Moreno's Mexican Restaurant - Review #1

Appetizer: Fresh made tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole
Entree: Chile Colorado Plate (#22)
Drink: Diet Pepsi
Dessert: Flan

Phil Pico, who was the photographer for the first review of Las Barcas and was present for the first review of Normita's Surf City Tacos has submitted his own review for Moreno's Restaurant in Orange:

Well, in celebration of several family birthdays today my family got together to celebrate at a long time favorite of my fathers, Moreno's in Orange. At first glance the place gives you the impression of old Los Angeles. There is ample parking and it's pretty easy to locate off of Chapman Ave. After parking a clue to finding the main entrance is to cut through the front patio.

Once inside there are several rooms available, so wait to be seated. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The atmosphere is reminiscent of Nana and Tata's house when a family function is about to begin. After being seated we had fresh-made tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole and ordered our drinks. Also on the table are a couple bowls of vegetables for those of you wanting to spice things up (muy caliente!). We placed our orders promptly, I chose the Chile Colorado (#22 on the menu), my nephew's fiancé chose vegetable-beef soup, and my niece's fiancé chose the Carnitas (see below). All combinations come with tortillas and your choice of soup or salad; I had the Albondigas soup and it was hot and quite tasty! For those of you who like Spirits my mom and dad had margaritas (fish bowl sized) and my sister had the sangria (topped with fruit).

Our food arrived before the first basket of chips was gone. The Chile Colorado was real good! The portions were large and I had to get a take-away box because I couldn't finish it all. My nephew and his fiancé were very impressed with the Vegetable-beef soup and I didn't hear my soon-to-be-nephew (Rob) complain once about the Carnitas. After the plates were cleared the staff arrived and adorned us with sombreros (the birthday people). They sang us a special birthday song and presented each birthday person with a complimentary birthday flan. We had a great time. My parents often go there for the morning brunch and rave about how good it is. The only drawback that I had about the whole experience was the Salsa. I asked a waiter for some salsa fresca and he replied they didn't have any (what?!). We stayed long after our food was gone and continued to socialize. We arrived at 4:00pm and were on our way out by 6:00pm.

Out of a possible five speedy G's I give Moreno's a four (salsa cost 'em a Speedy, sorry!)

UPDATE: Here's a slideshow of pictures from our other reviews on Moreno's. You can see our complete Moreno's coverage by clicking on the "moreno's" label below:

El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

The Orange County Register recently printed a recipe for a clone of El Pollo Loco's Chicken Tortilla Soup. I don't know how long the article will be accessible online so here's the recipe:

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CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

Yield: 6-8 servings

• ½ cup instant rice
• 4 cups water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies with liquid
• 1 15 oz. can black beans with liquid
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1½ cups frozen corn kernels
• Toppings: blend of shredded Mexican-style cheeses (found in sealed bags in most supermarkets), roughly crumbled tortilla chips, chopped green onion, sour cream

Procedure:

1. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20-30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add toppings as desired.

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If anybody tries this recipe before I do let us know how close it really is to El Pollo Loco's version. UPDATE: I should add that a lot of people keep searching the Internet for "El Pollo Loco Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe" so it must be popular.

UPDATE (February 26, 2009):

A commenter named Dawn just informed us that this very in-demand recipe is on El Pollo Loco's website. If it's been there for a while then I guess it was hidden in plain sight. CLICK HERE then scroll down to almost the bottom of the page for the South of the Border Chicken Soup. I'm guessing this is the same recipe even though it doesn't mention tortilla strips.

El Torito Grill - Review #1

El Torito Grill
27741 Crown Valley Pkwy Suite 601
Mission Viejo, CA 92691

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Official Site

Appetizer: Handmade tortillas with two types of salsa and honey butter
Entree: Quesadilla de Filete al Mesquite
Drink: agua
Dessert: Flan

UPDATE: This location has closed.

Fancier than El Torito (expansive fifty year old chain), not as fancy as Las Brisas (which is a lone restaurant under the El Torito umbrella), El Torito Grill, according to themselves, is "dedicated to bringing you the sensory experience that is a fusion of the contemporary and native foods of Mexico." El Torito Grill has four locations in Orange County. I've been to at least three other locations before including the now extinct Costa Mesa location. Many of the basic items on their menu overlap with the menu for the standard El Torito restaurants.

My brother and I stumbled on this location after we went looking for the Ladera Ranch location of Taco Mesa for breakfast and couldn't find it. The address for Taco Mesa is 27702 Crown Valley Parkway and we found two gas stations next to each other on Crown Valley, one of which was 27682 and the other one was 27742 but with no Taco Mesa in between them. Does anybody have any information on this? Anyways, we ended up going to El Torito Grill for an early lunch. It is on the 3rd level of the Kaleidoscope shopping center right where Crown Valley Parkway and the 5 freeway meet.

Guacamole made tableside

Instead of chips and salsa El Torito Grill brings you warm handmade tortillas with honey butter to spread on them and a mild and a spicy salsa. They also tend to bring you refills on the tortillas without you even having to ask. One of their featured appetizers is guacamole made tableside prepared with two big fresh avocados and to your desired degree of spiciness. I've had it on a previous visit but had to snap it being made at another party's table this time. If you want guacamole any fresher than that make it yourself and eat it while you're making it.

Two Cheese Enchilada Plate


Quesadilla de Filete al Mesquite

Seeing as how I was really hoping for breakfast I didn't go for a full entree but instead ordered an appetizer from their specials menu (their website indicates their specials menu changes daily so you will pretty much get a surprise every time you go). My item was a Quesadilla de Filete al Mesquite described on the menu as: "Grilled filet mignon, Jack cheese, shallots, goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in a smoked chipotle tortilla. Served with fresh avocado relish." Turned out to be the fanciest quesadilla I've ever had (not the fanciest quesadilla I've heard of though, which was a Brie and Grape Quesadilla served with sweet pea guacamole I saw on the menu at the Hali'imaile General Store when I was on the island of Maui last June and which I might actually order when I go back). It was more like a big taquito, quartered with each segment lying in a bed of guacamole and facing up, all topped with a mop of shallots. If I ever see it on their menu again and somebody in my party wanted to share it as an appetizer I'd definitely order it again.

El Torito Grill's Flan

For dessert I ordered their flan. My brother came really close to ordering the peanut tostada then flaked out. The flan is presented in a more artsy way than most places but less artsy than Taco Rosa's. It came with whipped cream and strawberry slices, a sprig of mint, and powdered sugar dusted all around the oversized bowl.

Overall, El Torito Grill earns a four and a half Speedy Gonzales rating. I would maybe even kick them up to a five Speedy rating except that they don't have anything creative in the way of non-alcoholic beverages. Still, every visit to El Torito Grill is a positive adventure.



Other El Torito Grill entries:

• El Torito Grill - Review #2 (Irvine)
• El Torito Grill - Review #3 (Anaheim)
• El Torito Grill - Review #4 (Newport Beach/Fashion Island)
• El Torito Grill - Review #5 (Brea)
• El Torito Grill - Review #6 (Rancho Santa Margarita)

Or click on the "el torito grill" label below to read our full El Torito Grill coverage:

Roundup #3

Is Mexican food good for you?

Just found this article on Yahoo! News about how the capsaicin found in jalapeno peppers may cause prostate cancer cells to "commit suicide:"

Chili's Heat Kills Prostate Cancer Cells

Shortly after that I found this article by Rick Bayless, who runs two Mexican restaurants in Chicago, about how he stays lean and fit even though he's eating all the time and even though much of what he is eating is Mexican food. I can relate to a lot of what he says, especially the part about watching Gilligan's Island re-runs.

Rick's Secrets to Good Food and Healthy Living

Rubio's Update

Went to the Rubio's at Harvard and Main in Irvine for lunch and got their featured crispy shrimp taco platter and added a carnitas street taco. Noticed they still have Vanilla Coke there even though it is no longer available on store shelves so if you like Vanilla Coke keep in mind it may be at a Rubio's near you.

Upcoming Restaurants

Hoping to hit Taco Mesa in Ladera Ranch soon, Cafe El Cholo in La Habra, and Agave Mexican Grill in Rancho Santa Margarita soon. Who knows where fate will actually lead me though. And I'm always open to suggestions. For tomorrow I am planning on staying true to my Irish heritage and getting a Shamrock Shake from McDonald's and watching Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

Los Corales - Preliminary Report

Location: Somewhere near the Fountain Valley/Santa Ana border.

This place comes closest to making me feel the most unwelcome. I don't know if they were actually unwelcoming but they were very thrown off by the white boy coming in. I couldn't have been the first but they sure acted like it. I never knew about this place until I was getting a new stereo installed in my car. While waiting I figured I'd get some dinner so I went to Los Corales (I'm not even sure that is the name of the place; I saw their name listed three or four different ways and "Los Corales" was usually part of it so that's what I'm using here) two or three shops down from the auto sound store.

The waitress started out by asking, "What would you like to drink? We have Coke, we have . . . "

"Do you have Jarritos?" (I pronounced it properly with the first letter sounding like an 'H' rather than a 'J.')

"Uh, no, we don't have burritos." (The waitress said it in a bemused way, as if she was thinking, "Poor gabacho thinks we are like Taco Bell and assumes we have burritos.")

"Do you have Jarritos?"

"No, we don't have burritos."

"Okay, I understand you don't have burritos but do you have Jarritos, you know, Jarritos brand soda?"

"No, we don't have burritos."

So I pointed to where it showed on the menu that they have Jarritos brand soda and the waitress said, "Oh, Jarritos. What flavor would you like? Orange?"

"Maybe, what other kinds do you have?"

"Orange, toronja, and tamarindo."

"Okay, I'll have tamarindo."

"Tamarindo? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Uh . . . okay."

When another waitress brought out my Tamarind Jarritos she pointed at the label and asked, "Is this really what you want?"

"Yes, that's really what I want."

The waitresses were actually very nice; it's just that they had trouble comprehending that some people might know what they are talking about.

They had some very nice paintings on two of the walls that I wanted to take pictures of but I would've felt very weird taking my camera out. Will have to try again sometime. The Camarones Envueltos I ordered were very photogenic as well but that photo opportunity was also missed. When I went back to the Auto Sound store to pick up my car I asked the guy there (another gringo) if he ever goes to the Mexican restaurant at the end of the strip and he said, "No. Well, sometimes I get food from there but I have one of the guys pick it up."

Don Carlos - Review #1

6300 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd.
Anaheim Hills, CA 92807
(714) 974-0616

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Official Site

Here's James again with his third review:

On Saturday, March 11, I went to Don Carlos restaurant on Santa Ana Canyon Rd. in Anaheim Hills. I got the combination plate #4 (taco and enchilada). I chose chicken as the meat for both, and asked for a soft taco. The rice here is fluffy and moist, which I like. The taco was good, but the bottom fell out of it and I had to use a fork. This place is good to go to for a weekday lunch, because their lunch specials (including rice, beans, chips & drink) are mostly around $5.00 (check the menu at www.doncarlosmexicanfood.com for exact prices). On Tuesdays they have 99 cent tacos. My wife ordered Green Chile Pork when we went to this place on another recent visit, and she said it was too spicy hot for her to eat. I thought she was being wimpy but I tried it and it was very hot (just like the menu says). Overall I'd give Don Carlos three Speedys:

Javier's Cantina and Grill - Review #1

IMPORTANT UPDATE (February 11, 2008):

Javier's in Laguna has closed down. The Irvine location is still open and the Crystal Cove location has just opened. →CLICK HERE← to read all our extensive Javier's Cantina coverage including information on their location that is still open, their location that has just opened, and their location at a Mexican resort (includes a couple dozen photos).

Javier's Cantina & Grill
480 S Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

The parking situation here was almost enough to make me drive away and never come back. One of my pet peeves is places with insufficient parking, or tight parking, or expensive parking. Javier's shares with other nearby shops a two-story parking garage where you have to purchase a parking voucher from a machine. The machine doesn't take bills so you have to go to a change machine in another part of the structure then go back to the machine that gives you a parking pass then go back to your car to put the pass on your dash. I don't know who the Einsteins are that came up with that arrangement. The machine says that parking is $1.50 per hour but you really get ten minutes for every quarter you put in so if you think you might be just over an hour just put in $1.75 or $2.00. I was thinking at first that it would only take amounts in increments of $1.50 but that's not the case. So, that is one good point. You can also try your luck parking in a residential area then walking back to the restaurant. If you go to their other location at the Irvine Spectrum (which, oddly enough, their official site doesn't even acknowledge) you'll have different types of parking-related headaches to deal with.

It is also hard to see Javier's from out front. All the store fronts on this strip are jammed closely together so that nothing stands out. If you've never been before you'll have to pay attention to the numbers on the shops when locating Javier's for the first time.

Javier's Chicken Taco Plate


Javier's Mole Poblano

My friend Sherry tells me that Javier's started when Javier worked at another Mexican restaurant nearby and was mistreated by his employer. He put up with it for a while, then finally got tired of it, quit and started his own restaurant which did so well it put his former employer out of business. If that is all true then I say more power to Javier and down with mean people. If you're a mean person stop being mean.

After ordering our food arrived very quickly, maybe in three or four minutes. But it didn't seem to have been prepared in a rush. Sherry and Zach each ordered the chicken taco plate and I ordered the mole poblano. I might even say it's the best mole sauce I've ever had; everything about it seemed to be perfectly balanced and complementary to the perfectly cooked chicken it smothered. One thing I'd prefer, and I'll readily admit this is my own idiosyncracy, is that I always wish they'd sprinkle even more sesame seeds on top of the mole. And I mean lots and lots of sesame seeds. But that's just me. And maybe next time I should just ask for it.

Javier's Flan


Javier's Deep-fried Ice Cream

I couldn't order their deep-fried ice cream because it has walnuts in it but Sherry and Zach ordered it and shared it. I ordered the flan for dessert and it was very well made but presented in an incredibly plain manner: the plate, the flan, and nothing else. I think I've been spoiled by Taco Rosa where they turn every serving of flan into its own artistic creation. And one time about a year ago when family was in town and I had too much time on my hands I made even artsier-looking flan and may try it again soon and post pictures here.

Overall, Javier's Cantina and Grill earns a very solid four Speedy Gonzales rating:



Other Javier's Reviews:

• Javier's at the Irvine Spectrum - Cinco de Mayo Review

Las Fajitas Grill - Review #1

4250 Barranca Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92604-4753

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Official Site

Entree: Seafood Combo
Drink: Guava Jarritos w/ lime

Okay, I thought it was bad last weekend when I was backed up with three entries to write but now I have five entries to post. They may come hot and heavy or they may come slow and steady.

Las Fajitas is a place I tried once in 2002 then again in 2004 and the food just never sat well with me. This time there seemed to be a little bit of improvement. At their cash register they have a computer monitor that's flashing pictures. Every time I see it I get the urge to check my e-mail but it's really just flashing pictures of some of their food. It might sound silly but it works great for somebody like me who has to see what they are getting beforehand. And it influenced my decision today because as soon as I saw the Seafood Combo I ordered it. It came with some salmon, mahi, and shrimps on a skewer with loads of tasty barbecued veggies. I forgot to bring my darn coupn with me so I might go again soon and try out their breakfast (which they only have on Saturdays and Sundays).

Las Fajitas has much better food than the jewelry store next door


My co-worker is so mysterious


Artist's conception of the original Las Fajitas


Mmm . . . corn salsa

Las Fajitas gets a three Speedy Gonzales rating:

Flamingo's Mexican Grill - Review #1

25342 Mcintyre St
Laguna Hills, CA 92653

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No known official website.

Appetizer: Chips and Salsa
Soup: Albondigas
Entree: Enchiladas Vallarta
Drink: agua
Dessert: Deep-fried Ice Cream

Some of Flamingo's many flamingos

So last night I went to Flamingo's, or, as I like to refer to it, "Flaming Moe's" (if you like The Simpsons you'll know what Flaming Moe's is). I thought "Flamingo's" was maybe just a name, but, no, they actually have flamingos all over the place inside. Stuffed toy ones, plastic ones, weird spinning-from-the-ceiling origami ones, mirrors shaped like flamingos, etc. And even though it's not called "Parrots" they also have a few fake parrots hanging from the ceiling, which, along with the all the bamboo and the tiki masks, makes you think you are in Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room.
Started out with chips and salsa, then a cup of Albondigas soup which was right on except the meatballs were a tad underdone (but just barely done enough to keep me from complaining about them). As an entree I ordered the Enchiladas Vallarta, chicken enchiladas covered with cheese and some sort of lime-jalapeño sauce. They were serviceable but I have yet to encounter a chicken enchilada where the ingredients blend as they should. That's not Flamingo's fault. It's just the nature of the beast.
And this is weird but this is the second place where I was all ready to order deep-fried ice cream but instead was brought the bill without ever being asked if I wanted dessert. Maybe they are just watching out for my health again. Otherwise the service was good.

The Tiki Room?


The flamingo on the right looks kind of mean


Boo!


Looks almost Arabic


Enchiladas Vallarta


Albondigas Soup


Ever seen a cross between a flamingo and a zebra?

I'll give Flamingo's a three and a half Speedy Gonzales rating:

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As a followup to my previous entry on Infrequently Asked Questions, I just noticed that a while back, Kirk from mmm-yoso interviewed Reid from 'Ono Kine Grindz and a lot of Reid's answers were very similar to how I think in my approach to this blog. Interesting.

IAQ (Infrequently Asked Questions)

The following are some questions that nobody ever asks me but that I imagine must be floating around some readers' heads. Actually, I've been asked two of the questions before.

You mean to tell me you only eat at Mexican restaurants?

Nope. They're just the only kind of restaurants I write about. Some non-Mexican restaurants I've been to recently include 50 Forks, Ciao Brasserie, and Li's Chinese.

Why are you so nice in all your reviews? As a critic aren't you supposed to point out all the bad stuff?

Well, I'm not really a critic. A couple years ago I set out on a quest to make a concerted effort to try out many new Mexican restaurants in Orange County, California. Beginning in December 2005 I finally began chronicling my experiences. If my web log can expand others' horizons then that is a wonderful thing. I'm not really trying to critique any one place so much as give an overview of my experience at it. There's a couple places I have had bad experiences at (one was kinda bad, one was fairly bad, and the third was just unmitigatingly, extraordinarily bad) but I realize my experiences may have been exceptions so I keep my mouth shut. Of course I have pointed out a few negative things here and there.

Are you allowed to use the Speedy Gonzales image on your site?

I don't know. But if Warner Bros. wants me to stop then I will. And I did meet the wife of the guy who created the character one time at Fashion Island and conversed with her briefly so I think that gives me some kind of authority to use the character. And I'm using him in a very appropriate way that doesn't offend racial sensitivities. And if anybody thinks there's something offensive about Speedy then I can find a thousand Mexicans or more who would claim otherwise, including all the vatos I see driving around Los Angeles with Speedy Gonzales stickers on their pimped out rides. Or, if Warner Bros. wants, I can pay them 15% of everything I make from this site.

Do you make any money from this site?

I wish.

Has any restaurant owner ever invited you to their restaurant and/or given you free food?

No.

Are you going to eat any more grasshoppers?

Maybe.

Sometimes you talk about a particular place being authentic. What exactly makes one place "authentic" and another place inauthentic?

An authentic Mexican restaurant is any place that does not have an item on its menu called a Crunchwrap Supreme. Joking aside, that is a very good question and I have wondered how to articulate an answer. Usually I just go by my gut feeling. Sometimes you go off of whether or not people that have moved here from Mexico consider it to be authentic. Let's solicit some opinions and I can put them together for a later entry.

How come I don't see any of those Google ads on your blog?

Because they are aesthetically unappealing and tend to be irrelevant to the actual content of the sites that you see them on.

But don't you care about making money?

Not as much as I should when I live in a greedy, capitalistic county like Orange County. I'm really a lot like Speedy Gonzales' sleepy cousin, Slowpoke Rodriguez.



So, are you ever going to have ads on the site?

Maybe. But if I do they will be relevant and only for products or services I actually approve of.

How come you keep using the phrase "pretty good" in your reviews?

Because I have a weak vocabulary (feeble attempt at self-deprecatory humor). But I'm working on it.

How come you don't give enough details about the actual food?
Blame it on the weak vocabulary, but every time I think about what words to use the only word that comes to mind is "succulent" but I see that word too often in other food reviews and I just don't want to go there. The other thing is that, quite often, the food at one place is very similar to the food at many other places so I tend to only mention something about the food if it stands out as being particularly good, bad, or unusual.

I've heard you make a mean flan.

You've heard correctly.

What do you think about Dr. Phil?

I don't know. Does he like Mexican food?

The biggest compliment you can give me is to let other people know about this site. If somebody isn't looking for the information that this site offers then that is fine. But if they are looking for it and don't find it that would be a tragedy. Thanks for reading. Keep the comments coming.