Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

SONIC also known as America’s Drive-In officially opened in Costa Mesa today.

It’s fun to see a SONIC in the neighborhood, so we chose a car stall on opening day.

And tried the Kickin’ Coney Dog — We like the new Coney’s & Hot Dog Menu. 

Eat in your car or outside — Learn more about the SONIC experience here.

Read about previous SONIC visits and contests here, here and here.

Or just drive through — Supersonic Supersonic.

It seems the number of Gourmet Food Trucks has grown exponentially and several were at the OC Foodie Fest — Previously noted, we were lucky enough to taste and judge many of them.

The Savory Judges consisted of me, the Pig, the guys from Food Beast and Ryan of Foodoofus.

Various media sources were photographing all.

As you can see, we were pretty busy eating.

It was a little tricky keeping track of all the food coming our way, but we managed.

And completed our score forms after each new Slider, Taco, Pizza, Hot Dog, Sandwich, etc.

Eating and scoring — Separate Judges were assigned to the Desserts.

You see it, we ate it.

One favorite was the Lobster Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Gazpacho from The Lime Truck.

We were excited to finally try The Lime Truck and it delivered.  As many know they’re currently one of the top contenders on The Great Food Truck Race.  They put forth a lot of personality and impressive food.  Didn’t make it to the Skyy Vodka VIP Lounge — Too busy eating, judging and drinking a lot of water.  It was a hot Summer day at Angel Stadium.

Tables filled with hand delivered food described by proud Gourmet Food Trucks.

Kind Bars happened to have a booth at the event — Yeah they’re a fave!

Its representatives were cute and kind too.

Didn’t try their food, but liked the back of the Flavor Rush Truck.

We enjoyed the OC Foodie Fest at Angel Stadium though wish the trucks were on the field.

Last year it was held at the Honda Center — Read about it here.

Swing down next year.

This day it was all about the view and Bloody Marys at Newport Landing.

We were underwhelmed by our food choices — The Sliders, Fish Tacos and Crab Cakes were just okay.  Can’t say we’d get any of them again, but will go back for the view, drinks and Oysters Rockefeller, because I like them and don’t see ’em on a menu often.

The best spot for two at Newport Landing Restaurant is the upstairs patio.

Enlarge MENU for closer examination.

Nearby Seals claim a boat.

Across the street from Newport Landing on the Balboa Peninsula is the Pacific Ocean.

And fishing off the Balboa Pier for free food.

Hasta manana.

I always want to JUDGE a FOOD Contest, I think — Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.  Today I helped judge food from endless Gourmet Food Trucks at the OC Foodie Fest.

It happened at Angel Stadium and one favorite was the Oki Slider from Ranchan Ramen.

Shown here is just the tip of the iceberg — Truck after truck, after truck, after truck delivered their respective goods for the Judges to sample.  We were stuffed.  More about ALL post digestion.  Though full, wish we had to-go boxes for all we tried.  Most was above average.

Off Scenic Avenue literally and figuratively is Cafe Rose Express, my favorite lunch spot of all time.  I call it Little Oregon to honor its peaceful Northern looking beauty and for the special people I know from Oregon.  The photos are momentous for a few reasons.  It’s also been a while since I had Lobster Bisque with generous amounts of Lobster in it and true to form Cafe Rose Express serves generous everything.  I’m consistently and pleasantly amazed by their top-notch food offerings.  I’d eat here every day if I could.  It’s a satisfying weekday escape.

And I’m now a Zucchini Bread lover, at least of theirs.

Every picture tells a story — It has all been said before, not really though.  Appreciate all.

Do you know where to find 100 Gourmet Food Trucks, an Angels Baseball Skill Camp, a Budweiser Beer Garden, a SOCO Certified Farmer’s Market, Free Snack Giveaways, Live Entertainment, Cooking and Eating Competitions, an Import Car Show, Shopping and a Skyy Vodka VIP Lounge???  All can be found in one place this Saturday, August 27th at the 2011 OC Foodie Fest taking place at Angel Stadium from Noon – 6PM.  Hope to see you there.

I’ve often thanked God on a Friday and everyday for that matter — T.G.I. Friday’s offers a notable special for two that includes 3 Courses (Appetizer, 2 Entrees and Dessert) for $20.

Menu choices (above), T.G.I. Friday’s Bar view and a Droid at The Block at Orange.

We opted for the Chicken Quesadilla as the Appetizer, but would choose something different next time — Ours was too greasy.  It’s okay though, Friday’s has other Apps to pick from.

For Entrees we had the Petite Sirloin and Bruschetta Chicken Pasta — Both were terrific.

Our Dessert was this Strawberry something.

An eye will be on the Banana Split next time — All things considered, it’s a respectable deal!

Be sure to mark your calendar to try the Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery 60th Anniversary Burger scheduled to be available this September.  It’s called the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger and it is damn tasty, if I do say so myself — It’s so tasty in fact, I won a fancy smancy (aka schmancy) Jenn-Air BBQ Grill (below) for creating it.  Thank you Hof’s Hut and Happy Anniversary to such a fine establishment.  See you soon…

View from Newport Landing — FOOD soon to be delivered in photos and words.

Takin’ it easy now.

Dibs on the slice with the Ruby Bracelet or is it a Red Vine?  Thanks TLC, Cake Boss and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte — The pictured Cake is the most expensive Cake made in the world to date.  It had a variety of jewelry pieces adorned about, including emerald bracelets, diamond strands, pearl bracelets, ruby bracelets, diamond pendants, a tiara, and more totaling $20-$30 million.  One slice here PLEASE.  Cheers to the lucky celebrators.

This weekend we highly recommend VIP Rib Village at the Orange County BBQ Bonanza.

Tender Ribs can be found within Fountain Valley Sports Park August 18th – 21st.

The VIP Rib Village experience includes all you can eat Ribs, Sides, Drinks and Desserts.

Check out The Big 6 National BBQ Cookers to learn more about the Ribs.

Entrance to unlimited Ribs and more.

Of course we tried them all several times.

Just one tasty option from Cowboys

Going back for another plate of everything.

Endless sides above, if you bother — We were diggin’ the bottomless Ribs, Beer and Wine.

There are plenty of tables with umbrellas in VIP Rib Village.

Different bands will be playing throughout the weekend — We enjoyed Grand Junction.

Some were dancing.

Others were eating.

We narrowed down our favorite Ribs to three, then tried them again — TBA.

As noted, VIP Rib Village includes all you can eat Dessert too — The cost for all is $100.  Why not make a day of it?  Enjoy excellent Ribs, good music, dancing and Drinks on a Summer eve.

He’s just sayin’…

More Ribs and Dessert in the Village.

Go in — It’s a messy, fun, flavorsome time.

Tennessee Q ended up being our favorite this kick-off evening.

And Johnson’s was a close runner-up.

You don’t have to spend $100 to try the Ribs — Event INFO is posted here.

We weren’t the only Trunk Bar in stacked parking at The Greek Theatre last night, not that it’s right.  Though we only had one shot of Patron and a Corona, we like doing unlawful activities in style — This time it included a Cost Plus World Market Picnic Basket, Tequila, Limes and Salt, while waiting for the Go-Go’s to play.  Please drink responsibly.  We do. 🙂

08/23/11 Update:  Pictured above are the Go-Go’s and winners of the Cost Plus World Market Go-Go’s Getaway Sweepstakes.  The official winner was Amanda Wright who invited (10) of her best friends to join her.  She had this to say… “The night of the concert was amazing and we were treated like royalty.  We managed to fit in Universal Studios, tours of the Chinese and Nokia Theatre, Star walk and an amazing dinner at Yatai Asian Tapas Bar.  We actually got to sing Happy Birthday to Belinda Carlisle.  It was truly amazing!!  We will never forget it.”

The 2011 OC Fair went out with a munch, a moo and an oink and set a record breaking attendance of 1,400,280 attendees. The OC Fair saw a 21 percent increase over last year’s highest attendance record of 1,154,969, it surpassed on Day 20.

“My belief is the 2011 edition of the Fair establishes that the OC Fair has perfected the formula for staging a successful fair,” said Dr. Steven Beazley, OC Fair & Event Center President & CEO. “That formula will now be applied to educate and entertain our community for years to come.”

Fairgoers took the theme “Let’s Eat!” seriously and consumed 10,000 Mexican Funnel Cakes, 3,000 chocolate-covered corn dogs, 125,000 balls of Deep-Fried Kool-Aid, 10,000 slices of deep-fried avocado, 2,000 deep-fried frog’s legs and 75,000 colossal turkey legs.

The top five attended concerts in the Pacific Amphitheatre, in order of attendance, were Big Time Rush/Avery, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Weezer, Blake Shelton and Bob Dylan. Overall, there were nine sold-out concerts in the Fair’s premiere entertainment venue.

In the Action Sports Arena, the top most thrilling events, in order of attendance, were: Orange Crush Demolition Derby, Motorhome Madness Demolition Derby and X-treme Freestyle Moto-X.

The top shows in The Hangar were Sweet & Tender Hooligans (tribute to Morrissey and The Smiths); Moonwalker (THE Reflection of Michael Jackson); Journey Unauthorized; Which One’s Pink?; and Dead Man’s Party (The Oingo Boingo Tribute).

More fun numbers for the 2011 OC Fair:

• 1,000 12-inch-high Jumbo Mexican Funnel Cakes were eaten and only four Fairgoers met the challenge to consume one by themself.
• 284,982 visitors bared the cold visit into the Ice Museum and more than 350 300-pound blocks of ice were used to create its contents.
• More than 20,733 people were the ultimate Fairgoer as holders of their own Super Pass (season pass) compared to 11,100 in 2010.
• 32,439 people took advantage of the free Opening Hour on July 15 compared to 25,461 in 2011.
• 3,668 exhibitors submitted 12,697 entries which received 4,195 award ribbons and won more than $30,065 in cash awards.
• A total of 540 livestock exhibitors presented 3,190 animals, received 2,170 ribbons and were rewarded $30,065 in cash awards.
• For the four “We Care Wednesday” community donation drives, 81,267 generous Fairgoers donated 85,000 pounds of food, 62,736 children’s books, 100,000 pieces of clothing and 100,000 new school supplies.
• Born into the Centennial Farm family this year were two piglets and four goats.

The 2011 OC Fair, themed LET’S EAT!, was July 15 – August 14 and featured 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports and fun, as well as the popular Super Pass (season pass), Pacific Amphitheatre Summer Concert Series, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair was open Wednesday-Sunday. The 2011 OC Fair was voted the Best Fair in Southern California by Los Angeles Times’ readers and the 2010 OC Fair was ranked the eighth highest attended fair in the U.S. by Venues Today magazine.

Note:  The above is an official Press Release received from the OC Fair Communications Department.  And ‘record wins’ pertains to the two 1st Place Ribbons and one 3rd Place Ribbon I received this year entering the Culinary Arts Competition — See you in 2012.  Results and ribbons from previous years are pictured here.

When asked if I wanted to sample Wheat Thins Stix, my first thought was no thanks.  To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of Wheat Thins, but know my Mom is.  She’s been snacking on them ever since I was a kid.  Since they’re always in her cupboard, I asked if she wanted to try the Wheat Thins Stix.  She agreed and here we are — Lexi from Kids in the Kitchen (pictured) loved them, especially the Cinnamon Kick.  And my Mom liked both.  Okay, I sampled a few too and have no complaints.  Thanks for the opportunity Nabisco, as I’m now partially converted.

Update:  Apologies, the post title was changed due to formatting issues.

Orange County BBQ Bonanza — It’s called The West’s Best BBQ All-In-One Outdoor Family Festival and it’s taking place at Fountain Valley Sports Park on August 18 – 21, 2011.  If attending, be sure to check out VIP Rib Village, a designated seating area whereas you’re served all the Ribs (and more) you can eat.  If unable to choose amongst the top competitor’s BBQ, try them all.  We’ll be there on opening day to take in as much BBQ as possible.

Our last day at the OC Fair included Cupcakes.

More Chili Cheese Fries.

And everything FOOD related.

Champagne in the Wine Garden with Cheese and Grapes.

Another Sky Ride — Love the view, but it still scares me.

We will miss all there is/was to do at the Orange County Fair.

See you next year.

Would you want a Grilled Cheese Burger?  It’s a Burger sandwiched between two Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and it’s currently available at Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery for $9.99, with French Fries or Onion Rings and a whole mini Pie — A good deal for a lot of richness.

We prefer Hof’s Fancy Smancy (mostly Schmancy) Steakhouse Burger.

Pick a Pie.

I still can’t believe I won Hof’s Hut’s Burger Contest — It’s been previously reported here.

And I was invited to its photo shoot where I learned that Burger modeling is a serious job.

Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger — A perfect blend of A-1 Steak Sauce and Horseradish Mayonnaise give the Grilled Beef Patty a steakhouse flavor.  Served on a Brioche Bun, it’s extra fancy with Onion Strings, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Baby Greens and a Tomato Slice.

The Burger was created in honor of Hof’s 60th Anniversary — It was (1) of approximately (300) submissions in their Burger Contest.  They narrowed the competition down to (10) and made them all, and then (5) to ultimately choose mine, which will be available during the month of September at all Hof’s Hut Restaurant locations.  And it’s worth having too.

Me smiling proudly with the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger.

It’s a serious job building a perfect Burger for its modeling debut.

All determining what looks best — Trying to make it look as good as it tastes.

Working with food, angles and lighting — I learned a bit.

Would you want the Burger with French Fries?

Or Onion Rings?

It’s all about the Burger, not me.

Hope to see you at Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery in September.

Try it!

It’s almost time for the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger to make an appearance at Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery.  In celebration of their 60th Anniversary, Hof’s will be featuring the pictured Burger during the month of September.  It won a Burger Contest and I created it, as previously reported here.  I was elated to learn the news.  In addition, I won a BBQ and $100 Gift Card.  More will soon be reported about the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger coming your way — Stay tuned to learn about its ingredients, the Burger’s photo shoot, the BBQ to be delivered next week, Hof’s Bakery and the amazing taste of the Burger.  It really is a winner.

Thanks to all the nice people at Hof’s.

Have you heard of the Sunday Night Chef Fights?  We attended and posted about the event last May.  They take place every three months or so in the OC and the next one is happening Sunday, August 21, 2011.  It’s an entertaining competition where YOU get to rate the food (and Wine), then vote for your favorite meal/chef.  It’s like you’re a Judge on Chopped.

You may purchase a ticket here — Knives will be flying at this fight.

In May we reported about the Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery Burger Contest, linked here.  In addition to posting about it, I entered 5 Burgers in the contest.  The challenge was to create a Burger worthy to become Hof’s 60th Anniversary Burger to be featured during the month of September — Having forgotten about the entries, last week I received a call from a Hof’s Hut VP who informed me that I’d won the Grand Prize in the Burger Contest… It’s my Burger, the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger that’ll be featured at Hof’s in September.  I’m attending its photo shoot tomorrow.  It’s unbelievable and exciting.  Can’t wait to try it — Thanks HH!

Note:  The pictured Burger isn’t it.  More to be reported about the actual soon.

Fortunata’s Oven at Inka Grill in Costa Mesa puts the emphasis on Rotisserie Chicken.

Finally discovered that it’s worth dining in or taking out at Rotisserie Chicken Inka Grill.

Our first bites included 1/2 a Chicken, Aji Sauce, Tortillas and Cilantro Rice.

Inka Grill reports to have “The Best Chicken on the Planet” and it’s certainly good, especially with their Aji Sauce (Serrano Chili Sauce).  All is deliciously spicy.  Reasonably priced and conveniently located, we’ll be going back again and again — We now see there’s more on the inside than the outside.  It’s a taste of Peru too.

It’s an exciting year at the Orange County Fair — More Culinary Arts Competition ribbons won.

In the 2nd Show, I happily accept another First Place Ribbon for my Snickerdoodle Scones and a Third Place Ribbon for my Blackberry Mascarpone Cheesecake.  And still delighted about the First Place Ribbon received for Blondies prepared for the 1st Show — I feel lucky.

Didn’t win anything in the Blog Post Competition on display above, but maybe next year.

Our Guest Blogger, Bonnie won a Second Place Ribbon for her professional table design.

And thought the above was adorable — Entered in the Crafts & Hobbies Competition is a mini replica of the Table Design Competition.  It’s rightly a First Place and Division winner.  Congratulations Donna!  The OC Fair is happening now through August 14, 2011.

Yeah!