OoToro Sushi 2222 Michelson Dr. Irvine, CA 92612 Yelp OoToro has been on my radar ever since its opening months ago, but the price point was a big deterrent. In OC, I am accustomed to paying double digits for pretty great sushi, but OoToro touts a triple digit price tag for omakase. The reviews from…
Category: OC
Recess Room
The Recess Room 18380 Brookhurst St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Yelp Fountain Valley doesn’t exactly bring to mind the trendiest or most food forward culinary scene. I think of cheap Asian eats. So it was surprising to learn something as trendy as The Recess Room had landed in Fountain Valley. The Yelp reviews seemed pretty…
Cauldron
Cauldron 1421 W. MacArthur Blvd. Santa Ana, CA 92704 Yelp Ice cream falls in the top 5 of favorite desserts (the classic chocolate chip cookie being my first love). I love it even more because it’s something I can get really creative with when I make it at home. The invention of unique flavors is…
LSXO
LSXO 21016 Pacific Coast Hwy. Huntington Beach, CA 92648 Yelp It’s not easy to justify a high price tag for fancified food from a third world country, in this case Vietnam and Southeast Asia. A lot of times, the food is far too dumbed down so as to appeal to the masses, but then misses the mark for…
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar
Mix Mix Kitchen Bar 300 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92701 Yelp I almost make it a point NOT to go to a restaurant’s soft opening. I don’t want or need to be anyone’s guinea pig, especially if its on my dime. Free food for my invaluable feedback? Now we’re talking! I can’t say I…
Old Vine Cafe
Old Vine Cafe 2937 Bristol St. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Yelp Old Vine Cafe is probably best known for its weekend brunch. The wait can be horrendously long, but the promise of their biscuits & gravy and bread pudding like french toast seems to motivate people to endure the hunger. I, for one, was not that…
Sushi Noguchi
Sushi Noguchi 18507 Yorba Linda Blvd Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Yelp I would give the sushi options in OC two thumbs up. From Nana San to Ohshima to San Shi Go, the sushi is top notch and not crazy expensive (San Shi Go excluded). Now I can add Sushi Noguchi to that list of excellent…
Sidecar Doughnuts
Sidecar Doughnuts 270 E. 17th St. #18 Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Yelp It seems like today’s food trends are all about novel mashups. Take your classic ice cream sandwich and use churros or donuts as a base. Cookies and a glass of milk? Why not meld the two into a cookie shaped cup filled with milk….
Kiyomizu
Kiyomizu 305 E. 4th St. #105 Santa Ana, CA 92701 Yelp I’ve heard so many great things about SUGARFISH’s sister restaurant, KazuNori, in DTLA. The hand rolls at SUGARFISH are some of the best I’ve ever tasted, so I assume KazuNori is the same. The perfectly roasted and deeply flavored nori is what really makes makes…
Vaca
Vaca 695 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Yelp My first experience at Chef Amar Santana’s Broadway Bar was a bit underwhelming. While things were good, I was expecting more pop considering Chef Santana made it all the way to the finale of this past season of Top Chef. Going into Vaca, I still…
Broadway Bar by Amar Santana
Broadway Bar by Amar Santana 328 Glenneyre Street Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Yelp Watching this past season of Top Chef, I was in giddy disbelief that one of the contestants had his own restaurant just a hop, skip, and a jump away from my backyard. He just wasn’t any contestant. Amar Santana ended up being a…
Overworked. Underfed. 