Encountering the Counter - CLOSED

The Counter

6416 Irvine Blvd.

Irvine, CA 92620

The Counter is one of those places that you always hear about. I have been here once before, but this was before I started my blog. I had meant to come back sooner and blog about it, but the opportunity had never come up until now. We have really been on a burger kick lately. We have been to Slater's 50/50, Five Guys, Bravo Burger, and Fuddrucker's within the last month, so it was the perfect time to compare The Counter to the other burgers.

The Counter has been around since 2003. Since then, they have expanded to nine other states and even opened restaurants in Ireland. Their next wave of expansion is taking them to the Middle East, where they plan on having three units in operation by the end of the year. There has to be a reason for this expansion. Let's see if it is the food.

We arrived at The Counter at six on a Wednesday night. I was expecting a wait, but we were seated right away. The decor here strikes me as very sterile but with a hip vibe. You are seated with a clipboard to help you build your perfect burger. You get to choose the type of burger, size, toppings, cheese, and sauces that you want on your burger. They have just about anything you could imagine for a burger. They did the math, and with all their ingredients, you could have a different burger every day for the next 312,000 days. That is the equivalent of 854 years. Of course, eating all those hamburgers would probably decrease your odds of living to 854 years old, but what a way to go!

To start our meal out, we got a few side items. We selected French Fries, Crispy Onion Strings, and Sweet Potato Fries. Honestly, none of us were in love with any of these sides. The fries were average, the onion strings were bland, and I am not a fan of sweet potato fries anywhere. However, my dining companions felt that the sweet potato fries were the best, so I will defer to their opinion about these.

Now, the reason we are all here is the burgers. Up first is Ryan's creation. He wanted blue cheese, bacon, red onion, spicy pepperoncini, roasted corn, black bean salsa, and chipotle aioli, all on a wheat bun. Ryan quickly gobbled up this interesting burger. He felt the burger was full of flavor and enjoyed the bun.

Richard was very amped to try the Counter, and after some deliberation, he chose this as his burger. He went with herb goat cheese spread, red onion, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and roasted garlic aioli. Richard had no problem putting this burger away. He really enjoyed this burger but felt this burger was good because of the high quality of the toppings.

I went for a more traditional approach to my hamburger. My two-thirds-pound burger was topped with grilled onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, red onion, and mayonnaise. This was a very juicy burger, to say the least. I ordered this medium, and that is the way it came out. The toppings on this were definitely high quality. The meat was good but could have been seasoned a little more.

Katie's burger of the night was a multi-grain bun with guacamole, fried egg, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, roasted green chili, queso fresco, and chipotle mayo. She really enjoyed this self-named "Mexican omelet burger." The guacamole really stood out for Katie. She also felt that the toppings at the Counter were fresh and helped make this a superior burger.

Every month at The Counter, they have a shake of the month, and while we were here, it was the Churro Shake, and Richard could not resist it. Little pieces of churro were sprinkled into this vanilla-based shake. Richard felt this shake had a subtle flavor but was really good and creamy.

To finish our meal, we also got a Caramel and Chocolate Brownie Sundae. The brownie was very chewy, which I like. I would get this again, but ask for more ice cream. There was not nearly enough ice cream for the size of the brownie that they gave us.

So you ask, how does The Counter rate among the titans of the hamburger world? I liked The Counter. I feel that what makes them good is their high-quality toppings. Do I like them more than Slaters? No. The burgers at Slater's are a little more inventive. Unfortunately, the meat at The Counter can not stand on its own like Slater's (maybe because the meat at Slater's is half bacon, which can never be a bad thing). I am not dogging on The Counter, though. I would definitely return. I did have an excellent experience here, and there is always room in my hamburger repertoire for more than one burger place.

Out of five Formica countertops (for obvious reasons), five being best to zero being worst, The Counter gets 3 Formica countertops.

For more information on The Counter, click here: http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Taking a Walkabout to Outback

Outback Steakhouse

25322 Cabot Road

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Okay, I know what you are thinking. Is this really going to be a review of Outback Steakhouse? As a matter of fact it is. I told myself when I started this blog that I would review restaurants to find some of the best eats that our county has to offer. Whether that is a hole in the wall, a restaurant that is critically acclaimed, or a chain that appeals to the masses. So when my parents and their friends wanted to go out to dinner at Outback, I chose this opportunity to see what they have to offer.

One thing you can say about Outback is that they are very popular. They operate over 1,200 locations in 22 different countries. Eight of these are in the OC alone. Started in Tampa, Florida in 1988, they have averaged opening 52 new restaurants a year, or one per week. That is some crazy expansion for a sit down restaurant. We got here at 6 on a Saturday night, and had to wait a half hour. Let's see if all the waiting was worth it. 

Of course you know that we had to start with a Bloomin" Onion. In case you have been living under a rock, this is a one pound onion cut opened, breaded and deep fried, and then served with a tangy bloom sauce. To put it simply, this was addicting. Just like chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, you can not stop picking at this until your food comes. 

Here is a quick shot of the Bread and House salad served here. The bread is kind of like the dark bread served at Cheesecake Factory, but a little less soft. The dinner salad was your average side salad, nothing too out of the ordinary.

Of course this is a steak place, so Katie and Mary both ordered the No Rules Parmesan Pasta with Grilled Shrimp added. Fettuccine tossed with a creamy Parmesan sauce was the description of this meal. I did not try this pasta, but they both seemed to like this. Katie called this pasta fresh tasting, but would have liked more shrimp on this. 

I could count on my Dad to get a steak at a steak restaurant, right? Wrong. Here is my Dad's choice for the evening, the Shrimp En Fuego Fettuccine. This dish consisted of shrimp, combined with noodles, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a spicy cream sauce. I was not offered any of this dish either, (Man, do they not know the rules of eating with a food blogger?), my Dad felt there was ample shrimp in this, and he thought the standout part of this plate was the sauce. 

Dale was not so happy that I was taking pictures of his food, so I had to snap this shot from across the table. Otherwise my camera would have wound up on the 5 freeway. Dale always orders the Norwegian Salmon when he comes to Outback. Geez, am I the only one that orders red meat anymore? Anyways, from way across the table it looked like this was blackened and served with garlic mashed potatoes. Of course I was shut out of having a bite of this, so I will have to assume that it was okay. 

Hey guess what, I actually got a steak! Here is the 14 ounce Rib Eye. When this was presented to me I thought it looked a little odd. There were no grill marks on the meat. I guess they cook on a flat top grill. The meat tasted good, and this rib eye was a lot less fatty than a lot of rib eyes I have had recently. The garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables were just average. I was definitely full after eating this steak. 

I am not going to try to convince you that Outback is one of the great steak places around. I think it serves its purpose though. When you do not want to get all dressed up and spend $80 on two dinners, or if you have kids, this is a place you can go to get a decent steak. The sides are not the best, I would call them average at best. The service when we here this night was very pleasant. All the Australian references can seem over the top, especially since they do not even serve Vegemite. Take Outback for what it is, a casual steakhouse that caters to families and serves some decent steaks. 

Out of five kangaroos, (I can get into the Australian theme also!), five being best to zero being worst, Outback Steakhouse gets 2.5 kangaroos. 

For more info on Outback Steakhouse, click here: http://www.outback.com/

Applauding Our Decision to Eat at Bravo Burger?

Bravo Burgers

27200 La Paz Road

Mission Viejo, CA 92692

I am pretty predictable. I hear that there is a new burger place that opens up, and I am usually there within a day or two. I hear that this burger place also features breakfast burritos, then I am there instantly.  I had heard about Bravo Burger before but had never been. So Katie and I headed over there for two separate trips on the same day.

This is a new location for Bravo Burger. They took over a spot that used to be a Weinersnitchel. Bravo Burger was started by a Greek guy that left his native land to work in the restaurants of LA. Gaining the knowledge to open his own place, he started Bravo Burger in 1982. Now totaling eight locations, with one more on the way, this is their second OC outpost, (the other is in San Juan Capistrano). Bravo Burger is known for their large menu, so let's see if they should also be known for great food too.

On our morning trip to BB, both Katie and I got Bravo Breakfast Burritos. We both added avocado to the burritos for an extra 99 cents. The Bravo breakfast burrito includes three kinds of breakfast meat; ham, bacon and sausage, cheddar and jack cheese, two large eggs, and hash browns. The burrito was good sized here. I did finish mine rather quickly though. The potatoes were smooth, and the two kinds of cheese were a nice touch. The meat could have stood out a little more to me. The burrito was stuffed with meat, but it did not pack the flavor punch you would expect. The egg, of course, got lost in the shuffle, but that usually happens in a breakfast burrito. All in all, not a bad burrito.

Our next trip a couple of hours later, we went through the drive-through. Katie ordered the Veggie Burger. I am sure that it is no surprise that I did not try this veggie burger. Katie said it was good though, and it tasted really fresh. Guess I will have to take her word for it.

I went with two items for dinner, the first was the Quarter Pound Beef Chili Dog with cheese. Looking at this hot dog I had such high hopes. I liked all of the onions and cheese, but the chili fell flat. There was no spice or taste to it. The all-beef hot dog did not stand out either. As much as I love chili dogs, I would not get this again.

I needed to try one of their burgers also since the place is called Bravo Burger it would have been a crime not to try one of their hamburgers. I chose the Frisco Cheeseburger. This came with two patties, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and tomato, all served on sourdough cheese toast. The cheese toast was a nice touch, but as you can see from the picture, the patties are very thin. The burger was fine, but not memorable. It could have been under seasoned, or maybe my taste buds were dormant after eating the bland chili dog.

Bravo Burger is okay. It is convenient to where I live, so I will probably come back in the future. I will not go out of my way to eat here for hamburgers and hot dogs, but would definitely keep getting their breakfast burritos, and try some of their other breakfast items. The restaurant was brand new, so of course, it was spotless. The prices were fair, not overly cheap. My burger was just over $6, while the breakfast burrito set me back $7. I don't mind paying that much for a breakfast burrito if it fills me up, and I can skip eating lunch, which I did here.

Out of five guitars, (because on the Brady Bunch, Greg's alter ego Johnny Bravo played the guitar. Okay that is my last Brady Bunch reference for a while, I promise!), five being best to zero being worst, Bravo Burgers gets 2.5 guitars.

For more information on Bravo burgers, click here: https://www.bravoscafresh.com/

Right on Track at Vintage Steakhouse? - CLOSED

The Vintage Steakhouse

26701-B Verdugo Street

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Finding a good steakhouse can be very hard. Like barbecue restaurants, there are many factors that can turn you off from a steak place. Sides can be bad, the steaks can be tough, service can be horrible, or the restaurant can just be overpriced. So with this in mind, I dragged my steak expert/friend, Matt out with me and we tried a new place for both of us, Vintage Steakhouse.

We arrived at 7 on a Thursday night, without a reservation, and had no problem getting a seat. The Vintage Steakhouse is situated right next to the San Juan Capistrano Depot. Staying with the railroad theme, The Vintage has a fully restored 1927 Pullman railway car, which houses one of their two dining rooms. We were seated here.  Enough of the ambiance, let's see some food.

Here is a quick shot of the bread basket that was given to us. There was nothing really too memorable about this bread, but it did come out very warm.

Both Matt and I ordered salads because man can not live on steak alone. Well, I probably could, but I wanted a nice balanced dinner, plus I was really hungry. I had the Caesar Salad above. This was your basic Caesar salad. I liked that this had plenty of cheese on it and was served cold, but it was a little light on the dressing. Matt went with the Spinach Salad. He felt this salad was good, but would have been made better with some goat cheese added.

We only went with one appetizer to split between us, the Orecchiette Au Gratin. This was bell-shaped pasta in a cheese sauce with applewood smoked bacon. This was so rich, that it makes Donald Trump feel homeless. I liked the sauce at first, but then it got to be too much. This is a very heavy appetizer, so I am glad we split this.

For dinner, I  was torn between a few items, but I went with my old standby, the Filet Mignon. At the Vintage, they are very proud to point out the fact that they grill all of their meats over a mesquite grill. The filet here was pretty good. Very tender, and had a great flavor. I ordered this medium rare and that is the way it came out. I did not really need the sauces that we were provided with above, but they were nice accompaniments. The best of the bunch was the Bearnaise sauce, but the Cabernet Demi and Wild Mushroom Bordelaise were not too bad either. I also wanted to give props to Vintage for including sides with their steaks. A lot of the more upscale restaurants sell everything ala carte, but not so here. The twice-baked potato is the way to go. The inside was fluffy and had just enough cheese to avoid being called bland. The vegetables were just veggies. Nothing made them stand out.

Matt heard the specials and took this one. The Tomahawk Chop is a bone-in rib eye. Sorry, the picture makes the meat look so dark. Matt felt that this steak was cooked to his liking, the flavor was good, and the meat was very tender. He remarked that the veggies were fresh, also he is not much of a potato guy, but he liked the twice-baked potato as well.

Lastly, we had dessert. I stole Matt's choice for dessert, which you will see next. So he settled on the Vintage Train Car. This dessert was made up of puff pastry, with cinnamon cream, and then rolled in sugar and cinnamon, and finished off with a caramel drizzle. This was not the best dessert. With all of the big flavors here, this was kind of subdued. If you want a light dessert, this is probably the way to go. I give them credit for the presentation, but I would not get this again.

The best dessert that I have had in a while was the Peanut Butter Creme Brulee here. I wish more places would put this on their menus. The peanut butter was very smooth and had a big flavor. This was served with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. I really enjoy Reese's candy, but the chocolate sauce did not match up as well with the peanut butter here for some reason. The way to go with this was to eat this with the whipped cream. Very good.

The Vintage Steakhouse proves that a steak place does not have to be crazy expensive for it to be good. The meats here were very good, and they ranged in the $30 and under price range. I was not too crazy with the choices of appetizers, and the dinner menu is a little small, but you should be able to find something on there that will make you happy. The crowd here is definitely older. The service also left a lot to be desired. Our waitress was MIA for a lot of the night, leaving the food runner and bussers to do almost everything. There were long gaps when glasses were empty and plates were left on the table. We were in no rush, but I am sure if you were going to be catching a movie or something where you were on a timeline, it could be annoying. All in all, a very satisfying meal.

Out of five bottles of wine, (because in winemaking, grapes picked in a specific year turn a bottle of wine into vintage wine), five being best to zero being worst, the Vintage Steakhouse gets 3 bottles of wine.

For more information on Vintage Steakhouse, click here: http://www.thevintagesteakhouse.com/index.html

Salvatore's Take Two - CLOSED

Salvatore Cucina Italiana

27001 La Paz Road

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

I will preface this review by telling you I have a solid sentimental pull toward Salvatore Cucina Italiano. This was the spot for Katie and my first date. The food was okay that night, but it took a backseat to the company. This is the first time we have been back since that fateful evening all those years ago. 

Salvatore's has been in the exact location and under the same ownership for the last twenty-one years. That makes them one of the oldest Italian restaurants in Mission Viejo. Salvatore D' Abbusco came from Naples to the United States when he was 24. He married a girl from Philadelphia, and they opened this place. Salvatore's is known for their "Complete Dinners," a six-course all-inclusive meal. Let's take a look at it.

The bruschetta started our complete dinner. I am not usually a big fan of bruschetta, but this one was fine. The Roma tomatoes were chopped finely and tasted fresh, and they also had a good deal of garlic on them.

With the complete dinner, you will also get both soup and salad. The soup the night we were here was the Minestrone. Small elbow pasta and beans combined to make this soup. The broth was salty but not overboard. There was no abundance of beans or pasta, which would have made this better. The soup was average. The salad was your basic dinner salad. This one came with a creamy Italian dressing. It was too tangy for my taste. I should have gone with the ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Now, on to the entrees. Katie selected the Penne Con Pollo. This rich dish came with chicken, mushrooms, peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes, all in an Alfredo sauce. Katie felt that the chicken was cooked really well—very tender. What I remember most about this dish was that it came out scalding hot. It was steaming for a long time at the table. 

I also went with a pasta dish, the Penne Al Fungi. Mushrooms, pancetta, and peas were all featured in this dish, along with a creamy garlic sauce. This dish was okay when I first started eating it, then I doctored it up a little by adding some red pepper flakes, and it was made much better. I liked the sauce but would have been happier with some extra pancetta. This dish was very rich, so I took some for lunch the next day. Like most pasta dishes, it was better the next day. 

After skipping the Coffee course, we went right into dessert with the items above. Katie wanted to try the Spumoni, a multi-flavored ice cream with nuts and liquor, then rolled in chocolate chunks. This is not like the spumoni that you get at Spaghetti Factory. Katie loved this spumoni. She thought it had a great taste and was really cold. I had the Torta di Triplo Cioccolato. My Italian is not the best, but I think this means triple chocolate cake. Who needs Rosetta Stone anyway. Back to the dessert, this was a cheesecake with a layer of chocolate, chocolate chips, and a chocolate sauce. I like chocolate, but this was way too rich. The cheesecake was very dense. I like a lighter cheesecake, so this was not my favorite dessert. 

The feel at Salvatore's is that of a rustic farmhouse. The restaurant is hard to find, tucked away in a complex that looks more like a group of doctor's offices instead of housing an Italian restaurant. The dining room is small, with fifteen tables. The service was friendly but slow and leisurely. Do not come here if you have tickets to a movie in an hour. You will not make it on time. Value for the money is very good here. Dinners are reasonably priced, and you will go home with leftovers. Also, the menu is extensive, so you will find something you like here. It was nice returning to Salvatore's; at least this time, I could concentrate on the food. 

Out of five roads (because the lead character of Jack Kerouac's On the Road was named Salvatore), five being best to zero being worst, Salvatore's Cucina Italiano gets 2.5 roads. 

For more information about Salvatore's Cucina Italiano, click here: http://www.salvatore38.com/Home.html

Sweet Brunch at Plums?

Plums Cafe 

369 E. 17th Street

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

I admit it, I am a guy that likes brunch. Brunch to me usually means going to El Torito, the Hyatt Newporter, or some other restaurant, that serves unlimited champagne, has long tables of all you can eat food, and will result in a two hour nap. That is not the case at Plums in Costa Mesa. Here they have no buffet and the champagne sets you back $8 a glass. So this is a new kind of brunch for me, let's see how it turned out.

Plums has been open for over twenty years. Started as a catering business, their food quickly became a local favorite. Owner Kim Jorgenson, a native of the Northwest, settled in Costa Mesa and created a menu inspired by the cuisine of the Northwest. The wait on the Sunday we were here was 45 minutes long at 11. I figured all of these people must be on to something to wait this long, when there are plenty of restaurants nearby.  Let's hope the food is not as gloomy as a Seattle day.

Katie and I were both intrigued by the Banana Brulee Oatmeal, so we split it. The top layer of this was good, with the caramelized bananas. The oatmeal part of this was very plain, as any oatmeal will be. I would have liked this a lot more if the bananas were spread out evenly through the whole bowl, but I should have known what I was getting myself into when ordering this.

Believe it or not, Katie had never had Eggs Benedict before. So this would be her first foray into breakfast staple. She ordered the Santa Fe Eggs Benedict after reading all of the positive reviews on Yelp. This Benedict featured peppered ham, chipotle-cilantro hollandaise sauce, and poached eggs all served on a baguette. Katie said, "This has set the bar very high for all Benedict's that I will try in the future". I am not a big fan of this egg dish, but it was very good. I thought the chipotle hollandaise sauce could have been a little more flavorful, but overall this was a good dish.

I also went with an egg dish for my meal, the Dungeness Crab and Asparagus Omelet. This very fresh tasting omelet was filled with asparagus and crab. The crab was noticeable, but not very over powering. You could tell that it was good quality crab. The eggs seemed very buttery and full of flavor. I did not even miss the absence of cheese in this omelet. The Plums potatoes that were served with both of our plates were just okay, nothing spectacular.

Lastly, I wanted to show you the bread that came with my omelet. This Organic Nine Grain Toast was not too bad. I am usually pretty picky about such healthy sounding bread, but this had a good taste to it, and with jelly, this tasted even better.

Plums Cafe is a great, but simple breakfast spot. The food is definitely fresh and prepared well. I did not feel weighted down by the food I ate here. The prices might be a little on the high side. My omelet was $15, and Katie's Eggs Benedict was $14. This is not the type of place I would come every Sunday, but I do look forward to exploring their menu more. The service was professional and prompt, especially since they were so busy. We were seated on the patio in front of the restaurant, but it was very pleasant out there. Did Plums change my mind about what a great brunch is? Well, it definitely got me to think about it.

Out of five eye glasses, (because Eve Plumb played Jan Brady, who had to be reminded to wear her glasses. Yes, I know they are spelled differently, but I wanted to work a Brady Bunch reference into my blog sometime!), five being best to zero being worst, Plums gets 3 eye glasses.

For more information on Plums Cafe, click here: http://plumscafe.com/index.htm