Tortillaz, RIP

A place I went to in Irvine a couple times. Just found out it closed down.

Click here for the full flickr photo album (10 photos).

Pacifico Fish Company

Pacifico Fish Company 15054 Alton Pkwy Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 269-2144 Listing at MapQuest Listing at Grubhub Official Site

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(This is an "only-photos-first" post, done quickly to get photos up and a new entry on the blog, with the expectation that text may be added later. Guest reviews can also be added to this entry and each published one will be paid $10.)

Click here for the full flickr photo album (7 photos so far).

Zov's Cafe

Zov's Cafe Bakery & Bar 3915 Portola Pkwy Irvine, CA 92620 (714) 734-9687 Listing on Yahoo! Local Official Site

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(Disclaimer: This blog is not just about Mexican restaurants in Orange County but also about Mexican food that can be found in non-Mexican restaurants in Orange County.)

So, I've been writing about food in Orange County for three years now but I've never been to Zov's until a few days ago. This small restaurant chain which serves mostly Mediterranean food is run by chef extraordinaire Zov Karamardian and is a favorite of Edwin's from the Monster Munching blog.

On the way in I noticed a sign outside showcasing their happy hour specials which mentioned chips and salsa and nachos, among the other items. Once inside I found that the nachos are a regular appetizer item. I didn't see any other Mexican-oriented item on the menu so I asked the waitress if there was anything I might've missed and she said, "No, because we're a Mediterranean restaurant." Well, I had to at least ask. So I ordered the nachos. These are pretty much traditional nachos with melted cheese, salsa, guacamole, and chicken (no sour cream), with one little twist: the chips are made from pita bread and not fried corn tortillas, but with all the toppings there wasn't really a huge taste difference. Now that I've got their Mexican item out of the way (I also had an iceberg wedge salad and a key lime tart which can be seen by clicking either photo in this review) and with their friendly yet unpretentious service I'll be back later to try more of their menu. I especially want to try their breakfast.

La Sirena Grill - Review #3 (Breakfast)

La Sirena Grill 3931 Portola Pkwy Irvine, CA 92620 (714) 508-TACO (8226) Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Yelp Official Site

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I found out recently from the paper that La Sirena Grill in Irvine is now serving breakfast so I made a stop there this morning to check it out for myself. This location is on the far northeast side of Irvine, almost out into the wilderness, and has a very nice outside seating area:

One of the first things I noticed as I walked in this morning was that they have breakfast tortas. As far as I know this is the only place that has breakfast tortas. They also have huevos rancheros and several kinds of breakfast burritos. I wanted one of everything I saw but ended up going for the Picadilla Burrito: "Organic scrambled eggs, Niman Ranch sausage mixed with peppers, onions, garlic and choice of rice or pinto beans."

This was a very good, hearty breakfast burrito and I like that they cut it in half when they serve it; that makes it good for pictures. I forgot to add the green chile cheese potatoes on the side but I got filled up anyway and it automatically comes with a side of chips and their rustic guacamole. The total for my burrito and orange juice came to $9.70.

I'll be back to try the torta and the huevos rancheros later and will update this entry when I do. And, oh yeah, they serve breakfast from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays and Sundays so you don't have to race to get there for breakfast by 10:30 or 11:00am which are the usual breakfast cutoff times at most restaurants.

UPDATE (September 20, 2008): Went back today and tried their excellent huevos rancheros and my friends, Chris and Kristanna, shared the veggie burrito and a breakfast torta:

Click here to see the complete album (21 photos) at .

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Press Release

The La Sirena Grill people found my entry here and asked if I could post the following press release:

La Sirena Grill Hosts Fundraiser for Northwood Teen

Irvine, California, September 15, 2008 — La Sirena Grill at Orchard Hills Village Center is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21 from 9 a.m. to noon, when 15% of sales will be donated to the Deanna Flock Fund.

Flock is a 16-year-old Northpark resident who was being raised by her single mom, Nancy Flock, until this summer when her mother passed away from natural causes. The younger Flock was then taken in by neighborhood and family friends, the Bustos family of Irvine, so she could remain in the neighborhood and continue to attend Beckman High School.

"We are happy to support this cause in Deanna's name," said Brian Hendon of La Sirena Grill. "La Sirena Grill prides itself on being part of the Irvine community, and coming together on important causes such as this."

The casual eatery serves contemporary Mexican flavors with fresh, organic ingredients. The recycled wood furnishings and whimsical wall treatments create a charming dining atmosphere for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Additional seating is available in the center's open-air patio. Take-out service is also available.

La Sirena Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and opens at 9 a.m. for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Tacos & Co. - Review #1

Tacos & Co. 18092 Culver Dr Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 653-8081 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on AOL's CityGuide Official Site

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About a month or so ago I was contacted by Nancy Luna (The OC Register's "Fast Food Maven") asking what I knew about a small Mexican chain called Tacos & Co since she was just about to interview their owner. I replied that I'd been to their location in the food court at Westminster Mall a few times but not since I began this blog and that my memory of them was that they were a good overall generalized representation of Mexican food that would appeal to anyone having their first exposure to Mexican food while also pleasing anyone who'd been eating Mexican food all their life.

A day after Nancy's report appeared on line I had a chance to stop by the Irvine location of Tacos & Co. for some breakfast and to try out what else? the huevos rancheros.

With two eggs overeasy, rice, beans, chips, ranchero sauce, sour cream, and guacamole you can pick out one of five salsas from the salsa bar to go with your huevos rancheros and start your day out right.

Their salsa bar is strictly gradated from Very Mild to Mild to Medium Hot to Hot to Very Hot so you'll always know how much spiciness you are getting.

When you go to the Irvine location you have to find the hidden menu to order items "From the Stands of Mexico" such as the Torta Cubana with big cubes of ham in it:

Or the sopes, which are like tostadas but on a thicker cornmeal "boat," rather than a crisp corn tortilla shell. I got one with chicken and one with carnitas meat:

And I'm still wanting to go back and try out the shrimp ceviche which Nancy recommended.

Tacos & Co. also offers catering services and is versatile enough to be able to "cater" to all different palates, preferences, and dietary needs. Francisco explained that people of several different ethnicities have utilized his services to cater their weddings.

If you have a craving for Mexican food and can't decide if you want fast food or fast casual or fine dining or "hole-in-the-wall" food you are guaranteed to find something you'll like at Tacos & Co., which earns a four Speedy Gonzales rating:



You can also read about a subsequent visit of mine at Griffin Eats OC, where new food blogger Griffin Tamura gives even more information about Tacos & Co.

Here's a few more pictures:

El Conejo, RIP

Unfortunately we have another closure to announce. The Register's Irvine Retail Blog has reported that El Conejo in Irvine has closed down. The entry states that it was because of slowing business. It always seemed busy when I went so I wonder how much business it takes for a restaurant to survive. No word on if the smaller El Conejito has closed down too but I'll presume it's still open until I hear otherwise. UPDATE: It has been confirmed that all other locations are still open for business.

Dave & Buster's

Dave & Buster's 71 Fortune Dr Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 727-0555 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch Official Site

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No, Dave & Buster's isn't a Mexican restaurant, it's more like an adult version of Chuck E. Cheese, but they do have a few Mexican items on their menu. Here's two of them:

Chicken Tortilla Soup

"Spicy seasoned chicken, tomatoes, corn and potatoes, topped with crispy tortilla strips and cheese."

Pro: Spicier than I thought it was going to be.

Con: no tortilla strips. I got crackers instead. Still good, but think I will ask them to include tortilla strips the next time, but maybe they should just make it a regular thing.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

"Grilled chicken, poblano & jalapeño peppers with cilantro, and a blend of melted Mexican and cheddar cheeses, folded & grilled in a cheddar jalapeno flour tortilla. Served with sour cream and salsa."

Pro: The quesadilla wedges aren't soaking in grease.

Con: No guacamole.

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KFC/Taco Bell

Just a quick note that if you find yourself far from mom-and-pop Mexican places and you need a bite to eat but all you see are fast food places keep in mind that KFC has a Mexican Chicken Bowl with cubed chicken, Spanish rice, beans, and pico de gallo sauce. The official KFC website doesn't even seem to mention this item, but that's the purpose of this blog: to let you know about Mexican food that's out there that you wouldn't have otherwise know about. If you go to one of the KFCs that's co-branded as a Taco Bell you can add on a chalupa and a caramel apple empanada and have yourself a decent meal for about five or six bucks:

Speaking of KFC and Taco Bell, Nancy Luna, the OC Register's Fast Food Maven, has written earlier today about both chains looking to introduce healthier menu items.

Baja Fish Tacos (Irvine), RIP

Have noticed people searching for information on "baja fish tacos irvine" so I have to post the unfortunate news that the Baja Fish Taco's Irvine location at Jamboree and Dupont closed down about two months ago. I don't know why it closed down. It seemed to always have enough business the couple times I went. Their only downside was that they didn't have Jarritos soda like the other locations do.

They still have three other Orange County locations open though and they do have excellent shrimp tacos. Follow the "baja fish tacos" label below to read all our coverage so far of this small yet respectable chain or CLICK HERE:

Taco Rosa Sunday Brunch

Taco Rosa 2632 San Miguel Dr Newport Beach, CA 92660 (949) 720-0980 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch Official Site

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Taco Rosa #2 On the Irvine side of The Tustin Marketplace 13792 Jamboree Rd, Suite 42 Irvine, CA 92602 (714) 505-6080

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Now available at both Taco Rosa locations is a Champagne Brunch Buffet featuring live mariachi music which goes from 10am to 1:30pm each Sunday.

Mexican bread and churros

Pozole toppings and fruit array

Salad Array

Rice pudding

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The following is a report from when the Irvine location used to have a full service sangria brunch. They have now switched to the Champagne Brunch Buffet just like the Newport Beach location has had for a while.

The Irvine location of Taco Rosa (in the Tustin Marketplace where the Koo Koo Roo/Fuddrucker's used to be) is now offering a four course, full service Sangria Sunday brunch accompanied by live mariachi music every Sunday from 10am to 1:30pm. The price is $17.99 per person. A kids menu is also available.

YouTube Video #1 | YouTube Video #2

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Start with a goblet of refreshing fruit sangria, then move on through the following courses:

First Course: Bread

Canasta de Pan Mexicano

"A Basket of Mexican bread with Lemon Agave Nectar Butter."

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Second Course: Soup

Lobster Bisque

or

Pozole del día

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Third Course: Entree

Your choice of:

Costillitas de Cordero con Huevos

"Roasted lamb chops with your choice of eggs, cilantro pesto sauce and papas de la mansion."

Alcachofa Mexicana con Huevos

"Poached eggs nested in a bed of artichoke, topped with chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Served with papaya Zona Rosa."

Crepas de Pollo Veronica

"Seasoned breast of chicken rolled in two homemade crepes with white grape cream sauce and toasted almonds. Served with papaya Zona Rosa."

Huevos Rancheros

"Two eggs overeasy on a bed of corn tortillas with refried black beans topped with our ranchero sauce. Served with papas de la mansion and papaya Zona Rosa."

Carne Asada con Huevos

"Carne Asada topped with panela cheese and chipotle, accompanied with your choice of eggs. Served with black beans and papas de la mansion."

Omelette de Mariscos

"A fluffy egg omelet filled with sauteéd lobster, shrimp and crab topped with a light Tequila Lime cream sauce and avocado. Served with papaya Zona Rosa and papas de la mansion."

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Fourth Course: Dessert

Strawberries

"Chocolate-covered strawberries with cajeta Kahlua mousse."

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Remember that this pertains to the Irvine location only. The Newport Beach location still has the Champagne Sunday Brunch Buffet that they've had for a couple years now. And the Irvine location still has their regular breakfast menu every other day of the week.

The first three photos posted were taken by "brekkie_fan." Read her blog at MySpace.

View the whole photo album at

This isn't the only entry we have on Taco Rosa. Click HERE to read all our coverage of both their locations and to view dozens of photos of their food: