Market Broiler

Market Broiler 20111 Brookhurst St Huntington Beach, CA 92646 (714) 963-7796 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch Official Site

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For those viewing the blog for the first time don't be thrown off by the fact that normally we just cover Mexican restaurants but from time to time we also cover non-Mexican restaurants that have some Mexican items on their menu. This is such an entry.

I've been to Market Broiler numerous times since starting this blog (and before) but I finally tried the fish tacos they have on their menu recently. The Huntington Beach location is in the spot of what I believe used to be an old Love's restaurant (remember the commercials? "When you're in Love's the whole world's delicious.") and opened in the early to mid 1990's. Made with fried cod fillets, tomatoes, cilantro, cabbage, and a chipotle sauce, served with tri-colored chips and very spicy salsa (have some water handy), in slightly crisped up flour tortilla shells, these fish tacos hit the spot when your dinner group wants seafood and you want Mexican food.

UPDATE

Here's a quesadilla I got at a subsequent visit to Market Broiler:

Taco Surf - Review #2

Taco Surf 1969 Harbor Blvd Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (949) 645-9934 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch Official Site

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(UPDATE (April 30, 2008): Have recently received word that this Taco Surf has closed down.)

Continuing her coverage of the Costa Mesa area, Shelly B. checks in with a review of the Taco Surf on Harbor Boulevard:

It's been open for over 3 years, but I finally visited Taco Surf’s Costa Mesa location. I’ve enjoyed the atmosphere of the Long Beach and Sunset Beach (Surfside) locations. And if any area needs more appeal, it's where the Costa Mesa restaurant is situated, off Harbor Boulevard near 19th. It’s an oasis amidst the hustle and bustle outside. Around there everyone is trying to get somewhere.

Once inside, you forget all about the seriousness elsewhere. Its bar is reminiscent of a palapa, which took me back to Mexico. They even have a Jukebox with excellent song selections – Love that. This location is franchise owned, as like the one in Dana Pointe, only 2 as yet. The owners do a good job, everyone was attentive and friendly. They’ve got a great selection of beers, including a refreshing Hefeweizen with Lemon, plus margaritas made with vino. Another fun thing about this location is the open air patio in the back. It’s cozy, uses heaters when necessary, and contains couples booths, tables and a TV. The feel is comfortable and laid back.

I've had Taco Surf’s food on many occasions. This time we started with a Fiesta Platter, which offers a sampling of items, including Flautas, Quesadillas, Breaded Shrimp, Baja Fish, and Cheese Nachos right in the middle. It’s perfect for two and comes with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo.

We also had an a la carte Chicken Enchilada and their "Famous" Baja Fish Taco, as they describe it. A sample of the same fish is on the Fiesta Platter. The taco also includes a generous slathering of their Signature Spicy Baja Sauce. Overall, I’m glad I discovered its contributions to the locality, since I am able to walk there. Next time I want to try their homemade Tortilla Soup and Huevos Rancheros, and then maybe the Pescado Veracruz. By the way, the salsa and multi-colored chips are very good. There are many good reasons to go back, not to mention there’s a bus stop right out front.

Thanks, Shelly. Here's some more of Shelly's Taco Surf photos:

La Siesta - Review #1

Date of Visit: September 29, 2007

La Siesta 920 N El Camino Real San Clemente, CA 92672 (949) 498-3094 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch Official Site

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I've said something like this before but I am in the middle of another backlog with numerous entries to write and post. Remember that anyone can help beef up the quality of these reviews by leaving comments on their experience at a particular restaurant. Usually I can only try one dish each at each Mexican restaurant I go to, so if you've been to a restaurant that's been covered here please don't hesitate to comment on your experience. Your comments help future readers.

Having said that, I had La Siesta recommended to me about a year ago. Since "la siesta" is Spanish for "the nap" I thought it was a funny name for a restaurant. Then somebody pointed out that it could also mean "the break" and that made a little more sense. When I actually arrived at the restaurant, after having camped for the night at San Onofre State Beach, I saw that the sign showed a cartoon figure of a Mexican man with a sombrero taking a very peaceful nap. So, yes, in this case it does mean "the nap."

Opened in 1985 by Jose Carmelo Hernandez who had already been in the Mexican food business for 50 years, La Siesta in San Clemente occupies the spot of a homey 1950's-style diner now done up in a Mexican theme with hints of surf culture (including one surfboard hanging from the ceiling which shows the napping Mexican) thrown in for good measure.

After consulting the menu for way too long (as I tend to do) I narrowed my choice down to two breakfast selections. I mentioned them to the friendly waitress who then steered me towards the huevos rancheros and suggested I get them with their chile verde sauce in place of the ranchero sauce that typically comes with this dish and then I added that I'd like my eggs cooked a little bit more than huevos rancheros typically calls for. Served with hash-browned potatoes and rice on the side, these are definitely in the running as my favorite huevos rancheros (a breakfast dish I get often, and not always just for breakfast - in fact I unsuccessfully tried ordering it at another place for dinner the other night), largely because every component was cooked just how I would've cooked it for myself if I had been in the kitchen and also because they weren't overly runny, a huevos rancheros feature I'd always just tolerated in the past.

And they had not one but two bottles of Gringo Bandito on my table:

Did they somehow know I was coming?

La Siesta earns a 4.25 Speedy Gonzales rating:

Chipotle at the Irvine Spectrum Opening

Just a heads up that the official grand opening of the Chipotle at the Irvine Spectrum will be this Friday, October 12. If you go today, October 10, you may be able to get a free meal for yourself. I just went for a late lunch and they had a training day going on and were offering free meals for each person present (no, you can't load up on food to bring back to your family, college dormies, work buddies, rat pack, brat pack, or scat pack). Also, I believe they said they were only doing this for lunch so I can't make any guarantees about dinner time. Tomorrow, October 11, they will be having some kind of fundraiser. I don't know what it's for or who it's open to but I assume it's open to the public but that the food won't be free any longer.

UPDATE:

Before you go rushing over there I just found out their free lunch only went from 11am to 2pm but that they may do it again tomorrow, October 11, during the same time frame. I'm suspecting they aren't open for dinner but am not sure. The whole thing is a little bit of a gamble so the strategy I'd suggest is to go if you know you'll be fine with eating elsewhere in case things don't work out with Chipotle.

UPDATE (October 11 @ 12:22pm):

The lunch today is by invitation only. The fundraiser dinner tonight will be open to the general public.

Click on the "chipotle" label below to see our one prior review (there will eventually be more reviews) as well as for a link to their official site.

Kantina Wednesday Nights

La Chiquita - Review #1

Date of Visit: September 22, 2007

La Chiquita 906 E Washington Ave Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 543-8787 Listing on Yahoo! Local Listing on Ask.com's Citysearch No known official website.

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I tried out La Chiquita recently on the recommendation of my dentist who said he's been going there for years. Nestled in a residential area off of the main drag in Santa Ana, and giving new meaning to the term "quaint and charming," you'll need to keep your eyes open when looking for it the first time so that you don't confuse it with a house.

My dentist had mentioned that they have a big burrito on their menu called the "Buehler burrito." I thought I might try it until I got there and saw that it is a 5 lb. burrito for $14.50. Maybe I'll try it when I go back with a group. If any readers try it please leave a comment here relating your experience.

At La Chiquita instead of getting chips and salsa you can order chips and cheese (there may be a charge, my bill was not itemized so I couldn't tell if I was charged for these or not) which are essentially nachos that come with a squeeze bottle of salsa to apply to your liking.

In addition to their regular menu I think they had at least three boards in different spots around the restaurant mentioning various specials. From the first one I saw I ordered the beef and potato taquitos special. Someone asked recently if I knew of a place that had potato tacos but so far I have only encountered potato taquitos. If the thought of potato taquitos sounds odd to you my only suggestion is to give them a try first before writing them off. When paired with the beef, as in these taquitos, it makes a nice textural counterpoint to the crispy taquito shell

For dessert I tried their flan which is sliced like a slice of pie off of a larger flan. Firm and silky, but not too silky, La Chiquita's flan seems like the perfect introduction to this Mexican dessert for someone who hasn't tried it before.

They also had some La Chiquita t-shirts for sale but they didn't have any in my size on hand while I was there. Maybe next time . . .

La Chiquita earns a four Speedy Gonzales rating:



Here's some additional interior shots: