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Food Frenzy ~ OC Register foodies eat their way through the county's restaurants

Archive for the 'Seafood' Tag

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How not to serve shrimp, courtesy of Cedar Creek

September 21st, 2009, 9:28 am by Niyaz Pirani

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I can’t tell you how excited I was to eat this shrimp.

Not only had I been camping in the woods all weekend eating beef bacon and hot dogs (more on that to come) but I had this bad craving for seafood for nearly a week before.

That brings me to Cedar Creek Inn in Laguna Niguel and the restaurant’s three-course $15 Orange County Restaurant Week lunch featuring shrimp cocktail as a first course.

The shrimp are well seasoned and they’re big enough to satisfy any seafood lover. The cocktail sauce is fruity with just enough spicy bite from loads of horseradish and I’m so excited to dig in … and then I did.

That’s when everything went wrong. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • • • • • • | 10 Comments »

Poll: Do you know why tails are left on shrimp?

September 1st, 2009, 9:20 am by Jeff Overley

shrimp

I know I’m not the first person to wonder why in the world shrimp are almost always served with their tails on. Sometimes it isn’t a bother; heck, at Chinese places, I absolutely love those flash-fried whole-body shrimp, served with their heads, tails, legs, eyeballs and all.

But my Mama Bear ordered a seafood salad the other day, and the shrimp were entirely peeled except for the tipitty-tips of the tails. You can’t eat steamed or boiled shrimp shells, I don’t care how hardcore you are.

Now, if this were a shrimp cocktail, I could grudgingly understand, since the tail could serve as a handle for the dainty among us. But in a salad - or a pasta, or pad thai - it just gives me work to do.

What’s the deal? Is it just to make ‘em look bigger? Anybody know of a good reason?

Why are shrimp served with tails still attached?
View Results

Posted in: Miscellaneous • | 8 Comments »

Crawfish po’ boys deliver Bayou bliss in North County

August 5th, 2009, 8:54 am by Niyaz Pirani

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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 • • • • • | 15 Comments »

Prix-fixe dinner at O.C.’s other expensive steak house

July 21st, 2009, 7:58 am by Niyaz Pirani

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So often we’ve written about Morton’s, but overlooked O.C.’s other expensive chain steak house Ruth’s Chris.

No longer. Finance Nadia took me to the restaurant, with locations in Irvine and Anaheim (we went to Irvine), for the first time this weekend because they have $39.99 and $49.99 prix-fixe menus going right now as part of a summer promotion. (View the $39.99 menu at Ruth’s Chris . Note that the $49.99 menu is the same, but includes a choice of New York Strip, lamb chops, or bigger filet with no shrimp instead of what’s listed).

We thought it would be interesting to see how Ruth’s three-course promotion stacks up to Morton’s $109 dinner for two which includes two salads, two petite filets, two seafood choices, one potato and one vegetable to share, and two desserts.  (That Morton’s deal, by the way, was reviewed by our favorite Gluttonista). Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Restaurants by price: $31-$50 • Restaurants by price: $50 and over • • • • • • • • • | 17 Comments »

If you’re in South County on Saturday …

June 19th, 2009, 12:37 pm by Niyaz Pirani

Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course, a public golf course by the way, will hold its five year anniversary celebration on Saturday.

The course’s restaurant, O’Neill Bar and Grille, plans on unveiling its new tapas menu between 5 and 10 p.m. and tapas will be only $5. I’m told they serve American fare generally, and specialize in BBQ and seafood. 

Reservations are required for dinner, or you could stop by earlier, from 2 to 5 p.m. and take advantage of chidren’s activities during lunch which include face painting and a balloon animal artist.

For more information, call 949-218-0865 or visit www.arroyotrabuco.com.

Posted in: Events/Food News • • • • • | Post a Comment »

Where to find the perfect Memorial Day feast

May 21st, 2009, 9:24 am by Jeff Overley

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Memorial Day food is, for obvious reasons, synonymous with all-American fare. We’re expected to break out the burgers and dogs, the potato salad and baked beans.

That’s all well and good, my fellow patriots, but if you’re not barbecuing at home, might I recommend going out for a refreshing alternative on this holiday weekend? Check out that bad boy above - that’s the $35 chilled seafood platter at Walt’s Wharf. It’s a thing of beauty.

Allow me to walk you in a counterclockwise circle around that giant, ice-filled dish. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Restaurants by price: $15-$30 • • • • | 5 Comments »

Steamed lobster, stuffed lobster, sandwiched lobster … at Lobster Fest

May 13th, 2009, 3:04 pm by Niyaz Pirani

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Over the weekend, I decided to whip up a little steak and lobster Mother’s Day lunch for my family only to find out, at the table, that stepmommy dearest doesn’t do sea bug.

I was mad at lobster until today, when a I received some awesome news in my inbox from King’s Fish House.

“King’s is kicking off ‘Lobster Fest’ with 10 sizes of live Maine lobster and seven new dishes.”

Alright lobster. I’m listening. Now, show me what you’ve got. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Events/Food News • • | 8 Comments »

Huntington eatery named best O.C. sushi of 2009

April 28th, 2009, 1:50 pm by Jeff Overley

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I have no idea how MyFoxLA’s “Hotlist” works, whether it’s credible or how one participates. What I do know is that when they named the best sushi spot in Orange County for 2009, they picked a mighty fine place, albeit probably not one the sushi aficionado crowd would endorse.

I actually headed out to review Sushi Ya in HB before learning of the award - it had received one vote out of several hundred cast during our big hole-in-the-wall thread, so I promised to stop by. After dining here and enjoying its deals, I can wholeheartedly add a second vote. 

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Events/Food News • • • • | 21 Comments »

iPhood files: Peanut Buttered Roast Squid

March 27th, 2009, 1:05 pm by Niyaz Pirani

Note: This is the latest installment in a series where Niyaz talks about food that he eats on the run and photographs with his iPhone.

Anybody that gives me a free sample is a friend - the folks at Costco, for example, are practically family at this point. 

With that in mind, meet my new buddy Will the Squid Guy.

I ran into Will on a recent Friday outside of Zion Market, a Korean grocery store in Irvine,  while he was hawking Peanut Buttered Roast Squid.

The name alone made me stop in my tracks and shoot a couple pictures.

But what the heck is Peanut Buttered Roast Squid?!? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Snack food • Unusual eats: Would you eat this? • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Live crab, freshly harpooned swordfish for dinner in Newport

March 23rd, 2009, 10:27 am by Jeff Overley

Here at Food Frenzy, we generally refrain from writing about food we make at home. Heaven knows, the last time we did so, the commenters almost burned Niyaz at the stake.

Nonetheless, I can’t help but spread the word about Pearson’s Port, a decades-old Newport Beach institution largely hidden from public view.

The family-owned fish market sits beneath a Pacific Coast Highway bridge separating Newport Harbor from Upper Newport Bay. While it’s not in plain sight, a quick turn off PCH brings you face-to-face with honestly-priced, fresh-as-it-gets seafood of all stripes, such as that wicked-mean-looking spiny crab shown above. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Stuff to make at home • • • • | 2 Comments »

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