Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

McCormick & Schmick’s Pilsner Room still serves above average Happy Hour Food — They’ve offered an ever changing menu of high quality appetizers at great prices for many years.

This day we had the King Crab Legs with a Tomato Chili Gastrique.

Current MENU and prices above.

1/2 lb. Cheeseburger with French Fries – A long time staple there that’s always good.

Risotto Balls — Enlarge menu for more description on all.

Carrot Chipotle Wings.

Dynamite Mussels, a favorite — Photo doesn’t do ’em justice.

Legume Empanadas.

Marinated Olives — Since prices are so good you can’t pack anything to go, so eat up.

California Roll.

Gravlox.

Its interior is hipper looking these days, mixed in with appreciated old school.

View of Pilsner Room from above.

There’s an outdoor patio too. 

Entrance to McCormick & Schmick’s.

A peek inside M & S’s.

Flight of Beer — We took a couple flights.

Can’t we skip this part? 😉

Peace out — Thanks for the GC Sarnoff from my other life.

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!

Zimzala Restaurant & Bar located in the Shorebreak Hotel in Huntington Beach serves Happy Hour seven days a week.  Between 3 – 7 pm daily and 10 – 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, select Appetizers and Drinks are offered at a discount, and not many HH spots have this ocean view.  It’s always a good time there with high quality food and a pleasurable landscape.

The pictured Cheeseburger Sliders are some of the best we’ve had.

The Zimzala Hummus comes with a few Fried Chick Peas (also on the HH menu), thus you may not need to order them separately, unless you want a lot of them.  We were satisfied having those that came with the Hummus (shown above).

Also available during Happy Hour at a price cut is the Sweet Potato Tater Tots with Lime Salt.

Parmesan Herb Fries with Garlic Aioli.

Plus everything listed on the Happy Hour Menu (above), along with other daily specials.

Why not have a National Burger Weekend, especially if it saves people money?!  It’s 50% off through Groupon.  And Memorial Day Weekend is a good time for it.  Burgers are American and I’d love to buy one for a Veteran — Thank you and God bless you past and present soldiers.

Note:  The pictured Burgers are from Jimmy’s Burger Joint.

I just love surprises, large or small.  They don’t have to be grand and can even be expected, like The Treasure Box (TTB) — My secretary told me about it.  TTB is described as a week of (family) food at a world of savings.  Almost anything food related for the blog.  Order one, I said.  We decided to split a Treasure Box.  This month’s box, titled Simply Enough was $24.  She picked it up nearby on a specific date and brought it to the office.  Here it is.  Surprise!

Hhhmm.  All was frozen and most items were easy to share, but we negotiated a couple others.  She doesn’t like Peas and I do, and I don’t care for Brown Rice, but she does.  The rest, I wasn’t that enthused about, but will give it a try and update this post if notable.

The whole office wanted a piece of this — Do you want a piece of this?  The menus are here.

Fly me to the moon and give me a flashlight — Prime Rib and David Kinwald’s Tribute to Frank Sinatra is at La Cave on Monday Nights.  With Soup or Salad, Potato or Rice, and a basket of the best Garlic Cheese Bread in town, it’s a steal at $19.95.  Make a reservation or go early to be guaranteed a slab and keep tabs on the tab.  Otherwise choose from the above.

Outside La Cave off Irvine Avenue and 17th in Costa Mesa.

Entry looks like 1970’s VIP.

Menu, hours and entertainment schedule (above).

La Cave festivities are underground — Take the elevator (left) or stairs (right) down.

David Kinwald is a good singer and Cool Cat — Enjoyed the show and meal.

As reported, La Cave consistently serves some of the finest Prime Rib in the OC.

We ordered an add-on King Crab Legs, but for $24 it seemed sparse — I want fat legs!

You’re looking at the menu (above), shown with a flashlight and explained by the server in the very dark lounge.  I was happy not to trip walking in and it’s amazing the photos turned out, but do LOVE the old school aspects about the place.  There are no prices to look at, which I don’t love, because I like to know and don’t want to ask — We’re not cheap, but know La Cave isn’t either, but strategically it can be.  Closed Sunday, go Monday or Always, Frank.

Falling in love doesn’t happen often at a Whore House — What a meal and deal at Brasserie Pascal in Fashion Island.  We loved everything about it.  I tell my Mom it isn’t a WH, because she laughingly called it that when I tried to get her to eat there before.  We peeked in from the outside to a sea of leather and red, part of its appeal to me.  We went elsewhere that day, but I knew I’d be lured back.  This day I finally had a Perfect 10 and more with another.

It started with a Hot Mess, a Dirty Vodka Martini with a Blue Cheese Stuffed Olive and Cajun Spiced Rim, and a Lychee Raspberry Martini times two, since only $5 during Happy Hour.

And the Perfect 10 Menu offers a selection of complete, high quality meals for $10, 7 days a week — The price and convenience make this fine dining experience repetitively tangible.

It’s beautiful and jazzy inside, don’t be afraid.

Before diving into the Perfect 10 we started with the Pascal Patchwork, because it’s only $10 too, and happens to be an exclusive variety of remarkable food, a sampler tray of the ‘Best of Happy Hour’ — Blue Cheese Beef Sirloin Sliders, Homemade Pate, Grilled Cheese with Truffle Oil, Thyme Fries, Buttermilk Onion Rings, Charcuterie and Gourmet Pizza.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Baked Brie Cheese on the Perfect 10 Menu for $5 sounded too good to pass up — When our meal selections arrived, our kind banquette neighbors were compelled to comment on the seemingly endless food that kept coming our way.

We were a bit out of control, but hungry and free to sit back and enjoy the food and live music.

And now the original enticement, the meal deal we heard about — We opted for the “Duo De Crevettes Croustillantes” aka Jumbo Tempura & Grilled Shrimp with Moroccan Style Tabouli and a Tomato Saffron Emulsion (pictured topmost), and the USDA Choice Aged Filet Mignon with Roquefort and Cabernet Sauce, Potato Au Gratin and Vegetables (directly above).

We usually don’t show off a bill, as who wants any, but it’s a genuine deal for all that’s pictured, with 4 magnifique Martinis – A votre sante!  Are you ready now Mom?  Brunch at Brasserie Pascal (11:30am – 3:30pm) includes free flowing Sparkling French Wine.

And leftovers to stretch the deal a mile — LOVED everything about Brasserie Pascal.

Cheez-It wants YOU to choose the next Cheez-It flavor.  They recently introduced Baby Swiss and are now looking to add another flavor — Asiago, Colby or Romano.  Which sounds best to you?  We’re still unsure.  Six of us tried ’em all, but couldn’t agree.  Our votes were split between all three.  That’s not very helpful to Kelloggs, but we enjoyed eating them all.

You may still be able to obtain free samples to try the same.  Here’s the link.  Voting ends March 31, 2011.  If you already know which Cheez-It to vote for, you may vote here now.

Orange County Restaurant Week will be starting again this Sunday, February 27th through Saturday, March 5th.  We always report that it’s the best time to dine out in the OC — The FOOD deals are bigger.  The pictured Cauliflower is from Sage, a participating restaurant.

Mark your calendar — If local, you’ve got to check out the New Year’s Eve Block Party Preview Event.  It’s scheduled for Thursday, December 16, 2010, from 6 – 9pm at the OC Fair & Event Center, near the Pacific Amphitheatre Box Office.  It’s FREE to get in (and park).  The special preview event will feature music, karaoke and a sampling of gourmet food trucks participating in the New Year’s Eve Block Party event on December 31, 2010.  Food and beverage tastings will be offered for a small fee, varied by truck.  You just need to show up, park, walk up, then decide what to try first and bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to the special toy drive to receive $5 off a ticket to the New Year’s Eve Block Party.

Pictured here is a sampling from just one of the 50+ food trucks to be present at the New Year’s Eve Block Party.  The colorful French Toast (above) and Beef, Lamb & Chicken Skewers (below) will be served by Chomp Chomp Nation, one of the newer trucks on the road that’s operated by a proud husband and wife team.

You’ll be able to enjoy the pictured items (and so much more) at the OC Fairgrounds on New Year’s Eve and stop by the Preview Event happening Thursday, December 16th to check out other gourmet food truck options.  You’re sure to find something you’ll love!

And if you like what you see at the FREE Preview Event, why not ring in the new year at the OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party?!  There will be a lot going on.  Bring the family, friends, or come alone, as there will be plenty to do, EAT and see.  In addition to the 50+ gourmet food trucks, tribute bands will be playing throughout the evening (Pearl Jam, U2, Oingo Boingo, Led Zeppelin, The Smiths, The Rolling Stones, just to name a few), and there will be dancing, a demolition derby, a comedy hypnotist and a pyrotechnic laser show at midnight, and possibly a few rides — It’s almost the Orange County Fair in December.

PLEASE NOTE — The OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party will be different than past NYE events held at the venue, in that it’ll be hosted by the OC Fair & Event Center, not a private promoter seeking all hoochies.  It strives to be family friendly and fun, like a real block party.  Tickets are on sale now.

ATTENTION — If local, the above tickets can be yours.  We’re giving them away on December 20th.  Just leave a comment here or send a direct message to FoodBlog on Twitter NOW and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win them.  And if you reeeeeeaallllllly want them, you may leave a comment or send a direct Twitter message once daily to improve your odds of winning.  Good luck all!

12/20/10 Update:  Congratulations goes to John Lombardo of Huntington Beach — His name was drawn from about (33) who entered to win tickets to the OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Party by leaving a comment here, sending a Direct Message through Twitter and/or Facebook.  Thanks to all who entered.  I hope to see you at the event.

Be sure to make dinner and/or lunch reservations this week in Orange County.  Restaurant Week is happening now through Saturday.  You can learn more about it here.  In celebration, we attended its Kick Off Party at Prego Ristorante in Irvine.

We enjoyed seemingly endless appetizer platters, Coppola Wine, Agave Tequila and Sobieski Wodka (Polish Vodka).  I had not been to Prego in years.  The service and food was as good as I remember.  We didn’t fall in love with the Kick Off Party appetizers, but our subsequent Three Course Meal for $30 was fantastic.

All were on stand by ready to serve food and drinks — Love that!

I enjoyed the Coppola Wine, while my guest had the Wodka.

As soon as one appetizer platter ran out, Prego staff brought out another.

Jill-FM Radio (92.7) DJ was playing great tunes for the crowd. 

Important people were being interviewed — I don’t know who.  It was a Sunday and I don’t get paid to know, hahaha.  The dining room is beautiful at Prego and the bar is larger than it used to be.  The dessert cart is also pictured below.

After the party, we took pleasure in Prego’s Three Course Meal, which includes a Glass of Wine.  It’s an amazing deal for $30.  And I was thrilled to see Carpaccio Cipriani as an option for the First Course.  I was sold on that alone. 

For the Second Course I had Risotto Mare with Arborio Rice, Shrimp, Scallops, Manila Clams and Black Mussels, and my friend had Costata Di Bue, a Mesquite Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Potatoes and Sauteed Vegetables.  Both meals were excellent, especially the Rib Eye and the Sauce that tops it.  Unfortunately the photo didn’t do it justice, thus it’s not posted.

And dessert includes a choice between Tiramisu and Torta Di Limone.  We got one of each.

We love Orange County Restaurant Week FOOD and prices — As previously mentioned, it’s the best time to dine out in the OC.  Eat now before it ends.

Join OC Foodies to stay on top of the latest Orange County food and restaurant news.

Happily I’ve never had a bad meal at Benihana — The restaurant chain opened more than 40 years ago.  I’ve dined at several locations across the states and haven’t left any without a smile on my face.  The food is always fresh, cooked perfectly and it’s fun to watch it happen.  And if you join The Chef’s Table, you’ll receive a complimentary meal during the month of your birthday, a $30 value.  It’s a great deal.  If you have a birthday coming up, join now.

This visit we ordered the Land ‘N Sea, which includes Benihana’s Onion Soup and Salad, a Hibachi Shrimp appetizer, Zucchini and Onions, steamed or fried Rice, Ice Cream and Green Tea, as like most meals.  The Land ‘N Sea also consists of Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops that are grilled with Lemon and Butter.  Everything tasted fantastic and the cooking show was entertaining as usual, especially when our chef missed catching an Egg that fell and cracked on the floor — It happens.  Unfortunately that photo turned out blurry.

These photos were taken at Benihana’s Newport Beach restaurant.  We recommend Chef Roberto, who is pretty darn funny and talented.  The service seems extra good at this location.  Management was walking around making sure everyone was happy and satisfied.

Chef Roberto made a heart out of the Fried Rice and a volcano out of the Onions.

Our Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops were perfectly cooked, as usual.

Keep it coming — We’re always stuffed on the way out and have leftovers for the next day.

Although we’ve enjoyed countless meals at Benihana, this is Nibbles of Tidbits’ first report.

We celebrated a couple birthdays at our table, thus appreciated the complimentary photo, beautifully carved Pineapple and song.  Chef’s Table birthday meals are honored without a hitch — Just bring in the printed voucher with an ID and you may redeem it anytime during the month of your birthday.  It’s a terrific deal.

I’m advised that National Chicken Day is Wednesday, September 15th — Although there are plenty of places to find Chicken, El Pollo Loco is one of the best and this year they celebrate 30 years of flame-grilled perfection.  I’ve been going there since day one and have yet to find another “fast food” Chicken I like better.  To include guests in on their anniversary celebration, El Pollo Loco is offering daily coupons that can be downloaded directly from their website.  Guests who visit El Pollo Loco on National Chicken Day with their printed coupon will receive a FREE piece of citrus-marinated, flame-grilled Chicken (leg or thigh), warm Tortillas and fresh Salsa.  No purchase is required.  Print your coupon and mark your calendar.  I did.

I concur with the message in this video by the Bulk is Green Council.  You can save time and money buying certain items in the bulk aisle, rather than elsewhere scattered throughout the store.  I recently experienced its benefits at Henry’s Farmers Market — A great store for bulk.

Above is just a sliver of Henry’s bulk foods selection — Don’t forget to write the item number on each tag / bag sealer, so the checker will know how to ring it up.  Many items look the same, especially the powdered goods.  It can be a fair amount of writing if you get a variety.  This day we tried a little of a lot (about 15 items).  It was entertaining and we did see that money can be saved when needing a little or a lot of certain things.

I’m advised that it’s National Bulk Foods Day on October 23rd — Hhhmmm, it seems there’s a day for everything now.  Did you know it’s National Nibbles of Tidbits Day on December 3rd?  It is!  Until then, buy from the bulk foods aisle.

We recently wandered into Zinc Cafe & Market in Corona Del Mar a half hour before closing time and happily learned that their Market Salads are 1/2 price during that time, the last half hour before closing.  It was great timing for us, thus we went crazy and got eight of them, five are pictured here and all are always good.  They offer a shady outdoor patio too, but we enjoyed our Salads on the beach (away from the seagulls) and for lunch the next day.  What a deal — It’s the best time to go there.

We didn’t capture the official name of each Salad, since we ate them so fast — Many are seasonal anyway, so you’ll just have to see what’s available and check out their website to see what’s possible.  They offer a lot and will tell you more than we can.

The beach is walking distance from Zinc Cafe & Market in Corona Del Mar.  If I could own a home anywhere around here, it would be in Corona Del Mar, near many restaurants and the amazing beauty pictured below.

It’s the last weekend of the Orange County Fair and today is the final day to munch out on the $1.00 Specials (Fridays, Noon – 4PM).  During that time, most food stands offer something interesting to eat for $1.00.  We had all that’s pictured below, including Deep Fried Bull’s Testicles (yeah, that’s right) and much more.  It’s a great time to try different things.

Note:  Hover your cursor over each photo to learn a little more, or stop by each booth and ask ’em what they’re serving for $1.00.

I’m not sure how to accomplish it or what will pass for looking like one, but if YOU dress up like a cow and go into a Chick-fil-A restaurant this Friday, July 9th, you’ll GET A FREE MEAL.  We’re still contemplating the idea.  Below is Chick-fil-A’s Press Release regarding this crazy annual event — They’re celebrating Cow Appreciation Day!

Chick-fil-A is issuing a cattle call! On Friday, July 9, Chick-fil-A® restaurants nationwide will celebrate the company’s annual Cow Appreciation Day event by offering a FREE meal to any customer who visits one of the chain’s mall or stand-alone restaurants fully dressed as a cow.

Customers dressed “head to hoof” in cow attire will be rewarded with a free Chick-fil-A Meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner), which includes an entrée of choice, a side item and a Dr Pepper® (or other beverage choice). For those “too chicken” to wear full cow costumes, Chick-fil-A will award a complimentary entrée to customers partially dressed in cow attire, such as a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory.

Chick-fil-A has launched a special website dedicated to the occasion, http://www.cowappreciationday.com/. In addition to providing further details about the event, the site offers cow costume ideas and tips, as well as downloadable cow spots, masks and other bovine-themed accessories for customers to use to create their costumes. For the first time, the Chick-fil-A “Eat Mor Chikin®” Cows will embrace social media by tweeting, checking in on Foursquare and providing Facebook updates throughout the day from their profile pages.

Two online photo contests are also part of the festivities. A photo contest for adults is hosted on the Chick-fil-A Facebook page. A second photo contest for kids 10 and under called Show Us the Cow is available at http://www.showusthecow.com/. Both contests will award free Chick-fil-A products for a year to the best cow-dressed customers, and children will also have the opportunity to win a $1,000 U.S. Series EE Savings Bond and a digital camera through the “Show Us the Cow” photo contest.

Now in its sixth year, Chick-fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day continues to build momentum. Last year’s event – and the resulting turnout – confirmed that Chick-­fil-A has a strong following of customers willing to go to great lengths to show their appreciation for cows. More than 300,000 cow-clad customers stampeded Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country. Costumes ranged from simple cow-spotted t-shirts to full cow suits complete with furry ears, cow bells and homemade sandwich boards with personalized renditions of the “Eat Mor Chikin®” Cows’ quirky messages.

“Cow Appreciation Day continues to be one of our best indicators of the great passion our customers have for our brand,” said Steve Robinson, Chick-fil-A’s senior vice president of marketing. “It takes a loyal fan to dress like a cow for a free meal and, based on the stories we hear from our restaurant Operators around the country, we have quite a large – and growing – base of Chick-fil-A fans. Cow Appreciation Day is our way of thanking them for their loyalty, not to mention a day simply to have fun!”

The additional excitement around Cow Appreciation Day each year offers further proof that the passion for Chick-fil-A’s beloved bovines is stronger than ever. For the past 15 years, the renegade “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows have entertained consumers with their desperate, self-preserving antics in an effort to convert beef eaters into chicken fans. The Chick-fil-A Cows and the “Eat Mor Chikin” campaign have enjoyed such widespread public success that the chain has evolved the campaign into a fully integrated marketing program. In addition to clever roadside billboards, the “Eat Mor Chikin” Cows are the focal point of Chick-fil-A’s in-store point-of-purchase materials, promotions, radio and TV advertising, and clothing and merchandise sales.

What a great bunch of people they have working for Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine.  We recently visited Roy’s in Anaheim at The GardenWalk.  Did you know that each location’s Chef Partner is trained by Roy Yamaguchi himself, yet is encouraged to infuse their own style and inspiration into Roy’s classic menu items?  We just learned that cool fact, which makes each Roy’s special in its own way, thus if you’ve been to one Roy’s, you haven’t been to ’em all.

Roy’s just kicked off its L.A. Ohana Tour, which will give guests the opportunity to experience the different taste variations each time they visit a new Roy’s location — The specifics are detailed in bullet points below.

During our first tour stop, we thoroughly enjoyed Roy’s Original Hawaiian Martini, which includes fresh Pineapple, SKYY Vodka, Stoli Vanil Vodka and Malibu Coconut Rum.  And we loved the flavors of the Ekolu Tuna Roll, the “Rim Fire” Calamari and the Sweet Corn & Blue Crab Crusted Barramundi, which was our favorite — It’s made with a Sun Dried Tomato and Wild Mushroom Anisette Cream Sauce.  If you’ve never tried Barramundi, you’re missing out.  It’s a sustainable farm raised Fish with sweet succulent flesh indigenous to Australia. 

And for dessert, Roy’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake with caramelized Pineapple baked with Brown Sugar Pound Cake and Coconut Ice Cream was the perfect finish.

Roy’s recently announced the launch of its L.A. Ohana Tour, a new rewards program designed for diners to experience the creative chef variations on popular menu items offered at each location.  From June 9th until August 31, 2010, guests are invited to visit (3) Southern California Roy’s restaurants to receive dining rewards and be entered to win an all-inclusive trip to Hawaii, where guests will enjoy a personal dinner with founding chef Roy Yamaguchi.

Your chance to win a trip to Hawaii starts with an inaugural visit to any one of Roy’s participating restaurants, as noted below: 

· At the inaugural (first) trip to any participating Roy’s restaurant, guests are awarded an Ohana Tour Card to present at the next Roy’s location.

· On the second visit, guests will receive a complimentary Chocolate Soufflé with the purchase of an entrée.

· At the third location, guests will receive a $20 Gift Card with the purchase of an entrée, plus an entry into the Hawaiian sweepstakes.

· Restaurants participating in the tour include Roy’s Anaheim, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Pasadena, and Woodland Hills locations.

THEY SAY:  “In the Hawaiian culture, ‘ohana’ means family,” said Leiala Whattoff, V.P. of Training & Development, Roy’s restaurant. “We designed this tour to thank our frequent guests and encourage new guests to experience our exquisite food and the aloha spirit with their friends and family. By visiting three of our Southern California locations, guests will receive delicious rewards and the chance to win the ultimate dining experience in Hawaii.”

Nibbles of Tidbits will be heading to Roy’s in Fashion Island next for our complimentary Chocolate Soufflé.  Hope to see you on tour!

* We had hoped to post more food photos, but unfortunately didn’t capture the deserving quality of all aforementioned dishes.

In AAA‘s Westways Magazine, Al’s New York Cafe in Costa Mesa was recently named one of the “Best Cheap Eats”  in Southern California, and most on Yelp rave about it too.  We tried their Pepperoni Pizza and unfortunately thought it was a bit too greasy for us.*  We might be a little too CPK.  We’ll try a couple of Al’s other specialties next visit.

* We’re not grease snobs — Pizza photo was taken after blotting.

Marie Callender’s Classic Combo — 1/2 a Turkey Sandwich, French Fries and a Cup of Soup for $5.99 is a good deal, although you hardly get any Fries.  I jokingly accused the Waiter of eating my Fries on the way over, haha.  It just looks funny.  It’s two ounces they say.  Perhaps one more ounce might look a little better. 

Aside from the lack of French Fries, I left full and satisfied.  The service is always good at the Marie Callender’s 17th Street location in Costa Mesa.  I love their Potato Cheese Soup with Tabasco.

It’s still St. Patrick’s Day at Santa Anita Race Track, which was a good thing for us today.  We saved a lot of money on Beer and Hot Dogs and went home with a little more money than we came with — That’s a good thing!  It was a beautiful, thirst quenching day.

The big money was won on a 55/1 (odds) to Place — Too bad we didn’t go all the way with the Win.  Nevertheless, we had a magnificent time at Santa Anita.  It’s an entertaining way to spend the day.  The horses are only running live at Santa Anita Race Track until April 18, 2010.

Other media was broadcasting from the track and another race was getting ready to start, as we headed for six Beers for the price of one.  FYI:  There’s FREE Admission and more $1 specials every Friday.

Our office appreciated saving money on Coffee this week, while trying Nescafé Taster’s Choice Instant Coffee (Stick Packs).  They’re made with real Coffee Beans and taste better than the Instant Coffee I remember from years ago, and would be preferred over some brewed Coffee.  Our favorites were the Gourmet Roast and 100% Colombian.  Might they be considered an inexpensive replacement for a daily Coffee Shop stop?  Maybe, but they can’t replace my occasional Latte out. 

* Try it for yourself on them — Click here to learn how.

Orange County Restaurant Week starts this Sunday, February 28th and runs through March 6th, 2010.  This link will provide ALL the details — Prices, participating restaurants, lunch and dinner menus and more.  It’s the best time to dine out in Orange County.

* Photo is from a previous meal at Orange Hill Restaurant, a participant in this upcoming OC Restaurant Week.

Update 03/07/10:  This event has been extended an additional week.