Betting the Farm on a Good Meal at Farmhouse

Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens

2301 San Joaquin Hills Road 

Corona Del Mar, CA 92625

I've always considered myself lucky. No, I have never won the lottery, but as a kid, I won a TV at Angel Stadium, I entered a contest in the Orange County Register and won four tickets to Knott's Berry Farm, and I got to skip school when I was selected as one of four kids in the fifth grade to watch one of the first showings of the movie Annie. 

My luck returned recently when I entered an Instagram contest on the OC Restaurant Week Instagram page. I just had to like both the OC Restaurant Week page and Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens page, something I was already doing, and then tag one of my friends to be entered. Out of 545 entries, I was picked as the winner of the $100 gift card. I tried to make reservations during restaurant week, but they were booked solid by the time I could pick up my gift card, so we waited a few weeks after and coaxed my wonderful inlaws to join us. 

Farmhouse came across my radar back when they first opened in 2016. As soon as they premiered they landed on just about every best restaurant list I saw. At the Golden Foodie Awards in 2017, Farmhouse won for best cocktails in OC, best chef, and was nominated for the best lunch spot in OC. As recently as last year the OC Register named them one of the best patios in OC, and the glowing reviews have continued ever since. 

The reason for this I believe is the fantastic ambiance of the seven-acre Roger's Gardens Nursery, which has been around for over 55 years now, and Chef/Owner of Farmhouse, Rich Mead. He is pretty much one of the first chefs to practice the now way overused phrase, farm to table. He is very keen to develop relationships with only local purveyors and merchants that he feels do things the right way and provides the highest quality goods. He tailors his seasonal menu to what he feels are the best things available at the time, something that was very rare when he opened his first OC restaurant Sage back in 1997. 

Always a tough reservation to get, I could only procure an 8pm reservation on a recent Wednesday evening. Since it was already dark when we arrived, we did not get the full brilliance of the Roger's Gardens experience, but from what we could see of this partially covered space, it might be worth another visit to dine on their patio on one of the over 300 days of sunshine that graces Corona Del Mar. The venue on this evening was filled with lots of beautiful people, let's see if they were here for the food, the great venue, or both. 

A signature at Chef Mead's restaurants throughout his career is his Parmesan Crisps, which he serves instead of the usual bread basket you get at other places to start your meal. These crackers were very flavorful and went wonderfully with the provided hummus. We made very quick work of this but sadly were limited to only one serving between the four of us. 

Katie was the only one of the four of us to elect to get a starter from the menu. She went with the Brussels Sprouts with Cipollini Onions ($10). This was one of the cleanest versions of sprouts we have had. They let the fresh sprouts be the star of the show, while letting the fish sauce, garlic, and chili paste come through in short muted bursts. Definitely a wonderful option for true Brussels sprouts fans that don't need a detracting sauce to keep things interesting. 

Katie's parents and I went with soup and salad for a beginning course this evening. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the Daily Soup of the Day ($8) was on this evening, but there must have been two options because they both got different ones. Both of them must have been very good as well because they did not last very long. I'm a very big Caesar salad fan, so I went with the closest thing Farmhouse had on their menu this evening, which was the Kale and Little Gem Lettuce Salad ($12). I'm not the world's biggest fan of kale, but this was one of the better ways I've had it. The greens were topped with garlic croutons, plenty of grated parmesan cheese, and a roasted garlic anchovy vinaigrette. The greens were farmer's market fresh, while the cheese and croutons did a great job subduing the sometimes too bitter taste of the kale. I would have loved a touch more vinaigrette on this, but a very solid salad nonetheless.  

I've heard such good things about the RG Burger ($18), but Dennis beat me to the punch by ordering it first. They build their burger with some really good bacon, Vermont white cheddar cheese, and garnish it with lettuce, tomato, and red onion at Farmhouse. According to my fantastic father-in-law, the burger was very good, and he's had his fair share of burgers from coast to coast. He was gracious enough to let me try the fries, which I found to be too starchy and they definitely needed more salt or another seasoning. The house-made ketchup did the fries no favors either, as it needed some sweetness or something to wake it up. Truthfully, I'm never a fan of house-made ketchup though. 

Lynn was over the moon with her Herb Roast Jidori Chicken ($26). Never one for hyperbole, she claims that jidori chicken is the best, as she enjoys the freshness and robust flavor of it every time she encounters it. Even I admit this was a good-looking bird, beautifully browned and served over a bed of broccolini, carrots, peewee potatoes, and cipollini onions. It took all my willpower to not reach across the table and try some of the crisped chicken skin. With the chicken au jus, there was no way there was going to be a dry bite to be had with this plate. Very well done.  

Since we had our gift cards, Katie decided to go big at Farmhouse and get the Grilled Autonomy Farms Grass-Fed Flat Iron Steak ($34). This dish had a lot going on with it. It came with a chimichurri sauce and a red wine au jus, which I thought was going to contrast, but both were a nice compliment to the tender beef that was expertly cooked, even though Katie asked for this to be cooked medium-well. Ugh. The beef came with cipollini onions, (must be Chef Mead's favorite), sauteed spinach, shitake mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and garlic. A very hearty meal that was equal parts comforting and lighter than expected at the same time. Not a combination that happens too often. 

I went with another comforting meal, the Pork Tenderloin ($30). This reminded me of a meal I had years ago at Cedar Creek, but way better. The pork on this one was moist all the way through and I liked the combination of the applejack brandy sauce and the apple raisin compote with the savory pork. It was a kind of yin and yang thing that kept me interested all through my meal. This also came with some braised red cabbage and two parmesan potato cakes. The potato cakes were good but needed a tad more seasoning and some extra parmesan wouldn't have hurt either. Still, it was a solid meal that helped erase the bad memory from Cedar Creek all those years ago. 

I've never really been a big fan of fruit desserts, preferring chocolate way more, but I got outvoted on this evening into sharing two fruit desserts, the Warm Fair Hills Farms Apple Crisp and the Meyer Lemon Bread Pudding. Both made me rethink my chocolate addiction. The bread pudding had a nice sweet and slightly sour vibe going on with it, and the consistency was very pleasing. The apple crisp was nicely executed with brown sugar and oat topping, an apple sage sauce that was not too sweet or syrupy, and plenty of vanilla ice cream. I could have eaten this one all by myself. It was like eating the best parts of a slice of apple pie ala mode. 

I left Farmhouse very pleased with the meal that we all enjoyed. Sometimes these farm-to-table kinds of places think that they just have to have fresh and local food, and that's enough to make people happy. They don't realize that they still have to execute good cooking skills, have menu items that appeal to the dining public, and have enough variety to keep people coming back. Farmhouse checked all of these boxes for me. Yes, some tweaks could have been made, but for the most part, everything we encountered was cooked wonderfully, and I did not leave here with that overly heavy feeling, even though I ate a lot of food on this evening. Service was another story. I know that they were busy, but our server was slow to greet us and from what our empty glasses told me, he might have been stretched a little thin. It's sadly become a trend these days since every restaurant has gotten overrun with people tired of eating at home for the last 14 months. I'm sure it will be rectified. Hope my luck has not run out with Instagram contests, but even if it has, we will be returning to Farmhouse again. 

Out of five scoops of ice cream, (because the band Phish has an album named Farmhouse, and they hail from Burlington, Vermont, the same city as Ben and Jerry's), five being best to zero being worst, Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens gets 3.5 scoops of ice cream. 

For more information about Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens, head to their website here: https://farmhouse.rogersgardens.com/

Another Jewel in the Crown of a Local Restaurateur?

Sapphire Cellar. Craft. Cook

1200 South Coast Highway Suite 101

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

The juggernaut that is Russ Bendel and his merry band of partners has been on quite a roll lately. When Russ left Flemings eight years ago to take over ownership of Vine Restaurant in San Clemente, I don't think even he and his partners expected the great success that they've had. In those ensuing eight years they have opened four critically acclaimed restaurants, all in different cities. The aforementioned Vine in San Clemente, Ironwood in Laguna Hills, not far from Russ's childhood home, Olea in Newport Beach, and their latest acquisition, Sapphire in Laguna Beach. 

Sapphire stands on the site of the old Pottery Shack, at the corner of PCH and Brooks Street. The Pottery Shack was a mainstay in this beach town from 1937 until it closed in 2004. After two years of renovations, the site was made into a mixed-use retail space, with specialty shops, restaurants, and offices inhabiting the place. A year later Sapphire Laguna Restaurant and Pantry joined the collective. When that restaurant was put up for sale in March of last year, Russ and his team jumped at the chance to be able to share their cuisine with the people of Laguna Beach. 

Each of the four restaurants has some overlap of menu items, but tweaks seem to be made to keep each restaurant from becoming a carbon copy of the others. Sapphire is the only one to offer brunch, so I was instantly intrigued. It also just so happened that in my latest issue of Orange Coast Magazine they got a glowing review for not only their dinner menu but their brunch as well. Pushing me even farther out my front door was the fact that my good friend runs one of the car lots in Laguna, so the hassle of finding parking on a weekend was not going to be a problem. I quickly made a reservation. 

The brunch menu at Sapphire is available Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 2:30pm. There's around fifteen offerings that range in price from $16 to $42 for a filet mignon and eggs. Even though I didn't have to pay for parking, I could not justify paying close to fifty dollars on my first meal of the day. I did narrow down my choices to a couple things before arriving but left it to how I was feeling in the moment to make my decision as to what I'd be having. Let's see if Russ and his team members have another hit on their hands at Sapphire. 

Sapphire runs a pantry, off to the right of their entrance, where they offer grab and go breakfast and lunch items, along with some more substantial offerings, like their delicious-sounding egg sandwich, breakfast burritos, a burger, and a chicken sandwich. I'm not sure if they allow you to order from the pantry menu while sitting in the dining area, but our server was gracious enough to get us some pastries to start off with this morning. We went with the Chocolate Croissant ($3.95) and the Cinnamon Pull-Apart ($3.95). Of the two, I liked the chocolate croissant better. It was filled with plenty of pieces of chocolate and the outer croissant was made the right way. The cinnamon pull apart was fine, but a little bland in parts and needed more than the drizzle of icing that was placed on top. Both could have been boosted with the option of having them heated. Still, a good way to get some sweetness in with your first meal of the day. 

Even after nearly 12 years of being together with Katie, I am still sometimes shocked by her choices when we are out to eat. On this morning she went with the Smoked Salmon and Blue Crab Omelette ($27), mostly because this was the most keto-friendly offering here at Sapphire. This well-crafted omelet was topped with a dollop of garlic formage blanc cheese and chives to go along with the plentiful fresh salmon and flaky blue crab inside. She felt this was one of the lightest and most delicate omelets that she's ever had. She was a little worried about the textures working well together here, but her worries subsided after her first bite. Each item worked well with each other to showcase the other. She was also a fan of the fingerling potatoes and heirloom vegetable hash, which is an upgrade from the breakfast potatoes you get just about everywhere else. The menu did not say anything about getting a salad, but the farm fresh greens with a splash of dressing were appreciated and helped round out the plate. 

Maybe one of the most eye-catching breakfast plates I've seen in a long while, this Kurobuta Pork Belly Benedict ($22), also might have been one of the tastiest. Sapphire's riff on a benedict uses one of my favorite proteins, pork belly layered on top of sturdy rosemary focaccia with a perfectly poached egg placed on top with a champagne bearnaise sauce which I could easily drink by the glass. The richness of this dish kept me satisfied well past dinner. The pork belly was flavorful and not as fatty as others I've had, while the poached egg when pierced released the rich yolk that tied everything together wonderfully. Like Katie, I was a fan of the farmer's market hash and fingerling potatoes, which were lighter than other potatoes you are accustomed to at other breakfast places. 

The hits just keep on coming for this four-unit restaurant group, and brunch is a new dimension where they excel, not unexpectantly. Even though their restaurants differ from each other in some ways, it's nice to see the creativity that adding brunch to their repertoire has brought here at Sapphire. I feel Sapphire is the type of brunch spot that begs to be your go-to spot for special occasion brunches. Nearly thirty dollars for an omelet, no matter how good it is, is not in the budget for a lot of us, but once in a while for food this fine, it seems to justify the cost. Service was predictably warm and friendly, and management seemed very active in making sure their guests were happy with everything. I'm looking forward to where Russ and his team will land next and seeing how long their winning streak will keep on rolling. Probably way longer than any that his beloved Philadelphia Eagles will have in the upcoming NFL season. Sorry Russ, could not resist.   

Out of five cups of tea, (because the world's largest sapphire, the Star of Adam was found in Sri Lanka six years ago, a nation which ranks fourth in the production of tea on the planet), five being best to zero being worst, Sapphire Cellar. Craft. Cook gets 3.5 cups of tea. 

For more information about Sapphire Cellar. Craft. Cook, head to their website here: https://www.sapphirelagunabeach.com/

Up and Down Night at El Mercado

El Mercado Modern Cuisine

301 North Spurgeon Street

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Now that restaurants and other businesses are opening back up, it's time to face some facts. It's going to still take some time for things to get back to where they were before. Restaurants have had to pivot in all sorts of directions in the last year. Delivery and takeout ordering only, placing their employees on furlough or letting them go permanently, social distancing guidelines, mask-wearing mandates, and dealing with people who do not want to comply, are just a small percentage of what restaurants have had to deal with. 

So, as we move forward it's important to remember that we've all been through a lot, so a little compassion and understanding needs to be the rule of the land. I bring this up because there's going to be some growing pains at some of your favorite spots, including our recent visit to El Mercado in Santa Ana. This was not the smoothest of evenings that we have encountered in a restaurant. 

I am totally cognizant that restaurants are having a hard time finding staff, that there might be new cooks in their kitchens and there could be new management running your favorite restaurant. Since people read this restaurant review site to help them decide if they want to part with their hard-earned money on a particular place, I feel it's my duty to give you an unbiased, honest review, even if there might be some issues with a place that I'm unaware of. They may have just had an off night or maybe it's a regularly occurring problem, but the following was our experience. 

Last month was Orange County Restaurant Week, and since both Katie and I had gotten our first shot, we felt comfortable enough to head out and support Orange County restaurants. I had made a plan to eat from six restaurants in seven days, all but this meal at El Mercado was going to be eaten at home. I made reservations at El Mercado for 2 at 7pm on a Saturday evening. We arrived promptly and were seated near the back of the restaurant, close to the bar. 

El Mercado is situated in Downtown Santa Ana, right by the Yost Theater, and a stone's throw away from Playground, Wursthaus, and 4th Street Market, among others. Their menu leads off with nine appetizers, there's four taco plates to choose from, and ten entrees to select from. Prices range between $13 to $29 for entrees. I was going to be having the prix-fixe $30 restaurant week menu and Katie decided to order off of the regular menu. 

I always like to start out by showing a picture of the Chips and Salsa when eating in a Mexican restaurant. These from El Mercado were pretty solid. The tortilla chips were nicely fried and salted perfectly. The salsa had a good consistency to it, but I would have liked a little more heat to be present. 

A big thing for Katie growing up was ordering Chips and Guacamole ($9.00) as an appetizer at every  Mexican restaurant that they would eat at. It's a tradition that her parents still do to this day, sometimes ordering two or three if it's the ten of us. This version at El Mercado was pretty stellar. It had a good chunky consistency to it, was seasoned well, and came with pepitas, tomatoes, and onion. They also have a version that includes crickets, but Katie chickened out when I suggested trying it. 

Brussels Sprouts ($12) are having their moment in the sun right now, as they are on almost every menu in OC, including this one. At El Mercado, they crisp up their sprouts nicely and then add parmesan cheese, pickled veggies, and toss it with a chile ancho and xocconostle sauce. Balsamic was not used here, they instead utilized the contrasting slightly sweet and sour sauce, which was a breath of fresh air. I was also a fan of the pickled vegetables that were added. A nice choice of stater if you are a fan of Brussels sprouts. 

We've had the good, now the ugly. With my OC Restaurant Week pre-fixe menu, I could choose between either chicken or vegetable enchiladas, or what I went with the Carnitas ($18). Even the vegetable enchiladas had to be a better option than what I got. This big chunk of pork was as dry as August in Palm Springs. It came with a moat of pork jus, pickled onion, and a sprig of cilantro. The menu said that it was supposed to come with some salsa verde, but they must have forgotten it. It definitely needed it. Each bite was like sandpaper going down. I tried to salvage this by asking for some sour cream to help moisten things up a bit, but the small, thimble-sized amount of sour cream I was given was no match for this dried-up piece of swine that I left half-eaten as our plates were taken away. This was really one of the most awful meals I've had in recent memory. Barely edible. 

As I was struggling with my meal, Katie was waiting another 20 minutes for her Mole ($19). There must have been a snafu in the kitchen or our server did not key in the order. This chicken breast was placed in a pool of reddish mole, with dots of pea puree and jocoque on the plate and plenty of toasted sesame seeds and finely diced onion topping the bird. The chicken itself was for the most part pretty good, but some bites were a little on the dry side. I expected a little more depth of flavor from the mole, but it was passable. Katie ended up liking this more than I did, but she'd get something else if she came here again. 

The last part of my restaurant week experience was this Carrot Cake ($9). The carrot cake was formed into a mini loaf, with a pineapple compote placed on the side and plenty of whipped cream on top. The cake on its own was fine, moist, but not overly sweet. The sweetness of this dessert was provided by the pineapple and whipped cream. I liked this take on a carrot cake, but I do admit to missing the traditional cream cheese frosting that is a big part of any carrot cake experience. 

Okay, so our visit to El Mercado started off really well, and then took a deep drop off as soon as my meal reached the table. Like I said earlier, maybe they have new chefs in the kitchen, maybe they were having an off day, or some other unforeseen things were happening here, but I expected more especially after the glowing reviews I have read about this place from other food writers who I respect. I do give our server and the manager credit that they did try to make things right by giving Katie a free carrot cake, and free guacamole to take home, but I did have to end up getting something at the food truck outside. Other than the long wait for Katie's meal, the service was pretty solid on this evening. I'm going to chalk this one up to getting back into the swing of things after a long year, but I'd definitely avoid the carnitas on future visits. 

Out of five walnuts, (because this restaurant sits on Spurgeon Street, named after the founder of Santa Ana, William Spurgeon, who not only was the towns first mayor but also was a walnut farmer),  five being best to zero being worst, El Mercado Modern cuisine gets 2 walnuts. 

For more information about El Mercado Modern Cuisine, head to their website here: https://www.mercadomodern.com/

Banana Pudding Bonanza at Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery

8389 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Never underestimate the power of pictures. I'm sure most of you don't really read the drivel that I write on these blog pages. Blogging is so 2009, but I still like to express my thoughts on restaurants, for the three of you that still read my reviews. Even my mom doesn't read this anymore, and the only way I know this is that she hasn't said a word about my poor grammar in a few years now, and I know I haven't all of the sudden become a punctuation wizard. 

I bring this up because pictures can be quite persuasive. I have been stalking Magnolia Bakey for years on their Instagram page. I find myself salivating over the pictures of their different versions of banana pudding and other baked goods a lot of the time. I finally decided a trip up to LA was needed to find out if Magnolia Bakey is just a collection of beautiful pictures or if their stuff is as delicious as what is depicted in those pictures. 

Magnolia Bakery opened for business in 1996 in New York City. They are a scratch bakery, and everything here is made on the premises daily. In 2007 there was a change of ownership, which resulted in a pretty aggressive expansion, including spots in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and India. Domestically there are seven NYC locations, along with one in Chicago and this one in LA, which opened back in 2010.  

The number of offerings at Magnolia Bakery is a little overwhelming. They have plenty of cupcakes and cakes to choose from, along with pies, mini cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, muffins, scones, icebox desserts, and of course their famous banana pudding. There's also monthly specials and weekly cupcakes to consider as well. Way too much for someone like me that wants to try everything. 

I enlisted my boss Melissa and her husband Kyle to meet us up in LA. After a very good meal at a nearby barbecue spot, we walked the three blocks to Magnolia Bakery. Due to covid restrictions Magnolia Bakery limited the number of people inside at one time, and there were no onsite places to eat what we ordered, so we decided to part ways and try our goodies at home instead and compare notes. I admit it was very hard not digging in while we drove south on the 5 freeway, but my lack of eating utensils helped to keep me from having everything finished by the time I got home. Let's take a closer look. 

I'm not sure where I first had Hummingbird Cake ($7), but every time since, I'm compelled to try it when it's offered. For those of you that are not aware, hummingbird cake is a cake very popular in the south. It's a banana-pineapple spice cake, which I'd describe as carrot cake, but without the carrot and sweeter. This version at Magnolia was first-rate. Little bursts of sweetness from the pineapple, but not too sugary. It was a very light and moist cake, almost falling apart as I dug my fork in for each bite. Their cream cheese frosting was wonderful also. 

Now for the real reason, most people come to Magnolia Bakery, including myself. I started off my banana pudding binge with the Large Classic Banana Pudding ($7.50). The classic comes with sliced bananas and pockets of vanilla wafer encased in the lighter than I expected banana pudding. This is not a dense pudding, but light and fluffy. The banana flavor was present but did not overwhelm. Each spoonful was a surprise as to what I was going to get since there was no rhyme or reason to the layering in this, which was an added bonus. Definitely the best banana pudding I've had, but I had two more to try as you will see as you continue reading. 

Magnolia Bakery rotates their special flavors I think monthly. When we visited last month their special pudding was the Gone Bananas Pudding ($6.25). This was actually vanilla pudding with banana chocolate chip bread, Nutella, and sliced bananas in it. I liked this one too, even though I was skeptical about the bread being in here because I thought it was going to be all mushy. This was not the case. It held together nicely over the two days that this managed to hang around. This was a bit heavier than the regular banana pudding I had above, but that's probably due to the bread being in here. They could have added a bit more Nutella, but I'd still get this one again. 

Now for my favorite version of the Magnolia Bakery pudding on this trip, the Chocolate Banana Pudding ($6.25). Full disclosure, I'm a big fan of chocolate, so that might be why I liked this one best. The chocolate pudding was rich but light enough to allow the chocolate wafer crumbs and sliced bananas to be showcased. Each bite was a delight and I was actually sad when I had finished this medium-sized version way quicker than I intended to. I'll definitely get a larger size on my next visit, and I've already been online trying to find copycat recipes so I can make it on my own in the meantime. 

I'd say that Magnolia Bakery really lived up to the hype that I had built up for it. My go-to for banana pudding had been the one from Paderia Bakehouse in Irvine, which is good, but Magnolia's version is better in my book. It's a little sweeter, and I like that they have different versions. Prices were pretty fair when you consider how popular Magnolia Bakery is. I was expecting prices to be in the double digits, but that was not the case here. Service was very good, as the woman helping us answered all of my questions and indecision like a pro. I'm glad the pictures on their Instagram feed finally prompted me to make the trip up to LA. Well worth it. 

Out of five beetles, (because Magnolia flowers are pollinated by beetles and not bees like so many other flowers), five being best to zero being worst, Magnolia Bakery gets 4 beetles.  

For more information about Magnolia Bakery, head to their website here: https://www.magnoliabakery.com/

Slobbering Over the Barbecue at Slab - CLOSED

Slab

8136 West Third Street

Los Angeles, CA 90048

It's starting to feel like life is returning to normal. Now that Katie and I have begun getting vaccinated, we have become more active and social. We even took advantage of the lighter-than-normal Sunday traffic to go to LA to meet with my boss and her husband, Kyle. Our main motive was to visit a nearby bakery, which you will read about in my following review. First, we needed a protein base before we scarfed down a bunch of sugary treats. That's where Slab came in. 

The story of Slab begins with an Israeli immigrant visiting Texas on a business trip. That man is Burt Bakman, who found his calling as a master pitmaster. He gained wide acclaim serving barbecue in his San Fernando Valley backyard under Trudy's Underground. Renamed, Slab began to take form in 2015 with his new business partner, and three years later, after finding the perfect space, getting the kitchen the way he wanted, and perfecting his recipes, they opened this location a few blocks west of the Original Farmer's Market on the very trendy 3rd Street. 

The four of us agreed to meet at Slab at 1 p.m. on a recent Sunday. I was a little worried about my restaurant selection because we were the only ones in the small place when we arrived. Then I realized this is prime brunch time in these parts, as the long lines at Toast and Joan's on Third could attest to. As we did go through our meal, there was a steady stream of customers dining in and getting food to go.  

The menu at Slab is precisely what you'd expect from a Texas barbecue joint. Brisket and pulled pork are sold by the pound only, while baby back pork ribs, spare ribs, and chicken are sold in half or whole portion sizes. There are sandwich options, along with seven sides to choose from. There's also the wildly popular pastrami sandwich, served on Mondays only, and beef ribs, which you will see in a moment, are available only for your enjoyment on weekends. We ordered at the counter, waited for our meats to be weighed and our sides to be dished out, and then made our way out to one of the four tables out in front of the restaurant, which was excellent for people-watching. Let's see if the food could overshadow the people watching here. 

First up for Katie and me was the Frito Pie ($8.00). Like when we ate at the now-departed Barrels and Ashes in Studio City, this Frito Pie was an excellent way to start at Slab. Fritos are layered with a cheese sauce, ground beef chili, grated cheese, onions, and chopped cilantro. I'm usually not too fond of cheese sauces, but this one was unobtrusive, and it was layered well enough that it was not hard to get all the ingredients in one bite. These Fritos held their crunch while we focused on the main reason we were here, the barbecue. 

It was not listed on their menu online, but I was ecstatic to see that Slab had combo plates, which is a great way to try a good amount of their menu simultaneously. Since we would be stopping at another place while we were up here, Katie and I decided to make the wise move to share our meal. For this 2 Item Combo Plate ($26.00), we selected Brisket, Pulled Pork, Collard Greens, and Mac and Cheese. Both portions of meat were the best I've had in Southern California, even a tad better than Heritage BBQ, which is closer to where I live. The brisket and pulled pork were tender but did not rely too much on smoke for flavor, instead allowing the taste of the meat to be the star of the show. The brisket had a lovely ribbon of fat running alongside the bottom and the beautiful pink hue of the smoke ring, which even Katie did not mind. The pulled pork was on point, not too mushy, and had some lovely bark in there to help keep each bite a bit diverse. The collard greens were solid, but the weak link of this plate was the mac and cheese, which was a little boring. I waited for a burst of flavor to come through, but it never did. The potato salad or beans would be my choice on future visits. 

This Beef Rib ($29) might be too pricey, as it will set you back more than what the combo plate will, but this one rib is well worth the cost. It's the best thing I've eaten in a long time, and that's not an understatement. Nicely cut by the guys on the line, this is the most tender steak you've ever had. Again, it does not rely on smoke for flavor but allows the meat's natural flavor, along with a nice amount of fat distributed through each piece, to wow your senses. I regretted instantly not getting two of these, and I will not make that same mistake again. Well worth the trip up here for this weekend-only special. 

I haven't really focused on what Melissa and Kyle have gotten yet because they basically got the same thing as us, except for a delicious jalapeno cheese sausage that I forgot to take a photo of (I'll blame my euphoria over the beef rib), and this 6 Piece Smoked Wings ($9). I usually avoid chicken in barbecue restaurants, but these beautifully done wings have me rethinking this decision. Great flavor and tender, these were a nice reprieve from the usual overly breaded and fried wings you see on menus all over town. I still would have enjoyed some blue cheese with these, though. Some habits are hard to break. 

Slab really rocked my world this afternoon. I love that some people have learned the Texas way of barbecuing and brought it to Southern California. Maybe people will realize there are better options than Lucille's and Famous Dave's here. Yes, barbecue is moderately expensive, but you should be okay with paying for it when it's this high in quality. The sides were fine, but not going to blow your socks off like that beef rib and brisket. Slab was well worth the hour drive from OC, so if you are lucky enough to live closer, make that trek. 

Out of five cacti (because Slab City, California, is an off-the-grid squatter community situated in the desert near the Salton Sea, and I'm sure there are plenty of cacti out there), five being best to zero being worst, Slab gets 4 cacti. 

For more information about Slab, head to their website here: https://www.slabbarbecue.com/

Celebrating a Step Closer to Normalcy at Bandeno Mexican Food

 Bandeno Mexican Food

466 South Anaheim Hills Road

Anaheim, CA 92807

It was my first vaccination day. I had been working with the public for the last year with the threat of coronavirus looming over my head with every customer that reached over me as I was stocking my shelves. I knew I was going to be fine, but the thought of bringing the virus home to Katie was enough to make me want to decrease the risk and get the vaccine as quickly as I could. 

Orange County did not really have their stuff together in early March, with no appointments available to front-line grocery workers. My friend suggested that I try my luck making an appointment at Corona High School in Riverside County. I was able to make an appointment that day for two days later. The process could not have been easier, and I was in and out of there in 30 minutes, including being observed for 15 minutes for complications after my shot. Since I was near my parents, I took this opportunity to meet them for lunch at Bandeno Mexican Food in Anaheim Hills.  

I don't really know too much about Bandeno. I know they are a family-run business that opened up in late 2019. Thanks to some hints from their website, I think their family is from the state of Gerrero in Mexico, which is located south of Mexico City and borders the Pacific Ocean. They took over a Mediterranian restaurant in a sleepy shopping center tucked deep inside Anaheim Hills, which is also home to a Papa John's, Subway, a CVS Pharmacy, and a small supermarket. 

For such a small place, Bandeno really has a pretty diverse menu. There is plenty to choose from with many varieties of combo plates, burritos, seafood options, tacos, bowls, tortas, appetizers, and plenty of breakfast choices to pick from. Ordering is done at the counter and we were able to sit inside since we were the only ones in the place, except for a steady stream of people getting to-go orders during the duration of our stay. Let's see if Bandeno Mexican Food was a worthy spot to celebrate my first step towards being fully vaccinated for covid. 

Let's start off with what my parents got first. They are pretty predictable when it comes to eating in Mexican restaurants. My dad most of the time gets a Chile Relleno ($4.75) and a Shrimp Taco ($3.99), while my mom usually veers towards a quesadilla of some sort, this time it was a Plain Cheese Quesadilla ($5.90). My dad called this the best chile relleno he has ever had, and he's eaten a lot of them over his 70 plus years. The poblano chile was fried well and was plated with plenty of cheese surrounding it on the plate and inside of it as well. My dad was also impressed with the shrimp taco because they used bigger shrimp than what he usually gets at other places where he orders shrimp tacos. The shrimp was cooked wonderfully and the sauce topping it tied everything together perfectly. My mom was pleased with her quesadilla and really enjoyed the guacamole that they included with it. 

My parents were paying, so I went a little large here, sorry pop. I started things off with two tacos, Asada ($3.25) and Pastor ($3.15). Both were very good. The pastor was my favorite of the two with its big flavor, but the asada was tender and not bland at all, which is not always the case with asada. The meat to tortilla ratio was a plus in my book also. The Beef Taquitos ($5.50) was bigger than most and filled nicely with plenty of shredded beef. Next time I'll order three for sure, as it's only an extra buck and a half. The Carnitas Plate ($10.75) was pretty good-sized with lots of sliced pork, rice, and beans included. There were a few bites of the pork that were a little on the dry side, but the majority of the pork was tender and moist. The beans and rice were a nice vehicle for the pork and I could have easily made at least four tacos with the provided flour tortillas that came with this. A very good value. 

Bandeno Mexican Food ended up being a very good neighborhood spot. It's probably not destination dining if you are reading this from half an hour away or more, but if you are in the area and are looking for some good Mexican food nearby that won't break the bank, this is the spot for you. The service was very friendly and it felt great getting to eat indoors again. Now I'm just looking forward to getting my second shot and getting back out there to do more restaurant reviews for all of you. 

Out of five health care professionals, (in honor of all the people who have been working on the vaccine and all that are involved in getting it out to all of us), five being best to zero being worst, Bandeno Mexcian Food gets 3 health care professionals.  

For more information about Bandeno Mexican Food, head to their website here: https://bandeno.com/