Not Chickening out on the Chance to Visit Zankou

Zankou Chicken

2424 West Ball Road

Anaheim, CA 92804

This restaurant review is way overdue. Certain pockets of OC are kind of hard for us to get to. Okay, it is more like we are too lazy to drive and battle traffic to get to it. This area includes pretty much all of the northwestern edges of Orange County. I admit that cities like Buena Park, La Palma, Cypress, Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, and even Anaheim's western section are under-represented on this blog. As much as I love eating out and trying out restaurants, it's hard to justify sometimes driving an hour and a half in traffic just for dinner. So much easier to just stay close to home, get done eating, and watch some Netflix afterward.

So, when we are up this way for something, we try to combo it with a restaurant we have wanted to try forever. This was the case after watching our beloved Ducks lose a challenging game on a recent Sunday evening. With the earlier start times for Sunday games, it's easier for us to grab dinner after the game instead of having to rush to eat before the game. So we headed fifteen minutes from home on Ball Road and arrived at Zankou Chicken at around 8pm.

This Times Square strip center located on the corner of Ball and Gilbert, right next door to Magnolia High School, was pretty dreary on this rather chilly Sunday evening. Besides the laundromat at the far end of this strip mall and the pizzeria nearer to Zankou, not much appeared to be open at night. As sleepy as the shopping plaza was on the outside, the inside of Zankou was bright and bustling with activity.

We arrived at a very well-lit, well-staffed restaurant serving a nearly full dining room of a good cross-section of society that had come together at this relatively late dinner hour to enjoy some chicken. I don't think it had anything to do with the weird Times Square moniker of this shopping center, but this Zankou location reminded me of what I've seen of New York restaurants in the '70s and early '80s in movies and TV shows. Maybe the wood paneling covering the walls or the eclectic diners represented many faiths and countries, just like you'd see in  NYC.

Zankou Chicken started out a long way from Anaheim. They opened up on a street corner in Beruit, Lebanon, just selling rotisserie chicken, and soon after came their famous garlic sauce. In 1984 the first Zankou Chicken opened in LA, and today they are operating nine total restaurants, all but this Anaheim location are located in Los Angeles County. The menu nowadays has expanded way past just chicken, but that's still the cornerstone of their business and what I spy on almost every table near where we are sitting this evening. After ordering at the register, we were given a buzzer and waited only a few minutes before our order was ready for pickup. We were excited to see if the hype from this place was warranted but, more importantly, try to drown our sorrows in chicken and garlic sauce after watching the lackluster hockey we witnessed from our Ducks.

Katie starts with her selection for this evening, the Chicken Tarna Plate ($12.99). I'm not clear what the difference is between chicken shwarma and this chicken tarna, and from what I have seen online, tarna is something that the Zankou people have made up. Not sure why they would do that, but I'm sure they have their reasons. This was a big serving size for the price, and Katie only finished half of it. This marinated chicken is sliced off of the spit. Katie was not really too big of a fan of this, as she thought the chicken was a little on the dry side, which was cured a bit by alternating adding the tahini, garlic sauce, and hummus to the chicken. Maybe because we were here so late, the chicken had been sitting around a little too long. I thought it tasted fine, as I liked this seasoning. Katie is a garlic sauce aficionado and thought this was one of the better ones she has had. Not the best, but she definitely can see what all the hype is all about when it comes to their garlic sauce.

When this Half Chicken Plate ($12.99), or as the cool kids call it, The #3, was brought out, I thought it was one of the prettiest rotisserie chickens I have ever seen. The skin was crispy and had a nice light brown color, and the pickled turnips made this plate pop. Unlike Katie's meal, I thought the chicken here was delicious. The skin was flavorful, the meat underneath was nice and moist, and only the big chicken breast piece had any hint of being a tad dry, which is to be expected with such a big chicken breast. I also enjoyed the garlic sauce, which went well with the bird. The hummus was pretty good but did not wow me. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the pita bread, but it was huge. At first, I did not like it because it was not as soft as others I have had, but I came to love the sturdiness of it as I dipped it into the hummus and garlic sauce.

Katie and I had a little difference of opinion about Zankou Chicken. I thought this was one of the better Mediterranean chicken spots around, but Katie is more partial to Chicken Maison, which we went to a few years ago. I like both, but I'd give the edge to Zankou because I like the crispy chicken skin on the bird, and I found their chicken to be moister than what I have had at other places. The delicious garlic sauce helped things out here and is very magical. Make sure to get some extra when ordering. The sides were fine but did not exactly wow us. The whole or half chickens are the stars at Zankou. Glad we finally made it to a traditionally hard-for-us-to-reach part of OC, and we hope to be back in these parts with more regularity in the future if we can get out of our lazy rut.

Out of five credit cards (because this restaurant has deep Beruit roots, and that city is the 10th most popular shopping destination in the world, so a credit card is essential there), five being best to zero being worst, Zankou Chicken gets 3 credit cards.

For more information about Zankou Chicken, head to their website here: https://zankouchicken.com/

Hoping These Sandwiches Will Be a Pillar of Society

The Sandwich Society

2031 East First St. 

Santa Ana, CA 92705

If you are reading these restaurant reviews in order, instead of just happening upon them, you will notice quite a few similarities between this and our last review, which was S'Wich Bistro in Irvine. Not only do both places have a sandwich-focused menu, but they both cater to mainly the office workers that are located nearby their shops. In fact, both of these places have almost exactly the same hours, 8 to 4pm on weekdays and while S'Wich is closed on weekends, Sandwich Society has a small window when they are open on Saturdays, from 9 to 3pm.

As I stated in my last review, it's almost impossible for me to make it to a restaurant that is only open on weekdays for breakfast and lunch due to my real job. I usually have to wait for one of my vacations to roll around so I can try a place that's not open past 5pm. This was the case for this visit, as I met my sister on one of my last days before I had to go back to the drudgery which is my day job.

Just like S'Wich Bistro, Sandwich Society has some good-looking pictures of its sandwiches on its Instagram feed. It's really gotten them noticed, and not just from the office workers trapped in the buildings around this restaurant. I'd say that the Sandwich Society menu is a little more outlandish than the more conservative S'Wich. Sandwich Society has a bit more in terms of variety. They offer plenty of hot and cold sandwiches, along with a good number of sandwiches listed under the specialties section of their menu. Also, if you get here before 11, you also have the option of trying one of their breakfast items. Just another similarity between the two sandwich shops.

Sandwich Society is situated between both the 55 and 5 Freeways, on First Street, pretty close to El Ranchito, and in the same shopping center as Flame Broiler and the very underrated Johnny's Burgers. We arrived here at just before 10am hoping to avoid the lunch rush that we hear can get a little crazy. Mission accomplished. There were a few customers enjoying their sandwiches when we walked in, but we had no trouble ordering and finding one of their 20 or so seats to wait for our order to come out. The workers here were very busy filling catering orders for what I assumed was a pretty big company function. Let's see if the sandwiches here can match what I've been seeing on their Instagram page.

Since we had beat the breakfast deadline, my sister zeroed in on this Steak and Egg Sandwich ($8.99). This definite upgrade to the usual hockey puck-shaped breakfast sandwich you can get at the Golden Arches included steak, egg, cheese, red onions, and a wonderful garlic mayo which tied everything together. Looking from across the table I thought this looked a little dry, but the bite I had was moist and reminded me of a Philly cheese steak with its little curls of meat, but a lighter feel to it. This sandwich really made my sister happy.

Since I did not know when I'd be able to make it back here, I got two sandwiches, the first of which was this Ultimate Patty Melt ($9.25). What makes this melt the ultimate you ask? It comes with a beef patty and then is topped with avocado, American cheese, bacon, grilled onion, tomato, and plenty of thousand island dressing. This was a good, but not great patty melt. The toppings totally outshined the very pedestrian meat patty, which was a little on the thin side. I liked that they use plenty of dressing on this and the bacon was very crisp. Not sure who their bread purveyor is, but the toasted sourdough was top-notch.

My love for Cuban sandwiches is well documented on this restaurant blog, and I'm always on the lookout for my next favorite version of what I believe to be the most balanced of all the sandwiches out there. This Cuban ($9.25) will not replace my long-time favorite, at DeSimone's in Huntington Beach, but it will definitely cure your Cuban sandwich cravings. A very good roasted pork, sliced ham, melted Swiss cheese, pickles, tomato? mustard and mayo round out this very solid sandwich. I missed the pressed bread crunch from other Cubans, but the insides of this sandwich made up for it. The pork was very good and hearty, the Swiss cheese added a creaminess, and the pickles added a tinge of sourness to this sandwich. I did take the tomato off of this sandwich, as tomato has no place on a Cuban sandwich. Sorry for the harshness of that statement, but I'm very protective of this beloved sandwich.

Even though I had some minor quibbles over the sandwiches at Sandwich Society, I really enjoyed our visit here. They are not just a restaurant that has beautiful pictures on their Instagram page, their sandwiches actually taste good as well. A real rarity these days as a lot of these places just come up with something to make themselves IG famous, but the flavor of their food does not back it up. The sandwiches are good here, with plenty of variety that has piqued my interest in trying more of their menu when I get the rare chance to get up this way while they are open for business.

Out of five poker chips, (because the inventor of the sandwich, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich did not want to take breaks during his card playing, so he had his servants bring him meat in between two slices of bread), five being best to zero being worst, The Sandwich Society gets 3.5 poker chips.

For more information about The Sandwich Society, head to their website here:
http://www.thesandwichsociety.com/

Hoping for a S'Sational Visit to S'Wich Bistro

S'Wich Bistro

16277 Laguna Canyon Road

Irvine, CA 92618

There are certain restaurants that I have a hard time making a visit to. Due to my real life job, it's usually impossible for me to get to restaurants that are open only during the weekdays for breakfast and lunch. These are places that are primarily set in business parks and areas that would not normally get walk-in customers after regular business hours. This is why we had to wait until my vacation to visit S'Wich Bistro in Irvine.

S'Wich Bistro has been on my list since they opened their doors in March of 2017. Set between Inka's and Yasai Japanese Grill in the Irvine Oaks Executive Park, this restaurant owes a lot of their success to the people of Blizzard Entertainment, which is in the business park adjacent to this one. The captions to their Instagram pictures are filled with love for the employees at this video game developer and publisher who they say have supported them from day one.

It's not just the neighboring employers who have taken notice of S'Wich Bistro. They have gotten attention for their breakfast burritos, which the OC Weekly has called the best of this year, and are made even better with the inclusion of both sausage and their trademark candied bacon. Lunch has not gone unnoticed either. Very tough restaurant critic, Brad A Johnson from the Orange County Register has put their burger on his annual top 10 list this year, calling the burger here, "fantastic".

With all of this high praise, I couldn't wait to give them a try, and it just so happened that Katie had taken a vacation day as well, so we motored on over to S'Wich Bistro. We purposely got here after what we presumed would be a busy lunch rush at about half past one. There were a few stray stragglers, whom we perceived took a late lunch here, but we had no problem finding a seat once we placed our order at the counter.

The menu is comprised of a quartet of salads, warm and cold sandwiches, a section of the menu dubbed "favorites", five burgers, and sides. Almost all of the sandwiches and burgers hover right around the $11 level. If you want to get breakfast here, make sure you show up between 8 and 11am, as that's when they stop serving the first meal of the day. It did not take more than five minutes for our food to arrive at our table, as more customers trickled in behind us. Here's how everything turned out for us on this afternoon.

Katie wanted to eat a little lighter since we would be walking a portion of the San Diego Creek Trail after lunch, so she opted for this Tuna Melt ($10.50). They use white albacore here and add tomato, herbed aioli, and what I perceived to be little bits of celery for texture. This usually comes with cheddar cheese, but Katie subbed it out for Swiss. I tried a bite of this, and even though I'm not a big tuna guy, even I have to admit this was a pretty good tuna melt. The tuna was definitely fresh and dressed nicely with the delicious aioli. I liked the crunch from the toasted bread and celery. The Swiss cheese made this a little lighter than the cheddar would have, which was a big plus in Katie's book. I liked the potato chips, which are made here. Most had a very solid crunch to them, but there were a few clunkers in the bunch that needed to be left in the fryer a bit longer.

Since the burger here was on Brad Johnson's top ten list, I had to give one a try at S'Wich Bistro. Looking at the menu I knew the Loaded Burger ($12.50) was the one calling to me. This burger came with blue cheese, that house glazed bacon that got the OC Weekly love on their breakfast burrito, arugula, caramelized onion, and wink wink sauce, which is their nod to thousand island dressing. With all of these big flavors colliding together I thought it was going to be overpowering, but all the flavors stayed in their lane. The beef patty was juicy and seasoned well, the blue cheese was present and came in manageable waves, the bacon was as advertised, very addictive, and the caramelized onion added a touch of sweetness. The potato bun is also worth mentioning here, as it had a nicely toasted outer ring and a soft inside. I did take a lot of the arugula out of this though, enough to make a salad it seems. It could have been a bigger burger for the price, but due to the smaller size, I found myself savoring it more towards the end. The fries were pretty good for frozen fries. Good sized and fried nicely.

While we were ordering, there was a basket of Homemade Toffee Chocolate Cookies ($1.99) next to the register. It's hard for me to resist cookies, so I got one. The woman that took our money told us that the toffee maker, who is a friend of the owners reluctantly make these cookies for them at S'Wich Bistro. They were pretty good, although I like a crisper cookie. The toffee was a nice touch, but a little more chocolate would have made these even better.

When I was leaving S'Wich Bistro I was a little sad. I knew that with their limited hours and my vacation ending at the end of the week, it would be a long while before I'd get the chance to come back here and try more of their menu, including their hyped breakfast burrito. Service was awesome here. The woman behind the counter was so nice and made sure we were happy with our food and had everything that we needed. It's easy to see why the employees of the surrounding businesses have gravitated to S'Wich Bistro. The burger and the tuna melt were both very good and piqued my interest for more of their menu including their Pastrami Swiss Sandwich, the Oink Oink Melt, and the Pastrami and Swiss Burger. Those will have to wait until after the holidays are over though, as it was time to get back to work.

Out of five video games, (because of the link between Blizzard Entertainment and this restaurant is undeniable), five being best to zero being worst, S'Wich Bistro gets 3.5 video games.

For more information about S'Wich Bistro, head to their website here: https://www.swichbistro.com/

A Brilliant Brazilian Buffet Hidden in Santa Ana - CLOSED

Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria

3672 South Bristol St.

Santa Ana, CA 92704

The term hidden gem gets thrown around a little too much these days. It has almost come to mean a restaurant you haven't been to yet. Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria is a literal hidden gem. It's located on the backside of an LA Fitness and behind the large Chase Bank and the former Famous Dave's space on the corner of Bristol and MacArthur. Easily overlooked due to no street visibility, Silva's should definitely be noticed by those who enjoy churrasco and Brazilian favorites.

Many of you know the Texas de Brazil's, Agora's, and the Fogo de Chao's of the world. These Brazilian restaurants are well known, and for good reason. They are all delicious and serve some fantastic meat options. If you have been to these Brazilian restaurants, you know they are pretty pricey. Dinner at these three giants in Brazilian fare will set you back $50 to $60 per person. Even a big meat eater like myself needs help eating enough at these places to get my money's worth. My lighter-eating wife has no chance to eat enough at these places to make it worth it, so we hardly ever experience Brazilian cuisine. Silva's is trying to change that.

Silva's has been open for nearly a year now. They have gone through some changes during that time, as most businesses do. When they first started, they tried a pay-by-the-weight option, which did not jive with many diners. They recently switched to the much more accepted all-you-can-eat feast, offering appetizers and entrees. We hear some delicious pizzas come from their kitchen for people who do not want to go the all-you-can-eat route. Speaking of the kitchen, the man at the helm is Chef John Vega, formerly of Roy's in Newport Beach.

My friend Mark and I were invited to try Silva's this past week. After the quicker-than-expected drive up the 405 Freeway from Aliso Viejo, we arrived just before 7 pm. We were met by a hip yet comfortable dining room, which strikes the delicate balance of being the perfect spot for a date night venue and a place you can invite your whole family to experience. There's the fully stocked and quite impressive bar off to the right of the entrance and the buffet line that starts on the far left-hand side of the restaurant. Plenty of Brazilian-themed framed pictures dot the walls here, but not obtrusively. Let's take a quick tour through the buffet line.

I'm not going to lie to you. I skipped the salad portion of the buffet line. The produce section of this buffet does deserve some notice, though. Silva's uses locally grown and organic vegetables, making for better salads. There's nothing personal about salads, but when I'm at a buffet, I tend to focus on the hot food items, and at a Brazilian buffet, I definitely do not stray too far from the meats.

There were plenty of hot food options to fill my plate at Silva's before I got to the slow-cooked meats in their churrascaria. The options were plentiful this evening: Black Bean Stew with Sausage, Roasted Cauliflower, Ratatouille, Truffle Mac and Cheese, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Salmon Filets, a Roasted Potato Medley, and more. Of course, I was pretty distracted by the station that was coming up next.

The proteins at Silva's are the star of the show here. They may have fewer offerings than their other Brazilian steakhouse counterparts, but the seven selections that they do have were all stellar. Highlights included their Skirt Steak with hints of garlic and herbs, Tri-Tip, and the Gaucho Style Sausage, one of my best sausages. After watching the gaucho slice the meat, I could not wait to return to my table and dig in.

This was plate one of two that I had, and I was ready to be wheeled out of Silva's by the end of our visit; the meats were fabulous, and I would definitely suggest piling up on them because that's where the most significant value is when eating at a Brazilain buffet. This might be hard because the other hot dishes are stellar. It's been a week, and I still crave their delicious mac and cheese and the Feijoada, also known as black bean stew. Very homey and comforting.

It's also worth mentioning that Silva's bar is strikingly beautiful and well-stocked and makes some fantastic cocktails. Mark and I had to try their Caipirinha ($12). This is the national cocktail of Brazil and, I suspect, a distant cousin of the trendy mojito. I liked this version better, as it did not have an overpowering mint flavor. It was a very refreshing and easygoing beverage that went well with the meats and side items here.

Mark and I found Silva's an excellent alternative to the more pricey Brazilian steakhouses that dot the county. Instead of paying $50 or more per person, the all-you-can-eat option at Silva's is a staggering $22.95. Also worth noting is that, unlike those other steakhouses, you can order from their kitchen if you are not in the mood for an all-you-can-eat feast. I've heard that their pizzas are excellent. Silva's also offers a happy hour that runs from 3pm to 7 every day and has some great drink specials, along with half off on those pizzas and other appetizers. Lastly, they also have late-night dining options on Fridays and Saturdays for people who want to enjoy some music spun by their DJ. Silva's is trying to do almost anything to battle their hidden location to get you in the door because they know that once you find them, you'll love the food you find there and will be a frequent visitor.

I'd like to thank everyone we encountered on our visit to Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria. It seems like the staff was extremely excited to share this concept and are definitely behind it. A special thanks to General Manager Alex Ferreira, who made sure we were well taken care of and concocted excellent cocktails this evening. Thanks for your very kind hospitality, Alex. Thank you to Bob Bradley at Bradley PR and Marketing for setting up this visit. Thanks for helping us find this truly hidden gem, Bob. Much appreciated.

Silva's does not have an active website, but you can find out more information on their Yelp page  here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/silvas-fresh-eatery-churrascaria-santa-ana?sort_by=date_desc

Letting Our Taste Buds Run Wild at Free Range Cafe - CLOSED

Free Range Cafe

501 Park Avenue

Newport Beach, CA 92662

I'm one of those weirdos that don't mind going to the dentist. Sure, I have only been to the regular doctor a handful of times in the last 20 plus years, but I never miss my two dentist appointments a year. One reason for this is that I want to keep my teeth for as long as I can, but the real reason I keep coming back is that I really enjoy the people who work on my teeth.

They not only keep my smile looking great, but they have also given me some pretty good restaurant tips. If you are a frequent reader of this restaurant review site you know that my dentist gave me a suggestion for an Italian restaurant that we went to for my birthday this year. It turned out pretty well. So when my dental hygienist, Karilyn suggested a place, I came home and put it on our restaurant wishlist. It would sit there until my vacation, but we finally made it to Free Range Cafe on Balboa Island.

It was the first full day of my vacation and my parents wanted to join Katie and me for a walk around Balboa Island on a recent Monday morning. Free Range Cafe is situated blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the main drag of Balboa Island's Marine Avenue. On the corner of Park and Agate, you will pass this unique restaurant on the way to and from the Balboa Island Ferry. Kind of on its own island, Free Range Cafe could almost be mistaken for another of the fabulous houses on Balboa Island. It definitely fits right into its neighborhood surroundings.

Entering the space I was immediately struck by the white walls, dark wood flooring, and of course, the bakery display case near the register. Our server told us, with the exception of the donuts, everything was made on the premises. We were seated in the spacious dining room, as it was too breezy to be out on their very inviting patio this morning. With the Pinterest vibe that the dining room conveys, it's easy to forget that Free Range Cafe got its beginnings as a food truck.

I never had the opportunity to try their food truck, but they do have a section of their menu dedicated to their original food truck offerings. The rest of the menu is focused on breakfast, which is served all day, sandwiches, appetizers, salads, plates of pasta and entrees. Free Range is open all week and is ready to serve you from 7am until 9 in the evening. We arrived just before 10am and were met with a half-full restaurant. We quickly made our selections and this is how everything came out for us on this particular late morning.

I told you that I was mesmerized by the bakery display as we entered the restaurant. After ordering, I got up and took a closer look at what they offer behind the glass. I can never resist a Chocolate Chip Cookie ($2) and this was a pretty solid representation. I always enjoy a cookie that has a little crunch along the outside and a softer, chewier center. This cookie had that, along with a pop from the salt on top. This cookie whetted my appetite to try more of their baked goods, but it will have to wait until next time since my breakfast was on its way.

Katie was feeling like something pretty light, so she channeled her inner millennial and tried out the Avocado Toast ($14). This was not simply avocado and toast though. There was a fried egg hidden underneath the creamy avocado which also was spiced up with some Sriracha, pickled red onions, and parsley. The bread used on this was very sturdy, with a thicker than I care for the crust. The egg was a tad overcooked, as I like more of a runny egg but Katie likes her eggs this way and it was her breakfast after all. She also got some Twice Baked Potatoes ($5) which were addictive. Some were crunchy, while the bigger ones were a little less crunchy. A little something for everyone, I preferred the crunchier of the cubed spuds. Even though Katie imagined this was going to be a lighter breakfast, she still found herself taking half home which I ate for dinner later that same evening.

There are a couple things you can count on in life. Death and taxes of course, and that my mom will get a breakfast sandwich when eating out for breakfast. That means my mom got the Avocado, Egg and Cheese Biscuit ($12) at Free Range Cafe. One problem though, the kitchen forgot the avocado, which my mom pointed out rather quickly. They made it right by taking it back and adding plenty of avocado to this upgraded Egg McMuffin. Once the avocado crisis was averted my mom really enjoyed this breakfast sandwich. She did sub out mayo for the honey mustard that this usually comes with. The egg was done nicely and the cheddar cheese was nice and melty. This also came with a large pile of those twice baked potatoes which I grabbed off of my mom's plate with great regularity.

My dad went pretty basic at Free Range Cafe with his selection, the Breakfast Plate ($16). This came with two eggs, three strips of bacon, more twice baked potatoes, toast and arugula for some reason. This was a good-sized breakfast plate for my dad. The eggs were cooked to his desired over easy, the bacon was nice and crisp, and the toast was thick and hearty. Not sure why the need for the arugula, as it was left pretty much untouched by my dad. A very basic, but well-executed breakfast plate.

My first pick for breakfast was the biscuits and gravy, but I was told they had no gravy on this morning, so I had to pick something else from the menu. I once had a Croque Madame at Bouchon in Las Vegas and fell in love with this rich French sandwich. I try to order it every time I see it on a menu, so I went with it this morning at Free Range Cafe. This Croque Madame is listed under the sandwich portion of the menu, probably the reason I did not see it when I initially scanned the menu. Ham, Swiss cheese, a sunny side up egg, bechamel sauce, and a little dijon are piled on top of a sturdy piece of sourdough. This was a good one, just not as good as the one I had at Bouchon. The ham, egg, and cheese were all great here, but what held this back a bit was the bechamel sauce, which was a little on the heavy side, which I didn't mind, but it was not backed up with a big flavor boost. Good stick to your ribs sandwich though. The french fries were fantastic here. I believe they are made here, and even if they are not they were fried nicely, crunchy, and, and very hard to keep my hands off, even though I was pretty full from my sandwich. Make sure to get the fries here.

I was pretty happy with our visit to Free Range Cafe. I was a little perplexed with the three-star rating on Yelp and then after reading some of the reviews, I think I get why some commenters have a problem with this restaurant. Yes, the prices are probably a little high by a couple dollars on each item, but I get the feeling they are using better quality ingredients than their competitors. The other complaint people online have about  Free Range is that they automatically include a sixteen percent service charge on the final bill. This is in lieu of tipping, and some people do not like to lose control of how much they want to give to their server. I usually am right around the sixteen to twenty percent tipping range, so this did not bother me as much as others, but I can see both sides of the argument for and against this service charge. In the end, I loved the food here, find it to be worth the couple extra dollars for better quality food, and think it's one of the better breakfast options in the area. I can't wait for my next dental appointment to see where they send me next.

Out of five frozen bananas, (because other than the expensive beachfront homes that dot the island, the most famous thing Balboa Island is known for is their frozen bananas), five being best to zero being worst, Free Range Cafe gets 3.5 frozen bananas

For more information about Free Range Cafe, head to their website here: http://cafefreerange.com/

Getting in Line for Breakfast from My Comfy Bed

Cafe De Olla

2315 W. Victory Blvd. 

Burbank, CA 91506

So we made it through another raucous family get together. After getting to bed just before 2am, the last thing you want to do is wake the sleep out of your eyes, check out of your hotel, find parking, and fight the crowd at a popular breakfast spot. Luckily, we found Cafe De Olla that helped alleviate a little of the hassle of waking up after far too many cocktails the night before.

Cafe De Olla has an online check-in system through Yelp, which allows you to place your name on their waitlist from your comfy hotel bed. This seems to be necessary because Cafe De Olla is a very small restaurant and they are very popular, especially on Sunday mornings. When I woke from my slumber at 9:45, they already had an hour and a half wait for their ten table restaurant. I quickly put our name in and we were all set to meet our good friend Rosanna at the restaurant just after our checkout time.

Cafe De Olla has been in business for three years now. In that time this family owned business has been mentioned as one of the best breakfast spots in Burbank and amassed a very respectable four and a half stars on Yelp with well over 1,400 reviews and counting. Their website describes their cuisine as traditional Mexican and American food, which I feel has definitely resonated with the citizens of Burbank, as the nearly two hour wait times can attest to on weekends.

Unlike a lot of breakfast-centric spots, Cafe De Olla does serve dinner Wednesday thru Saturdays, but of course, we were here for a breakfast that we hoped would give us enough energy to battle the traffic back down the 5 Freeway home to OC. The menu features plenty in the way of omelets, french toast, egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, pancakes, and what I had zeroed in on Mexican breakfast staples. Let's see if what they say is true, is Cafe Olla really a great breakfast option in Burbank.

Our fantastic friend Rosanna started things off for us with her selection on this morning, The All In One Burrito ($7.75). This three-egg burrito also included hash browns, avocado, bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, and salsa on the side. I always enjoy when a breakfast burrito includes avocado and as an added bonus the holy trinity of breakfast meats. This was a pretty good sized burrito, maybe a little too much potato, but otherwise pretty solid. Not very greasy at all, this started Rosanna's morning off right, which was already going great because she got to have breakfast with two of her most favorite people.

Katie was feeling like something light for her first meal of the day, so she gave their Yogurt and Fruit  ($8.50) a whirl. This was an item from Cafe De Olla's green menu, which featured lighter fare and items that are geared towards the more health conscious among us. Katie's meal came with plenty of cut fruit, yogurt, honey, and granola. This totally hit the spot for her. She loved the fresh fruit and the contrast between the smooth yogurt and the crunch from the granola. She rounded out her meal with a Side of Rye Bread ($1.50).

I definitely needed a little more heft to my breakfast than Katie, and I love Mexican breakfasts, so after some inner debate, I got this Machaca Con Huevo ($11.25). This version of one of my favorite dishes included three eggs, shredded beef, tomato, jalapeno, and onions. This was a very mellow machaca. There were no big pops of flavor that I was anticipating from the jalapeno and this machaca was in finely shredded pieces. I like bigger pieces of beef so you can taste it better, but still, this was pretty good, just not great. The rice was mediocre, but the beans shined at Cafe De Olla. Obviously made here, they were smooth and silky and the cheese on top went well with them.

I left Cafe De Olla feeling pretty good about our visit. It was not earth-shatteringly great food, but a very solid breakfast joint. I'd definitely come back and maybe try their chilaquiles or pancake breakfasts next time. Service was fair for how busy they were on this particular late Sunday morning. What I really enjoyed the most about Cafe De Olla was the reservation process, and how I could check in online from our hotel room, which allowed us to get a few extra winks. Until next time Burbank.

Out of five route canals, (because the city of Burbank is named after David Burbank, who originally was a dentist but when he bought 9,200 acres in the city that now bears his name he left dentistry to become a sheep farmer), five being best to zero being worst, Cafe De Olla gets 3 route canals.

For more information about Cafe De Olla, head to their website here: http://www.cafedeollarestaurant.com/