In this crazy cupcake-filled world there are cupcakes for those who love cake and cupcakes for those who love frosting.
The treats at Baby Cakes Bakery fall into the latter category, so much so that you really don’t even need a glass of milk to wash this one down - it’s just that creamy and good.
I’ll backtrack and say that I normally don’t condone the eating of cupcakes without milk, but when the frosting is this velvety and plentiful, it doesn’t matter much. Read the rest of this entry »
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 »
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.
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 »
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?
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 »
Last month, Jeff put up a post on Red Brick Pizza and how he was happy that the chain restaurant’s margherita pizza didn’t taste like basil-covered cardboard.
I was glad to see him write about this restaurant, too, as I’ve long been curious, but have never stopped in for a bite.
On that advice, I stopped by Red Brick Pizza in Irvine’s Quail Hill Village Center for lunch on Monday. I planned on pizza, but then the food blogger in me kicked in and I just had to order a fire-roasted Fhazani sandwich. Read the rest of this entry »
Updated note (11/09/09): This post came late Friday, so enjoy it today if you haven’t seen it yet. We’ll have last week’s round-up of other blogs in a couple of hours and fresh content tomorrow. Thank you all who came out to Lou’s Oak Oven BBQ in Huntington Beach on Friday night. I’ll speak for Jeff and I in saying that we had a great time and are already looking forward to Food Frenzy Foodie Feast: The Third after the holidays wrap up. We’ll also have the review of Lou’s coming sometime this week.
Also, we have a new look on the blog, so I hope you guys enjoy it! Happy eating!
We’re continuing our culinary tour of Laguna Hills this week at the place where my adventure in the city started: Villa Roma Market & Deli.
For those who don’t recall, the wife and I were going to go here for breakfast, but they mostly sell coffee and pastries in the morning (which we didn’t know), so we had heartier fare at Mitze’s Kountry Kitchen instead.
We did return for dinner, and while I still had a pastry (an empanada’s technically a pastry, right?), I stuffed myself with some fantastic Argentinian supper too. Read the rest of this entry »
Fast Food Maven Cooking with Cathy Thomas More restaurant reviews
The recession is forcing many Orange County restaurants to shutter, and we're trying to track them all for you. Check out our O.C. Restaurant Closure List for the latest updates.
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
