($1.69). Having the carne asada in the mulita made me fall in love with it even more. I almost hated letting Katie have a bite and wanted to drench it in hot salsa so she wouldn't want any, but I'm a good husband and let her have some. The mulita was filled with cheese, guacamole, onion, cilantro, meat, and a smidge of mild salsa. Again they were not shy about the amount of Asada they used here, as it escaped the mulita, and I eagerly ate it after the mulita disappeared rather quickly. The quesadilla was a classic. Two of their very good flour tortillas were sandwiched with some gooey cheese, which also had some crispy parts hanging out, which made this quesadilla even better. 

Not to be overlooked, the salsa bar here is pretty impressive at Tio Flaco's. As I mentioned earlier they have five salsas ranging from mild to extremely hot. I tried the hottest of the bunch and found it to be good and spicy, but it did not overwhelm me, which is what I look for in a salsa. I like it hot, but I still want to be able to taste the food that I put on. A very delicate balance that this restaurant nailed. 

As we walked back to our car parked about a mile away at the junior high school, I could not stop thinking about our visit to Tio Flaco's. Even as I write this review a few weeks later I have an incredible craving for their tacos and mulitas. I think these are the best tacos I have had in a really long time, with the exception of the chicken. Such a simple menu and the food was done with such precision, I can not wait to return very soon. I'd say that the owners at Tio Flaco's have nailed what they were going for here, creating a great taco just like the ones they had across the border. The restaurant inside is a little small, and because of the wood-burning cooking going on in there, it does seem a little steamy, so a seat out on their patio seems like a way better spot to enjoy your food. This was a great place to spend our day off together.

Out of five octopuses, (because the mascot of this restaurant is Templeton the Octopus), five being best to zero being worst, Tio Flaco's gets 3.5 octopuses.

For more information about Tio Flaco's, head to their website here: http://www.tioflacos.com/

Crack Shack Is No Joke

Crack Shack

196 East 17th St. 

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

We recently were invited to the VIP opening party of Crack Shack. For those unaware, this is the chicken-focused restaurant of CEO Michael Rosen and his business partner, celebrity chef Richard Blais, famously of Top Chef. I don't bring this up to brag about getting invited to a restaurant opening party. Instead, Instead, I mention this because I want to convey how much we liked this restaurant.

Usually, when we are invited somewhere, I enjoy what they offer, take some pictures, and then come home and write about our experience at the event. We usually don't return for an extended amount of time. Not because we didn't like it, but to keep the content fresh on this site. You guys probably don't want to read two posts about the same restaurant within a few weeks or months.  Plus, we have many restaurants we need to try without making too many return trips to a place we have already been.

The party was, of course, a great time. We got a quick tour of the restaurant located on the corner of 17th Street and Orange Avenue in what used to be a Chase Bank. It's unrecognizable from when it was a financial institution, though. They poured a lot of work into this restaurant, which features a retractable roof. They utilized reclaimed wood from Torrey Pines down in San Diego, where they started, and have two locations (one in Little Italy and one in Encinitas). There are also large chicken-themed murals on the outside of the building and a giant chicken statue greeting guests as they enter the restaurant.

Another highlight of the party was getting a chance to meet the Crack Shack team, including both Michael Rosen and the star of the evening, Richard Blais. I have to admit that I have never watched an episode of Top Chef, but I did recognize him from other TV shows I happened to have clicked by. He was great and took the time to mingle with his guests. He did not even bristle when I asked him a few questions of my own. I found out he was an Islanders fan growing up, but then all the cool kids in high school started liking the Rangers, so he switched too. Also, since he's a Long Island resident, I asked which famous Long Island celebrity he would like to have dinner with. He answered Billy Joel, which is a great pick.  I'd go with Jerry Seinfeld myself.

The food was another highlight, as plenty of tray-passed items were off their menu, making their way around the room. We pretty much tried almost everything on the menu, but I wanted to go back to share with you what the full-sized items look like instead of the mini versions we were given. Plus, I enjoyed what I had consumed and was ready to try the one or two things on the menu we had missed.

Katie and I met at Crack Shack on a recent Monday evening, and the restaurant was lively. Ordering is done at a walk-up counter alongside 17th Street. Most of the menu is different versions of chicken sandwiches, but they also feature salads, sides, milkshakes, and fried chicken by themselves. After making your selections, you enter and find a seat, and they bring your food to your table.  I was excited to see what we had in store on our return trip to Crack Shack.

I'm not really a fan of Deviled Eggs ($4), but Katie really wanted to give these a try. These come four to an order and are topped with french toast crumbles and candied bacon. They must have been pretty good because Katie did not hesitate to eat all four rather quickly.

We might as well stay with Katie's choices for this evening, as she selected this Senor Croque ($12). I was a little surprised when she chose this breakfast-centric sandwich. It starts with a fried chicken breast and then is topped with bacon, fried egg, white cheddar, miso-maple butter, and is sandwiched between a brioche bun. Katie called this her favorite chicken sandwich ever. She loved the different flavors in each bite and felt this was one of the juiciest chicken sandwiches she had ever had. She knows why they call this place the Crack Shack because this sandwich is addictive.

The first of the two sandwiches I tried was the Firebird ($11). They use thigh meat for this spicy sandwich, plenty of pickles, crispy onions, and ranch, all on a potato roll. I loved the heat on this sandwich. It was the right balance of heat, as it did not overwhelm but lingered even after I was done with my last bite. They had just the right amount of ranch on here, and the crispy onion strings added a nice crunch. I did take the pickles off this, as I always find pickles take over anything they touch. An excellent sandwich that has excited me to try other spicy chicken sandwiches.

I had some pretty high hopes for this Royale ($9). This is not like any Sausage McMuffin you have ever had. The word that came to mind when I was eating this was sturdy. This was a very sturdy breakfast sandwich. They make their own English muffins here, the vessel for their chicken sausage, sunny-side-up egg, and smoked cheddar. I had a few qualms about this sandwich. The English muffin was a little too hard, making eating this difficult. The chicken sausage was on point, but the egg was overcooked and did not provide any runny yolk that I think would have bound this together very well. The cheese also got lost here. I will get this with a side of their lime mayo next time, which I think will improve this sandwich.

One thing that really stood out from the opening party that we attended was the Schmaltz Fries ($5). I was curious if they would be just as good on our return trip. They were. The fries are an all-day process. They are hand cut, soaked for 24 hours, and then fried twice in chicken fat, leaving the fries crispy on the outside and pillowy soft inside. A must-get when visiting Crack Shack.

Even though I was not totally in love with the Royale sandwich, I will be back to have the Firebird sandwich again. I think it was one of the best chicken sandwiches I have had, right up there with my other favorite of the moment, the one at Two Birds at the Trade Food Hall in nearby Irvine. Both use Jidori chicken, which makes for a tastier and moist chicken. My only minor complaint is about the sauces here. I wish they were a little bolder and had a little more variety. The ranch dressing and the Sriracha 1000 Island were probably the best of the bunch, but they did not really stand out too much to me. Even with that one minor quibble, we will be back soon. I really liked the vibe here, as it was kind of hipster-ish, but not in an uncomfortable way. Thanks to all involved in the invite to the opening party, and we're happy to report that the food was just as good as when we returned two weeks later.

Out of five clowns (because Richard Blais is from Uniondale, New York, which was the last stop by the Ringling Bros. Circus after a 146-year run earlier this year), five being best to zero being worst, The Crack Shack gets 3.5 clowns.

For more information about Crack Shack, head to their website here: https://www.crackshack.com/

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/