Roundup #21

Here's another entry where I cover some stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard restaurant review. If this is your first time here don't let this entry throw you off; we really do have tons of reviews of Mexican restaurants, in fact over 250, so just keep scrolling down.

Mexican restaurants I've reviewed before that I've visited since the last roundup entry for non-review purposes include: Rubio's, Del Taco, Amorelia Mexican Cafe, Tacos el Chavito, Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen, The Chili Pepper, La Salsa, El Fortin (Stanton), Rancho del Zocalo, Alebrijes, El Pollo Loco, Taco Rosa, Las Fajitas, Matador Cantina, Soho Taco, Sol Cocina, Olamendi's Deli (formerly Olamendi's Pop's Tacos & Sandwiches), Gammy's Cafe, Azteca's, Sharky's, Tacos & Co., Baja Fish Tacos, Cafe Maiz, Tortilla Jo's, On the Border, Taleo, Taco Mesa, Tacos Jerez, Chronic Tacos, Cancun Fresh, Fresca's Mexican Grill, Taco Adobe, El Mejor Taco, and El Gallo Giro.

Non-Mexican restaurants that I've visited since the last roundup entry include: Market Broiler, Da Luau, Bread Crumb 'Ohana Cafe, Athens West, King's Hawaiian, Deli-licious, Funashin, Silky Sullivan's, Cafe Grill, In-N-Out, The Counter Burger, Sandy's Beach Grill, Break of Dawn, Jerry's Woodfired Dogs, Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ, Clearman's Steak 'N Stein, Gyro King, Prego Ristorante, Mrs. Knott's Chicken-To-Go, Mugen Japanese Cuisine, 50 Forks, Lucci's, Lee's Sandwiches, Fatburger, Mad Greek, Daily Grill, Nalu's Island Grill, Rumbi Island Grill, India Palace, and Eat Chow.

Barret-Jackson Car Show Promo at Mi Casa

Show your ticket stub to the car show at Mi Casa in Costa Mesa and get 25% OFF your total bill!! Click the image to see a much bigger one with all the details. Goes from June 4th to 26th, 2011.

Del Taco Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito

Fans of Del Taco’s fresh-cooked, grilled marinated chicken will find a special treat – times 8 -- in the new Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito, which makes its debut this week.

Ingredients include grilled chicken that has been marinated in a special recipe of spices and seasonings, zesty red sauce, seasoned rice, crisp lettuce, freshly grated cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, cool sour cream and tangy guacamole all wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.

“Our grilled marinated chicken has been a fan favorite for a long time because it's cooked fresh in our kitchens,” said John Cappasola, Del Taco’s Chief Brand Officer. “This freshness, of course, means better quality and lots more flavor. Now, in the new Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito, we’ve packed the best of Del Taco into one menu item.”

The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Burrito is offered at $2.99 and a meal for $5.79 that includes a small drink and crinkle-cut fries. With a spotlight on its grilled marinated chicken, Del Taco is also offering 2 for $5 Del Classic Chicken Burritos and 5 Chicken Soft Tacos for $4.95.

Jarritos

Faithful readers of the blog know that I mention Jarritos every once in a while. I've long been a fan of them and last year they wrote me asking if I wanted some samples sent. I told them that I already liked them but to go ahead and send the samples because I was pretty sure I hadn't tried all their flavors yet. Most places just have 2 or 3 of the eleven flavors then available. So I got the package (seen above with the cool t-shirt) and it had the following flavors in it:

1. Mandarin
2. Fruit Punch
3. Lime
4. Jamaica
5. Mango
6. Strawberry
7. Pineapple
8. Tamarind
9. Guava
10. Grapefruit
11. Tutti Frutti (I think this flavor my have been dropped - too similar to Fruit Punch?)

Now they have come out with a new flavor, Mexican Cola, which, like their other flavors, is sweetened with natural sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. Before my samples of Mexican Cola arrived I asked a a couple taquerias and taco trucks in the area if they had seen the new flavor and some of them said that they had already been selling it but that it kept selling out. The wide variety of Jarritos flavor makes a welcome break from the typical "Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite" choice you get at most places.

Follow Jarritos on Facebook (has apps, contests, etc.) or Twitter.

Other Mexican Food Articles

While this blog is the only one I know of that is specifically dedicated to Mexican food in Orange County it's certainly not the only press outlet that ever mentions it. I hope to link to even more things in the future but for now here's a couple links to to other recent articles about Mexican food in the county:

• OC Register Food Frenzy reviews Lucky Habanero salsa • OC Mex Food Review
• The Register's Deals Diva Marla Jo Fisher reviews Garden Grove's La Rancherita
• Dan at Eat in OC reviews Tacos Sinaloa in Orange
• More coverage of Taqueria Zamora at OC Weekly
• OC Weekly's Five Places to Buy Paletas This Summer

Roundup #20

I haven't done one of these roundup entries in a long time. In fact since it's been almost two years it's time again to mention some things related to Mexican food in Orange County that don't fit neatly into a traditional restaurant review.

Mexican restaurants I've been to for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Sharky's, Cancun Fresh, Taleo, Del Taco, Tacos El Chavito, Rubio's, Fresca's, Azteca (Garden Grove), Cocina Cucamonga, Tacos & Co., Taco Rosa, Wahoo's, La Sirena Grill, Mario's, Little Onion, Gammy's Cafe, Taqueria el Granjenal, El Pollo Loco, Taco Bell, Jalapeno's, Rollie's, Las Barcas, Azteca's (Fountain Valley), La Sirena Grill and Cantina, Sol Cocina, Chronic Tacos, Pena's, Las Fajitas, Alberto's, Carnitas Los Reyes, Baja Fish Tacos, La Salsa, Taco Mesa, El Cholo, Alexa's, Mario's Fiesta Maya, Rancho del Zocalo, La Sirena Grill and Cantina, Los Cotijas, Rodrigo's, Pedro's Tacos, La Capilla, Tia Juana's, Las Brisas, La Cocina de Isabel, Alebrije's, La Nueva Reyna de Michoacan, Cancun Juice, Matador Cantina, Cafe Maiz, El Toro Bravo, Blue Agave, Gabbi's, Señor Campos, Amorelia Mexican Cafe, Super Mex, Taco Factory, Ostioneria Playas de Sinaloa, Tacos Jerez, Tortas Sinaloa, and Super Pollo.

Non-Mexican restaurants I've been to since the last roundup entry include: J&J's House of Subs, the deli at Gelson's, Claim Jumper, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, Boudin SF, King's Hawaiian, Rockin' Crepes, Mugen Japanese Cuisine, Gyu-Kaku Japanese Barbecue, Pacific Whey Cafe, Funashin, La Palma Chicken Pie Shop, Crab Cooker, Ruby's, Sagami Tei, The Chippy, Pei Wei, Andrei's, Ruby Palace, Green Rice Kabob, Basilico's, Capital Seafood, Ameci's Pizza and Pasta, Bob's Big Boy, Cafe Hiro, The Counter, Rumbi Island Grill, Old Spaghetti Factory, The Anaheim White House, The Blue Bayou, Taste of India, Lucca Cafe, Don the Beachcomber, The Haven Gastropub, Mrs. Knott's Chicken Restaurant, Catch of the Day, Mongolian BBQ, Portillo's, Tenko Teriyaki, Mona Lisa, Capone's, Five Guys, Italy's Little Kitchen, Pinot Provence, Sushi Plus, Fu Wing Low, Clay Oven, Cafe Grill, Nalu's Island Grill, Bruxie Gourmet Waffles, Kabuki and Tokyo Table.

Rubio's

The Rubio's Beach-Mex chain is now testing hand-battered fish tacos in several OC locations: Tustin Marketplace, Costa Mesa - Newport & Harbor, Santa Ana - MacArthur & Fairview, Laguna Hills Mall & Fountain Valley. I guess this means they're going back to their roots?

Raya

Yes, that is actually soup, at least the beginning of a bowl of the ethereal huitlacoche corn soup from the new Raya at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. When I first heard about Raya I thought it was a Mexican restaurant. Then I go there and see that it's really more of a pan-Latin/pan-Asian fusion restaurant. Still, they do have a couple Mexican items and this soup is, well, out of this world. Once they pour the soup over the toppings (bottomings?) it looks slightly less intriguing but then you get to taste it . . . and you will be glad you did. Edwin Goei at the OC Weekly wrote a whole article just about the soup. You can also click on the photo to go to the entire album of photos I took on my visit there.

Raya's Mushroom Ceviche

Seasons 52

This is the fairly new place at South Coast Plaza that serves no food item that is over 450 calories, but don't let that make you think the food is tasteless. Here's an excellent chile relleno I got from there:

6ix Park Grill

Here's a few Mexican items I got at the 6ix Park Grill restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Irvine:

Quesadillas

Carne Asada Tacos

Huevos Rancheros

Pee Wee's Famous

This is a hamburger and hot dog place near Springdale and Edinger but they have a really good bacon-wrapped Mexican hot dog. Check it out:

The press release they sent me about it said:

Regardless of the ancestry, the delicacy begins with a Bolillo, a Mexican-style French Roll bread. The all-beef hot dog is wrapped with bacon for added flavor and cooked together which allows the juiciness of the bacon to saturate the sausage. Finally, a wide array of toppings finish off the Mexican Hot Dog in just about any way the customer has a craving for.

While some may choose the traditional hot dog condiments such as pickles, ketchup and relish, the adventurous (or those looking for a truly genuine experience) will select grilled or pickled jalapeños as a base and add crema (a Mexican crème fraiche). Pinto beans, salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro, and avocado are all authentic additions. With cheese such as Mexican Cotija or shredded yellow cheese, Pee Wee’s Mexican Hot Dog is one that will send your taste buds south of the border.

Official Site

An Update About Updates

It's nothing new but I don't update the blog as much as I used to but I have by no means forgotten about it. I have also been spending plenty of time keeping the blog in good working order; there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on that isn't always readily noticeable and the bigger the blog gets the more there is to do. Part of what happened is that I started putting mini-updates on our new Twitter and Facebook pages. There are also tons of photos on the associated Flickr page. There is a little bit of overlap between the blog, the Twitter, the Facebook, and the Flickr photos, but each "channel" also has plenty of unique content.

And, yes, we still accept guest reviews and pay $10 per each published review.

Funny Search Terms

Sometimes in my roundup entries I mention funny search terms that people have searched on that have led them to this blog. These are all real and, no, I did not make them up:

• "organic snowcone toppings"
• "beast tacos in orange county"
• "is taco bell authentic?"
• "cinco de mayo week is the absolute worst"
• "rastafarian last supper poster"
• "preparation of orange squash by using whey"
• "dexter holland salary"
• "has anyone ever bought coconut at the l.a. produce market?"
• "if i don't use my library card, what happens oc"
• "can i have jack in the box tacos sent to me?"
• "george costanza sundae"
• "why isnt there a cafe rio in new mexico"
• "el torito grill honey butter recipe" (isn't it just honey and butter?)

Roundup #19

This is earlier than I wanted to do another roundup entry but I have a number of little things to mention:

1. A handful of Mexican restaurants will be participating in the 14th Annual Taste of Anaheim on May 14th at the GardenWalk. Official Site
2. The OC Register's Fast Food Maven has a new blog entry about her visit with the CEO of Real Mex Restaurants.
3. Not Mexican related but I did get an e-mail stating that the Irvine Spectrum is now offering Wi-Fi service; I think it works if you're at the Rubio's in their food court
4. The 16th Annual Share Our Selves Wild and Crazy Taco Night will take place on Thursday, April 30. I'm hoping I'll be able to cover it. Official Site
5. The current issue of Orange Coast has more info about local Mexican restaurants than usual, including some that have been covered here, some I've eaten at and need to write up the reviews for and some I'm hoping to get to soon.

Mexican restaurants I've eaten at for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Tacos & Co., El Farolito, El Pollo Loco, Azteca's, Cocina Cucamonga, Sharky's, Taleo, Taco Rosa, Alexa's, Anita's, Molcajete Grill, Del Taco, La Sirena Grill, Ernie Jr.'s Taco House, Rubio's, El Torito Grill, Taco Bell, Wahoo's, Taco Factory. But when is an OC Mexican restaurant going to add this to their menu:

Speaking of adding things to menus La Salsa just added a Green Chile Chicken Burrito:

Non-Mexican restaurants I've eaten at since the last roundup entry include: Funashin, Chick-Fil-A, Rockin' Crepes, Duke's at the Pier, Go Roma, Ebisu, Bengal Barbecue, J&J's House of Subs, Dave & Buster's, Athens West, TGI Friday's, Panera Bread, Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ, StoneFire Grill, and The Chippy.

In the roundup entries I tend to put some of the funny Internet searches that people do that lead them to this site. Here is the latest batch:

• "how to win a taco eating contest"
• "abandoned warehouse in orange county ca"
• "purple picked mexican food"
• "does taco bell cater?"

In answer to the question, "Does Taco Bell Cater?" I would say, "No, but they do host weddings."



After watching the video you can read about Taco Bell's latest Crime of the Week at the OC Weekly.

Longtime readers may remember that I try to take April of each year off from going to Mexican restaurants for review purposes so I can (try to) tend to various maintenance issues on the blog and catch up on my backlog of reviews. This April is no different but rest assured there's plenty of new content coming. Thanks for your faithful readership.

Roundup #18

Here's another entry where I cover some stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard restaurant review. If this is your first time here don't let this entry throw you off; we really do have tons of reviews of Mexican restaurants, in fact over 200, so just keep scrolling down.

I don't do a review every time I eat at a Mexican restaurant. Sometimes I simply just eat and enjoy. Mexican restaurants I've been to for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Chipotle, Del Taco, Gabbi's, Las Barcas, Taleo, Taco Rosa, El Pollo Loco, El Torito Grill, Azteca's, Sharky's, Charo Chicken, Taco Bell, Baja Sharkeez, Taco Factory, Taco Adobe (both locations), Rollie's, Rubio's, El Matador, El Cholo, Cancun Fresh, and Arriba Baja Grill.

Non-Mexican restaurants I've been to since the last roundup entry include but are not limited to: King's Hawaiian (both CA locations), Nalu's Island Grill, Pat & Oscar's, Crab Cooker (both locations), Johnny Rockets, 50 Forks, Blanca, Sankai, Kaiten Sushi, Ruby Palace, Lee's Sandwiches, King's Fish House, the deli at Gelson's, Kappo Honda, Kabuki, Stonefire Grill, Chick-Fil-A, J&J's House of Subs, Ebisu, The Old Spaghetti Factory, In-N-Out, Hot Dog on a Stick, Funashin, Hashigo, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, Sushi Mimi, Market Broiler, Elephant Bar, Daphne's Greek Cafe, Phillipe's, First Class Pizza, The Olive Garden, La Palma Chicken Pie Shop, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles (what strange twist of fate brought me to the La Palma Chicken Pie Shop and Roscoe's in the same day?), Marie Callender's, The Olde Ship, and Duke's at the Pier.

Even though it's in L.A. I went for my birthday dinner to
La Sirena Grill and Cantina.

Also, I'm likely to be at the El Farolito Yelp meetup this Saturday.

Here's the tacos I got recently from Taco Adobe in Santa Ana:

And here's a Mexican meal I had put together for me at the deli at Gelson's:

Here's some carnitas tacos I got at Marie Callender's:

And some chicken tortilla soup I got at Stonefire Grill:

Also, Taco Rosa in Newport Beach has expanded their bar area and replaced their tables and chairs inside, something I mentioned a while back that I was waiting for them to do.

In the roundup entries I tend to put some of the funny Internet searches that people do that lead them to this site. Here is the latest batch:

• "why should i open a mexican restaurant?"
• "what do Danes think of Mexican food?"
• "is del taco popular?"
• "can i put a flan in a freezer?"
• "alone in orange county"
• "chi-poodles pictures"

Roundup #17

Here's another entry where I cover some stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard restaurant review. If this is your first time here don't let this entry throw you off; we really do have tons of reviews of Mexican restaurants, in fact over 200, so just keep scrolling down.

Mexican restaurants I've been to for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Taco Bell, Avila's el Ranchito, Cancun Fresh, Wahoo's, On the Border, Taco Rosa, El Pollo Loco, Javier's, Taleo, La Salsa, Del Taco, Sharky's, Tia Juana's, Rubio's, Taco Factory, Gabbi's, El Torito Grill, Chipotle, El Matador, Rancho del Zocalo, Azteca's, Taco Adobe, Cafe Maiz, and Carnitas la Villa.

Here's a picture of my salmon and clams entree from Taco Adobe:

Non-Mexican restaurants I've been to since the last roundup entry include but are not limited to: Daphne's Greek Cafe, ESPN Zone, River Belle Terrace, Tommy Pastrami, Toshi's Sushi, The French Market, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, Inka Grill, Chick-Fil-A, King's Hawaiian, Mugen Japanese Cuisine, Chinese Gourmet, Lola's Ice Cream & Deli, Knowlwood, NYC Cafe, BJ's Pizza, In-N-Out, Nalu's Island Grill, First Class Pizza, Todai Seafood Buffet, Duke's, The Olive Garden, Ruby Palace, Red Robin, and Watson's Drug Store and Soda Fountain.

Here's a picture of my Ensenada Chicken Platter from Red Robin, "Two tender, juicy chicken breasts basted with a zesty Mexican blend of seasonings, charbroiled and bursting with Baja-style flavor. Two tender, juicy chicken breasts basted with a zesty Mexican blend of seasonings, charbroiled and bursting with Baja-style flavor:"

Here's a few funny things that people have searched on that led them to the blog here:

• "picture of person turning into mexican food"
• "are desserts from taco bell bad for you?"
• "orange lamborghini with flames"

Also, I updated my entry on Frieda's.

And, last but not least, I've been informed by the webmaster at Yum Tacos! that the Sacramento City Council is taking measures that are attempting to put taco trucks in the city out of business. Now, Sacramento is far away but we don't want anti-taco truck sentiment to grow there and spread down here, so click the link and read the petition Yum Tacos is running to "Save Sacramento's Taco Trucks."

Roundup #16

Here's another entry where I cover some stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard restaurant review. If this is your first time here don't let this entry throw you off; we really do have tons of reviews of Mexican restaurants, in fact almost 200, so just keep scrolling down.

Mexican restaurants I've been to for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Molcajete Grill, El Pollo Loco, Azteca's, Zorrito Mexican Grill, Taco Adobe, Taco Rosa, Tia Juana's, El Torito Grill, Chipotle, Wahoo's, Del Taco, Baja Fish Tacos, Cancun Fresh (which is now under new management), Tacos & Co., Blue Agave, Taleo, Las Barcas, and Mario's.

Here's some photos from my last Blue Agave visit, a place I wish I could get to more often:




Non-Mexican restaurants I've been to since the last roundup entry include but are not limited to: Ebisu, Cafe Chin Chin, Athens West, Genghis Khan Mongolian BBQ, Maki Yaki (they've got good California rolls), Tommy Pastrami, Dave & Buster's, River Belle Terrace, Maui Wowi, Red Robin, Claim Jumper, Newport Rib Company, and Cafe Hiro.

Wild and Crazy Taco Night 2008

There's a new Wild and Crazy Taco Night charity event put on by Share Our Selves coming up soon (April 17) that I should've mentioned earlier. This is where gourmet chefs from throughout the county cook up exotic tacos with all proceeds going to help the homeless. A VIP package is available for the first time this year. I've been twice before and there's always a lot of people there.

Official Site

Read our 2006 and 2007 coverage

Fun with Search Engines - Part Dos

A while back I had an entry where I showed some of the funny search phrases people have stumbled into this site with. Here's a small sampling of some more funny ones from the recent past:

• "how many people like mexican food?"
• "foot long taco dough"
• "amount of grease on fries"
• "why are del tacos across the street from each other in lake forest?"
• "what did blacksmith's in the 1900's specialize in?"
• "mexican food and why they made it"

The State of the Blog

As I did last April I am going to attempt to take the month off from personally going to restaurants for review purposes. There will still be content coming, at least one new entry a week, but if you've been thinking about doing a guest review now is the time to get it written up and submitted and put yourself on the fast track to fame and fortune. During this month I am going to try to do a lot of work on the site, some that will be obvious and some that will be behind-the scenes. When I first started the site it was for my own personal musings on places I've eaten at, but now, more than two years later, it has become something like an official resource and that means having to handle everything more professionally.

Last, but not least, please feel free to leave comments on any entry on the blog, no matter how old. When I go to a restaurant I can only report on my experience and on the food I ordered. When your comments are added to an entry here it increases the value of that entry for future readers.

Roundup #15

Here's another entry where I cover some stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard Mexican restaurant review. If this is your first time here just keep scrolling down for our restaurant reviews.

Ordered some Taco Standups and finally tried them out recently when I made some quick shrimp tacos:

These things work great! View the whole photo album of my shrimp taco mini-dinner at flickr.

---

Got quoted on the front page of the Register today, presumably only the print edition. Had been contacted by their Fast Food Maven for a quote about the whole tax rebate thing and what I would do with mine so I fired off a quick quote but had no idea it'd end up on the front page. A snippet of my quote was used. The whole quote I had submitted said, "This may not be a cure for world hunger or the end to America's economic woes but, generally speaking, the more people can keep their own money and not have to pay it out towards taxes the better (yes, we do need some taxation to keep society running). I suppose the government primarily wants the rebates to be injected into retail and maybe some put towards savings so here's my breakdown: $310 to fix the broken passenger window on my car, $200 student loan payment, $50 to savings, $20 towards a good book, and $20 towards a good meal at Taco Rosa."

---

Mexican places I've eaten at for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Del Taco, Rubio's, Taco Bell, El Pollo Loco (hitting all the fast food places first), Acapulco (an L.A. County location), Baja Fresh (tried their new Big Beef and Potato Burrito), La Rana (added pictures to the first review), Taco Rosa, Rancho del Zocalo, Mario's, Azteca's, Chipotle, Taco Adobe (where I had an excellent pozole verde), Tortilla Jo's, Taleo, Javier's, Wahoo's, and El Farolito.

Non-Mexican places I've eaten at since the last roundup entry include: the deli at Gelson's, Johnny Rockets, Daphne's Greek Cafe, the commissary at the DreamWorks Animation campus, The Counter, Fuddrucker's, Sagami Tei, The Corner Bakery, NYC Cafe, Pat & Oscar's, Maui Wowi (sort of Starbucks and Jamba Juice get married and honeymoon to Hawaii), Nalu's Island Grill, In-n-Out, Chick-Fil-A, Panda Express, Souplantation, Market Broiler, J&J's House of Subs, Bubba Gump, Mustard Cafe, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen (had an excellent black and white chocolate bread pudding), Lee's Sandwiches, Shimura, and King's Fish House.

Roundup #14

Time for another roundup entry, where I mention things that don't fit neatly into a traditional restaurant review.

Mexican restaurants that I've already reviewed and have eaten at since the last roundup entry include: Baja Fish Tacos (did anybody else notice their coupon stuck to the front page of The Register a couple days ago?), Javier's, Del Taco, Cancun, La Salsa, Taleo, Gabbi's, Rubio's, Taco Bell, Molcajete Grill, Taco Rosa, Las Fajitas, Aztecas, and Kantina (where I took advantage of their half-price Wednesdays).


Molcajete Grill
Non-Mexican restaurants I've eaten at since the last roundup entry include but are not limited to: California Fish Grill, the deli at Gelson's, Peruvian Kitchen (view flickr slideshow), Chick-Fil-A, Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store, Corner Bakery, Catal's Uva Bar, NYC Cafe, Daphne's Greek Cafe, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, Romano's Macaroni Grill, BJ's, Nalu's Island Grill, Mugen Japanese Cuisine, Wasabi, Old Spaghetti Factory, Dave & Buster's, Maki Yaki, 50 Forks (twice), Curry House, Jackson Barne Classic Grill, and The Cravery.

Corner Bakery

Went about a week ago to a big food blogger meetup at Break of Dawn organized by ChubbyPanda. Polar, brekkie_fan, Eric (Vegas Buff), Veronica of Wine & Dine, Joy and Carter, and ElmoMonster were there and a few others. Before I went I had already determined to order the Eggs Benedict based on CP's review, but when I got there I noticed a couple Mexican items on their menu that I will try some other time and report on later.

Finally, last Tuesday night I attended a special event in Hollywood put on by Walt Disney Home Entertainment to trumpet the pending releases of the Pixar films Cars and Ratatouille to Blu-Ray DVD. All the guests were treated to some fine dining provided by some gourmet chefs, cheese sampling and made-to-order dessert crepes. Check out the photos at my flickr page.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled Mexican food programming . . . The fun never dies down here. We've definitely got more on the way, including a couple guest reviews from Johnny Automatic in the pipeline . . .

Roundup #13

If this is the first time you've been to this blog don't be thrown off by this entry. We still have over a hundred reviews of Mexican restaurants in Orange County but every once in a while I do a "roundup" entry where I mention things that don't fit neatly into an official restaurant review.

Mexican restaurants I've reviewed before and have visited since the last roundup entry for non-review purposes include: Azteca's, Fiesta Grill, El Pollo Loco, Taco Rosa, Taleo, Taco Bell, Las Barcas, Baja Fish Tacos (where I went for lunch on an incredibly impromptu blind date), Del Taco, Kantina (who seemed to have recently swapped their eclectic menu out for a more traditional one), Las Fajitas, Molcajete Grill, and La Salsa (who have a new "Chipotle Citrus Salsa" added to their salsa bar and have also recently brought back their Chipotle Shrimp Salad).


Molcajete Grill Chile Relleno & Tamale Platter


Molcajete Grill Carnitas Tacos
I also visited Wahoo's once for non-review purposes and then the long lasting Wahoo's Non-review Curse was finally broken with this review . . . and then I went back again for another non-review visit.

Also, the Salad Wars entry has been updated with reviews of at least two more fast food Mexican-inspired salads.

Met up several nights with Cynthia Furey of The Orange County Register, new guest reviewer Johnny (we have a fourth review of his coming soon) and his wife, and new reader Shelly (who found out about this blog from the Register article), at Taco Rosa in Irvine where we enjoyed some great food as well as conversation that never slowed down. I believe Cynthia will be mentioning this visit on her blog. For now, here are a few pictures from our meetup:

Taco Rosa's Camarones Rancheros

Taco Rosa's Dessert Platter

Non-Mexican restaurants I've visited since the last roundup entry include, but are not limited to: Kabuki, Funashin, Aloha Mixed Plate, Royal Ocean Terrace, Ferraro's at the Four Seasons Maui, Longhi's, The Wok Experience, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Market Broiler, King's Hawaiian (both locations), Ebisu, Gong's Chinese, La Brea Bakery, Claim Jumper, TK Burger, Daphne's Greek Cafe, Johnny Rockets, Kabuki (again - and they had some new menu items this time - and free edamame for every table now), Jackson Barne Classic Grill, Mandarin Restaurant, and Pat & Oscar's (gotta love those breadsticks).

And here's a reminder of the coupon we're offering (yes, it's legitimate) good for a free appetizer or dessert item at Taleo Mexican Grill:

Click Here for Printable Image

Before heading to Taleo be sure to check out our complete coverage of them giving an extensive rundown of their menu and environment.

Roundup #12

Coming out of my roughly one-month break from actively seeking out new Mexican restaurants to review. Was able to get caught up on a number of things related to the blog as well as going back to several places I've reviewed before but hadn't been back to yet. So, all the Mexican restaurants I've been to for non-review purposes since the last roundup entry include: Taco Rosa, El Pollo Loco, Carnitas la Villa, Las Fajitas, Taleo (where I've gone a few times and have been trying out some of their non-Mexican items such as their Taleo cheeseburger and their barbecue chicken sandwich), Anita's (no new review, but there are some updated pictures in the original entry), Charo Chicken, Taqueria el Granjenal, Taco Mesa, Taco Bell, the chimichanga cart at Disneyland near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (this might actually get a review later), Rubio's, La Salsa, Del Taco, Rancho del Zocalo, Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill, Taco Factory, Durango Mexican Grill, Javier's at the Irvine Spectrum, Azteca's, Jalapeno's, Super Mex, and Baja Fresh (tried their new Nacho Burrito). Also, made one trip to Gabbi's, where I got their flatiron steak and my friend got mahi mahi tacos, both special items that day:

Gabbi's Flat Iron Steak

Gabbi's Mahi Mahi Tacos

I also made a weekend trip up to Utah where I went to Taco Time again and got pretty much the same food as I ordered the one other time I've been there and tried out Cafe Rio for the first time (might be posting pictures soon).

Non-Mexican eateries I've visited since the last roundup entry include: Daphne's Greek Cafe, Kabuki, Crepes de Paris (at the Irvine Spectrum but not even listed on the Spectrum's website), Taste of India, Green Parrot Cafe (which I wrote a review for at OC Food Blogs), Sugar Shack, Claim Jumper, Nordstrom Cafe, J&J's House of Subs, no ka oi, Royal St. Veranda, Cafe Orleans, Crab Cooker (which I also wrote a review for at OC Food Blogs), King's Hawaiian, Rumbi's Island Grill, The Cravery, Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store, IKEA, Market Broiler, Merhaba (might be putting up some pictures from this East African restaurant at OC Food Blogs soon), Kappo Honda, Ruby's, and the DreamWorks campus cafeteria.

Roundup #11

Quick roundup entry here before I take a one month break from actively seeking out new restaurants to review. Will still be around to do lots of maintenance on the site to get some of the information up-to-date and will also be posting any guest reviews that may be submitted . . . and will, of course, be reporting on the Wild and Crazy Taco Night that will be held on April 19.

Mexican restaurants that I've already reviewed (and may review again) but have visited since the last roundup entry for non-review purposes include: Las Fajitas, Azteca's, El Pollo Loco, Rubio's, Taco Rosa, Taco Bell, Gabbi's, Del Taco, Baja Fish Tacos, and Taleo.

Non-Mexican restaurants I have been to since the last roundup entry include: Funashin, Claim Jumper, In-N-Out, The Galley Cafe, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, J&J's House of Subs, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, Panera Bread, and Matsu.

Roundup #10

Time for another "roundup" entry where I post info that doesn't fit neatly into a proper restaurant review.

Mexican Restaurants

Mexican restaurants I have already reviewed and have visited since the last roundup entry for non-review purposes include: Tortilla Jo's Taqueria (the walkup window at Tortilla Jo's at Downtown Disney, Charo Chicken, Taco Rosa, El Pollo Loco (which is bringing back their black beans today), Taleo (look for an entry featuring some of their new menu items soon), Normita's Surf City Tacos, Baja Sharkeez, Blue Agave (although I might do a photo post of this particular visit), and Taco Mesa in Ladera Ranch.

Mexican restaurants I haven't reviewed yet (but will review sometime) that I've visited for non-review purposes (just old-fashioned eating) since the last roundup entry include: Super Antojitos and Wahoo's (yes, the Wahoo's Non-Review Curse has struck again).

Maui Chicken Tacos from Baja Sharkeez

Normita's Surf City Tacos

Non-Mexican Restaurants

Non-Mexican restaurants I've eaten at since the last roundup entry include: Bengal Barbecue, Pacific Whey Cafe, 50 Forks (where, according to Gustavo Arrelano, you can dine like you're in Newport Beach but at Santa Ana prices), Kabuki, Gyro King, and Daily Grill (American comfort food at its most robust). Also recently joined Kirk from mmm-yoso, Deb from Dinner at Six, "ChubbyPanda" from Epicurious Wanderer, "ElmoMonster" from Monster Munching, "Wandering Chopsticks" (read her report), Joy, and Elonweis from OC Food Blogs for dim sum at Dragon Phoenix Palace in Westminster:

Here's my King Crab Rolls and ice cream from Kabuki:

And I've done some home cooking recently, too, including this blackberry meringue from some Sunset cookbook:

Roundup #9

This is going to be a quicker roundup entry than normal.

Mexican restaurants I have already reviewed that I've visited for non-review purposes since the last roundup include: Azteca's (FV and HB locations; a review of another visit of mine to their HB location is coming soon), Taco Rosa, Taleo (follow the link for a coupon and a deluxe review), Rubio's, Rancho del Zocalo, Javier's at the Irvine Spectrum (I was told that their Crystal Cove location is set to open in the summer or the fall of this year, but more likely the fall), Kantina (exceptional service this time), Baja Fish Tacos (the Irvine location), La Capilla, and Taco Bell (tried their new Steak Grilled Taquitos).

I've also been to Wahoo's twice and even though Wahoo's hasn't been reviewed here (yet) neither of those visits were for review purposes.

Non-Mexican restaurants I've eaten at since the last roundup entry include but are not limited to: Buca di Beppo, Funashin, Market Broiler, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen Express, The Old Spaghetti Factory, Elephant Bar, and the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store.

Food Blogger Meetup

Also participated in a food blogger meetup at Vien Dong in Garden Grove with Wandering Chopsticks, Rasa Malaysia, Chubby Panda, and ElmoMonster. Here's some of the Northern Vietnamese food we were served there:

Roundup #8

Here's another one of my catchup entries where I discuss things that don't fit nice and neatly into a particular restaurant review.

Taco Time

While driving around Garden Grove recently I saw that there is now a Taco Time in Orange County (see my report of Taco Time from when I was up in Utah last June). I wondered if it had been there all along but then saw a banner mentioning that their Grand Opening is December 15th and 16th and that they are having a two-for-one sale those two days. So, if you are in the area try to stop by today or tomorrow to take advantage of their grand opening special.

Taco Time
10832 Katella Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92804

Taco Time Official Site

Restaurant Roundup

Some of the non-Mexican restaurants I've been to since the last roundup include: Kung Pao Bowl (love the paintings on their walls), Angelo's & Vinci's (this place is huge; you could get lost in it), Pagolac, Market Broiler (twice), Cathay Newport (you get a lot of food at a great price), Funashin, Johnny Rockets, Wei's Chinese Restaurant, Kabuki, Broadway Pizza & Grill, Park Ave., Ebisu, Ruby's, and Frenzy Sushi.

Frenzy Sushi

Visited Frenzy Sushi last Wednesday night with "Beach," Joy & Carter, "Elmo" from the Monster Munching blog, "ChubbyPanda" from the Epicurious Wanderer blog, and Nguyen from the Oh-So Yummy blog. Our little group of Orange County food lovers is growing, but we still miss having SqueezeOC's Omar along with us. Each of the bloggers present will be posting their own separate review.

Identify the famous food bloggers:

This is the "Sombre-Roll" ("Sombrero" combined with "Roll" . . . get it?), with spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber and jalapenos:

Find out what's featured in this blurry shot in somebody else's review:

• Oh-So Yummy's Frenzy Review

Some of the Mexican restaurants I've already reviewed but have been back to for non-review purposes since the last roundup include: Las Barcas, Taco Rosa, Taco Bell, Taleo Mexican Grill, Gabbi's, Azteca's (the mom and pop place near my mom and pop's place), Baja Fish Taco (the location near South Coast Plaza), and El Torito (but this particular visit to El Torito was just for karaoke where I performed "I Will Survive," "La Bamba," "Baby Got Back," and "Islands in the Stream.") Have also been to Ernie Jr.'s Taco House in Glendale a couple of times.