Archive for the 'Restaurants by price: $0-$14' Category
April 1st, 2009, 8:27 am by Niyaz Pirani
Just because the word ’seafood’ is in the name of a restaurant doesn’t mean you have to savor the ocean flavor. That’s especially true when said restaurant has an incredible $12 whole Peking duck special going.
Fiancee Nadia and I stopped by Diamond Jamboree in Irvine last night for a look around now that most of the shops have finally opened up and gotten past that awkward “soft opening” phase. We were going to hit up a restaurant called BBQ Chicken, but at the last moment we changed our minds and walked across the plaza into Capital Seafood Restaurant.
I’m glad we did because the service was second-to-none and the ratio of bang to buck was out of control. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Capital Seafood Restaurant • Chinese • Irvine | 3 Comments »
March 30th, 2009, 11:42 am by Jeff Overley
When Blanca opened in Lido Marina Village last year and specialized in the hard-to-find Italian-style sushi known as “crudo,” meaning “raw,” the reviews were very positive. Serious food critics, from the professional to the leisurely, reported coming away quite impressed with Chef Nicholas Weber’s efforts.
After a dispute led to Weber’s departure, the crudo mastery was gone and the menu was reoriented entirely to serve Mexican fare. Nonetheless, at least one local foodie reported being “pleasantly surprised” by the new dishes. Funny thing, though - between the time that foodie dined in December and posted her review this month, the menu was again completely scrapped.
 That brings us to the present, where Blanca is offering “Tapas Americana” - reasonably priced small plates that can’t be neatly pigeonholed into one culinary genre. With the new menu, of course, all the old reviews are once more out the window, so we stopped on by this waterfront venue to see if Blanca’s one constant - good food - remained intact. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events/Food News • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Blanca • Newport Beach • Tapas | 8 Comments »
March 25th, 2009, 11:10 am by Jeff Overley
We’re always taking suggestions about local gems to review, so when one of our beloved commenters last month recommended Bonjour Cafe & Bistro, we put it on our list.
Just looking at the menu, I was drooling, as French fare is a special weakness of mine and Bonjour has a wide selection of various butter-laden treats - croque monsieur, croissant sandwiches, toasted brioche with eggs, quiche, crepes, ad nosheum.
What’s more, this place has received glowing reviews from an array of sources, be it Yelp or our very own paper or, according to Bonjour, Zagat, Riviera and OC Weekly.
After a mid-day breakfast at Bonjour this week, though, I’m going to have to be the voice of dissent. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Bistro • Bonjour Cafe & Bistro • Breakfast • Dana Point • French | 13 Comments »
March 24th, 2009, 11:31 am by Niyaz Pirani
If there’s one thing I hate to do, it’s go places.
It’s a persistent issue that I have with Fiancee Nadia, because while she always wants to go do stuff, I just wanna hang out at home and play Guitar Hero.
If there is something that will get me out of the house, it’s surely beef, and my buddy Jason has been telling me for quite some time about a little burger joint at San Diego’s Ocean Beach called Hodad’s. He loves it so much he’s driven there twice in a week before from Huntington Beach just to grab a bite and come back home.
But a burger good enough to drive over an hour for? Could it be?
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Beefy Deliciousness • Burgers • Gutbombs and heart attacks • Hodad's • Out of county experience • San Diego | 13 Comments »
March 24th, 2009, 7:28 am by Niyaz Pirani
Remember when we told how tasty Cold Stone Creamery ice cream cupcakes were and that you should grab them up because they would only be around for a limited time?
Turns out we’re liars.
I just got off the phone with a spokeswoman for the company who told me that the cupcakes, which were officially going to peace out on March 31 until 1.2 million were sold nationwide, will in fact become a permanent goodie on the menu. She did say that a sixpack, which during the promotion has run $9.99, could sell for as much as $12, depending on individual store preferences.
Still, for $2 a cupcake, that’s a pretty booyah buy. She also told me about a little love the company’s giving to Jell-O pudding fans this summer and it’s totally awesome news. So awesome that it would make Bill Cosby shed an awesome tear. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events/Food News • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Cold Stone Creamery • Cupcakes • Desserts | Post a Comment »
March 23rd, 2009, 2:54 pm by Niyaz Pirani
 Breaking beer news from Beer Guy Matt: If you’re looking for some tasty suds to try, Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach is featuring a hefty selection of draft beer from Ballast Point Brewing Company. You’ll receive a complimentary Ballast Point pint glass with your first order of any Ballast Point beer, plus $1 off any Ballast Point beer all night. The festivities are at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 24th.
The lineup includes: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Booze Blogging • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Beachwood BBQ • Beer • Seal Beach | Post a Comment »
March 20th, 2009, 2:37 pm by Niyaz Pirani
You asked for it, you got it.
A few posts back, while I mourned the loss of my beloved meatloaf sandwich, a reader brought up  the Monte Cristo sandwich as another beloved classic.
Being not too familiar with the sandwich, I quickly came to find out that the Monte Cristo is essentially a grilled ham, turkey and Swiss sandwich on French toast. It’s also usually served with some kind of fruit spread to balance the whole thing out.
I did some quick research and discovered four places to grab the grilled goodness: Dick Church’s Family Restaurant and Jerry’s Famous Deli in Costa Mesa, Cedar Creek Inn in Brea, Laguna Niguel, or San Juan Capistrano, and the Blue Bayou at Disneyland.
I didn’t have the time to run through them all, but I try two of the four with some interesting results. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Anaheim • Brea • Cedar Creek Inn • Costa Mesa • Dick Church's Family Restaurant • Jerry's Famous Deli • San Juan Capistrano • Sandwiches • The Blue Bayou • Unusual eats: Would you eat this? | 17 Comments »
March 19th, 2009, 4:33 pm by Jeff Overley
It’s March Madness time, and what good American sporting event would be complete without the most egregious of junk foods?
With that in mind, I set out to Nonna Lucci’s, home of a monstrous, artery-hardening creation I’ve been looking for an excuse to try. I’m speaking of the Guido Burrito, an Italy-meets-Mexico beast weighing in at two pounds, and its equally ginormous siblings, the Bada-Bing Burrito and the Godfather Burrito.
Now, two pounds might not sound all that big, but consider: That’s eight Quarter-Pounders with Cheese. That’s two fatty burritos from Chipotle. In other words, it’s sizable. (Sidenote: Any time the weight of your meal is specified, it is probably unhealthy.) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Gutbombs and heart attacks • Huntington Beach • Italian • Nonna Lucci's • Unusual eats: Would you eat this? | 10 Comments »
March 18th, 2009, 9:34 am by Niyaz Pirani
Jersey Mike’s have quickly popped up in Huntington Beach, Lake Forest and Laguna Woods so I decided to stop in and check out what was up with one of the East Coast’s most popular sandwich stops, which is over 50 years old.
What sets Jersey Mike’s apart from the others right away is the fact that the meat and cheese for your sandwich is sliced to order at the counter. It’s a nice touch that I’ve never experienced at another fast food sandwich shop.
The bread is baked in store and has a light dusting of cornmeal which is also an added extra. Sandwiches come in mini, regular and large sizes (with the large being the size of two regulars) and selections range from the classic Italian to what Mike’s is most famous for, its roast beef. They’ve also got hot sandwiches - click here for a full menu.
You can order your sandwiches however you want, but they try to push ‘em “Mike’s Way” with onion, lettuce, tomato, red wine vinegar, olive oil and a spice mix. I avoid the treatment, because they tend to slather on the oil and vinegar.
So how does it all come together?
Jersey Mike’s is definitely better than Subway, but the sandwiches are a little low on flavor. The meats are pretty mild and the provolone doesn’t help much. They’re also a little on the expensive side (about $7 for a regular), so I suggest forking over the $10-$11 for a large. That way, you’ll spend a little more and get twice the amount of sandwich. I still prefer Togos, but I would never shy away from a trip to Jersey.
Have you had Jersey Mikes? What do you think?
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Huntington Beach • Jersey Mikes • Laguna Woods • Lake Forest • Sandwiches | 23 Comments »
March 13th, 2009, 10:10 am by Jeff Overley
(Updated post: The Savannah in Costa Mesa has closed.)
I have to say, part of me (my belly) is going to miss this whole recession thing one day, because it’s really leading restaurants to offer up some head-turning deals.
There were the under-$2 ice cream cupcakes at Cold Stone, then there was the dirt-cheap three-course lunch at Wolfgang Puck Bistro, and now comes the “Perfect 10″ menu at Savannah, a three-restaurant sub-chain of the Culinary Adventures company.
Savannah’s bargain might be the best one yet, as it’s for a dinner and covers items that are typically sold at ostentatious premiums.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Events/Food News • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • American • Costa Mesa • Huntington Beach • Laguna Niguel • Savannah | 20 Comments »
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