Sol Cocina Shining Bright?

Sol Cocina

251 E. Coast Highway

Newport Beach, CA 92660

Sol Cocina is not my usual type of spot for Mexican food. I usually like small taqueria's or Mom and Pop places where you can get big burritos, or tacos stuffed with cheese. I usually shy away from, "fancy" Mexican places like Javier's, or Las Brisas, because I feel that they are over-priced and have stuffiness about them. We made an exception for Sol Cocina. We had been invited to a media event here a few weeks back and liked the appetizers we had so much, that we put this place on our list of places to try during OC Restaurant week.

Sol Cocina has been opened for about a year and a half, and has been gaining praise in the media, and on-line in blogs. Like the restaurant, Chef Deborah Schneider has racked up an impressive list of credentials as well. Nominated for a James Beard Award for her second cookbook, and touted as the "reigning queen of San Diego chefs," she draws her inspiration from the Baja peninsula.

We arrived at 7 on a Friday night. We had reservations and were seated right away. The vibe here is hip. All of the wait staff look like they just came off the pages of a fashion magazine. They did not look down on us less attractive people, like many other places in Newport, do. We felt very comfortable here. But enough about all of this, let's see if the food tastes as good as the staff looks.

At Sol Cocina they do not have chips and salsa, they have their Taste of Baja, which is set on every table. The large, round tortilla discs were fair, but the winner of this grouping was the black bean dip with pepitas on top. This was an addicting dip. The salsa had a little spice, but was tart at the same time, a nice contrast.

Sorry, this picture seems so far away. This was the start of the four-course restaurant week menu for me, the Nopales and Shrimp Tostada. This tiny tostada had a very mellow flavor. Very fresh tasting and light.

For her Amuse, Katie got a small Naked Guacamole. At Sol Cocina their guacamole is made with avocados, cilantro, lime, tomatoes, onion, and Serrano chile. Katie felt this was one of the best guacamoles she has ever had. She liked the citrus taste, with just a hint of spice. I liked this as well, but not as much as Katie.

The soup above is the Mexican Onion Soup. This was a complex soup, with no two bites tasting the same. Sometimes sweet, and then turning spicy, each spoonful had a different degree of each. I would definitely get this again.

Something I would not get again was this Avocado Caesar Salad. It sounded so good on the menu, but when it arrived it was nothing but your basic salad. The dressing was very tart, and I guess I expected hunks of avocado, but there were none.  Not the worst salad, but not worth ordering again.

Now on to the main course, where Katie got her signature dish in a Mexican restaurant, the Chicken Taco Combo Plate. She felt that the chicken was tender, and not too greasy. She was also happy that the tortilla stood up to the meat. I liked the taste of these tacos but would have added more hot sauce to them. These tacos were also served with Spinach Garlic Rice and Borracho Black Beans. The rice was forgettable, but the beans had a great flavor.

Pictured above is my dinner for the evening, the Garlic-grilled Skirt Steak with Cilantro Pesto. Cooked medium rare, this steak had a great flavor and was tender. The steak was made even better by pairing bites of the spinach and the meat together. I was however not impressed with the tomatillo salsa, but I am not a big fan of tomatillos normally.

If Katie had her way this would be the flavor of the month at Baskin-Robbins. Espresso Sorbet with silver tequila and whipped cream. Not exactly what the ice cream man brought around in his truck, with that annoying music. Katie liked the balance of this dessert. I felt it was a little much. This definitely quenched Katie's need for Starbucks on the way home, and that is something that is not easily done.

I will take a page out of Katie's book and let you know that this is one of the best flan's I have ever had. The Requeson Flan with Agave Orange Syrup and Fresh Fruit was what I got for dessert. Really creamy, and the taste was amazing. I am usually not much of a flan guy, but this is one I will get again. Great finish to the meal.

It was a pleasure to eat at Sol Cocina. The atmosphere was inviting, the staff did a great job keeping things moving in an orderly fashion, even though it was busy. It was a little loud in the wide-open restaurant. The food was fresh, and the meal was not heavy at all. The prices were fair. They only have one meal over $20 on their dinner menu. But, they also have a steak and shrimp taco served ala carte for $11. I still enjoy Mexican restaurants that cover their plates in cheese, but Sol Cocina will definitely be at the top of my list when we want a different, more upscale kind of Mexican food.

Out of five bottles of suntan lotion, (because Sol is Spanish for sun, and everyone should wear sunscreen), five being best to zero being worst, Sol Cocina gets 3.5 bottles of suntan lotion.

For more information on Sol Cocina, click here: https://solcocina.com/

Lackluster Night at Lulu's - CLOSED

Lulu's Creperie Cafe

24781 Alicia Pkwy.

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Oh, the perils of restaurant week! You must peruse menus, find time to go to the restaurants, and then make reservations so you will not be shut out of all the good food. Okay, so it is not really so much a chore, but it is one of the best times of the year for a food blogger!

How is it for the restaurants themselves? First, they have to put together a menu that people will want to partake of. Next, they have one shot to make a great impression. Lastly, they have to hope that it will create a return business. The pressure has to be less for established restaurants in high-traffic areas. Still, local, out-of-the-way restaurants hidden in strip centers must feel this is their one shot to impress customers who would typically eat elsewhere.

This brings us to Lulu's in Laguna Hills. I have driven by here for over ten years and have never stopped. I don't know why. I have heard good things about it. They have great reviews on Urbanspoon and Yelp. I have been told that the breakfasts are excellent. Even Katie's sister, Sara, had one of her wedding showers here and loved it. So when we saw that this would be a restaurant week spot, we had to go.

We had reservations at 7 on a Tuesday night. The restaurant is small, and the decor is frilly, like a country cottage. The place was bustling when we walked in, but that was just the end of the dinner rush because when we left, we were just one of five parties left in the joint. While we were there, a singer belted out a mellow tune with her extraordinary voice. We were informed that they did not have their regular menu tonight and only served their OC Restaurant Week menu. That was fine for Katie and me, but Kevin and Sara prefer to be open regarding food, so they had a hard time coming up with something to choose from. More on that later. Let's check out the food.

Here is a quick shot of the breadbasket. Your basic baguette is sliced up. The bread was fair, but for some reason, the butter here was very creamy. It was served in pads, but they were too cold to spread. I know places have to keep butter refrigerated, but if you are crowded, stick a bunch of butter packets out to get close to room temperature for easy spreading. Sorry, I got a little sidetracked there.

We all got the same appetizer, the Lobster Ravioli, proving that great minds think alike. These odd-looking ravioli had a delicious sauce, and the ravioli itself was filled with lobster. Cooked well, I devoured these.

Katie and Sara went with the Mixed Green Salad with Strawberries and Walnut Oil Dressing. Katie felt that this salad was plain tasting, while Sara could not hide her disdain for this earthy salad.

Both Kevin and I opted for the French Onion Soup, a no-brainer in a French cafe. This soup came out scalding hot. I was so hungry that I burned my mouth because I could not wait to try it. The soup was very good and featured lots of onions. The cheese on this was good as well. It was not too salty. I would definitely get this again.

We will start the main dishes with Katie's choice for the night: Crepe La Mer, which features shrimp, scallops, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and shallots in cream sauce. The bite of this that I had was okay, and Katie did admit that this dish was "a little off." There were also temperature issues with this dish; it would be best described as lukewarm.

I had my choice between the duck and the lamb. I chose the Braised Lamb Shank. The taste was average, but the real disappointment was the lack of meat on the shank. I only got about five bites of meat off of this thing. Very fatty piece. The veggies and mashed potatoes did not help this plate out at all. They, like Katie's meal, came out cold. The mashed potatoes lacked flavor and could only be eaten with the remainder of the sauce on my plate. Should have gone with the duck.

Remember when I said that Kevin and Sara do not like to be pigeonholed into food choices? Well, this is what they both came up with pasta with vegetables. This plain-looking dish did not impress either of them, but how could it? There was no fault with Lulu's here, except that the pasta came out cold. It seems like a theme to me.

Now for the grand finale dessert. We each got a different one to pass around the table. Out of the four, the Bananas Flambe Crepe was the best. Excellent banana flavor, the crepe cooked perfectly, and the sauce was good without being too sweet. Delicious dessert. No one except me was that excited over the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. I liked the smoothness of it, and the top was caramelized well. The cheesecake was a crowd favorite as well. It was very dense. Lastly, Kevin was happy after having the Chocolate Ganache Cake. This decadent cake would satisfy anyone's chocolate cravings.

I could have been more impressed with Lulu's. The main dishes all left something to be desired. One of the problems with Restaurant Week is that you have a choice of four meals, and if you do not pick the right one, you probably will not return. I would go back to Lulu's, though. I would give them another shot because they seemed a little overwhelmed by the crowd here that night.  I could see flashes of why they get good reviews online, and I would like to try their breakfast as well. But for now...

Out of five cyclecars (because Kearn's Car Company put out a cyclecar named the Lulu in 1914), five being best and zero being worst, Lulu gets two cyclecars.

Lulu's Creperie does not have a website, but you can find more information about them on their website here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lulu-caf%C3%A9-laguna-hills

Back on the Breakfast Burrito Beat

A's Burgers

28698 Camino Capistrano

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Our quest to find the best breakfast burrito has brought us to A's Burgers. I have driven by A's for years, and never been. The small restaurant is kind of hidden by a Carl's Jr., and an In and Out Burger. I have been told that their hamburgers are really good, and I look forward to trying them in the future. Now though, I am on a mission to try their breakfast burrito.

A's Burgers has been around for a long time, and it shows. This is a no-frills burger joint. We got here at about 10 on a Sunday morning. They were busy, but very orderly. The girls at the counter took our order quickly, and by the time we sat down, our food was ready. Here is what the burrito looked like.

I had conflicting views about this burrito. On the positive side, the burrito was very tasty. The bacon was crisp, the potatoes had an almost buttery flavor to them, and the egg was done well. On the negative side, the cheese was almost non-existent, and the burrito lacked girth. I could have eaten two of these no problem. When I get a breakfast burrito, I want it to sustain me until dinner, and this was not the case here. The salsa that came with these was okay, but I preferred the Tapitio that was on the table.

So where does this breakfast burrito rate? It is good, but not drive out of my way twenty minutes good. Luckily I have gotten some good tips on other breakfast burrito places, and I look forward to trying these soon.

Out of five swallows, (no, not because we are in San Juan Capistrano, but because I could swallow this burrito in five bites), five being best to zero being worst, A's Burgers gets 2.5 swallows.

For more information about A's burgers, head to their website here: http://asburgersrestaurant.com/

Bluewater Grill Begins Our OC Restaurant Week - CLOSED

Bluewater Grill

2409 Park Ave.

Tustin, CA 92782

We came to the District in Tustin for the OC Restaurant Week Kickoff Party. Still wanting to get dinner after eating numerous samples, and having a few beverages, we were pleased to see that Orange County restaurant week started a day early at the District in Tustin. We took this opportunity to take advantage of this extra day to try Bluewater Grill.

We did not seem to be the only ones who had the same idea of trying out one of the restaurant week options early. Bluewater Grill was packed, but we were seated immediately, right adjacent to the bar area. Bluewater Grill has a cool ambiance. Dark inside with wood all over. The staff adds to the young, hip kind of vibe. Bluewater Grill has four locations, two in the OC, (the other Orange County spot is in Newport). Let's see what they have cooked up for us for restaurant week.

First a quick look at the bread basket that was on the table. This sourdough bread was served lukewarm, with a very hard crust. I like my sourdough to be a little sourer than this one was.

Both Katie and I chose to start off our first course with soups. She went with the Lobster Bisque. She felt this could have been creamier, but it did have velvety chunks of lobster in this. I liked the flavor of this bisque, it was rich and went down easy. I opted for the New England Clam Chowder. This smooth tasting soup was lacking in clams but had an over-abundance of potatoes. Decent soup, but the better of the two was the lobster bisque.

Katie's main course of Shrimp with Basil and Roasted Tomato is up next. This was served over linguini with chive oil and garlic. Katie felt this dish was good. Light in taste, but had an abundant amount of tender shrimp. This came out hot, and after eating this dish, Katie exclaimed that this made her want to try other items on their menu. Which I guess would be their goal by participating in restaurant week. Mission accomplished Bluewater Grill.

For my meal, I went with the meal behind door number three, "The Entree of the Day". Tonight it happened to be breaded catfish, with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. This catfish did not stand on its own. It was made better when I asked for a tartar sauce. Before the tartar sauce, it was just kind of blah. The veggies and potato were the same, average.

Now on to dessert. Above are the two choices for the dessert course. The Brioche Bread Pudding with golden raisins and bourbon sauce was the best out of the two. This bread pudding was cooked well, with a great texture, and the big banana flavor hit you right away after biting into this. I am not much of a bread pudding guy, but this one was pretty good. I would have liked to have had more sauce over this though. The Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Fudge was fair but could have used more hot fudge.

I can not say that I was blown away by Bluewater Grill. The food was okay, but not something I would crave. It is, however, one of the better dining options at the District at Tustin. I have never been to keen on the restaurant choices at the District. None of them really pop out at me. The service at Bluewater Grill was also a little spotty. Maybe because it was pretty crowded, but our server got lost for long periods of time and did not check back with us. She may have had too many tables.

So out of five shopping bags, (because the second largest shopping center in the UK is called Bluewater), five being best to zero being worst,  Bluewater Grill gets 2.5 shopping bags.

For more information on Bluewater Grill, click here: http://www.bluewatergrill.com/index.php

Time to Try Some Thai

Thai Juan On

31878 Del Obispo St. #109

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

When we started the new year, I resolved to myself that I would get out of my food comfort zone. Try something new and exciting. So how have I done? Looking over the list, we have visited Mexican restaurants, hamburger places, and traditional joints. Okay, guess this was going to be more complicated than I thought. But, to my credit, we did have a great Vietnamese meal at OC Poultry and Rotisserie. So when Jason asked us to try some Thai food, it was the perfect opportunity to cross another country's food off our list.

Going in, I had very little knowledge of Thai food. I know it can be a little spicy, and there are many vegetables. That was the extent of my familiarity with the cuisine. Thai Juan On is the sister restaurant of Thai This in Dana Point. Their menu, like their name, is dotted with lots of puns.

We arrived at about eight on a Friday night. We were seated immediately in the restaurant, halved with a bar area. The night we were here, they had a musician with some soft music. The bar area seemed to bring in more people than the restaurant. While we were there, there were only us and three other tables eating in the darkened restaurant. Hopefully, they are not hiding anything from the dark atmosphere. Let's check out the food.

The first of the two appetizers we got were the Spring Rolls. These were filled with chicken and jelly noodles and served with a sweet and sour sauce. We all remarked how these tasted very fresh and were not greasy like other places we have had spring rolls. The sauce was very sweet and added some flavor to the rolls.

The Golden Thaiangle was the second appetizer we got. See, you thought I was kidding about the puns, right? They stuffed flour, "thaitillas," with fish, shrimp, avocado, cilantro, and green onion. Again, the fish taste stood out and moved everything else to the side. This was served with a very interesting nutty, sweet and sour cucumber sauce. A unique Thai take on a quesadilla, minus the cheese.

Now on to the main dishes. Jason went with the Green Jungle. This dish had broccoli, carrots, bamboo shoots, baby corn, zucchini, green beans, and shrimp in a spicy green curry/coconut milk sauce.  The sauce was tasty with a great kick, and the veggies were cooked well. The shrimp was delicious but not abundant. When  I asked Jason for his reaction to this dish, he said, "I am speechless." I guess that means he liked this a lot.

Katie took a chance on the Thai Noodles. The Thai noodle is cooked with shrimp, eggs, ground peanuts, tofu, and bean sprouts. Katie called this the best Pad Thai she had ever had. She mentioned the ingredients' freshness and liked the dish's texture with the bean sprouts. I had one bite of this and thought it was good but too mild.

I had difficulty choosing what to get and finally settled on the Red Devil. This dish consisted of spicy red curry beef with coconut milk, potato, onion, and peanut. I liked this dish but would have liked it a little more spicy. The waiter kind of spooked me out about asking for this spicier. I should have followed my gut and taken it up a few notches. I would equate this dish to a spicy pot roast. I would also have liked a little more meat here. They were a little skimpy with the portions, but I am a big eater.

Now on to the desserts. Jason raved about the Sticky Rice served with Coconut Ice Cream and Coconut Custard, so that is what I got. The ice cream had a great coconut flavor and was very cold. However, after I warmed up to the texture of the sticky rice, I really liked it. This was a great-tasting dessert, but a little over-priced at $10.

For his dessert, Jason got Mango with Sticky Rice. He liked this but said that he missed the coconut ice cream that he usually gets with this. We shared a little of our ice cream with him, though. It was the least we could do since he introduced this place to us.

Our dear Emily, who sat through the meal with us, has a peanut allergy and could not eat here. So here she is, holding her empty plate. I wanted to include her in this post because she had to watch all of us really enjoying our meals. Thanks for the great company Em!

I could not have been happier for our first try at Thai food. The food here was fresh and definitely had some flavor to it. I would have liked the portions to be bigger, but I look forward to trying more Thai places. The service here was excellent. They took care of us and ensured our drinks were filled all night. Once again, thanks, Jason, for the suggestion.

Out of five swan boats (because their is a swan boat circuit in Thailand), five being best to zero being worst, Thai Juan On gets 3 swan boats.

For more information on Thai Juan On, click here: https://www.thaijuanon.com/

Bacon-mania at Slater's 50/50! - CLOSED

Slater's 50/50

6362 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road

Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

It is a rite of passage for food bloggers in our county to review Slater's. The North County spot has been reviewed on almost every blog I read. It was even the site for a gathering of Food Frenzy fans. So when I had the rare opportunity to find myself in north Orange County for lunchtime, it was a no-brainer where I would eat.

Slater's 50/50 is located in a nondescript shopping center off the beaten track in Anaheim Hills. I can not even tell you what else was in this shopping center because I had a burger in my crosshairs and could not wait to get inside and wolf one down.

Slater's is a decent-sized restaurant with about fifty or so tables. They also took over the area next door and made a sports bar out of it. We arrived just before 11:30 on a Thursday, and the place was moderately busy. We sat immediately and were given ample time to peruse the menu. The menu features salads, sandwiches, and signature burgers. The menu also has a "Design it!" section where you check off what you want on your burger. Overwhelming can be one way to describe this checklist. After some deliberations, we came up with this.

Here is my brother-in-law's creation, the self-proclaimed Ja-Rod Burger. His two-third-pound burger featured a 50/50 patty. This patty is fifty percent ground beef and fifty percent ground bacon. Crazy that no one has thought of this before since people are so bacon crazy. He also opted to get red onion, a fried egg, relish, and dill pickles piled on a honey wheat bun. He took a small break from eating this to tell me this was a good burger, but he would choose a more petite version next time. Jarrod has a big appetite but did not finish this burger.

I went big here. Literally, I had the full-pound burger. After cooking, Slater's weighs all of their burgers, so it was a pound. Not only did I have a 50/50 patty, but I also added bacon, relish, mayo, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese. When filling out the checklist, they ask you to name your burger. I called this one Bacon Overload. I love bacon, and this was even too much bacon for me. I was thirsty for the next four hours after eating this. It was delicious, though. The meat had a great flavor, and the toppings were top-notch. My only complaint would be about the bun. It was baked well, but it did not fit the size of the patty. If you have a pound burger, have buns that fit the pound patty. That was the only fault I could find with this burger, though.

So, do you feel like something other than a burger? Okay, you can go the route my Mom went and get the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. This monster of a chicken sandwich also came with lettuce, crumbled blue cheese, and tomato. The chicken was tender, and the sauce really added a kick. If they did not serve burgers here, I would get this.

As much as people rave about their burgers, the same can be said about their appetizers. We ordered the Pick Three Combination Plate. We chose the french fries, fried pickle chips, and beer-battered onion strings. We all agreed we would leave the fries out next time. They were nothing special. What was noteworthy was the fried pickles and onion straws. I am not usually a big fan of pickles but fried them this way, they were delicious. The onion straws also had a great flavor and were not too greasy. Next time, we must try the sweet potato fries or the fried artichoke hearts.

Slater's 50/50 creates some problems for me in a good way. There are far too many choices for me to make here. Maybe the route for me will be to just try their signature burgers, so I do not need to think about which one of the 12 cheeses I want on my burger. Since I left here, I have been craving their Peanut Butter and Jealousy Burger, with, you guessed it, peanut butter and jelly, along with bacon. I can not wait to go again.

Out of five rippers (a tool used by a Slater to remove broken slate), five being best and zero being worst, Slater's 50/50 gets a solid 3.5 rippers. You probably thought I was going to go with an A.C. Slater reference here, right?

For more information on Slater's, click here: http://www.slaters5050.com/