Lucy in the Sky With Pizza

 Sgt. Pepperoni's Pizza

26601 Aliso Creek Road, Suite D

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

Whether you know it or not, we are living through OC's pizza renaissance right now. People used to lament that no excellent pizzas were available in Orange County. That has changed with the additions of some of my favorite spots to get a slice. Gibroni's, Terra Mia, Folk's, Truly Pizza, Tony's Little Italy, and Brooklyn City, to name a few off the top of my head. 

I feel I had let Sgt. Pepperoni's slip by me. They have been in business since the mid-70s, and I had never visited until they recently reached out to me via Instagram and invited us to see what they were all about. Their original location on Bristol in Newport is still operating, but now they have added two other locations in Irvine and Aliso Viejo to spread their pizza vibes to a broader audience of OC pizza fanatics. 

Sgt. Pepperoni's was started by childhood friends nearly fifty years ago. Like many pizza places, they are very involved in the communities they serve. Supporting youth sports teams, donating and participating in community events, and raising funds for local charities. Their passion project is Julian's Lego Corner fundraiser every September. They urge their customers to donate Lego sets to the children of Choc Hospital, and they also donate a portion of the sales of the pizza of the month to this worthy cause. This proves once again just how generous the restaurant industry is with not only nurturing us through food but also making others' lives better. 

We arrived at the Aliso Viejo location of Sgt. Pepperoni's at 6pm on a recent Sunday. We were met with a bustling restaurant. I was immediately drawn to the glass pizza case near the register. It featured a dozen varieties of pizza by the slice and their famous pinwheels, pizza dough, which is filled with toppings and sliced to resemble the child's toy of the same name. I could barely stop myself from drooling on the glass as we headed to the register to order. 

The menu here is, of course, pizza, pizza-focused. By my count, they offer 14 custom pizza options and build-your-own, gluten-free, and vegan pizzas. They also provide the unique option of having your favorite two specialty pizzas on each half of your pizza, which is great for the indecisive, which we were. Apps, sandwiches, salads, family meals, and desserts round out the rest of the menu. We quickly grabbed a table and waited for our food. 

I've been trying to eat more salads as of late, and Katie was inspired by my produce-eating habits, so she opted to get one of her own as well. She selected the House Salad ($12.50) to start off with. This salad featured mixed greens with tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, cucumbers, pepperoncini, and croutons with ranch dressing. This was a good-sized salad that could have easily fed two people. She felt 

I went with my old reliable when it comes to salads, the Caesar ($12.50). This was about as straightforward of a version of a Caesar as you could make. Chopped romaine, shredded parmesan cheese, and croutons were all there was to this salad. It was still good, especially with the freshness of the romaine and the delicious Caesar dressing. They could have added more parmesan to this, though.   

If Garlic Knots ($8.50) are on the menu, Katie must try them when eating out. This pizza dough is rolled into a ball, coated with garlic and butter, and then baked. I liked these but was partial to the bigger ones, as they were a little more doughy on the inside. The garlic and butter really came through, but I would have liked some of their excellent ranch dressing for dipping these. I'll ask for that next time we get these. 

As I mentioned before, Sgt. Pepperoni's allows you to have two supreme pizzas on each half of your pizza. Perfect for us, who like different things on our pizza. On our 18-inch Pizza ($34.50), we got half with the works and the other half with all the meats. The works included pepperoni, meatballs, sausage, bell pepper, onions, olives, mushrooms, and garlic. This was Katie's side, as I'm averse to olives of any kind. I had a piece that was not covered in olives, which was good. I liked that the crust was manageable and held up structurally when lifted. The onions and garlic added a nice flavor boost as well. Katie was happy with her pick. 

I was happy with my meat side as well. Bacon, pepperoni, sausage, and meatballs covered much of the surface area. Every bite I took included some meat, which is only sometimes the case for other pizza places. The pepperoni crisped up around the edges, and the sausage was nicely spiced. I was also surprised that this was less greasy than expected due to the meat quality they use here. Next time, I'd spend the extra $1.50 and opt for extra cheese to help balance the toppings-to-cheese ratio. My additional two pieces heated up nicely for lunch the next day, 

It's no wonder that Sgt. Pepperoni's has been in business for close to 50 years. They offer some solid pizzas, perfect for youth sports teams, whether winning or losing, celebrating birthdays or any other occasion, and even a night in just watching movies and making memories at home. There's no time that pizza is not a good choice for any meal, especially nowadays, when pizza is having its moment in the sun. 

For more information about Sgt. Pepperoni's, head to their website by clicking here: https://sgtpepps.com/ 

** We were provided this meal for free in exchange for an honest review of their service/food. No other compensation was received. 

Say Cheese! We’re at Los Ayala’s in Orange

 Los Ayala's 

2139 North Tustin Street #1

Orange, CA 92865

We were back from our East Coast trip and needed some Mexican food and to visit with my parents. I wanted them to stay near home, so I looked for a Mexican restaurant in Orange. I only had to scroll for a second on Yelp before finding Los Ayala's. It was the first listing there, and it had an impressive four-and-a-half-star rating with just over 150 reviews. This is impressive for a spot that has been open for two years this month. 

If this address seems familiar to you, you must have eaten here when this used to be Bobby D's. It's in the same shopping plaza with Target, Hickory and Spice BBQ, Flame Broiler, and a Domino's Pizza, right across from Trader Joe's at the corner of Meats and Tustin. I had never eaten here when this was Bobby D's, but people loved that place and expressed apprehension that Ayala's would be as good as its former tenant. 

We arrived at Ayala's at half past 5 on a Saturday evening. The restaurant was probably at seventy percent of capacity. Ordering is done at the counter, and the food is brought to you. The menu here is more varied than expected at a typical fast-casual Mexican restaurant in Southern California. There are one and two-item combination plates, burritos, tacos, starters, salads, and Mexican favorites. They also have a breakfast menu, but it's unclear whether it's available all day. Most items hover around the $16 mark, with only a shrimp platter eclipsing the $30 price point. We made our picks, found a table, and waited for our food to arrive. 

Since this was a fast-casual Mexican spot, I was slightly surprised when they brought these Chips and Salsa. The chips were crisp, and the salsa had a slight bite of heat. It will be manageable if you are averse to heat; it's just a hint of spice on the back end of each bite. The salsa was also very well blended, with little to no chunks. Good to nibble on while waiting for our food to come out. 

I have been on a big nacho kick lately, which continued here at Los Ayala's with these Nachos ($16). A bed of tortilla chips was topped with beans, shredded beef, jalapenos, cheese, salsa ranchera, sour cream, and a dollop of guacamole. These nachos get plus points because they had plenty of toppings and used shredded cheese instead of liquid cheese, and even though this was topped with a good amount of wet toppings, the chips stayed relatively crisp until the last few bites remained. My only two critiques are that they could have gone a little easier on the sour cream, and there could have been more guacamole, as we were fighting over it as soon as this was sat down at our table. An excellent start to our meal, though. 

My mom is a one-trick pony when it comes to eating in Mexican restaurants. She always veers towards a cheese enchilada. There needed to be better communication between my mom and dad when ordering her meal. She wanted a cheese enchilada ala carte, but my well-meaning father got her the Cheese Enchilada Combo Meal ($13) instead. This traditional red sauced enchilada was filled with cheese and then topped with more melted cheese. My mom seemed to like this but felt too much cheese was involved here, which was the point to me. She sparingly ate the refried beans and rice, which I happily took home for dinner the following evening. 

Katie kept the combination vibe going with her selection of this 2-item Combination Plate ($16) featuring a Crispy Chicken Taco and a Cheese Enchilada. Unlike my mom, Katie really enjoyed the cheesiness of the enchilada and would get it again. The crispy taco was indeed crispy, and the chicken inside was seasoned well and not as dry as most she's had. It came dressed simply with pico de Gallo, cheese, and lettuce. The beans and rice rounded out her plate nicely. She left Los Ayala's completely satisfied with this meal. 

I've been on a real losing streak lately regarding carnitas. I have not been impressed with the last dozen places where I have gotten this fried pork dish. I like variety in my carnitas: a little fat, some crispy tips, and tender bites. This Carnitas Plate was better than the last few versions I have had at other restaurants, but they were not good enough to break my carnitas slump. I liked their citrus marinade, but the pork was too lean and lacked any fat. Some of my bites were on the dry side, but that was remedied by adding some refried beans to each forkful. I'm not usually a rice guy, but the Mexican rice here was light and flavorful.  

As I stated earlier, my mom is an easy read regarding her Mexican food choices. My dad is just as easy to peg. He's a Chile Relleno ($13) fiend. At Ayala's, their chile relleno is filled with cheese and then topped with red sauce and even more melted cheese. For my dad, this was too much cheese. What's with my parents? Who have they become? Too much cheese is never something I'd say, but that was my dad's takeaway with his meal. He said all the cheese neutralized the chile, so it was like it wasn't even there. He liked the beans and rice but would probably get something else on his next visit.  

My parents were not impressed with Los Ayala's, but Katie and I liked it. Even though my carnitas were just okay, I enjoyed the nachos, cheese enchilada, beans, and rice. Los Ayala's would be one of our usual spots if we lived in the area. The food came out quickly, the staff were friendly, and the prices were reasonable. For a fast-casual Mexican spot, they are doing a good job, and maybe, over time, people will even forget how much they miss Bobby D's.  

Out of five talking reindeer (because this restaurant is across the street from the recently closed Orange Mall, which had reindeer that would speak to you while you waited to see Santa back in the '70s and '80s), five being best to zero being worst, Los Ayala's gets 3 talking reindeer. 

For more information about Los Ayala's, head to their website by clicking here: https://losayalas.com/

Late Night Eats in Ridley Park

 Stargate Diner and Restaurant

240 W. Chester Pike

Ridley Park, PA 19078

My favorite part about being on vacation is the freedom to do what you want. Back home, it's rare that we eat dinner past 7pm, but while we're on vacation and can sleep in, anything goes. We had just attended a soccer match, and not wanting to eat at the stadium, we were all famished when the game was over close to 10pm. I quickly searched for restaurants that were still open, and that brought us to Stargate Diner in Ridley Park. 

Ever since the pandemic hit a few years ago, it's been hard to find diners that are open 24 hours. From what I've gleaned, Stargate Diner reduced their hours for a time, but now they are back to serving their community every hour of the day. This used to be a Burger King many years ago, but it's been Stargate Diner for at least 13 or more years. There's another Stargate Diner in Delaware, but I need clarification on the connection between the two.  

Our eight-person group arrived at just past 10pm and were met with a nearly empty restaurant, but some charming staff set us up in the back of the dining area. In true diner fashion, the menu at Stargate is enormous. They serve breakfast all day, and there are plenty of choices. Sandwiches are also plentiful here. Deli classics, paninis, clubs, cheesesteaks, burgers, open-faced sandwiches, and pulled pork sandwiches, which they call porkers, are all available. Then, if you still need more selections, they also offer more significant dinners featuring steak, seafood, and Italian offerings. It was quite a lot to take in. We quickly made our selections and waited for our food to come out. 

Usually, when I'm eating after 10pm in a diner, I always veer towards the breakfast side of the menu. I deviated from that course of action, but others we were with did not. Hot Cakes with Bacon ($9.99) and Two Eggs with Bacon ($9.99) both got passing marks. The bacon was crisp, and the pancakes were golden brown with plenty of butter provided. One drawback was the packaged syrup, which didn't taste as good as pouring it from a syrup dispenser. The eggs were cooked to a perfect over easy, but the home fries could have been more seasoned and crisped up.  

Philadelphia is known for cheesesteaks and Italian pork sandwiches, but Scrapple should also be mentioned. It might surprise some people living in the Mid-Atlantic region. Still, scrapple is only on a few menus around the rest of the country and is almost nonexistent in California. For those who do not know what scrapple is, it's an ethnic food of the Pennsylvania Dutch. It's made by mincing ground pork, adding spices and a coarse binding agent like buckwheat or cornmeal, and then frying it. It was actually terrific. It has a good crunch on the outside and a sage/pork taste, like a firmer sausage aura to it. I'd order it if it was available on more menus back home. 

Another thing we see very little in California is Creamed Chipped Beef ($5.49). Erven gave it a whirl at Stargate Diner and really found it enjoyable. The dried beef is submerged in a thick white sauce that drowns out the dried steak. It was okay but very filling. I'd only be able to have a couple spoonfuls of this at the most. Erven did an admirable job of almost finishing it. 

The rest of us got sandwiches and other assorted things. The Bacon Burger ($11.99) looked good from across the table. It came with lettuce, tomato, Swiss cheese, and two strips of bacon. There were also plenty of fries included on each plate. Rocio tried to be extra fancy when ordering the Tuscan Panini ($11.99).  This pressed sandwich came with chargrilled chicken breast, roasted red peppers, provolone, and basil pesto sauce. Rocio ate half of this and let Erven take the rest back to the hotel for breakfast in the morning. The only fried fish I could find on the Stargate menu was the Fried Fish Flounder, and I'm pretty sure the one pictured above was not that. I don't know who ordered this, but it looked basic from where I was seated. 

My standard meal when eating in a diner is a Patty Melt ($11.99). The menu called for rye bread to be used here, but I believe they used just regular white bread, which was fine. Plenty of grilled onions and Swiss cheese joined the eight-ounce patty between the bread. It was a good patty melt and made even better when I asked for a side of Russian dressing for it. The fries were your basic frozen fries, which were fried crispy and hot. Last But not least was Katie's selection, the Turkey Bacon Panini ($11.99). This was a better version of the Super Bird I've had many times at Denny's. They were generous with the sliced turkey and bacon and the melty provolone bound nicely to both meats. Katie had wished that there was a bit more mayo on here to moisten it up a bit. 

As I was writing this review, I knew just how I would sum up our visit to Stargate Diner. Stargate is a solid choice if you need food after 10pm and want something other than fast food. This is not fine dining by any means, as the food is pretty average, but they have an enormous menu, making it impossible for anyone eating here not to find something they want to eat. The prices were fair, our food came out promptly, and the service was efficient and pleasant. It's not always something that happens when eating this late at night. 

Out of five cherry trees (because George Washington led his troops through this area in 1777 on his way to Willmington, and he was famous for chopping down a cherry tree), five being best to zero being worst, Stargate Diner and Restaurant gets 2.5 cherry trees. 

For more information about Stargate Diner and Restaurant, head to their website by clicking here: https://stargatedinerpa.com/

This Little Piggy Went to John’s Roast Pork

 John's Roast Pork

14 East Snyder Ave. 

Philadelphia, PA 19148

I know it seems that my trip to Philadelphia was all about sandwiches. Before I left on this trip, I thought people were overexaggerating when they told me that the cheesesteaks we had in California were nothing compared to what we'd find in Philly. How different could they be?  As I learned from my first cheesesteak experience at the Phillies game, these people were not just blowing smoke. They were telling the truth, and I expected our visit to John's Roast Pork to be the pinnacle of my cheesesteak journey. 

John's has been in business at this spot in South Philadelphia since 1930. At first, they served mainly the neighborhood's local dock and warehouse workers. Cheesesteaks were not even on their menu for the first 30 or so years; instead, they focused on roast pork brought here by Italian immigrants at the turn of the century. The cheesesteaks were elevated when the current owner, John Bucci Jr., took over the business from his dad in the 70s. He decided to make these sandwiches to order and upped the quality of the ingredients to make the most fantastic cheesesteak in a city full of great cheesesteaks.   

Far from the tourist-infested area of downtown, it took a little time for people to notice the sandwiches at John's, but once the accolades came pouring in, so did the crowds. John's has been featured on many TV shows that declare their cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches are the best Philadelphia offers. Celebrity chefs and food personalities sing their praises. They may need to create a new part of the internet just to list all of the "best of" lists they have been mentioned. As if all that was not enough, they also have won a James Beard Award for Excellence. 

We were heading to a soccer match later in the evening, so we were hanging out at our hotel all day, a bit lazy. My good friend Erven and I decided to pick up an early lunch from John's for the gang. We left our place at half past 10 and drove bout fifteen minutes to John's. We hit it at a good time, as we could walk right up to the order window. I had known what I would be having, so it took me no time to get my order in. We waited ten minutes for our sandwiches to be made and were back in the car with what we hoped would be a memorable lunch. 

It's in their name, so I had to start with John's Roast Pork Sandwich ($11.25). Up until that point, I had only had one roast pork sandwich in my life, and that was at Phillie's game a few days earlier. This one was a whole other level than the one at the ballpark. The seeded bun held plenty of roasted pork, spinach, and sharp provolone tightly layered inside. The pork was moist and tender and went perfectly with the spinach and the sharpness of the cheese. I would have liked more au jus added to the sandwich, but I'm very partial to wetter sandwiches. I'm not a roast pork sandwich expert, but I can see why this one is considered the benchmark that others are held up to. It was really that good. 

Even though roast pork was first on their menu, John's is most known these days for their cheesesteaks. I selected their Sweet Pepper Steak ($16.75) to try. The first thing I noticed when I unwrapped this sandwich was its beauty. The seeded roll is from Carangi Bakery and was stuffed masterfully with steak, peppers, and cheese. The sandwich was so well made that there was no spillage of its contents while I ate it. Out of the handful of cheesesteaks I had on this trip, this one from John's had the most cheese. The provolone did not overshadow the meat, which was less chopped than others I have had. It's more in ribbons, which allowed the cheese to cling to the beef better. One heck of a sandwich. 

This would be my last cheesesteak during our short four-day trip to Philadelphia. I'd put this one up with my cheesesteak at Leo's Steaks. Both cheesesteaks are tremendous but different. If you are a big cheese person and like a well-crafted sandwich, John's is the place for you. If you enjoy a massive cheesesteak and where the meat is front and center, then Leo's should be your pick. I really could not pick which one I liked better. They are both incredible, and you'd be lucky to have either of these fine cheesesteaks. The roast pork at John's is fantastic as well and worth trying. Now, if we could just get one of these legends of cheesesteaks to open an outpost in California. 

Out of five tongue depressors (because the first hospital in the US was, of course, situated in Philadelphia in 1751, and I'm sure they used plenty of tongue depressors in all that time), five being best to zero being worst, John's Roast Pork gets 4.5 tongue depressors. 

For more information about John's Roast Pork, head to their website by clicking here: https://johnsroastpork.com/

Reading Terminal Market, a Foodies Wonderland

 City Food Tours and Reading Terminal Market

1136 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

A great way to get to know a city you have never visited is to take a tour. An even better understanding of a city is to eat where the locals eat, along with a local tour guide. That's what we did on our third day of being in Philadelphia. Before leaving home, our good friend Rocio was kind enough to book the eight of us on the Flavors of Philly Food Tour run by City Food Tours. 

This is one of five tours that City Food Tours operates in the city, and it's the most popular, as they offer it every day of the week. This two-and-a-half-hour tour spans six city blocks and includes five stops at locally-owned restaurants where they claim that locals eat. We met at a coffee shop, and after a quick introduction and some general housekeeping by our tour guide, Kaitlyn, we were quickly on to stop number one. 

At Joe's Pizza, I learned something I had never known. Tomato Pie is a big thing in Philadelphia. Italian immigrants brought it here at the turn of the last century. Joe's Pizza has been in business for 35-plus years, and they cook their pizzas in a brick oven. The tomato pie is simple, with just the San Marzano tomato sauce on the crust. The simplicity of this pizza is meant to highlight the very well-done tomato sauce. There's no cheese or other toppings included. I liked my first slice, but it's not like I would eat a whole pie by myself like I could do with a typical pizza. Everyone enjoyed this, though. 

On our next stop, I learned another fact I did not know. Philadelphia is the pretzel capital of the US. Their population eats more pretzels than anywhere else in the country. Most Americans eat two pounds of pretzels yearly, while Philadelphians eat six times that amount. A staggering 12 pounds of pretzels per person. Wow. A quick Yelp check yielded plenty of pretzel options in the city. 

The most popular pretzel spot is Philly Pretzel Factory. They have 165 locations throughout the US, and a whopping 29 of those are located in Philadelphia. These are soft pretzels, lightly salted. I'm not the world's biggest fan of pretzels, but I liked this one well enough. It tasted freshly made, had just enough salt, and the chewiness of it was on point. These are something that I could only see myself eating sometimes, but every once in a while, it would be more my jam.  

Stop number three was Zio's Brick Oven Pizza. We weren't here for pizza. We tried a sampling of their Cheese Whiz Fries and their Cheesesteak. Again, cheese whiz is not my favorite thing, but these were good for what they were. The fries were crispy, and I picked the fires with the least whiz. 

We didn't need it, but Katie wanted to try their Rice Ball Parmigiana ($7.74). This rice ball was filled with ground meat, peas, carrots, and meat sauce, then topped with more sauce and a good amount of mozzarella cheese. A little different spin on the usual arancini that we've had in other places. This was a good version. I enjoyed how the cheese and sauce elevated the rice ball and its contents. I could see us eating this often if we lived in the area. 

The last two places on our tour were at the famous Reading Terminal Market. If you are a food person, this is where you need to head when you are in Philadelphia. It was overwhelming figuring out where to eat, and so many people were everywhere. Luckily, our tour guide, Kaitlyn, could answer all of our questions and give us some good tips about one of the country's largest and oldest public markets. 

Our last two stops on our food tour were of the sweeter variety. First up was a Chocolate Chip Cookie from The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company. This 40-year-old company made some seriously great cookies. They were chewy, with a good amount of decadent chocolate chips included in every bite.  This cookie was served warm and tasted more homemade than most cookies I've bought. I still regret not returning to their booth and trying one of their peanut butter cookies. 

On Saturdays, the line for Beiler's Doughnuts can stretch as far as the eye can see. We hit them at a good time, even though they were out of the apple fritter I had wanted to try. We were given an Original Glazed as our last offering on our tour. Beiler's is a Pennsylvania Dutch bakery with other locations in Lancaster and Germantown, Maryland. They offer salads, pickles, and traditional Amish puddings, but the donuts draw the most praise. 

The glazed donut was different in texture from any I had before. This is partly due to how the dough is kneaded during baking. It was not an overly sweet doughnut, but it did feel like it could have melted in my mouth. There was also an excellent buttery taste on the back end of each bite. It reminded me of an Entenmann's glazed but made with fresher ingredients and way higher in quality. 

Our tour was now wrapped up, and we could walk around the market. I had my eye on a roast pork sandwich from DiNic's, but unfortunately, they had closed for the day because they had sold out. Mental note to self: get here early for their legendary pork sandwich. Hershel's East Side Deli did a more than admirable job of stepping in. Locals call this place "the best Jewish deli outside of New York."  Hershel was originally the head chef at Katz's Deli for over 40 years, so I knew I would be in for a treat when I ordered my Pastrami Reuben ($15.05). 

The pastrami was thick-cut and piled between two grilled slices of rye bread with Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut. I really enjoyed this sandwich, with the tanginess from the sauerkraut, the savory and tender pastrami, and the creamy Swiss. I'd get the Rachel version the next time I was here, as the touch of sweetness that the coleslaw would bring would make this sandwich unbelievable.  

Any TV program I've ever seen about Reading Terminal Market has always mentioned Bassett's Ice Cream. In business for 163 years, yes, you read that right, they occupy the space closest to the front of the market and are the last original remaining tenant at the market. The day we were here, they offered 37 different flavors to choose from. I had a scoop of their Chocolate Fudge Brownie ($7), which had some good-sized hunks of brownie mixed into its very creamy chocolate ice cream. I figure I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I hadn't just eaten so much on our tour and at the market. Still, it was an excellent end to a day that anybody who likes food as much as myself will think back fondly on.  

For more information about City Food Tours, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.phillysfoodtour.com/