November 20th, 2009, 11:11 am by Niyaz Pirani
As I said in a post earlier this week about Indian and Pakistani food, my view of the fare has been fairly closed-minded. For so long, I’ve considered the dishes of my native land - curries, cooked meats and flat breads - to be of limited varitey, only differentiated by the people who made it.
Then I went to the Clay Oven in Irvine where standard Indian isn’t what makes it to your table, it’s simply the jumping off point for seasonal cuisine so creative that it’s changed the very concept of what Indian food is, at least to me.
For the purpose of full disclosure, I’ll say that owners Praveen and Geeta Balsal, who used to own the now shuttered Bombay Duck in Laguna Beach, knew we were coming because they had recently sent me an E-mail about their tandoori turkeys ($54.99), which can be ordered year round, but are obviously most popular during Thanksgiving and Chrismas time. Praveen even cooks them halal or kosher if need be.
While we were there for the turkey, we also wanted to try a couple of other things. Praveen insisted on a tasting menu for us, bringing out small plates of out-of-bounds Indian that should not be missed. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • Clay Oven • Indian • Irvine | 10 Comments »
November 19th, 2009, 9:35 am by Niyaz Pirani
Thanksgiving is only a week away, and if you’re in a better position than me, you’ve at least begun shopping around for great turkey day deals. If you haven’t, you can still take advantage of some great sales at local supermarkets.
Check out a great Thanksgiving Deals post courtesy of OC Deals blogger Marla Fisher where she breaks down the best bargains for your bucks.
Posted in: Miscellaneous | Post a Comment »
November 18th, 2009, 8:00 am by Niyaz Pirani
I love when I come across a dish I’ve never heard of before, only to taste it and be converted for life.
That’s where tinga comes in. What’s tinga? Well, I’m no expert but a little Internet searching tells me it’s usually a shredded chicken dish, but it can also be made with pork or beef.
At La Cocina de Ricardo in Lake Forest, a family-owned restaurant in the same strip mall as El Toro Gourmet Meats where I recently dined with some friends, the tinga is a variety called Tinga Poblana, which is made with pork, and an added bonus … more pork!
If that doesn’t make you want to read the rest of this post, well friend, nothing will. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • La Cocina de Ricardo • Lake Forest • Mexican • San Clemente • San Juan Capistrano | 8 Comments »
November 17th, 2009, 1:56 pm by Niyaz Pirani
Since we already had one beer post on the blog, I figured we would highlight another, this one courtesy of Register scribe Paul Hodgins.
In his latest “Booze on a Budget” post, featured on Fast Food Maven, Hodgin’s tries to move past his love for Miller and experiment with some pricier bottles of brew.
Talk back: Are hand-crafted beers worth the price? What’s your favorite one?
Posted in: Booze Blogging • Beer | 2 Comments »
November 17th, 2009, 7:51 am by Jeff Overley
I remember trying Red Nectar back in the day, and I never thought much of it. But I recently gave it a second chance to make a first impression, and I came away stunned - this is a truly singular brew that should be on your short list of Saturday night sippers.
There’s a nice, moderately hoppy bite and great balance in strength - full-bodied, but thoroughly drinkable. Most importantly, it has these absolutely unique notes of fruitiness that I can only compare to those little honeysuckle blooms with, yes, sweet red nectar.
What makes Red Nectar great, though, is that the flavor is so perfectly mild - nothing like those raspberry wheat brews or cranberry lambics. You can find this stuff, usually at around $6.99, in good liquor stores and most supermarkets.
Posted in: Booze Blogging | 2 Comments »
November 16th, 2009, 6:00 am by Niyaz Pirani
Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll tell you that I don’t eat my own country’s food.
It’s been a big problem throughout my life, as I was born in Pakistan and my dad is from Mumbai, so Indian and Pakistani cuisine have been staples in my house. Unfortunately, I never developed a taste for the spices, and especially the heat, that Pakistani food packs.
Only a few dishes won my favor; among them are anything tandoori, samosas and especially nihari, best described as a spicy stew with big chunks of beef in it. And where can you find some of my favorite nihari?
That would be Bismillah Restaurant in Buena Park, where the wife and I dug into this, and a couple of appetizers, all for less than $20. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Bismillah Restaurant • Buena Park • Indian • Pakistani | 14 Comments »
November 15th, 2009, 8:44 am by Niyaz Pirani
Posted in: Weekly blog roundup | 1 Comment »
November 13th, 2009, 8:43 am by Jeff Overley
We had Food Frenzy Foodie Fest Part Deux the other night at Lou’s Red Oak BBQ, letting us get together with our regular readers, and I think we ate enough to cover a Chevy Silverado Grill.
Seriously, you know how sometimes you eat so much you feel like you’re going to just pass out? Well, about 10 minutes after I got home, I passed out.
When I viewed the photographic evidence of the culinary carnage the next morning, though, I was already getting my appetite back. Come along, and see the BBQ bonanza! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • BBQ • Huntington Beach • Lou's Red Oak BBQ | 13 Comments »
November 12th, 2009, 12:53 pm by Jeff Overley
Ate an absurd amount of tapas during two visits to Boqueria. See the snazzy pics and my review by clicking here.
(Pic above is roasted pork with endive, persimmon, walnuts and pomegranate vinaigrette.)
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • Restaurants by price: $31-$50 | Post a Comment »
November 12th, 2009, 9:38 am by Jeff Overley
I remember when I grew up in Missouri, I had friends who really did refer to soda as “so-dee pop,” and I think they’d dig this site called Soda Pop Stop, which a reader recently recommended.
It has plenty of sentimental soft drinks, such as Orange Crush and Bubble Up, as well as tons of offbeat beverages, such as Jeff’s Diet Chocolate Egg Cream Soda, Plantation Style Mint Julep Soda and Sweet Blossom Rose Petal Soda.
I wish they had a bottle of Crystal Pepsi, just for collectible keepsake purposes, but oh well - what’s your favorite so-dee pop?
Posted in: Miscellaneous | 12 Comments »
