As Katie Hits the Ground, I Hit up Ground House Burger - CLOSED

Ground House Burger

Trade Food Hall

2222 Michelson Dr.

Irvine, CA 92612

This will be one of the shortest reviews I have ever written. Part of the reason for this is that it was just me visiting Trade Food Hall, as I was in the area to pick up Katie at John Wayne from one of her recent business trips. I came here to specifically try one thing I have seen plastered across my Instagram feed, which resides at Trade Food Hall in Irvine.

Trade Food Hall is overlooked as one of the premier food halls in OC. I have always enjoyed my time here, even though parking can be challenging, to say the least. Even this Thursday evening, I had missed some great parking spaces as they got snatched up right before I got there.

Once you have safely parked at Trade, my best bets include the chicken sandwich from Two Birds, the Stoner Papas from Dos Chinos, and the Mediterranian food from Gyro King. I'm sad that Pig Pen Delicacy and their Mac Daddy Burger are no longer available here, being replaced by Ground House Burger earlier this year. The good news is that they are owned and operated by the same people. But the Mac Daddy is now only available at the SteelCraft Food Hall in Long Beach or the Corporation Food Hall in Downtown LA. Definitely worth a try if you are in either of those areas, though.

Back to OC and Ground House Burger. They have a basic menu of five burgers, priced at under ten dollars, but if you combine them with fries and a drink, your meal will be at most $13.49. They love their Pinoy Burger, which uses a 50/50 blend of ground beef and longaniza, a Spanish sausage closely resembling linguica. I admit I was intrigued by this burger, but I had another burger that captivated me ever since I saw it scrolling through my Instagram feed. I quickly ordered it at the register and hoped I had enough time to finish it before Katie could get off her plane and wait for me curbside.

So here she is, one of the most photogenic burgers, The Lone Star Burger ($13.49 with fries and drink). Two pieces of Texas toast with a ground beef patty, blue cheese crumbles, two slices of bacon, beer-battered onion ring, jalapenos, caramelized onions, and a horseradish BBQ aioli. This burger had a lot going on with it naturally. First, it was the juiciest burger I've had in a while. I liked it, but some components came through less than I would have liked. I only got a little of the blue cheese coming through. The very well-made onion rings were better once they were removed from the burger for easier eating and dunked in what I believe to be the same horseradish barbecue aioli that was on the I liked the sauce, which was oddly satisfying with its conflicting notes of horseradish and sweetness from the barbecue coming through at different times. The Texas toast hung on as long as possible but dissolved into a sloppy mess near the end. A good burger, but I'll try the Pinoy or Santa Fe burger on my next visit. The fries were overly salted and tasted like fast food, even though the menu board claims they are fresh-cut here. I'd get the excellent onion rings over the fries next time.

Okay, this review wasn't as short as I had planned. Sorry about that. Ground House is a good addition to the Trade Food Hall, which needed a burger place to replace the pork-centric Pig Pen Delicacy. This Lone Star Burger was good, but as with the case with burgers, sometimes more straightforward is better. This burger had a lot going on, but the big flavors canceled each other. On my next visit, I'm going to go simpler. The guy taking my order was amiable and checked on me repeatedly. He was also delightful to the other customers who drifted towards their booth after me. I ended up finishing my last bite of the burger just as Katie called me, letting me know she was waiting for me curbside at the airport. Perfect timing.

Out of five cacti (because the number one destination out of nearby John Wayne Airport is Phoenix, Arizona, where you will see tons of cacti), five being best and zero being worst, Ground House Burger gets three cacti.

For more information about Ground House Burger, head to their website here: https://groundhouseburger.myshopify.com/

Panini Kabob Grill Part of the Comeback of the Kaleidoscope

Panini Kabob Grill

27741 Crown Valley Parkway #212

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I have passed the Kaleidoscope in Mission Viejo nearly 2,500 times, give or take a few in the last four years. I guess I should explain, we live a block away from this often maligned shopping and entertainment complex. When we first moved to this part of town the only reason to come to the Kaleidoscope was for the movie theater and Island's. About two years ago now the tide started to turn, and there are more reasons than ever to visit this center.

It was around this time that the Union Market opened here, after some lengthy delays, and that has spearheaded the revival at the corner of Crown Valley and the 5 Freeway. After that, the hits just kept on coming. Tapas  Flavors of Spain, Portola Coffee Roasters, and one of my favorite Mexican restaurants, Sol Agave have set up shop here. The management team of this shopping center has also seemed to be committed to their guest's positive experience by keeping the escalators running and adding more dining options to fill the vanishing empty storefronts.

Panini Kabob Grill did not occupy one of those empty storefronts, they took over what used to be the loading dock of the Kaleidoscope, which is easily seen from the cars driving south on Crown Valley Parkway. This high visibility spot has worked out well for Panini Kabob Grill, as everytime we pass by, we see a full patio of people enjoying fresh and delicious Mediterranian cuisine. We were recently invited to experience what we have seen so many others enjoying as we drive by.

Panini Kabob Grill, or as the cool kids call it, PKG used to be formerly called Panini Cafe. The name change seemed to be needed as just like me, I thought this was just a panini restaurant. I had no idea until about a year ago, after my first visit that this is more of a Mediterranian spot. Yes, they still have paninis, but they are also so much more.

After that first visit, I became a fan of this mini-chain, which now boasts 13 restaurants in LA and Orange counties, with a newly announced expansion plan to bring their brand to the people of the Inland Empire and San Diego area in the coming months. Katie and I feel extremely lucky to have a PKG within walking distance from where we live. We grabbed our friends and fellow food bloggers, Tom from Tom's Foodie Blog and the wildly popular Daniele from Dani's Decadent Deals for dinner to experience this Mission Viejo location for the first time.

The restaurant was packed on this particular Thursday evening at 6pm. After an initial wait of ten minutes, we were seated on the busy patio, which was a great choice on this quickly cooling early evening. The traffic noise from busy Crown Valley was not as bad as I was expecting, which was a shame because I was hoping it would drown out Daniele a bit. The menu here includes plenty of appetizers, soups and salad, paninis and sandwiches, and of course, Mediterranean entrees. I've also been told that they have excellent breakfast seven days a week, which we will try on my next Sunday off. For now, let's see how everything worked out for us on this visit.

If you don't start your meal with this Appetizer Combo Platter ($12.95) you are doing yourself and the rest of your tablemates a great disservice. It's the perfect size for a party of four, which we were, and included falafel, caprese, tzatziki, and a trio of hummus, which included garbanzo, black bean, and edamame hummus. The plate was rounded out with plenty of pita bread which was very useful for dipping. I was very partial to all of the hummus varieties and the very well made tzatziki sauce. All were freshly made and provided wonderful flavors. I'm pretty critical of falafel, as I find a lot of them to be too overcooked and hard in the middle. Not the case at PKG. These little balls of garbanzo beans were light on the inside and made even better when dipped into the tzatziki sauce. I left the caprese for the others, as I'm not really a big tomato fan. They all seemed to like it well enough.

Entrees were up next, and let's start with Tom and Daniele's selection on this evening the Lamb Shish Kabob ($19.95). It's not like them to get the same thing, but it limits you my dear reader from having to read too much of my awful writing. Thanks, Tom and Daniele. Tom ordered this dish the way it is listed on the menu, while Daniele always has a lot of questions for the servers, and then makes modifications to what she ends up eating. In this case, she subbed out the rice for roasted veggies. The happy couple really enjoyed the lamb, which like all the proteins here are one hundred percent vegetarian fed and antibiotic and hormone free. The lamb was tender, with a great flavor to it, and excellent when dipped in the tzatziki sauce. The entrees here come with your choice of salad, and they both got the Mediterranean Greek salad which they both loved.

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to eating at PKG, as I always steer towards this Flat Iron Steak Shish Kabob ($15.95). I like that they actually ask you how you want your steak, which is a very nice touch. I, of course, got mine medium rare, which they did perfectly. The flat iron is a flavorful cut, which can sometimes be tough, but that was not the case on this evening. I could almost cut it with my fork. Never one to miss a chance to have a Caesar salad, that's the route I went on this evening. I would have liked a bit more dressing on this, but the overabundance of croutons and parmesan cheese made up for it. As always the plate was rounded out with a big mound of basmati rice which went perfectly with the extra tzatziki sauce we asked for. A very well rounded meal that filled me up.

Katie had a big lunch at work, so she did not really feel like a kabob plate, opting instead for this Chicken Wrap ($10.95) for a lighter dinner. This Mediterranian burrito was filled with grilled chicken breast, hummus, tomato, cucumbers, and greens with fresh mint and basil. She loved that the chicken was as prominent as it was and that the hummus moistened this up a bit. She was also a fan of the pasta salad, which is another option you can get if you are not feeling like a salad or soup with your wrap. There are always lots of choices to make when eating at PKG.

Not that we needed it, but the four of us split a Banana Bread Pudding ($7.95). The bread pudding was paired nicely with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A very sweet ending to our stay at Panini Kabob Grill.

Panini Kabob Grill is definitely a part of what I see as a renaissance for the Kaleidoscope. It is in a weird spot if you park in the structure, so head to the plaza level, and it's on the backside of Burke Williams Spa, facing Crown Valley. If you are in the mood for some solid Mediterranian food in the Mission Viejo area, PKG is a great option that will leave you full and satisfied. We look forward to making many return visits when we are in the mood for some great kababs and wraps.

For more information about Panini Kabob Grill, head to their website here: http://paninikabobgrill.com/

Going Back in Time at Yen Ching - CLOSED

Yen Ching Restaurant

574 S. Glassell St. 

Orange, CA 92866

Yen Ching was the very first place where I ever experienced Chinese food. The year was 1982. My family was conservative regarding the food we ate when we sporadically went out to eat. We had burgers, pizza, and hot dogs, and if my parents were feeling a little crazy, we might even go to Don Jose for some Mexican food. My mom had just started a new job in Orange, and she went to Yen Ching for lunch with coworkers, and that's how I eventually got introduced to Americanized Chinese food.

This was before there was a Chinese restaurant in almost every other shopping center. Kind of crazy to think that there are now 1,800 locations of Panda Express doting the US and several other countries. Orange chicken, beef with broccoli, and honey walnut shrimp are now commonplace with American consumers. I had wanted to return to where my Chinese food journey had begun to see if it was still as good as I remembered when I was eleven.

For as long as I can remember, the rumors are always flying around that Yen Ching will be closing in the not-so-distant future, so just in case this happened, I wanted to make it back to Yen Ching. Supposedly, the land this restaurant is on belongs to the Catholic church, and there are whispers that they want to expand the nearby Holy Family Cathedral complex. But, for now, this A-frame restaurant that has been here since 1978 shows no signs of moving anywhere, and they are just as busy as they have been for the last 40 years.

That's why we decided to meet my parents at 4pm on a recent Saturday for a quick dinner to avoid the sometimes-hour wait to get a table and what my dad calls one of the loudest restaurants in OC. I'm not sure about that, but the dining room was only a quarter full at this early bird dinner hour, so it was quiet enough for my dad's sensitive ears. The dining room has gotten a modern update since the last time we were here a good many years ago. It was lightened up with a paint job and white linens on the tables.

I'm not sure about your plan of attack when eating in a Chinese restaurant, but I like to do it family-style by ordering a bunch of dishes and sharing everything. The menu at Yen Ching is pretty good sized, with plenty of seafood, beef, chicken, pork, and noodle dishes. There's also a prix-fixe menu priced at $23 per person, which includes soup and appetizer, but there are only five entree options to choose from, and we wanted to pick our own, so we went the a la carte route. Let's see if Yen Ching is just as good as when I came here as a kid.

Katie is always up for an appetizer, and even though I knew we would be having a lot of food coming our way, we tried these Potstickers ($9.75). These pan-fried dumplings were filled with pork and vegetables and were just okay. However, the outer dumpling was rubbery, and the pork and veggies inside failed to make any impression on my taste buds. These were boosted a bit by a plum sauce, but not enough for us to order these again.

Entrees came out in waves all of a sudden, and the first to hit the table was the Mongolian Beef ($16.95). This Chinese classic is a favorite at Yen Ching. The sliced beef is served with green onions and a thin brown sauce. I'm always a little partial to this dish. The meat was tender, and I liked the way the green onions added a tinge of flavor to this. The sauce adds sweetness but does not overpower the overall aura of this entree.

Our noodle choice this early evening was this Chow Mein Combo ($12.95). This big mound of noodles included shrimp, chicken, beef, and veggies. I liked this chow mein as it was not too greasy and had plenty of shrimp and meat. A nicely done version.

Not the most popular of chicken dishes here would probably be the flaming pineapple chicken, but we got the Yen Ching Chicken ($16.95). Tiny cuts of chicken are coated in their signature sauce, which is equal parts savory and sweet, and then sauteed with chopped green onions. I liked this as well. It came out nice and hot, the chicken was tender, and the sauce kept me interested. They also offer this sauce with their Yen Ching Beef.

My dad has always inspired to be a hand model, apparently, and here's another one he can add to his portfolio. I used to love the Sweet and Sour Pork ($15.25) here, but it kind of fell flat on this visit. The fried pork was not very tender, and the sweet and sour sauce was lackluster. However, I liked the pineapple pieces in this, as I tried to sneak a few extra bits for myself while no one was looking. 

Shrimp with Walnuts ($18.95)  has always been my favorite, so we tried it at Yen Ching. Like the pork dish, this one kind of disappointed us. On the plus side, the shrimp here were pretty good-sized and cooked well, but the sauce was not very sweet and could best be described as drab. Minimal flavor to this entree. When this dish is executed well, it's magical with the briny shrimp, sweet sauce, and nutty walnuts. Unfortunately, this plate was let down by the sauce.

Dessert is almost always complimentary when dining at Yen Ching, even though the Golden Caramelized Apple is listed on the menu for a dollar each. They always bring these and the plastic-wrapped fortune cookies with the check for as long as we have been coming here. The apple is baked inside a very thick caramelized crust with a nice sweet sauce. A sweet ending to our meal and even sweeter because it was free.

This visit brought back many memories of our numerous family dinners at Yen Ching. The food seemed the same as I remember eating as a kid. Most items we had this early evening were solid but did not blow me away. I'd call this above-average Chinese food, but I know there is better. My parents thought the prices here were a little on the high side, but with the food only, we paid $23 a person and had plenty of leftovers for the next day. A pretty good bargain, I would say. The service was polite and professional but not overly friendly. I'm glad Yen Ching is still around, as it's part of my food history that has led me to my love of reviewing restaurants.

Out of five hungry hippos (because the tabletop game Hungry Hungry Hippos was first made available in 1978, the same years as this restaurant), five being best to zero being worst, Yen Ching  Restaurant gets 3 hungry hippos.

For more information about Yen Ching, head to their website here: http://yenchingoc.com/

Not a Boneheaded Move Going to Bonefish Grill - CLOSED

Bonefish Grill

3040 El Camino Real

Tustin, CA 92782

The options for seafood when I was a kid was either H. Salt Fish and Chips or frozen fish sticks when we were going to be babysat. I can remember the first time my parents brought home some swordfish steaks, I must have been about seven or eight. I was surprised they did not have a breading and that my dad was barbecuing them instead of taking them from the freezer and warming them up in the oven. That fresh swordfish opened my eyes to the wonderful world of seafood, and I have been a fan ever since.

Nowadays seafood can be found more readily than when I was growing up. Not just at restaurants, we would consider fancy anymore. Seafood restaurants run the gamut from fast-casual places, to restaurants that feature valet parking and near triple-digit entree prices. We were recently invited to a place that is comfortably in the middle of these two extremes, Bonefish Grill in the Tustin Marketplace.

Bonefish Grill kind of gets overlooked because they only have two locations in California, but I was surprised to learn that they have close to 200 locations in 32 states. They must be doing something right to be able to operate all of those locations, and we were pretty excited to come in and partake in some of their summer specials, including their Bangin' BFG Sandwich that we have heard so much about.

We arrived at Bonefish Grill at 5pm on a recent Saturday. A little earlier than we like to eat, but we had a prior commitment, and knew there would not be great food there, so we stopped at Bonefish first. The restaurant was fairly full when we walked in, but almost all the tables were filled up during our visit. This used to be the site of the former Black Angus back in the day but is now unrecognizable from those times. The casual/modern decor reminded me of the feel of maybe Paul Martin's or a brighter more lively P.F Chang's.

The menu is predictably seafood-focused with many grilled options, signature favorites, and handhelds dotting the menu. Not a fan of creatures from the sea? There are three steak selections for you to choose from, along with a burger which I've heard good things about. We were here to try their new sandwiches from their specials menu, which on this evening also featured a delicious sounding Spinach, Bacon, and Blue Cheese Grouper that I'll have to come back and try next time. For now, let's see how this visit went.

Every meal at Bonefish Grill starts with their fantastic bread service, which is hard to resist. It came out warm and fresh with a side of olive oil and pesto for dipping. They were not shy about refilling this frequently, as Katie and I could not stop eating this. We finally managed to stop at two loaves, but the struggle to have more was real.

Katie is almost an addict when it comes to ahi, so she had to succumb and give their Ahi Tuna Sashimi ($15.50) a try. This is listed as a starter but could easily be an entree option for some of you lighter eaters. The sushi grade tuna was seared to a nice rare and was sesame crusted. It was presented on a bed of greens and topped with Bonefish Grill's signature Bang Bang sauce, which is one of the better sauces around, as it has a nice creamy texture and provides a kick of spice at the tail end of it, without being too overpowering. Katie was very satisfied with this starter.

I went without an appetizer on this evening, instead opting for this Classic Caesar Salad ($4.50 with the purchase of an entree). This was a nearly perfect simple Caesar. It came out on a nicely chilled plate, with plenty of chopped romaine, garlic croutons, and plenty of grated parmesan. I would have liked a tad more dressing on this though, but still pretty solid.

Now on to the real reason we were invited here, to try their Bangin' BFG Sandwiches ($19.90). They offer three varieties to choose from; grilled, fried, or the one that Katie selected, blackened. At this Tustin location, they use rockfish as the centerpiece for this sandwich. It is joined on the very well made bun with sliced tomato, coleslaw, and the Bang Bang sauce that was used earlier on the tuna appetizer. Katie loved this sandwich, calling it delicious. She liked the spiciness of the blackening seasoning and felt that the bun really held up well. She thought the fries were done nicely.

Not surprising to longtime readers of this restaurant blog, I went with the fried version of the Bangin' BFG Sandwich. I liked that the breading was not greasy at all, which allowed the natural flavor of the mellow rockfish to shine through. The breading did have a good crunch to it, but the sandwich was a little hard to eat, as the piece of fish was too big for the bun and fell out frequently. I eventually just ate the rockfish with a fork dipping it into the addictive Bang Bang Sauce. Even though the menu said this was served with fries, our server told us we could pick any of their signature sides to go along with this sandwich, so I selected the Potato Au Gratin, which was fine, but I liked Katie's fries better.

Fresh Strawberry Shortcake ($8.30) was offered as the lone dessert on their specials menu on this evening and that just happens to be one of Katie's favorite desserts, even though it's not one of mine, but we got it anyways. Sometimes I can be a good husband. This utilized a split shortcake biscuit which was topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and creme anglaise for a little sweetness. Katie enjoyed that Bonefish Grill did not feel the need to douse the strawberries in a heavy syrup, which made this a lighter summer dessert that you can feel less guilty about eating.

This visit to Bonefish Grill has reopened our eyes to this wonderful seafood restaurant which we have in the past overlooked for one reason or the other. Not only were the Bangin' BFG Sandwiches good, but we look forward to coming back again real soon to experience their popular Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer, some of their signature seafood offerings, and maybe their coconut pie for dessert. Our server Brett was fantastic on this evening, as he met our every need and we got to know him a little bit. We also had a great visit with Managing Partner Donna Maniscalco who was working the dining room to ensure that every guest was enjoying their visit. We enjoyed our chat, Donna. I also am happy that seafood has evoved from when I was a kid, and there are tons more options than way back in those long ago days.

For more information about Bonefish Grill and to keep track of their specials, head to their website here: https://www.bonefishgrill.com/

Cooling down at the Coast - CLOSED

H.H. Cotton's

201 Avenida Del Mar

San Clemente, CA 92672

When the temps start climbing into the triple digits, we look for any excuse to head to the beach cities for relief. As our first summer heat wave was searing into South OC, we had plans with our great friends Tom and Daniele to meet up, catch up on all of their big news, and, of course, have dinner out somewhere. Since we are food bloggers, or in Tom's case, a recovering food blogger, it's always a spirited discussion on where we will eat.  They must have liked my suggestion of going towards the coast and trying H.H. Cotton's in San Clemente.

The twenty-degree temperature change was very noticeable once we arrived at this seaside paradise. I had not been in this bustling area of San Clemente in quite a long while. It immediately reminded me of Manhattan Beach but on a smaller scale. We were not the only ones in OC with the great idea of beating the heat inland and making a beeline for the coast. There are numerous restaurant options in this area of Del Mar; Nick's, Avila's El Ranchito, Beach Fire, and The Cellar, all packed on this Friday evening.

We had wisely made dinner reservations at H.H. Cotton's beforehand, so we only had to wait about five minutes after our arrival time of 7:30. We were seated deep inside the deceptively large restaurant, where the air conditioning seemed to be working the best. H.H. Cotton's had a real Jimmy's Famous American Tavern feel, with reclaimed wood throughout the space, a rowdy bar near the front door, and a darkened dining room.

One thing that is certain from dining here is that they are proud to be part of the San Clemente community. Not only do they have the names of San Clemente streets proudly displayed inside their booths and a large city map projected across the back wall of the restaurant, but this place is named after one of the two founders of this beautiful city, H.H. Cotton. He's Hamilton H. Cotton, to be precise, and he led a very colorful life, which included being the builder of his self-named estate, which we all know better as the Western White House, which not only was the home to President Nixon but also hosted FDR during his trips to the west coast.

The restaurant H. H. Cotton's is a joint effort by four local families. Their vision for their restaurant is to provide a family-friendly atmosphere, a place where locals come to celebrate milestones and others come to partake in the packed bar while watching local sports on one of the five TVs scattered throughout the restaurant. Like their Chef Jason Gamble, the menu draws inspiration from many places he's lived, including New Orleans, Hawaii, and California's Central Coast. Intrigued, we made our selections, and while we waited, we listened non-stop to our good friend Daniele's ongoing stories that we had definitely heard before since she had posted them all on her Facebook wall since the last time we had seen her. Here are my thoughts on the food we had this evening.

We were supposed to have two appetizers this evening, but our server only brought these Thai BBQ Wings and Drums ($14), so the poke would have to wait until our next visit. I'm usually partial to the spicier buffalo variety of wings, but this sweeter Thai sauce was nice for a change. The wings were very meaty, with tender, not overdone chicken underneath. The sauce was not too sticky, which made these very easy to eat with your hands.

Daniele had heard that it was National Fried Chicken Day on this particular Friday, so she wanted to get in the mood by trying out the Fried Chicken and Waffles ($21). She raved about this plate. She loved the fried chicken, which she called nearly perfect. The waffle was also good, and she loved this plate's sweet and savory feel. We finally got a respite from listening to her drone on and on about things while she ate this. The silence did us some good. The portion size did not warrant a price over twenty dollars, but that's my opinion.

Katie did not know it was fried chicken day but unwittingly participated by getting this Bird's the Word Chicken Sandwich ($14). I actually tried this, and it was a delicious chicken sandwich. You can get this either grilled or fried, and it comes with arugula, tomato, caramelized onion, and the unusual curry aioli. The bun was nice and soft, the chicken tender and the curry aioli added a good flavor boost to this sandwich. Katie chose the side salad with her sandwich instead of the fries. It was a basic but fresh side salad.

Tom finally broke the chicken juggernaut we had going here at H. H. Cotton's when he ordered this BBQ Spare Rib Plate ($18). This came with five pork ribs on a cutting board, coleslaw, half an ear of corn, and a cheddar biscuit. Let's start with the ribs. They were dry and challenging, and they needed the sauce they came out with to make them go down easier. I did not get a report on the corn, biscuit, or coleslaw, but Tom did finish them, which is a good sign.

When I saw the description of the Chili Verde ($17) on the menu here, I veered toward it, thanks in part to the inclusion of cheesy grits. I have been craving them since Lillie's Q closed almost two years ago. Including the grits, this was a chili verde with a southern slant. Also included in this was some shredded pork shank, salsa verde, cotija cheese, pickled onion, and, of course, those grits. This plate was good but a little disjointed. The pork was delicious, but not enough in here, and it was too small of pieces. The grits were done well, but the salsa and cotija cheese felt out of place here. About three-fourths of my way through this, I found the corn tortillas that came with this as they hid alongside the bottom of this rather large bowl. I don't know why they needed such a large bowl with the portion size that this came out with.

This meal taught us this evening that they do chicken rather well at H.H. Cotton's, but the other proteins fell flat. Tom and I would get something else next time, as I have my eye on one of their four burgers. I understand the higher price points at beach area restaurants, but they could have offered more significant portions, especially with my and Daniele's meals. Service was definitely spotty, to say the least. As mentioned, our server just plain forgot about our poke appetizer. Refilling or taking drink orders was not too quick, leaving us to fend for ourselves for long periods, especially when it came time to pay the check. Beach casual is to be expected, though, and luckily, we were not in that much of a rush since we were catching up. Even with these few hiccups, we would return and give them another try if we were in the area and wanted an opportunity to cool down during one of our summer heatwaves.

Out of five memoirs (because the Western White House, which H.H. Cotton had built is where Richard Nixon came to write his memoirs after his presidency ended), five being best to zero being worst, H.H. Cotton's gets 3 memoirs.

For more information about H.H. Cotton's, head to their website here: https://www.hhcottons.com/

Dipping into Poqet Donuts - CLOSED

Poqet Donuts

17655 Harvard Ave. 

Irvine, CA 92614

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved donuts. Not only are they delicious, but they were part of my morning ritual with my dad while growing up. My mom and sister always slept in, so it would just be my dad, and I left to fend for ourselves for breakfast. Sometimes, he would make pancakes, but because he made so much noise, he would usually opt to just head to Winchell's or any other local donut shop to buy a dozen for us and my sleeping mom and sister.

He always let me pick out the dozen. I felt like a kid in a candy store (okay, a donut store would be more precise). I knew all of my family's favorites. My mom was partial to the crumb, my dad enjoyed the chocolate long john, and my sister liked the rainbow sprinkle, even though she only ate the top portion with the frosting and sprinkles. I loved every donut. I swear I could have eaten the whole dozen by myself, but my dad limited me to three, which usually meant the crumb, devil's food, and the buttermilk bar would be my choices before I was cut off for my own good.

My point is that I still have a deep-rooted love for donuts to this day. As the years have gone by, my tastes in donuts have also evolved. I'm no longer satisfied with the donuts offered in the supermarket's bakery section. With the exception of an occasional Entenmann's, I don't get my donuts on the bread aisle anymore, either. I do, however, perk up when I see someone at work bring in a pink box from one of the neighborhood donut shops.

In recent years, I have become a big fan of the gourmet donut genre that has sprung up. It started when Sidecar Doughnuts opened up in Costa Mesa in late 2012. These are the gold standard of donuts I have tried, and I've had them numerous times in the six years they have been around, and they just keep improving. Not that I have dismissed others. We briefly had the Donut Bar in Fountain Valley, which turned into Crafted Donuts, which I have yet to try, but I've heard good things. Just like I had heard good things about the shop I had chosen to visit on this day, Poqet Donuts in Irvine.

Poqet, pronounced like "pocket," has been around for three years. My friend Danny and I had eaten lunch nearby and wanted to try this place. I was a little nervous because I know that as the day goes on in a donut shop or bakery, things get picked over and are less fresh.  I knew we were pushing it to show up here at close to 2 pm, but we were met by a full display case featuring a good assortment of their most popular flavors.

Poqet Donuts differs from its competitors because it allows you to customize your donuts. You build your own donut masterpiece by picking the kind of donut you want to use and adding your favorite fillings and toppings to finish it off. It would be cool to try this, but for now, Danny and I just picked the donuts we wanted from behind the case, some for here and some for his family waiting patiently at home.

Here's a quick overview of what we got. The top picture shows the ones Danny was going to bring home to his family. The bottom picture shows the ones we were going to try out in front of their shop. Let's take a closer look at each and our thoughts on it.

First out of the box for us was this Oreo Cookies and Cream ($3). This used a slightly glazed donut as its base, which was then topped with plenty of Oreo cookie crumbs and finished off with piped cream over half of the doughnut. This was not as sweet as I expected and did not convey the Oreo cookie vibe I had hoped it would. The problem was that the cream was only over half the donut, so there were only half the bites that resembled America's favorite cookie. A more spread-out cream would have made this more enjoyable.

As I stated above, one of my favorite donuts growing up was the crumb, so we had to try this Vanilla Coffee Cake Donut ($2.75). Glad we did. This was a good rendition of one of my favorite donuts growing up. There was plenty of cinnamon crumb topping, a nice crunch to the outward donut portion, and it was soft and moist on the inside. The sweetness was toned down by the cinnamon, a nice touch. It is one of the better versions we experienced this afternoon.
 

A little more elaborate than your normal donut, this is the Apple Pie ($3.75). This was a glazed donut with apple pie filling in the hole portion, with graham cracker crumbs, a caramel drizzle, and a dollop of cream topping this visually appealing donut. It was good, but there was not enough apple on this to really make it stand out. It was a very sweet donut, but I'd probably pass on it the next time I was here.

Lastly, one of the most popular donuts at legendary M and M Donuts in Anaheim, which you do not have to wait in line for at ten o'clock at night here at Poqet Donuts, was their version of a Blueberry Donut ($3). I actually liked the simplicity of this donut. It had a fair amount of blueberry specks in the cake portion of the donut, and the icing had a nice mellow flavor. Very well done.

Even though we had shown up at an awkward hour for a donut shop, our trip to Poqet Donuts this afternoon was solid. Yes, the donuts did not blow us away like Sidecar, but they are better quality than many mom-and-pop donut shops in almost any shopping center. You can tell they use high-quality products, resulting in a lighter, less greasy product than many competitors. I liked the simpler donuts we ordered rather than the more outrageous ones we indulged in. Service was pleasant enough, especially since we were here about an hour before closing. The three-dollar price per donut is a little exorbitant, but these are more like special occasion donuts. A donut for when you want to pamper yourself. Or think back to a particular time you experienced as a kid with your dad. You can't put a price on memories that bring you back to those great times. 

Out of five computers (because one of the first portable computers available to the public was the Poqet PC, which sold for $2000 back in 1989), five being best to zero being worst, Poqet Donuts gets 3 computers.

For more information about Poqet Donuts, head to their website here: http://poqetdonuts.com/

Shooting for the Moon at Luna Grill

Luna Grill

26921 Aliso Creek Road

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

I think that it's safe to say that Mediterranean cuisine has hit the mainstream. It used to be that if you wanted some hummus, kabobs, or falafel you would have to seek out a sit-down restaurant a few cities over. Now it seems that Mediterranean options abound, and almost every shopping center has at least one option where you can partake of skewered proteins, delicious basmati rice, and fresh pita bread. One quick service restaurant that is leading the charge to bring this food to the masses is Luna Grill.

Luna Grill was founded by Sean and Maria Pourteymour back in 2004. They started this business because they were looking for a quick and healthy option to provide for their daughter. Back then the options would have been a Happy Meal or maybe some fried chicken from a supermarket. Not the case anymore thanks to their Luna Grill, which has now expanded to 49 locations in California and Texas.

Luna Grill serves a fusion of Mediterranian and Middle Eastern cuisines, which not only tastes good but is way more healthier than a lot of the other options out there. Sean and Maria are doing things the right way here, as they provide food that is sourced with a focus on sustainability, quality, and animal welfare. They also support locally harvested produce on their plates, which means a fresher and better meal for you and your family.

I had never visited Luna Grill before we were invited in to experience what they have to offer. Katie was traveling for work, so I grabbed my good friend Oz, who was a Luna Grill veteran to come with me and show me the ropes here. We arrived at the Aliso Viejo location right after 6 on a recent Wednesday evening. The restaurant was pretty packed, with plenty of people happily eating in their deceptively spacious dining room, and out on the patio to the right of the restaurant. Oz and I quickly made our selections at the register and found a nice table near the window, which was ideal for people watching while we vented about work. After a short time, our food was brought out to our table.

We started things off with one of the newest items on the Luna Gill menu, this Dip Trio ($7.75). Can't decide between your favorite Mediterranean dips and sauces?  This is the starter for you. You get your choice of spicy or regular hummus, garlic sauce, and spicy feta. It's also served with sliced carrots and celery, along with soft and fresh pita. One of my favorite things about eating Mediterranean food is the sauces and this was a great option to go along with our meal. The spicy hummus had a nice kick to it, which kept me coming back for more. I liked the garlic sauce with my chicken entree which you will see coming up. I was not in love with the spicy feta, but I'm not normally a feta fan, but Oz seemed to enjoy all right.

Both Oz and I got the same thing, which benefits you as it's less of my awful writing that you have to endure. The Flat Cut Chicken Kabob Plate ($12.75) would be our meal this evening. This very balanced meal came with thinly sliced chicken, a house salad, a big mound of basmati rice, sliced pita, a grilled tomato garnish, and plenty of cucumber yogurt sauce. I'm always a little leery about getting chicken in restaurants because a lot of time its overcooked and comes out dry. That was not the case here at Luna Grill. The chicken was tender and moist and got a good char on it from the grill. It was made even better when I alternated eating it with the garlic sauce from the dip trio and the addictive cucumber yogurt sauce. The serving size of the rice was more than adequate for me, and the salad featured a butter lettuce and romaine duo with red onion, cucumber, and a tangy house vinaigrette. I'd probably forgo the vinaigrette next time in favor of the cucumber yogurt sauce, which I would imagine would be an excellent dressing for my salad.

I left Luna Grill full and satisfied but did not have that sluggish feeling that I usually get when exiting a restaurant. I felt pretty good eating this healthier and lighter meal than I am used to. My body seemed to be thanking me for taking care of it. I'm not going to shy away from burgers, burritos, and pizzas anytime soon, but I probably will find the time to come back to Luna Grill rather frequently. The food made me feel good, they got it out quickly, and the staff here were very welcoming. We saw them checking on their guests in their dining room numerous times during our stay. I'm eyeing the lamb or the filet on my next visit. Glad Mediterranean cuisine is more readily available these days.

For your nearest location or for more information about Luna Grill, head to their website here: https://lunagrill.com/