Landing Wherever the Reviews Take Us - CLOSED

Alicia's Mexican Food and Fruiteria

2520 E. Chapman Ave.

Orange, CA 92869

It's funny how many times I leave the house thinking I am going to be going to one restaurant, then ending up in another place altogether. This, of course, was the case on a recent Thursday morning. I was meeting up with my good friend Steve, and we were going to try a place that has a build your own breakfast burrito. Unfortunately, we did not do our homework and they only offer this on weekend mornings. Bummer! So off to Yelp, I went, and I found this place nearby that got some decent reviews. That's how we arrived at Alicia's Mexican Food and Fruiteria.

I was all geared up to have a breakfast burrito, so it was not a complete shock to my system to have Mexican food at 10am. This tiny six-table restaurant is located in Ralph's shopping center, at Prospect and Chapman Avenue. You would expect a restaurant this small to have you order at a counter, but they used waiter service here, although we did have to get our own drinks at the soda machine towards the back of the restaurant. Kind of confusing, because we did not see it back there.

The menu here is filled with all the items you would expect from a casual Mexican restaurant in Southern California. Burritos, tortas, and combination plates dominate the menu, but if you dive deeper, they also offer some more exotic offerings; including lengua, Bistek Ranchero, and mojarra. My buddy Steve and I took sometime perusing the menu, and after a long look, this is what we ordered from it.

Before we get to what we ordered off of the menu, these tortilla chips and beans were brought out to our table. I don't know what it is about simple refried beans being added to tortilla chips, but it always makes it seem extra special to receive this instead of just a regular basket of tortilla chips. It's almost like getting an extra appetizer for free. These were pretty good. The beans could have been more evenly spread, but hey these were free, so no worries about that. They also presented us with three containers of salsa, and one of pickled carrots and peppers, which I learned is called Escabeche. As usual for me, I was more partial to the red salsas than the green. None were really too hot, but they did add flavor to what we ordered.

I really liked having breakfast/lunch with Steve because, besides the fantastic conversation, he ordered a lot of stuff, so we could see more of their menu. He started with this pretty mediocre looking Shrimp Taco ($2.25). We have to admit that when this taco came out, we were pretty disappointed. Steve thought it tasted better than it looked, and it deceptively had more shrimp than it looked like. The shrimp had a slight citrus tinge to it, and the flavor was cranked up by adding some green salsa to this.

I am convinced that no food photographs as well as Chilaquiles ($4.95). The vibrant red colors, with the white from the sour cream and cotija cheese just seems to pop off of the computer screen. These were a decent, but not great chilaquiles. The red sauce was good but needed more depth of flavor. The chips also needed to be crisper. For the price though, this was a good sized portion. The rice and beans were good, but nothing that stood out as amazing.

Now back to Steve's portion of the meal, the Carne Asada Burrito ($4.95). Again, I was impressed with the size of this burrito for the price it was offered. This burrito was filled with steak, rice, beans, cilantro, and salsa. The amount of steak here was on the plentiful side, but the rest of the contents of the burrito really lacked the wow factor.

Steve's last item of this meal was a Carnitas Quesadilla ($4.95). I really enjoyed the smokey flavor of the inside of this quesadilla. It was a nice touch having the tortilla finished on the grill, but other than that, this was just not enough to make this anything but an average quesadilla.

I guess I was really in a breakfast mood because my other plate was the Eggs with Machaca ($5.45). It seems like so far every meal I have talked about I have been impressed with the serving size, but this will not be one of them. I thought this entree could have been bigger. The shredded meat could have been seasoned a little better, and the eggs a little more prominent. I did like the veggies here, and this dish was made better with a few spoonfuls of salsa.

Alicia's Mexican Food does have some good things going for it. The prices here are a huge draw. Almost all items are under the ten dollar mark. The portion sizes, for the most part, are a very good value. The food itself is good, but nothing you should drive out of your way for. Most items were good but lacked a big pop of flavor. The service we received was pretty good, and the food came out in a timely manner. For this being our second choice for lunch/breakfast on this day, it could have turned out a lot worse.

Out of five stethoscopes, (because the three largest employers in the city of Orange are all hospitals, including the one that I was born in, St. Joesph's.), five being best to zero being worst, Alicia's Mexican Food and Fruiteria gets 2.5 stethoscopes.

For more information about Alicia's Mexican Food and Fruiteria, click here: http://platillosaludable.com/home.html

A New Take on Food at Fresh Griller - CLOSED

Fresh Griller

2 Hutton Center Dr.

Santa Ana, CA 92707

Through the course of the last three years of this blog, I am not sure we have run across a restaurant like Fresh Griller. I guess you can say it is very unique. I mean we have eaten in over 350 different restaurants, and not seen anything like Fresh Griller. Sure there are components of the restaurant we have seen before, but if you asked us to describe Fresh Griller, we would probably say it is a little like this restaurant, and like that restaurant, with just a little pinch of this restaurant. In simpler terms, it is kind of a hybrid of other eating establishments, but very much unique to itself.

We were recently invited to try Fresh Griller. Before leaving the house I did a little research. They have been open for just over two months now. Started by an ownership group of a couple restaurant veterans, they embarked on a journey that went across the country, as well as to other parts of the world to come up with a concept that got them to be excited about the restaurant business again. What they found out during these travels is that food is at its best when it is done simply, when it is fresh, and when food has the least number of steps from the farm to your kitchen table. To be honest, when we showed up here I kind of thought this was going to be more like a Flame Broiler, but it turned out to be so much more.

We got to Fresh Griller at 6pm on a Friday night. There were a few people drifting in during our visit, but with all of the high rise office buildings around here, they definitely get their fair share of customers during the lunch rush. Right, when you walk in the door you are met by two large signs that tout their philosophy here. There are no microwaves, freezers or can openers here. Fresh Griller is focusing on fresh, simple, and natural menu items. Let's take a look at the ordering process.

The ordering process is done in four stages at Fresh Griller. First, you choose how you want your meal. The three options include a bowl, salad or wrap. Then you choose chicken, steak, veggie, or a combination of any of these. Now it is time to bring on the stuff. Seven options are offered to go along with your meal. They range from the mundane, white or brown rice, to the more exotic offerings like Mediterranean beans, ginger pico de gallo, a squash blend, pepper and onion blend, or a Thai kale slaw. Then they have six sauces to make a decision about. This was the hardest part of choosing my meal for me. Options include sweet ginger,  barbecue sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, teriyaki, aji Verde, or a wasabi ranch.

Ordering was painless with the two employees behind the counter. They were very helpful and answered all of our questions about the products. Our creations were placed on a tray, and we were off to explore what we had ordered.

I had no hesitation as to what kind of meal I was going to get, I got the bowl, with a combination of chicken and steak. The sirloin was chopped into bite-size pieces and was very tender. The chicken, marinated boneless breast meat was also far from being called dry. I went the simple route with my bowl, only adding brown rice and the pepper/onion blend. The rice was fine, but the peppers and onions were cooked to very pleasing crispness, which added a good texture to the bowl. What really made this for me was the sauces. The wasabi ranch was a decent choice. It went well with all of the veggies and coated the meats well, but the sauce that really popped with flavor was the Aji Verde. This South American inspired sauce will be my only choice for future visits here. Great unique flavor, with some real bark behind it. I even took some of this home with me and made a sandwich with it the next day. Really good.

Katie also went the bowl route for her meal. At first, she thought she was going to miss the absence of cheese here, but the flavors on her plate squelched those fears. There were so many new items for her palate to comprehend, that she did not miss cheese. She was very happy with the Thai Kale Slaw and the Ginger Pico De Gallo. This plate of food piqued her taste buds into finding her perfect combination for future visits here.

Besides the wraps, bowls and salads, Fresh Griller offers Pita Chips and Humus. Sorry, I did not get a good shot of the pita chips, but the hummus was one of the freshest we have had. I am used to humus being a little more firm, but it tasted great. To give it a little more pop I added the Aji Verde sauce to it, and that made it even better.

The attention to detail does not get lost at Fresh Griller when it comes to beverages either. No Coke or Pepsi here, they offer Pure Cane Fountain Drinks, Gourmet Brewed Iced Teas, and Natural Bottled Beverages. I am not a soda guy, so I did not try those, but the tea was wonderful. They offer four unique loose-leaf teas, each equally good.

Two dessert items are on the menu at Fresh Griller. They are very proud of their "Fruit of the Gods" Yogurt Parfait. This layered dessert has fruit on the bottom, slightly sweet yogurt on top of that, and then granola is added for a little crunch. I am not a big yogurt fan, but even I found this enjoyable. Not crazy sweet, but it still tastes like a dessert that is not going to make you have to jog an extra mile or two. I especially loved dipping the Ginger Snaps into the yogurt. The Ginger Snaps they sell here are made by Camela's, and they are dairy and gluten-free, so no guilt when you eat 25 of them, right?

Fresh Griller was a great new place. Part Chipotle, (for their ordering style), part Flame Broiler, (for their bowls), and unique to itself. The only problem that I see for this concept is that people will not be able to identify it, so they may avoid it in favor of something they know. This would be a mistake. The food was very fresh, the flavors combined to create great tasting food, and the vibrant colors made the food even more appealing. After eating here we struck a very nice balance. We were full but did not have that heavy feeling that makes you feel sluggish and lethargic. Guess that is what happens when you eat healthy food. One last thing to mention is the prices at Fresh Griller. All meals are $6, which is a great deal due to the portion sizes.

After talking to John from Fresh Griller, I kind of got the impression that this is kind of the test restaurant to gauge how the public will receive this restaurant and concept. Right now, since they are in the shadows of many office buildings, they are only open Monday through Friday 11 to 8. We hope people give them a try, so they open more locations very soon.

We would like to thank everyone at Fresh Griller for the opportunity to try out your restaurant. Thanks go out to John Costello, who walked us through the process of Fresh Griller, gave us a little history of the place, and answered all of our questions. Thanks for the great conversation. Also thanks to the Assistant Manager Heather, who really made sure we were happy with everything. We should also mention the girls behind the counter who put everything together for us. They were very friendly and knowledgeable about their food. Lastly, we wanted to acknowledge Ali Metzger at Bolt PR for contacting us and introducing us to Fresh Griller. Thank you very much, Ali!

For more information about Fresh Griller, check out their web site here: http://www.freshgriller.com/

Whole Foods/Back Bay Tavern Media Event

Whole Foods/Back Bay Tavern

415 Newport Center Dr.

Newport Beach, CA 92660

For those of you that do not know me, I have had the same day job for the past 24 years. Yes, I have worked at my high school job for over two decades. I swear it was supposed to only be a summer job! Anyways, I work in a traditional grocery store, so when we got invited to come to see the new Whole Foods Market at Fashion Island, I had some mixed emotions. Of course, I had just spent eight hours in a grocery store working, and the last thing I wanted to do was go to another grocery store, but I did want to see the way that Whole Foods did things. To be perfectly honest, Whole Foods was way more than a grocery store, and at times during our visit, I forgot I was in a grocery store.

So of course I say that it was not like we were in a grocery store, but I start out with some pretty standard-looking pictures of grocery store shelves. When we were at Whole Foods they were two days away from opening, so they were still busy filling the shelves. I am a dairy guy, so I was pretty impressed with the wide variety of yogurts, cheeses, and deli meats. The wine selection was pretty enormous as well. The produce section was only half full when we were here, but the bright citrus really caught our eye.

The first thing that sets this Whole Foods in Newport Beach apart is the Tea Hive in the front of the store. What's the Tea Hive you ask? It is a brand new fusion cafe and tea bar that is making its debut at this Whole Foods. We were lucky enough to be able to sample all of their teas straight from the martini shakers of the "Tea Tenders". I am not too into overly sweet teas, I never even add sugar to tea. Most of these were not overly sweet. My favorites included the Ginger Citron, which was made with oolong tea, ginger, and lime, and the Pomegranate Lemonade, which featured green tea, along with pomegranate and tart lemonade. This one was fruity without being crazy sweet, and the finish was nice. Not pictured, but the Tea Hive also is serving bowls and wraps for a very respectable $9 and $7 respectively. Before 10:30 AM they are serving a Chai Oatmeal and an interesting-sounding Acai Crunch Cup. Layered Acai, Greek yogurt, fruit, and granola are garnished with your choice of honey or agave. A very healthy way to start the day for sure.

The aspect of this Whole Foods that I was most looking forward to seeing was the Back Bay Tavern, which is kind of tucked away in the back right corner of the store. It kind of feels like a secret spot that only real insiders know about. Walking into the Back Bay Tavern I felt like I was transported 3,000 miles away to a bar on the East Coast. Brick walls, wood beams and tables, and a mahogany bar that was originally located in Harlem, all lend to the right coast kind of vibe here. Back Bay Tavern has a rotating selection of 24 craft beers on tap, along with wines and spirits. They also feature special cocktails that are made from all organic ingredients. The draft beer prices were all very reasonable, in the $6 to $8 range. After ordering my Ballast Point Yellowtail Ale, I was ready to check out the food. Let's see what Executive Chef Dennis Horton came up with.

When we walked into the Back Bay Tavern we were treated to this Artisan Cheese Board ($10) and Bread Sticks on every table. I am not much into cheese boards, but this one had very mellow cheeses. I did not catch the names of all the cheeses, but they were gobbled up rather quickly. The bread sticks were a nice touch here. I have not had breadsticks in a while. These were all flavored differently, but my favorite was the simple sesame bread stick. Went well with the cheese board.

They brought out almost all of their dishes for us to take pictures of. This trio of plates was the ones I did not get to sample. I was pleasantly surprised at the portion size of the Ginger Atlantic Salmon ($25). This pan-seared Atlantic salmon was accompanied by a beet puree, salmon roe, and a green salad with a light vinaigrette. Fried Tofu is not really my thing, so I was not too concerned that I missed this, but it went quickly. The Tempura Veggies were not on the menu, but the people that had these really liked the light batter used here.

Salad time, and again I was very surprised by the sizes of these salads. Kale seems to be the hottest thing in salads right now, and the way the Mediterranean Chopped Kale Salad ($9) disappeared, it seems like the trend will continue. The SoPac Caesar ($9) was very good. Nice dressing and the cheese was plentiful. The Kenter Canyon Herb Salad and Beet Carpaccio ($9) was not only colorful but full of big flavor. This salad came with pistachios, crumbled blue cheese, and a champagne vinaigrette. Complex flavors, all working together to create a well-crafted salad.

A few more appetizers that I tried. It would not be a tavern without Chicken Wings. These large wings had plenty of meat on them with a real mellow sauce. The House Root Chips and Dip ($4) were a real winner for me. The chips were fried perfectly, with just a touch of greasiness, but what put these over the top was the spicy chipotle dip that came out with them. I would have eaten this dip on an ice cream sundae, it was just that good. Get these on your next visit here.

True to the vibe of an east coast bar, the guys at Back Bay Tavern have Local Brew Battered Fish and Chips ($11) on the menu. Big hunks of what I thought was cod, are served alongside skinny fries on top of the fake newspaper. This fish came out of the kitchen smoking hot. The breading was good but did not detract from the fish.

Not sure who ordered this burger, but the distinctive feature was what came on this burger. The Tavern Burger ($11) may look a little on the plain side, but they put bacon jam on this one. Yes, you read that correctly, Bacon Jam. The jam was not as overpowering as it could have been, but it really added to this juicy burger. I really liked the grill marks on this burger as well. They reminded me of a backyard burger.

My meal on this night really popped! I had the Cabernet Braised Short Ribs ($23). These were your classic comfort food short ribs. Very tender, and the flavor from the Cabernet was great. The short ribs were placed over some sweet corn polenta and for added zing, this had a smoked poblano puree that really kicked up the heat index on this one a few notches. Served alongside local veggies and a tomato confit, this was a very well-balanced plate. Definitely not something you would expect from inside a supermarket.

The only miss of the night for me was Katie's selection for dinner, the Bayside Club ($10). Even Screech could not have saved this one for me. Sorry, had to get my Saved By the Bell reference in there! Anyways, this sandwich had a lot of everything that I like. Chicken, triple stacked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a ciabatta roll, but I found this chicken to be a little on the dry side, and even with the bacon, it kind of left me wanting more. Katie did not have any complaints about this, but she likes her chicken more well done than I do.

The biggest hit of the night for almost everyone in attendance was the Wasabi Pepper Seared Scallops ($25). Served alongside a mushroom and asparagus saute and micro Asian greens, this plate had everyone buzzing. It all starts with the scallop for me. It was cooked to just the right doneness. The Wasabi was present but did not detract from the scallop. The veggies all worked well together to create a very good dinner.

The last meal of the night belonged to Suki, she chose the Panko Crusted Eggplant "Parmesan Fondue" ($18). This vegan dish came with white truffle laced eggplant, tomato confit, basil pesto, and cashew Parmesan "cheese". This plate did not really get much of a reaction from Suki, so I will assume that it was just okay. Not anything that I would order. I know, shocking right?

After dinner and appetizers, I could barely move I was so full, but there was one more thing that the good folks from the Tea Hive brought out, Frosted Tea Lattes ($5) and Blended Tea Sorbets ($5). The lattes were some of my favorites. The Chocolate Chai made with black tea, spiced chai, and just the right amount of chocolate and cinnamon was very decadent. The Strawberry Almond Frosted Latte was very fruity, without being overly sweet. Katie really liked the Orchard Peach Sorbet. The mint used in it really enhanced the peach and black tea. Very refreshing with the warmer weather we have been having lately.

So in the end, I was happy to go to Whole Foods Market after all. It was way more than any average supermarket. The Tea Hive and Back Bay Tavern are places that people will want to go to, even if they do not have any grocery shopping to do. The food that we tried was way better than anything we have ever had in a supermarket. We are looking forward to another visit to Whole Foods very soon.

We wanted to thank everyone at Whole Foods Market for the wonderful opportunity to tour your market before you opened. Everyone we encountered was genuinely nice and answered all of our questions. We also wanted to thank Sara Record and everyone at Gold PR for the invite and the opportunity to experience Whole Foods Market. You guys rock! Lastly, thanks to all of the bloggers that experienced this with us. All of you make these kinds of events worth going to. Good times.

For more information on Whole Foods/Back Bay Tavern, click here: http://wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/Newport