Archive for the 'Restaurants by price: $0-$14' Category
August 17th, 2009, 9:33 am by Niyaz Pirani
Before I became an old man who hardly ever leaves his house after midnight 10 p.m. 8 p.m., I used to enjoy a once-in-a-while drive to Harbor House Cafe in Dana Point.
But now that I’m totally boring, I hardly ever get out late enough to enjoy an after-hours omelet or burger. Plus, the only placse open 24 hours near me are Taco Stop or Denny’s, so the selection is fairly limited.
Limited, that is, until Corky’s Kitchen and Bakery opened a few months back and started serving Triple-D-style fare ’round the clock. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • American • Corky's Kitchen and Bakery • Ladera Ranch | 20 Comments »
August 12th, 2009, 7:30 am by Niyaz Pirani
Back in January I wrote about my love of Italian Beef sandwiches at Portillo’s Hot Dogs, and it was in that thread that a reader suggested I try the combo - a beef sandwich with an Italian sausage stuffed inside, you know, just for good measure.
That suggestion taught me a good lesson: trust the reader, they likely know what they’re talking about. Such is the case with that combo sandwich pictured above. I’ve already told you about the delicious, salty thin slices of beef, the sweet bell peppers and the perfect roll it’s all tucked away in. But add that charred, meaty sausage and you’ve got a whole new level of awesomeness, friends.
What could make this meal even better you ask? Well … Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • American • Beefy Deliciousness • Buena Park • Portillo's • Sandwiches | 20 Comments »
August 7th, 2009, 7:30 am by Niyaz Pirani
Remember Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessan? That new sandwich place I had no love for?
Turns out they’ve got a pretty good breakfast sandwich, and now, lo and behold, they’re hawking these things, one per person, for only a buck. Get the rest of the details about the $1 Gandolfo’s breakfast here.
My “Radio City” sandwich came with two slices of gooey American cheese, some salty ham, and two eggs that still had some yolk in them. All of this on a soft, buttery Kaiser roll. This sandwich puts a body slam on the Egg McMuffin; it chokes out the Croissanwich. True story.
If ever there was a reason to go to Gandolfo’s in Mission Viejo, this would be it.
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Gandolfos Deli • Mission Viejo • Sandwiches | 2 Comments »
August 6th, 2009, 8:59 am by Niyaz Pirani
The national dish of Jordan, mansaf, is a special meal for Soon-to-be-Wifey Nadia, making her think of happy times at grandma’s house with her loved ones.
It’s this way for many Jordanians, who eat this dish, which contains lamb and yogurt, on special occasions such as Christmas, family gatherings and weddings.
In the three years Nadia and I have been together, I’ve only encountered mansaf in December, at her Tete’s house, but we recently stumbled upon a pretty great version in our local produce market, Sultan Market Place. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Lake Forest • Middle Eastern • Sultan Market Place | 4 Comments »
August 5th, 2009, 8:54 am by Niyaz Pirani
I’ve been meaning to stop by Cajun Swamp for two reasons.
First, since my old creole spot, Crescent City in Tustin, closed a few years ago I’ve been missing out on my beloved po’ boy sandwiches. Second, my friend Jeff Willson told me about this place and he’s pretty good on calling the good spots.
Cajun Swamp, opened in October by Cal State Fullerton grad Vin Nguyen, is hidden in downtown Fullerton behind Roscoe’s Famous Deli, and can be a bit of a pain to find. Once you’re there, you’ll be happy to find that Nguyen is serving up the best of what the bayou has to offer, from fried oysters to steamed crab, and he’s doing it pretty well, too. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Cajun Swamp • Creole • Fullerton • Sandwiches • Seafood | 15 Comments »
August 3rd, 2009, 7:30 am by Niyaz Pirani
Last week, reader Kirsten Saladow answered our call for guest bloggers to write about their favorite restaurants or experiences at places they’ve never been before. She, along with sister Sami, stopped by Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach recently and she sent in her thoughts. If you want to guest blog, e-mail me at npirani@ocregister.com. Anyways, thanks for the great work Kirsten.
After a long night at the Sandpiper Bar in Laguna Beach, I decided a breakfast trip to the Coyote Grill was in order.
The Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach is a casual spot with gigantic portions of freshly made foods. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner – but I remember hearing my friends rave about the breakfast.
I decided to drag my 19-year-old sister, Sami, along. She’s always available for free food (big sister typically pays). Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • Breakfast • Coyote Grill • Laguna Beach • Mexican | 6 Comments »
July 29th, 2009, 6:00 am by Jeff Overley
We all have our favorite foods, and for me, it’s rustic French cuisine. Something about the refined simplicity, and the focus on all-natural ingredients, speaks to my foodie soul.
More importantly, the French have a very important lesson for Americans concerned about obesity, hardened arteries and the like. I speak, of course, of the French paradox - the fact that the French gobble up saturated fats like Hungry Hungry Hippos, yet rarely suffer heart disease.
Much of this is attributed to the powers of red wine - a wonderful cure, I must say - but it also has a great deal to do with the fats the French are consuming. Their cheese actually needs to be refrigerated, for example, unlike our stuff.
This brings me to my new fave French locale, where I dined on that beautiful plate shown above. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • French • Newport Beach • pleasant peasant | 15 Comments »
July 24th, 2009, 7:37 am by Niyaz Pirani
Oh man, I’ve got a serious burger hangover right now.
It’s the kind of food coma that makes everything appear glossier than it really is. It’s the kind of food coma that should come with a pillow.
All of this glorious pain was brought on at the first Food Frenzy Foodie Feast, hosted by the Food Frenzy blog and attended by some of our readers, at Slater’s 50/50, a recently-opened Anaheim Hills burger joint that feels like The Counter, but with more sass and personality.
We all dug in to plates of fried food before getting to the actual burgers, which were praised by some and put down by others. But with deep-fried pickle chips, patties made of half-beef and half-bacon and a bevy of craft beers, this is a place that you’ve got to experience for yourself. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Unusual eats: Would you eat this? • American • Anaheim Hills • Burgers • Slaters 50/50 | 45 Comments »
July 22nd, 2009, 7:46 am by Niyaz Pirani
Well, the headline says it all folks, so I guess I don’t have to say any more than that.
… But you know I will. I stopped in at The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar last night, the Kaleidoscope’s newest eatery, for a birthday party for two of Fiancee Nadia’s friends from work.
We arrived earlier than the group, so we could grab a bite to eat before the dueling piano show got on the road. Not only was the sandwich we split delicious, but the entertainment, which goes until 1, sometimes 2 a.m., was top notch and exactly what a sleepy place like Mission Viejo needs. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • American • Mission Viejo • Sandwiches • The Derby Deli & Dueling Piano Bar | 33 Comments »
July 20th, 2009, 8:41 am by Niyaz Pirani
Laguna Niguel reporter Lindsey Baguio came back from her city recently with a little box of cookies for the office. Me, being the cookie monster I am, was immediately interested in that little box.
Where are they from? Who made them? What do they taste like (hint, hint, give me one).
Turns out, Lindsey had made a stop at Donna B’s Bakery Boutique in Laguna Niguel and picked up a sampling of this South County shop’s decadent treats. There’s certain things I’ll always remember in my food life, and my first bite of Donna B’s chocolate chip cookie will be one of them.
It was like Donna had dropped Mrs. Fields with a body slam. This cookie was crispy on the edges, soft on the inside, and oh, so buttery - it had a hold on me. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in: Bakery • Restaurants by price: $0-$14 • Dessert • Donna B's Bakery Boutique • Laguna Niguel | 4 Comments »
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