Genuine Grub at Gonzalez's Restaurant

Gonzalez's Restaurant

1740 West Chapman Ave. 

Orange, CA 92868

It had been about two months since we had dinner with my parents. A long overdue meetup was much needed. When we see my parents, we like to rendezvous in the middle of both of our places. That usually means a spot in Orange, Tustin, or sometimes if Katie and I don't want to drive that far, maybe even Irvine.

Every time I think I have exhausted all of my options for restaurants that my parents will like in these cities, I find another one that I somehow had overlooked. This time it was Gonzalez's Restaurant in Orange. I told my parents that we'd see them there at 6:30, and true to form, they were there a half-hour earlier than our mutually agreed upon time. Very predictable.

It's easy to see how Gonzalez's Restaurant gets overlooked. They are located in the back of a nondescript strip mall off this very busy portion of Chapman Avenue. The big landmark to look for when coming here is to find the Donut Star sign and turn in that driveway. There's also a Salvadorian restaurant, which appears to be very popular, at least on this evening.

Unlike their next-door neighbor, Gonzalez's Restaurant was not exactly packing them in. When we arrived here. we were the only ones in the joint. During our entire visit, there was only one more party that dined in, but a few to-go orders were given out during our stay. The dining room was well lit and comfortable. At first, I thought you were supposed to order at the counter, but we were alerted to find a table and a server would be right with us.

Gonzalez's Restaurant has been in business for nearly three years now. It was started by Ricardo Gonzalez, who started out as a taco catering business, and fulfilled his dream when he opened his first brick and mortar. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, as they have a four and a half star rating on Yelp, with over 500 reviews. The menu is pretty much what you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant, but they do offer some unique items, like the pambazo sandwich and an alambre, which you will see shortly. Let's check out the culinary scene here.

First up are the Chips and Salsa. The chips were fine and did a good job of being a vessel for the pretty solid salsa. I'd like a bit more heat personally, but it had enough to keep me going back for more. Maybe because I was pretty hungry.

I'm not sure, but this might be my parent's first time having Queso Fundido ($7.50). If it was, this was a great introduction to one of my favorite Mexican restaurant appetizers. A blended mix of cheeses with plenty of chorizo on top all ready to be mixed together and added to a folded tortilla. Kind of like a do it yourself quesadilla, with stretchy cheese. This one was not as oily as others, which was a plus in my book. An excellent rendition. 

The food started making its way out to our table in waves, starting with this Cochinita Pibil Taco ($1.49). Both Katie and my dad got one of these. I snuck a piece of the pork while Katie wasn't looking. It had a nice, citrus-tinged marinade covering the tender pork underneath. Katie loved the homemade tortilla and pickled onion topping this taco. It makes her wish we lived closer to take advantage of their 99 cent taco Tuesday deal.

I've never been a big fan of chile Rellenos, but my dad loves them a lot. It wasn't shocking to me that he ordered this Chile Relleno Combo ($12.99) on this evening. The poblano chile at Gonzalez's Restaurant is filled with queso fresco, tomato sauce, sour cream, and more cheese. He loved this plate, as he inhaled it in record time. One of the better ones he's had. He felt the beans and rice were good too.

The enchilada combo meals at Gonzalez's Restaurant come with three enchiladas, which is just way too much for my light eating mom, so she opted to get a Single Cheese Enchilada ($2.99) and a side of Beans ($2.50) and Rice ($2.50). Another winning plate in my parent's opinion. The enchilada sauce was to my mom's liking and the inside had just the right amount of cheese.

Katie is always trying to find a chicken mole enchilada that will take over as her favorite one from El Maguey is San Juan Capistrano. These Enchiladas de Mole ($12.99) fell just a bit short in taking over her top spot. The mole sauce here was very well made with a complex layer of flavors coming through in certain bites. The chicken was moist and tender, while the sour cream cut the richness a bit. Mole lovers, this is your go-to dish here at Gonzalez's restaurant.

I asked our server what the best taco to get here was, and she replied that the Carnitas Taco ($1.49) was the best to try. I took her advice and ordered one. Even though this was street taco sized, it had plenty of pork placed on the corn tortilla. I liked the carnitas but felt they kind of lacked that pop of flavor that I was expecting. Not bad, but I liked the other taco better. I'm getting their pastor next time.

Now the famous Mixed Alambre ($18.99) as promised earlier. I do not see this on a lot of menus around OC. It's basically a mashup of almost everything in the kitchen. This one starts with beef, chicken, and shrimp, and then peppers, bacon, ham, and cheese are blanketed over a scalding skillet. Think fajitas, but without all the steam and with more than just one protein. From what I have read this is a popular dish in Mexico City and Oaxaca. I enjoyed the half of this that I ate this evening, but I don't think that I'd get it again. It might have had too much stuff in it, which is not always such a good thing. It was kind of overloaded with flavors competing for my attention. I'd probably go with a pambazo or a burrito on my next visit.

Gonzalez's Restaurant was a very solid spot for Mexican food. I'm sure they get overlooked a bit because of their location and because they are situated so close to Instagram darling Cali Tacos, and long time Mexican restaurants nearby like the Chili Pepper, Anepalco's, and others. They definitely deserve a visit from anyone wanting Mexican food at a more than fair price. The service was very good as well. Our server Stephanie, one of many family members that work here, was awesome and checked back on us regularly, and did not seem too upset when we lingered at the end of our meal. As soon as all of this quarantine craziness is over I look forward to having dinner with my parents once again. I'll be looking forward to finding another spot I have overlooked.

Out of five TVs, (because almost directly across the street from this restaurant was the long-departed Adray's, where my parents bought a TV when I was a kid), five being best to zero being worst, Gonzalez's Restaurant gets 3.5 TVs.

For more information on Gonzalez's Restaurant, head to their website here: https://gonzalezsrestaurant.business.site/

Tickled to Be at the Pickled Monk? - CLOSED

Pickled Monk

101 North Harbor Blvd. #100

Fullerton, CA 92832

I'm in awe of my cousin DJ. While I've had the same job for 32 years, lived in OC all my life, and been in cruise control for the last twenty years, my cousin DJ has been taking risks and having fantastic life experiences.

He moved to Chile on a whim, learned enough Spanish to live there for 4 years, and even started a hot sauce company while staying abroad. When DJ returned to OC in 2017, he kept the hot sauce company going and won a second-place prize at the World Hot Sauce Awards for his Gateway Green. Shameless plug for his award-winning Heatseeker Hotsauce, which you can find and purchase here.

Back to the present, and now DJ and his better half, Marci, are back on another adventure. This time, they are only moving a time zone over to Denver. Before leaving, they were going to have a going-away party with friends and family at one of their favorite places near where they live—a place I have never been to but have wanted to try for a while: the Pickled Monk.

I guess I should clarify that I have been to this address before when it was Bolu Bakery and Cafe in 2016. We were here for dessert during that visit, but I don't remember much more about it. Pickled Monk has been occupying this space since late 2018. The layout is similar, but they have made numerous enhancements to the space. There's a smallish bar to the right when you walk in, with six TVs perched on a wall showing sports. There's booth seating to the left-hand side of the restaurant, but the majority of the seating is in the bigger room down the ramp.

Ordering is done at the restaurant's center, and after you order, you are given a tracking device that alerts the staff where to deliver your food. Behind the ordering desk, there's a pour-your-own beer and wine station with a rotating selection of 30 taps to choose from. The menu starts with shareable sides and appetizers, works up to nine main dishes, and is rounded out by two salads and two desserts to end your visit. There's also weekend brunch offered from 11 to 2pm.

The chef behind the menu at Pickled Monk is David Fume, whom we became familiar with when he worked at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna about six years ago. Before that, he was at Temecula Creek Inn and Pechanga Resort and Casino. He's a busy guy, as he has this gig at the Pickled Monk and concurrent jobs at the Balboa Bay Resort as Executive Club Chef and at Salt Creek Grille as their Corporate Executive Chef. Let's see if the food here is worthy of sending off my cousin and his partner in crime.

With the word pickled in its name, we definitely needed to try the Fried Pickles ($5.99) at the Pickled Monk. I'm not the world's biggest pickle fan because they overpower every sandwich they invade, but I really enjoyed these. They are house-brained and battered. You still get the pickle flavor coming through, but it's muted a bit due to the thin cut of the pickle. The ranch dip was a great accompaniment. Definitely a must-try here.

Yes, Brussels Sprouts ($9.99) are on many menus all over OC. You might even be tired of them, but you should try this version at Pickled Monk before you skip these miniature cabbages. They come crispy with bacon, gochujang jam, honey, and blue cheese. Each bite kept my tastebuds interested. You have the savory bacon, the slight heat from the gochujang sauce, the sweetness from the honey, and the flavor burst from the unexpected blue cheese. The blue cheese bites were my favorites. After trying this version, the burnout from sprouts might be put on hold for many of you.

For Katie's main meal, she went with the Mediterranean-inspired Chicken and Hummus Flatbread Sandwich ($13.99). This grilled naan bread was stuffed with chicken breast, hummus, plenty of lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping. This sandwich exceeded Katie's expectations. The chicken was nice and moist, while the fresh veggies and tzatziki sauce stood out. She would definitely get this sandwich again.

Every gastropub has to have Mac and Cheese ($7.99) on their menu, which was the case here at Pickled Monk. This version has crumbled bacon and a smoked garlic emulsion joining the asiago cheese clinging to the elbow noodles. I was not too in love with this version. The cheese here was too subtle, and even the bacon did not save this for me. It was boring, and I was over it after a few bites. My sister, who seemed to like this more than I, took this home for lunch the next day.

It had been a while since I had a good burger, so I was pumped to try one this evening. Pickled Monk has two to choose from here. One is a build-your-own version with a double patty; the other is the Monk Burger ($12.99) shown above. This namesake burger comes with a dijon-mayo hybrid, blue cheese, arugula, and a bourbon-bacon jam on a brioche bun. This was an okay burger, but it did not blow me away. It needed a little more blue cheese to give it a flavor boost. The bacon jam and the dijonnaise left me wanting more, just like the underseasoned patty.

My sister called an audible at the last minute, and we also tried Skinny's Garlic Fries ($6.99). These came out tossed with plenty of garlic, seasoned with parsley, and a good amount of asiago cheese. Nice and hot when they came out, I could not stay away from them. Next time, I will upgrade to waffle fries for the extra fifty dollars, as the larger surface area of the waffle fries will make them even better. The magnificent ranch also helped out here.

There were some hit-and-misses this evening for me at Pickled Monk. I loved most of the appetizers, but my burger and the mac and cheese fell flat. I'd come back and try their bacon-wrapped bratwurst, Reuben, or French dip the next time I visit. The prices were more than fair, with nothing on the menu eclipsing the $16 mark. Service was good, although you were left to your devices once your food arrived. They were quick to clear plates and get you anything you need. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for my cousin DJ in his new hometown of Denver. I'm sure I will be in awe.

Out of five glaciers (because the TV character Monk has many phobias, one of which is the fear of glaciers), five being best to zero being worst, Pickled Monk gets 3 glaciers.

For more information about Pickled Monk, head to their website by clicking here: https://pickledmonk.com/

Real Texas Barbecue Coming to OC Soon

Heritage Barbecue

31727 Camino Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

I admit I'm a little obsessed. I check Instagram about ten times a day. No, I'm not stalking Instagram models, checking to see how many people have unfollowed me, and no, I'm not keeping tabs on Katie's whereabouts. My usual first stop on this photo-rich social media platform is usually Heritage Barbecue.

I had started hearing raves about Heritage Barbecue about a year ago when they had transitioned from running a catering company to doing pop-ups in a wide assortment of breweries in Long Beach and Orange County on weekends. They grew legions of fans at these pop-ups which included hour-long lines, and the disappointment of having your favorite meats sold out before you could make it to the front of the line. Just based on word of mouth, their Instagram following has ballooned to over 20,000 and climbing.

The husband and wife duo behind Heritage Barbecue is Brenda and Daniel Castillo. Daniel graduated from the culinary program at Orange Coast College. From what I can tell from stalking them on Instagram, the weekends they did not have brewery dates, it seems like they were always in Texas learning more and more about barbecue from their barbecue friends at some of the best barbecue spots in the country. The couple was soon making more money on weekends selling their very in-demand barbecue, so the decision was made to forgo catering and go all-in on the barbecue.

It was announced last year that they would be opening a spot in San Juan Capistrano, right across the street from the mission, in the old Mission Grill spot. As is the case with most restaurant openings, delays are to be expected. What was originally an opening date in the fall of last year, is still in a holding pattern, but we have heard things are getting closer.

I could not wait to try Heritage Barbecue, so in late February, Katie and I trekked up to Bruery Terreux in an industrial area of Anaheim. Being that this was our first time attempting to have Heritage, we showed up at 12 noon and were met with a line. Service was to begin at this time, so we decided to not drive up here in vain, and decided to wait it out.

As the minutes turned into hours, I was starting to wonder if this was all worth it. I did have one beer while waiting in line, which did take a little of the edge off. We also made small talk with the people in line around us. Some who have had this barbecue before, and others who were like us, Heritage Barbecue virgins. By the time we had made it up to the menu board, two and a half hours in, the hunger pains became really strong. A stinging jolt rattled through me every time they announced that they had run out of an item, with the biggest punch to the stomach being when they ran out of brisket.

The brisket, alas would have to wait for another time, with me already planning on arriving at least an hour or two before they were going to be serving food the next time I attempted to have Heritage Barbecue. As we arrived at the ordering station, we had a limited selection we could order. We decided to get everything we could but made the mistake of not ordering the Chili Cheese Sausage, due to my extreme hunger pains by this point. We hastily grabbed our tray of portioned out food, found a place to sit, I quickly took some pictures with my hands shaking from hunger, and we finally dug in. Let's see if Heritage Barbecue was worthy of all the hype and the hours in line.

Here was the tray we waited close to three hours for. I loved the splashes of color on the tray, which resembled a painters palette to my hunger hallucinated eyes. When you are up at the front don't forget to ask for bbq sauce, mustard, white bread, pickled onions, peppers, and pickled cucumbers if they have them. Let's take a closer look at each item. 

First up is the Pulled Pork ($12 for a half-pound). Pulled pork is tricky meat for a lot of barbecue spots to master. It's hard to get it right because the pork can come out too moist, or very dry like sandpaper going down the hatch. Heritage hit the sweet spot between these two ranges. The shredded meat was tender and had just the right smokiness to it. I also liked the little shards that took a little more effort to chew through. Really good pulled pork.

Due to the hunger pains, I have mentioned numerous times in this post, and the excitement of actually having the food in front of us, I did not take a detailed picture of the Pork Ribs ($12 for a half-pound) that we also consumed way too quickly. The ribs came lightly brushed with just a small amount of barbecue sauce and a flavorful dry rub coating the outside of them. The meat underneath had just the right amount of smokiness to it, just like the pulled pork. It pulled off the bone with just a little tug, which is what I like in my ribs. Not that it needed it, but I used alternating bites of the pork with the provided bbq sauce and mustard. The bbq sauce was not overly sweetened like a lot of places make the mistake of doing.

Listening to the people around us, some were dissing the Green Chili Mac and Cheese with Chicharon ($4). I thought it was pretty sold. I mean it was not the best I have had, but I liked it. The cheese was not overpowering and clung to the noodle nicely, while the green chili kept things interesting. An added bonus was the crumbled chicharron for texture and the cubed rib tip perched on top, which was heavenly.

Maybe if pressed, I'd have to say the El Rancho Potato Salad ($4) was the weak link on this tray, but I even liked this. It had a great consistency to it, I liked the peppery bits, and even though I'm not a big celery fan, it added a nice crunch. Yes, another pop of flavor would have helped, but this was not too bad.

This long visit to experience Heritage Barbecue just whetted my appetite for when they eventually open in San Juan Capistrano. Just based on their pork offerings that we had on this afternoon, and the fact that they are known for their wildly popular brisket and beef ribs, I'm going to go out on a limb and proclaim that Heritage Barbecue is going to be the best barbecue that OC has to offer. Yes, a lot of people will be turned off by the fact that you have to wait in a long line, that they run out of items that you want, and it's not going to be the most convenient restaurant to eat at. After your first few bites, all of those negatives will melt away, and you will yearn for your next visit. If that's not the case, maybe Lucille's or Dickey's might be more up your alley. That'll be at least one less person in front of me in line.

Out of five school busses, (because I think every kid in every school in OC has visited San Juan Capistrano on a field trip), five being best, to zero being worst, Heritage Barbecue gets 4 school buses. 

For more information about Heritage Barbecue, it's probably best to check their Instagram page by clicking here: https://www.instagram.com/heritagebarbecue/?hl=en

Feeling the Love at Ramos House Cafe

The Ramos House Cafe

31725 Los Rios St. 

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

With all the recent world events going on, Valentine's Day seems like it was about ten years ago. In reality, of course, it was only less than two months ago from when I'm writing this review. Katie and I are not really too into Valentine's Day. We prefer to stay home usually, as most restaurants are too crowded, have limited menus, and try to rush you out so they can turn over tables for the other waiting patrons.

We decided to break our Valentine's Day restaurant moratorium when we found out that we were both going to be off during the morning portion of the day before Katie had to head up to Westlake Village for an overnight business trip. We figured brunch wouldn't be too crazy, and I knew exactly where I wanted to try, the legendary Ramos House Cafe in San Juan Capistrano.

Situated on the oldest street in California, Los Rios Street (1794), the Ramos House was constructed in 1881. It was home to one of the founding families of San Juan for a long time. The Ramos House Cafe began its current life as a restaurant and residence when Chef and Owner John Q. Humphreys opened for business in October of 1995.

Ramos House is open every day from 9am to 2:30pm, except on Wednesdays, when they are closed. On the weekdays they have an ala carte menu, but on weekends, and on this Valentine's Day they have a brunch menu, where it's $35 a person, no matter your age, so you might want to leave the small kiddos at home when visiting Ramos House on weekends.

The easiest place to park in this sometimes challenging area of town is in Los Rios Park, which has a gravel lot, but usually has plenty of parking and is a short stroll to the restaurant. We arrived at 10am and only had to wait about ten minutes for a table to open up. This is patio seating, but they have plenty of heaters warming customers up on chilly mornings. We were also joined by the house cat, Mr. Pickles who lazily slept on a chair at our table for most of our meal.

The menu at Ramos House Cafe is not going to shock you with a dazzling array of selections. The brunch menu is pretty compact, with six small plates and 11 big plates offered, and you get to choose one of each on weekends and holidays, like this particular Valentine's Day. Let's see if the food at Ramos House will be love at first sight or a blind date gone wrong.

I thought for sure that Katie was going to start with the lentil soup as her small plate option, but she threw me a curve by getting the Small Basil Cured Salmon Lox. She claims that she has dreamt about this dish many times since we visited Ramos House. Thinly sliced salmon is the base of this and is layered with diced hard-boiled egg, red onions, and capers, which provided a nice flavor boost. This small plate is rounded out with toast points and basil. Katie loved the lightness of this dish, which did not overcompensate by adding something that would take away from the fresh salmon. She was a big fan. 

I went the sweet route with my smaller plate selection and had these Cinnamon Apple Beignets. They were good, but I expected a bit more sweetness and missed the apple portion of this, as it was not very prevalent. I thought the sauce lining the plate was a little drab and did not add enough in my opinion. I do give them credit for serving these nice and hot. I'd probably try their Nutella-banana french toast on my next visit.

Entrees were out next, and Katie got the Bubble and Squeak, which I learned is a British breakfast dish that is traditionally made with potatoes and cabbage. I'm not sure if the cabbage was included in this one, but the potato was here in the form of a very well-done fried potato patty on the bottom of the scrambled egg, bacon, onions, and vinegar tomatoes. This was an excellent breakfast plate. I liked the contrasting textures and the flavors kept things interesting throughout the short time this was around.

Similar in presentation to Katie's choice, I had the Crab Hash. Another winner. The crab cake was fresh and not filled with very much filler. It incorporated into the eggs and bacon wonderfully, but what tied this all together for me was the dollop of citrus cream that I used in alternating bites. Another plate I enjoyed immensely from my first to my last bite.

As an added bonus with the brunch menu, we got to each have a Buttermilk Biscuit with Apple Butter. I was a little let down by this. I thought the biscuit was a tad on the drab side, while the apple butter consistency was too runny, and I'm not sure there was even any butter included in this.

Even with the few minor missteps this morning (the beignets and the biscuit), both Katie and I really enjoyed our Valentine's Day brunch at Ramos House. It's not only well-executed and quaint food, but the whole feeling of the place is also one that will bring you back for special occasions and when you want to have the feeling of a little mini-vacation for an hour or two. This entire area of San Juan Capistrano is like stepping back in time and visiting Ramos House is just like visiting someone's home for breakfast, which you basically are doing. Service was warm and hospitable, and all the overall-clad young servers really seemed happy to be at work and share this place with their guests. A feeling that I definitely could agree with while writing this review.

Out of five mulberry trees, (in honor of the tree that you will dine next to on the patio of this very restaurant), five being best to zero being worst, The Ramos House Cafe gets 3.5 mulberry trees.

For more information about The Ramos House Cafe, check out their website by clicking here: https://www.ramoshouse.com/

Slow Start, Great Food at Oliver's Osteria

Oliver's Osteria

853 Laguna Canyon Road

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

I'm usually overly polite when I am out in public and dealing with people that are on the clock. It's probably my 30 plus years in the grocery business and seeing how awful a lot of people can be that is the reason for this. I do have my limit though. My politeness goes away when I'm hungry and I feel like I'm not being treated right. This was the way I felt at the start of our evening at Oliver's Osteria in Laguna Beach.

Let's start at the beginning. Oliver's opened in late October of 2018. There is no Oliver here, it's actually the name of Chef and Owner Erik De Marchi's son, who just happened to be born on the same day this restaurant opened. Talk about doing double duty. Chef De Marchi was born and raised in Italy, graduated from culinary school, moved to LA in 2002, and worked at the well known and respected Angelini Osteria in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles.

Oliver's is the culmination of all of his hard work. It's his first restaurant, and although it's not located in the heart of downtown Laguna, it's gotten some very positive press. Three stars and a glowing review from Orange Coast Magazine, numerous mentions in the OC Register, including Restaurant Critic Brad A. Johnson exclaiming that this is the best Italian restaurant to open in OC in many years. Oliver's gets 4 and a half stars on Yelp with close to 200 reviews and many OC based food journalists that I look up to and admire have cited Oliver's Osteria as the best Italian they have had outside of Italy. Big time praise indeed.

That brings us to our visit. We were going to be dining with our good friends Tom and Daniele, who had tried Oliver's food at the Taste of Laguna a few months ago, and were very eager to try this place. Anticipating a busy restaurant on a Friday evening, I made reservations for 8pm. We arrived five minutes prior to our time and were told that our table would be available in 15 minutes, which is not such a big deal, as it gave us time to catch up, and there's never any shortage of conversation between the four of us.

Around half-past 8 we inquired about our table and were told that our table would be ready soon, and they offered us each a glass of champagne. Nice touch, but I was getting hungry. As 8:50 rolled around we started to think about bolting for one of the other nearby Laguna restaurants. I imposed a 9pm cutoff time, but we were sat at a very small table right at the front entrance of the restaurant right before my arbitrary deadline time, which was an hour past our reservation time. My stomach was doing summersaults by this time.

This table was clearly meant for 2 people only, as both Tom and I were a big obstacle for the staff to get around each time one of them had to get by this high traffic area. Within five minutes we were on the move again to a much more comfortable table on the patio in the front of the restaurant. Truth be told, I was kind of over Oliver's by this time, thinking that no restaurant could be worth all of this hassle and wondering how I was going to write a fair and impartial review about the food we were going to have here. That was until I tasted the food here.

To make up for the long delay and switching tables they made us a Charcutturie Platter for the four of us to share. I did not see this on any of their menus, so I'm not really sure this is offered on a regular basis at Oliver's. This helped smooth things over in my mind, as it was a nice gesture and an even better charcuterie board. I really enjoyed all the meats  It was a little light on the cheeses, but the blue cheese was a favorite.

Instead of just a boring bread basket, at Oliver's you get this elongated plate with homemade Foccacia and a little bowl of diced tomatoes to start out with. A kind of build your own bruschetta. Truth be told, I'm not really a big fan of chopped tomatoes so I let the three of them share this. They all remarked how fresh the tomatoes were and were marinated nicely. I did try the bread, which I found to be light and spongy.

Entree time and Tom was very excited about trying one of their dinner specials, the Spaghetti Scoglio ($32). This seafood-centric dish had a whole cavalcade of seafood in it; mussels, calamari rings, clams, and I believe lobster pieces. Tom was as exuberant as I've ever seen him with this meal, and I've enjoyed many meals with him over the years. The seafood was fresh, they did not try to do too much with it, and the pasta, which I spied some black squid pasta included here was some of the best he has had outside of Italy. Very high praise from Tom, who definitely knows good food when he has it.

I was a little surprised that Katie went with the Strozzapreti Alla Norcini ($28) on this evening. She was sure glad she did. This utilized the hand-rolled twist pasta and included ground sausage, a black truffle for richness, and a touch of cream to the sauce. A very balanced dish, it hit high notes of richness, without being too overbearing. Katie cleared her plate rather quickly, as she exclaimed that this was the best pasta dish she has consumed in a very long time.

This Ravioli Burro Salvia ($24) did what I thought would be impossible. It kept our good friend Daniele quiet for almost five minutes straight. A new personal best, and some much-needed relief to her dear husband, Tom I'm sure. All kidding aside, this spinach and ricotta ravioli was nicely executed and finished off with a very nice butter sage sauce. Daniele, who practices portion control when we eat out, was having a hard time stopping herself from eating all of this. Another winning entree for our table. 

I was hoping that the winning streak would continue with my pick on this late evening, the Lasagna Classico ($26). It did. This was one of the lightest, but best lasagnas I have had. It had both a bechamel sauce and a meat ragu, which is always a great combo. I was a little skeptical that this was going to fill me up, but it did. Not like any Americanized lasagna I have had. This made me very excited to come back and try more of their menu very soon.

Truth be told, I'm not really a big fan of Italian desserts, but everyone else wanted to give them a try. We settled on Tiramisu ($12) and the Semifreddo Zabaione ($12). The tiramisu was a little too heavy on the coffee flavor for my tastes, but the others really seemed to like it. I'm just weird and am not a fan of tiramisu normally. The zabaione was better, as it seemed kind of like a scoop of french vanilla ice cream, but not as sweet and not as structured. It was fine, but I'd probably skip this next time we visited Oliver's.

This is my new favorite authentic Italian restaurant in OC. Even with the hour wait with a reservation, the switching of the tables, and the desserts that were not too much to my liking, I eagerly look forward to coming back to Oliver's to experience more of their authentic Italian cuisine. Be advised that the menu is seasonal, so it does change every so often, but based on this visit, I don't think you will have trouble finding something delicious to consume at Oliver's. Our server Marco had the difficult task of serving four very hungry people who were not in the best of moods when we sat down, but he did a wonderful job of making us converts. Prices are a tad on the high side, but I'd argue that you are paying for heightened Italian food, which is always worth it in the end. It's also worth the minor hiccups that we experienced from the front of the house staff.

Out of five Ferrari's, (because Chef De Marchi is from Imola, Italy, which used to host the San Marino Grand Prix, and that car brand won the race more than any other), five being best to zero being worst, Oliver's Osteria gets 4 Ferrari's.

For more information about Oliver's Osteria, head to their website here: https://oliversosteria.com/

A House Divided, One Part Sushi the Other Part Ramen

Sushi Ramen House

25260 La Paz Road Suite A

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

There was not much good that came out of Katie's last place of employment. She had to deal with an inept division head, her direct supervisor overtly harassed her, and the so-called human resource department sat on their hands while a scathing write-up, which definitely had the tone of being more like a personal attack that had little to do with her job performance, was written and rewritten three times by this bungling management team.

It was time to leave this train wreck of a company behind. The one bright spot that Katie took out of that horrible one and a half year experience was that she made some pretty good friends there. People she has kept in contact with since she left. One of those people was Mazi and his recently wed wife, Marita. We see them frequently with our sporadic walks and dinner afterward. They even introduced us to this restaurant, Sushi Ramen House in Laguna Hills.

Located in the same shopping plaza as Ironwood, Cecilia's, Villa Roma, and Heidelberg Bakery, Sushi Ramen House took over for another Japanese restaurant in early 2019. In those 15 months, they have now garnered a four and a half star rating, with over 200 reviews. Pretty good for a  restaurant that is easy to overlook with their much more visible and highly regarded restaurant neighbors.

We decided to forgo our walk with Mazi and Marita on a rather chilly Thursday evening and instead met for dinner at Sushi Ramen House. This small corner restaurant has about 10 to 15 tables, many of which were filled during our visit. The dining room vibe is what I'd call sleek, with its darkly painted ceilings and walls, and sparse decor. The menu predictably offers plenty in the way of ramen and sushi, but there are also 21 appetizers, salads, and bowls to choose from. Let's check out the food.

Katie and I really just ordered this California Roll ($6.50) because we were hungry and knew it was going to come out faster than our entrees. A little something to tide us over. This was your basic California roll that you've had all over with imitation crab, cucumber, and a smidge of avocado wrapped up around rice and seaweed. Nothing special.

In hindsight, we probably could have done without the average California roll above, because the ramen came out pretty quickly. Katie had this Chicken Ramen ($11.95). This is made up of chicken broth with sliced chicken, half an egg, green onion, and noodles. It also usually comes with fungus and bamboo, but she held off on those. She liked this ramen but was not wowed by it. It was very middle of the road and she's had better. It did end up satisfying her ramen craving on this evening.

Mazi and Marita both got the Tonkotsu Ramen, which is a pork-based broth and joined in the bowl by a half an egg, green onion, noodles, and simmered pork. No bamboo or fungus for them either. I had this the one other time we came here and found it to be pretty solid, although I am by no means an expert when it comes to ramen. I liked the thicker broth and found the pork to be pretty tender. Like Katie, I was not too fond of the egg though. As for Mazi and Marita, this is what they get every time they visit Sushi Ramen House. It's right near their house and they find it's perfect on the rather chilly evenings we have been having lately.

I'm not really into ramen, so I decided to go my own route and try one of their bowls. This Spicy Tuna and Shrimp Rice Bowl ($11.95) was larger than I was expecting. Half was spicy tuna and the other half was tempura-like shrimp which had a sweetness to the sauce on top of it, kind of like honey walnut shrimp, but not as sweet. This bowl was fine, but kind of awkward. On one side you have the cold and softened tuna and the other was the warmed and crunchy shrimp. I'm all for contrast in my meals, but this was a little too much. I'd probably just get all shrimp next time.

Katie made a very late decision to order one more thing, the Spicy Tuna with Crispy Rice ($6.50) off of the appetizer portion of the menu. It was probably the best thing I had all evening. I really liked the contrasts of the crispy rice, the smooth sliced avocado, and the soft spicy tuna perched on top. I could have eaten a couple more of these in no time flat.

Rereading what I have written above, it sounds a bit harsher than I intended it to. Sushi Ramen House is fine, but it's not going to blow you away. It's like the restaurant that you go to if you want some ramen or sushi, but don't want to veer too far from home. Not really destination dining, but it will do in a pinch. The few times we have been here the service has been very good and the kitchen gets the food out in a very timely manner. I'm glad Katie's old place of employment is a thing of the past, but I'm also happy that it gave us the opportunity to spend some time with our new friends Mazi and Marita.

Out of five dollars, (because Lagna Hills is where Aloe Blacc the musician grew up, and his first hit was, "I Need a Dollar,") five being best to zero being worst, Sushi Ramen House gets 2.5 dollars.

Sushi Ramen House does not have a website, but you can find info about them on their Yelp page here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sushi-ramen-house-laguna-hills

Jetting off After a Meal at Alejo's

Alejo's Presto Trattoria 

8343 Lincoln Blvd. 

Westchester, CA 90045

It's been a long while since we've been up in this neck of the woods. It's been about a year or so since we've taken our good friends Chaz and Stephanie to LAX, so they can jet off to visit their grandkids in South Carolina. We have a simple agreement, we battle Friday evening traffic up the 405 in exchange for a free dinner. It works out great for all involved. They avoid paying the outrageous parking fees at the airport, while I get to pick a restaurant in a part of So Cal that I would usually not be around.

Chuck and Stephanie were pretty much up for any kind of food, but I know that they are partial to Italian, so I went to Yelp to find a spot near LAX that serves classic Italian cuisine. Mission accomplished. Alejo's is situated a few blocks north of the always busy runways of LAX, they had a four-star Yelp rating with over 600 reviews, and most importantly, their prices were pretty modest, which is a big plus for Chuck, (although it is fun to watch his eyes bug out when he sees the check come at more expensive places).

The story of this restaurant is a pretty interesting one. It was started by Alejo Castro, a native of Spain. After a few stops across the globe, he mastered the art of making pasta. He next made his home in the US, where he accepted a position at the now-shuttered La Scala in Malibu. Chef Alejo then branched out on his own and opened La Traviata in Hermosa Beach. A return to Spain resulted in that restaurant being sold. Missing Southern California, Alejo opened this current version of his namesake restaurant in 1991.

Now run by his sons, Tony and Christian, they have kept things relatively the same since the days when their father ran the place. They make all of their pasta, bread, and pizza on the premises. The large menu is dotted with all of your Italian favorites; pizza, pasta dishes, lasagna, chicken and seafood options, and of course some salads. Almost all the items on this menu list two prices which I assume is for smaller portion sizes. Only a few things at Alejo's pass the $20 threshold.

We arrived here on a Friday evening at 7:30. Parking can be a little tricky along this section of Lincoln, but we were fortunate enough to find a spot in their tiny lot behind their restaurant. The dining room is pretty laidback, with very minimal decor populating the space. There's a wall that features framed pictures of famous people that have eaten here, some, what I assume to be, family members portraits, and community awards they have received throughout the years and decades they have been in business. Let's check out the food to see if this was a great sendoff for our friends on their way to the East Coast.

Probably one of the most overflowing bread baskets we have ever received during the ten year run of this restaurant blog. After seeing how quickly this disappeared between the four of us, I guess they knew what they were doing. The Bread and accompanying Garlic Dip were addicting, to say the least. There was also oil and vinegar as well, but for any garlic lover, the garlic sauce is what you want. It's bordering on pungent, but man was it awesome. I had the taste with me for the whole car ride home. The bread was good as well. The cut-up ciabatta bread was a great vessel for either the garlic or the oil and vinegar.

Both Katie and I opted to get salads to start our meal off at Alejo's. She had the Chopped Salad ($8.95) which came with garbanzo beans, tomatoes, diced up salami, and mozzarella cheese, with finely chopped greens and their house dressing, which seemed like a creamy Italian from where I was sitting. Katie loved this salad, which was chopped nicely so it was easy to handle, and the flavors kept her interested during the short life of this salad. She'd probably try the Alejo Salad the next time, which is this same salad with turkey, bacon, and red cabbage added.

I went with my usual salad, a Caesar ($7). This traditional version of my favorite salad came with chopped romaine, anchovies, croutons, a sprinkle of parmesan, and Caesar dressing. This was a wonderful start to my time at Alejo's. The greens were fresh, there was just the right amount of dressing on this, and the anchovy added a burst of saltiness that perked up my tastebuds. Bear in mind that these are the half portions, which were more than enough for someone that's getting something else to eat in a few minutes.

Katie had the Spaghetti Carbonara ($15.95) this evening. Carbonara was one of the first meals I made for her when we started dating all those years ago, but this one blew mine away easily. This version utilizes a pink sauce and comes with crumbled bacon and mushrooms to round it out. A very rich dish, but she polished this off with no problem. The fresh pasta and the wonderful pink sauce made this non-traditional carbonara a winner.

My go-to meal in an Italian restaurant for the first time is usually Lasagna ($15.95). I figure if they can make a good version of this dish, you can expect good things from everything else they make. After my first bite of this one, I knew we had stumbled upon a very solid Italian restaurant. At Alejo's they have three versions of lasagna; beef, chicken, or vegetable. No shock to anyone reading this, I went with the beef. The ratio of beef, sauce, and cheese was pretty stellar. I liked that they threw in some spinach lasagna noodles for a little different spin. The beef was seasoned very well, and the red sauce surrounding this square of deliciousness really shined. One of the better lasagnas I have had in recent memory.

Not wanting to get too full on their flight, Chuck and Stephanie agreed to split this Pepperoni Pizza ($17) between them. They were also generous enough to let me have what they did not eat on this evening, which was three of the slices. The pizzas at Alejo's are cooked in a brick oven, the dough is made daily, and kneaded by hand. You can taste the quality of the ingredients. There was no orange grease running down your arm eating this and the cheese and pepperoni tasted very fresh, even after being heated up the next day. It would be hard for me to come here and not get the lasagna that I had, but the pizzas would be a close second choice.

Alejo's ended up being a great place to eat before Chuck and Stephanie jetted off. We have taken them to LAX at least 20 times, and this is one of the best places we have eaten at up this way. This is the kind of restaurant that you wish was in your neighborhood. I feel a slight animosity towards the people of Westchester, who get to eat here whenever they want and some who probably even take it for granted. It's a good, honest, and low-key Italian place that serves some really solid food. With so much good going on here, I do have to mention that the service was not the best. After we were seated, it took about five minutes for us to be acknowledged, but our waiter did improve slightly throughout our stay. Even with the mediocre service, Chuck has mentioned that we need to come back here the next time we take them to LAX. That's fine with Katie and me, especially since he will paying.

Out of five owls, (because not only is Westchester the home of LMU, but also the Otis College of Art and Design, and their mascot is Otis the Owl), five being best to zero being worst, Alejo's Presto Trattoria gets 3.5 owls.

For more information about Alejo's Presto Trattoria, head to their website here: https://alejosrestaurant.com/