Does Flamingo's Have a Leg Up?

Flamingo's

25342 McIntyre

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Mike and Dawn have been campaigning for us to go to Flamingo's ever since I started this blog. I finally ran out of excuses to give them and decided to give their favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant a shot.

Flamingo's has been around for a long time. They are in the same parking lot as Claim Jumper, and every time I go to CJ's, Flamingo's is always busy. This is usually a good sign, or it can mean that a lot of people have horrible tastes. Katie and I were thinking positive and hoped it was because of their good food. Let's see if this is the case

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Reading the reviews on Yelp, almost every person raved about the chips and salsa. They were good, but not the best ever. They did make sure they were full at all times though. The salsa was nice and had a little spice to it, but it was not outright hot.

This was Dawn's dinner for tonight. She went with the Chicken Chimichanga. She thought that this dish was delicious. I did not get a chance to try it, because she hogged this all to herself, (something that her great husband has had to deal with for a lot of years!),  so we will have to take her word for it. Just from looking at it though, there did not appear to be enough red sauce on it, but she asked for more to remedy that situation.

This colorful plate belonged to Katie. She ordered up the Shrimp Tacos. Katie said, "these were the best shrimp tacos that I have ever had!". I am not ready to crown these the best, but they were good. She got one breaded shrimp taco and one grilled shrimp taco. She liked the grilled one the best, and also liked the cabbage and white sauce that came on these. Katie said that next time she would forget the beans and rice and just get two shrimp tacos ala carte.

The Big Juan with Chile Verde was the burrito that Mike attempted to tackle. The burrito looked a lot better in person. Sorry for the bad pictures, the lighting was too dark where we were sitting. Mike did not finish this, so I did get to try it, unlike his wife's dish, again thanks, Dawn! Anyways, this burrito came with meat, beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes, in a tortilla and then topped with more cheese. Mike loved this burrito, I thought it was just a little bit above average. I thought that it could have had more meat, and being named Big Juan, I thought it was going to be huge, but I could have easily put this away quickly.

Another well-presented plate was my selection, Carnitas Jalisco. Pork garnished with onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole, served on corn tortillas. I liked the taste of the pork, it was not boring, and not dry at all. These are the equivalent of street tacos. The beans and rice were just average. Overall, a decent plate of food.

For dessert, we shared a Fried Ice Cream. I liked this well enough, but by this time, I was feeling pretty full. Flamingo's version of fried ice cream was pretty standard among Mexican restaurants though.

Mike said that when he entertains clients from the Midwest, and they want Mexican food, he always takes them here. I would say that is a good safe bet. The food is good, but what a lot of people would call, "white-washed Mexican food". I do not want to get into a debate about authentic Mexican food versus Mexican food made for the masses. I think there is room for both kinds of places in the OC. I actually like both kinds of Mexican food, based on what I am craving. 

The service here was pretty good. I thought that the prices were right where you would expect them to be. Katie's shrimp tacos were $10.95, and Mike's Big Juan Burrito was $9. That is about the price you would pay at a sit down Mexican restaurant in South county.  

Out of five lawn ornaments, (because that is what I think of when I think Flamingos), five being best to zero being worst, Flamingo's just gets three lawn ornaments.

Flamingo's does not have a web site but you can find their menu here: http://flamingosmexicangrill.com/

Am I Going to Make The Habit a Habit?

The Habit

23632 El Toro Road #A

Lake Forest, CA 92630

I have been hearing about The Habit for some time now and decided to give them a try. They have three locations in Orange County (the others are in Santa Ana and Fullerton). I love trying new hamburger places. The Habit seems to be in direct competition with In-N-Out. Let's see what burger will come out on top.

First, a little back-story on The Habit. The Habit started in 1969 in Santa Barbara and has now grown to 36 locations in California. The business was started by two brothers committed to a quality burger. They hand cut the lettuce and tomato daily, have their buns custom made by a local bakery, and charbroil their patties over an open flame. Let's see if this trouble is rewarded with a great-tasting burger.

I am not going to lie, this hamburger looked really good, and these pictures did not even do it justice. This is the Double Charburger with bacon added. The burger usually comes with mayo, lettuce, caramelized onions, pickle, and tomato. I got all but the tomato and pickles on this one. If I had to gripe about this burger, I would say the bacon was unnoticeable. The burger had the right amount of mayo, and the meat tasted good. The lettuce did taste fresh, and the cheese was melted to the right texture. Excellent burger.

To complete my meal at the Habit, I got some fries. These fries were also delicious and came out piping hot. I must confess that I am not a big fan of In-N-Out fries, and these are not their fries. These were crisp without being greasy. Also, to top it off, they have ranch dressing, which In-N-Out does not have.

My buddy Richard got a Tri-Tip Sandwich. This comes with mayo, tomato, lettuce, onion, and teriyaki or barbeque sauce. Richard opted for the barbeque sauce on this one. He could not be happier with this sandwich. You can also get this on a French roll or toasted sourdough. Definitely go with the sourdough. I got this same sandwich at the Habit in Santa Ana, and it came out looking like this...

The sandwich tasted good, but it did not fill up the bun. Not sure if this is normal when you get a French roll, but it made me not want to order it again. However, after seeing Richard's sandwich, I would consider giving this sandwich another shot.

Richard also got Onion Rings to go along with his sandwich. These were good also, without any grease. They also come with ranch, which is a lovely touch without even asking for it.

Carissa could not contain her excitement for this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. She exclaimed, "this is the best caesar salad I have ever had from a fast food restaurant!". I did not try this, but there was a whole chicken breast on this salad, and the lettuce did seem very fresh. They asked her if she wanted teriyaki sauce on the side of this, which I thought was pretty odd. I have never had a caesar salad with teriyaki. Maybe it is a Santa Barbara thing.

For dessert, I got a Chocolate Malt. I can not remember the last time I ordered a malt, but this one was good. This had just a hint of malt flavor. I think next time, I would just get a shake. The malt really filled me up.

So, what to make of the Habit? I think it is a good burger place, and in case you are with someone not in a burger mood, they have other options as well. The prices are very competitive also. The double cheeseburger goes for under four dollars. The steak sandwich also goes for an unheard-of $5.95, a steal. The service was excellent, and they got the food out quickly, as busy as they were. It was controlled chaos. I think that the Habit will not dent In-N-Out's profits too much because people are very loyal to them, but at least you do not have to know about any secret menus here.

Out of five Katy Perry's (she, like this restaurant, is from Santa Barbara), five being best to zero being worst, The Habit gets 3 solid Katy Perry's.

For more information on The Habit, click here: http://www.habitburger.com/

Running Hot and Cold at Fire + Ice

Fire + Ice Grill and Bar

321 W. Katella Ave. #315

Anaheim, CA 92802

Katie and I went to the Taste of Anaheim awhile back, and  it was hosted at the Garden Walk in Anaheim. One of the few restaurants that was open during the event was Fire + Ice, a different kind of take on Mongolian barbeque. They let attendees from the Taste of Anaheim come into their restaurants and see what they were all about. I thought that was a great idea, which most of the other eating establishments should have embraced. From what I have heard, the stores at the Garden Walk need all the help they can get at this struggling outdoor mall.

Fire + Ice has six locations and only two in California, (the other California branch is in Tahoe). They were founded in 1997. The basic premise of Fire + Ice is that customers walk around and gather raw vegetables, meats and pastas, combine them with sauces, and then hand them off to the cook to finish off the process. Let's take a look at how this all works.

Along the back wall they have suggestions on blackboards for guests to try. None of the three of us used these suggestions however. We all winged it, and went with what sounded good.

This is part of their salad bar. Ryan opted to get some salad before his meal. They had limited salad bar options here. About eight items are offered here for you to put on your salad, all basic items you would expect to see at any other salad bar. The empty salad bowl above is a precursor of things to come.

Here are most of the meat offerings from the night we were there. Shaved steak, rib eye steak, hot dogs, mahi mahi, scallops, hamburgers, tuna, tilapia, mussels, chicken, shrimp and pork chops were in the lineup for us. It was hard to make a choice the first time through, so I went with a hamburger and hot dog, not the most daring choices, but I knew I would make another trip through the line. Ryan chose to get a whole meat parade on his plate, and Katie got a pasta dish to start off.

The next station is what I would call the extras station. These choices included jalapenos, carrots, bacon, onions, garlic, pinto beans, and pineapple. There were more choices but I failed to get pictures of them. Again notice the bowls, and the emptiness of some of them. More on that later.

Okay, so now after getting your sauce that you want on the side, you are ready to turn your creation over to the chef at the twenty-five foot grill table in the middle of the restaurant. The above picture with the hot dog and hamburger was mine, Katie had the pasta dish and Ryan, of course had the meat-topia plate. Here is a look at the cooking process.

The cook provides you with the buns and cheese, and then you take your plate back to your table. The entire cooking process takes between five to ten minutes, and the cook has multiple orders going at the same time.

Here are some of the finished plates. My hot dog tasted good, but I would not waste my time on another one of those again. Katie's  pasta plate was good, and I got something similar to that the next time I went up. The hamburgers were really good and juicy. The steak tasted great, maybe a little plain, but you could adjust that with some seasoning. I liked that they had unlimited bacon, which should be their big selling point.

These were some of the other dishes that we got on our last trip through the line. These both tasted good, but the oil taste really stays with you for awhile. We had gotten here at 8, and they close at 10, but they start closing up shop around 9:30. They had stopped bringing out new food before that, so we only made two trips through the line. I understand that they may not want to waste food, but I was disappointed not being able to go through again.

We chose to share one of their signature drinks, the Scorpion Bowl. This libation featured white and dark rums, gin, brandy and fruit juices. They were a little heavy on the fruit juice, and the taste of this was refreshing, but too fruity for me, Ryan thought the fruitiness was just right.

I have mixed feelings on Fire + Ice. First the negative things about the place. They needed to have another guy or two behind the counter refilling the bowls of food, and sauces. A lot of times we had to wait for things. I also think that they started to wrap things up too early. At least let the people eating here enjoy their unlimited food. The service could have been better, and the operation explained better. We made the mistake of sitting in the bar, and I think if we would of had a regular waitress, it would have gone more smoothly.

Now the good things about Fire + Ice. I really liked the variety of the foods that they have. I have been to one Mongolian restaurant and they did not have this much variety. It also is a plus that they have hot dogs and hamburgers, so you can feel free to bring the kids along. It did taste good, but at the same time it was also greasy. Even though there was only one cook, he did an awesome job of cooking and keeping everything on track. I think this restaurant can make it, if it irons out the kinks, and if the Garden Walk can attract some visitors.

Out of five Hekla's, (Iceland's most active volcano, get it because of the name of this restaurant!), five being best to zero being worst, Fire + Ice gets 2.5 Hekla's.

For more information on Fire + Ice, click here: http://fire-ice.com/index.php?src=

Can Carmelita's Satisfy?

Carmelita's

31441 Santa Margarita Pkwy. #P

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688

Visiting Sara and Kevin is always such a good time. They live out in Rancho Santa Margarita, and it is always interesting to see where they pick for dinner. We have been to numerous restaurants out there, some good and some bad. They suggested that we go to Carmelita's, on the lake. We had all been there one time before, and I remember liking it, but I did not have my camera, so I did not bother blogging about it. This time, I would not let that opportunity go to waste.

Carmelita's is located lakeside in RSM, in a building that has hosted numerous restaurants. They have two other locations, both in the Sacramento area. This is the first one open in Orange county. The Sacramento restaurants have been around since 1962, and this one has been here at least a year now. Let's see if the food is as good as our first trip.

Above is the chips, salsa, and black bean dip that comes with the meal. All of these were very good. The black bean dip was a nice change of pace from the norm at Mexican restaurants. The salsa even had a little kick to it, which I liked. The chips were average but were made better with the salsa and bean dip.

Sara and I decided we were going to each have a margarita, so we let the waiter talk us into getting a pitcher for ourselves. I knew Sara would not be able to keep up, so I would have most of this for myself. I am conniving like that. We did not know at the time that the pitcher was going to be thirty dollars, but that is what we get for not asking, and for me being greedy. The margarita was smooth and simple. Not too bad of a drink. I would even say that it is one of the best I have had in a while.

Katie got the Costa Brava. Shrimp sautéed in salsa and butter. Served with chilies, onions, and tomatoes. She liked the buttery taste of the rice and thought that the shrimp had a great flavor. I liked the taste of this mild dish, but I was a little annoyed by the shrimp tails being left on this. Why do they leave the tails on, maybe it is because it keeps the shrimp fresh. Not sure, but it is annoying to cut the tails off.

This plain-looking dish is Kevin's. He went with the Chimichanga de Camaron. Usually, this comes with salsa on top, but Kevin wanted this without it. He liked the taste of this but did not rave about it. I thought the oil streaks on the plate were a little disturbing here, but he did not seem to mind.

Sara opted for the Flautas de Pollo. I can not pull any punches here, this could be the worst dish I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant. The chicken was so dry it was like eating sandpaper. I even dipped it into the salsa, and it soaked up the liquid like a sponge and still was as dry as the Mojave desert in August. I would have been very angry if this was my meal. Even Sara was disappointed in this plate.

I went with the Royal Combination. The first part of this seafood combo was the sub-par, crab quesadilla. This tasteless concoction was so bland, it could have come from Chipotle. The plain look of this quesadilla is a clue as to how plain this tasted. Not good at all.

This is the second item of the Royal Combo, the lobster enchilada. This was okay, it really lacked the wow factor, which is difficult when lobster is an ingredient. Just an average item.

The last seafood item was the one I was least excited about, but it turned out to be the best. The shrimp relleno was very flavorful, and something I had never had before. The chili part of this could have been better, but the shrimp and salsa, with the cheese was pretty good. This part of the plate saved the meal.

Carmelita's was not very good this trip. I feel that it is way over-priced, but that is not a surprise considering the area. My seafood three-item combination was over twenty dollars. The service was good but was almost too good. It seemed like every three minutes there were people asking if we needed anything, or if they could clear plates. I am not sure I would give Carmelita's another try. I imagine you can find something on the menu that is good, but you may go broke trying to do it.

Out of five patos, (because Carmelita's is located on the lake and there are many ducks around), five being best to zero being worst, Carmelita's gets 1.5 patos.

If you would like to get more information about Carmelita's, click here: https://www.carmelitaskitchen.com/