Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

As a FOODIE, I’m constantly looking for a good food festival, a chili cook-off, a BBQ competition, a taste of a city, a cooking contest or any fun event that’s food related.  It seems like there’s always something going on somewhere.  To assist with finding more in the future, I’ve compiled a list of some of the best resources I’ve found — They’re linked below.  I know there’s a lot more happening out there, so please share your favorite food event source in a comment.

Find a Food Festival

Food Network All American Festivals

Food Reference – Upcoming Food Events

Gayot – Food Related Event’s Calendar

Local Wine Event’s Calendar

We dared to descend the darkened stairway (freight elevator) into the depths of The Cellar Restaurant to celebrate their 3rd Annual Trick or Eat Halloween Dinner Party.  They report that the lore of haunted restaurants is talked about, but nowhere is it truer than in The Cellar.  The space in which The Cellar inhabits was home to untold mysteries and the haunting of The Cellar is a closely guarded secret that’s only revealed once a year.

Course One:  Radioactive abductor muscles in a pool of gamma charged ooze, black goop, and unearthed fungus AKA Pan Seared Sea Scallops with a Zesty Basil Sauce, Balsamic Reduction and Enoki Mushrooms.

Course Two:  Dissected alien seed pods, toxic forest leaves in slimy secretions, with rotten and moldy milk AKA Mission Fig Salad with Baby Oak Leaf Lettuce, Maple Vinaigrette and Aged Gorgonzola.

Main Course:  Fire charred boat deck aged fishing chum, steamed maggots, and finished with a gangrene and puss (yuck) sauce AKA Grilled Mahi Mahi with Savory Rice, finished with an Herbed Butter Sauce.

Or decayed cow muscles with slaughterhouse drippings and fungal growths AKA Grilled Flavorful Rib Eye Steak, with a Merlot and Mushroom Reduction.

Dessert:  Graveyard mud soufflé with dried blood and bloody sacks AKA Chocolate Soufflé with Melted Dark Chocolate and Fresh Raspberries.

We thought the $49 price for all was pretty great and the show was entertaining.  The Scallops were just okay, a little rubbery, but the Mahi Mahi and Rib Eye Steak were definitely The Cellar’s usual caliber.  It was so dark that we didn’t know the sauce on the Mahi was bright green, until viewing the photos — Sorry a couple are out of focus.  Overall, it’s a good deal and a fun experience.  It’s sold out for tonight, but worth booking next year.  Luckily we survived the zombies.  Happy Halloween!

Did you know that you can BBQ with a gas or propane grill in the Angels Stadium parking lot?  The grill must have a fuel valve that turns off.  And charcoal grills are not allowed.  To learn all the rules, view the Angels Stadium of Anaheim Tailgate Policy.  For tailgating food ideas and to see how the Angels are doing this year, check out the OC Food Examiner.com report and its related links.

More Tailgating IDEAS.

We’re going camping on the beach, so I made the perfect Cupcakes.  Aren’t they cute?!  They’re easy to make too.  I used a Spice Cake Mix, then topped each Cupcake with an Orange Powdered Sugar Glaze.  The sand is ground Teddy Grahams and the towel is a piece of a Fruit Roll-Up.  Just lay a Teddy Graham on the towel, prop open a cocktail umbrella to block the sun and voila.

Since there was extra batter, I made a small Cake in the toaster oven.  It turned out good, but needed to be cooked a little longer than noted.  And as you can see in the photo, it became a sun bathing cliff for the Teddy Grahams.  My Chef Nieces are going to love it.  FYI:  I did not come up with this idea.  Similar Cupcakes won an Honorable Mention at the OC Fair this year.  Unfortunately I didn’t catch a name, nor a photo of the original Cupcakes.  If its creator stumbles across this post, please make yourself known — This copycat is a memory of yours. 🙂

The Orange County Fair opened today — It’s time for our favorite Sandwich. Every year we look forward to the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich at the Texas Style BBQ Stand.  So far we haven’t found one we like better.  Look for this sign near the Fair entrance, if you want one too.  Is the cow appropriate for this post?  Either way, it’s all at the OC Fair with a whole lot more.  Have FUN and enjoy the FOOD.

Last year’s Sandwich (up close) is linked here — The stand looks a little different this year, if we’ve got it correct.  We’ll check back to confirm.

Last year the Carne Asada was from Gems Market in Yorba Linda and this year it’s from Costco.  Both were good — We’ve got no complaints about anything.  It was a beautiful day in America.

We had Hot Dogs, made Tacos, ate Salads, Fresh Cherries, Edamame, Chips, Salsa, Watermelon, Homegrown Tomatoes, Basil and more.

And check out these shoes (directly above right), they’ve got bottle openers built in to the bottom of them.  Too funny — I had not seen that before.  They came in handy on this thirsty day.

Related Links:

http://www.reef-sandals-online.com/reef-fanning.htm

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/07/05/4th-of-july-in-an-american-backyard/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/07/04/fourth-of-july-cake-on-its-way-to-a-party/

Nibbles of Tidbits was invited to the Grand Opening Party at the New Shorebreak Hotel in the heart of Huntington Beach (aka Surf City).  It was a pretty hip and happening par-tay, but here we emphasize the fashions of the food.  And must mention the spectacular view of the Huntington Beach Pier and Pacific Ocean — The above photo was taken from one of the hotel rooms.  Surf City accommodations don’t get more ideally located than this.

Our invitation included an amazing Family Style Dinner at Zimzala, the Shorebreak Hotel’s Restaurant.  Their unique and high quality dishes offer your taste buds a flavorful trip through the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. 

As a starter before dinner, we shared a Zimzala Mezze Plate.  Our multi-level serving plates included a Moroccan Carrot Salad, White Bean Salad, Hummus, Cheese Filled Moroccan Cigars and more.  Each item had its own intense flavor.  I’m craving the Carrot Salad as I write this.

Prior to dinner we were greeted at the door with a Glass of Cava and a cute guy holding a plate of appetizers, and then several more which included “real” Crab Meat on Cucumbers (that’s refreshing all around) and Mini Salmon Cakes.  During dinner we were served some of the best Salmon I’ve ever had — I believe it’s Zimzala’s Pan Roasted Wild Salmon.  And I didn’t get a piece, but my friend raved about the Moroccan Chicken Tagine.

For dessert we had the Warm Strawberry Galettes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and the Chocolate Ganache, which is uniquely served with Grilled Sourdough Bread, Olive Oil and Sea Salt.  The combination works and it’s fun to try.

Shorebreak Hotel hosted a fabulous Grand Opening Party.  After the appetizers and before the dinner, we enjoyed the BBQ Grilled Shrimp, Lamb and Chicken Skewers in the courtyard.

And one of the Ballrooms was filled with Oven-Roasted Bacon Wrapped Dates (We LOVE ’em), Fingerling Potatoes, Fried Artichoke Hearts and the various Mediterranean Salads we enjoyed at dinner.

In addition to the after dinner desserts we shared, Zimzala set up a dessert room that included Fresh Coffee and my favorite Cookies, Madeleines — These were Lemon and I’m kicking myself for not taking one (or 5) to go.  I was stuffed at the time, but wish I had them now.  And above right are the room goodies offered with the view in the first photo.

As if the above isn’t enough for a successful Grand Opening Party, the Shorebreak Hotel hosted a Fashion Show, Live Band, Acoustic Performances, Simulated Surfing, Wine Tasting and Sand Castle Building.  It was a fun time and the service was excellent.  We like the airy and sophisticated feel of the hotel and would love to go back for more of everything.

Bolded food items are known to be on Zimzala’s everyday menu.

It’s a Cake Break and this one is from French’s Pastry in Irvine.  They’ve got 4 locations throughout Orange County and many people LOVE them.

I like the blurry hustle of the photo above.  We almost tried everything at the 14th Annual Taste of Anaheim and took a few notes.  This year it was held at The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk, an outdoor mall venue that seems pretty nice — My friend was purse and clothes shopping in between eating.  We were able and happy to squeeze it all in. 🙂

Above from left to right working on down, we had Shrimp and Pineapple Soft Tacos from Tortilla Jo’s, Mahi Mahi from The Rainforest Café, Panini’s from I forgot where (sorry), Spinach and Artichoke Dip from Mimi’s Café (YUM), Corn Chowder from Storytellers Café (YUM too), and I forgot what exactly from Geisha House — Its presentation was nice.

Continuing above is Gumbo being served from Café Orleans (I think), Creole Shrimp from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Sundried Tomato Hummus on Cucumber from Lazy Dog Café, and Chopped Salad and Meatball Sandwiches from Oggi’s Pizza & Brewery — The Meatballs were very good.

We had Chicken Tikka and Samosas from Chakra Indian Cuisine, and as previously reported and linked below, the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Crab Cakes and taste-TEE Sauce was a favorite, especially since they had an abundance of food, which beats a few.  And I’m not sure who was serving the Cupcakes above, but they look pretty.  I should have logged that name for sure, but after a couple Glasses of Cabernet some things just don’t matter, HA.

One thing we did care about was that a few restaurants ran out of food before the event was over.  The Taste of Anaheim ran from 5:30 – 9:30 PM and a few restaurants were out of food at 8:30.  To me, that’s not acceptable.  I paid $35 expecting to eat something from Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine and Mr. Stox Restaurant, but their spaces were hollowed by the time we got to them.  That was disappointing and shouldn’t happen.  Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse also ran out of food, but scurried to serve something, Hamburgers.  Although it wasn’t what we hoped for, we give them points for trying.

Related Link:
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=5212

Tonight’s Taste of Anaheim at ‘The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk’ appeared to be a success.  Our favorites included the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich and Blackened Chicken Pasta from Dave & Buster’s, and the Crab Cakes from Bubba Gump Shrimp Company — The Sauce served with them was extra good.  Most restaurants did a great job.

We’ll report the rest of the story soon.  Overall, the food was tasty and plentiful — All you can eat for $35 was a good deal and the lines weren’t too long.  It was fun and we were full.

Bubba Gump: http://www.bubbagump.com/

Dave & Buster’s: http://www.daveandbusters.com/

Taste of Anaheim: http://www.tasteofanaheim.com/TOA09.php?page=home.php

A friend raves about Jay’s Catering and recently had them cater her son’s First Holy Communion celebration.  He specifically wanted Sandwiches and Macaroni & Cheese.  And the Turkey and Roast Beef Sandwiches that were delivered looked just as good and fresh as they do on Jay’s Catering’s website.  Add a Green Salad, Pasta Salad and Fruit Platter, and you’ve got yourself a party.

Along with all was this beautiful Cake that was made with fresh Strawberries and Whipped Cream — It’s from a local Bakery to be linked here soon.  And homemade White and Milk Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookies were plentiful.  The kids love ’em.

Jay’s Catering DIRECT: http://www.jayscatering.com/

This Office Bake Sale raised $570  in a little over an hour — Not a bad wage.  All proceeds of the sale will be going to local charities.  Bake Sales are an excellent way to raise money.  It’s a WIN-WIN.  And they are extra yummy if you have good Bakers in your office.

This post includes just a sampling of the Baked Goods — In addition to what is shown HERE, there were several Pies, White Chocolate Fudge, Biscotti, Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treats, Homemade Shortbread Cookies, Pumpkin Bars, Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookies and much more. 

My small contribution was this Orange Bundt Cake with an Orange Glaze (below).  It’s a White Cake doctored up with Orange Juice, Orange Peel and Powdered Sugar.  It was designated to sell whole for $5 — I hope its purchaser liked it.  I liked what I bought.

See More Bake Sale Tips HERE:
http://baking.about.com/cs/hintsandtips/a/bakesales.htm

Today Orange County Restaurant Week kicked off its pre-event festivities with the first of 13 Cooking Demonstrations to be held at Bloomingdale’s Home Store, South Coast Plaza.  Chef De Cuisine Brian Black of The Loft at The Montage Laguna Beach prepared Barbecue-Braised Laughing Bird Shrimp with Warm Winter Citrus Vinaigrette, Spinach and Pine Nuts.  It’s one of the dishes to be offered during the inaugural Orange County Restaurant Week, February 22-28, 2009.

Participating restaurants will be serving three-course pre-fixe lunches for $10 & $20, and dinners for $20, $30 and $40.  During that time and leading up to it, select Chefs will demonstrate how to prepare dishes featured on their respective OC Restaurant Week menus.  It’s a good way to sample a few items and see how they’re made. 

The related Demos started today and will continue through the end of  OC Restaurant Week.  We’ll hopefully see and taste more.  Chef Manny Gomez of Ruth’s Chris Steak House Irvine will be making Sweet Potato Casserole and Creamed Spinach at Bloomingdale’s Home Store on February 19 — That’s of interest.  The rest of the schedule and more information is linked below.

Orange County Restaurant Week INFO:
http://www.orangecountyrestaurantweek.com/

Laughing Bird Shrimp INFO:
http://www.wedge.coop/meat/meat-sustainable-shrimp.html

The Best Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookies are made by Princess Loretta.  She’s the one in the middle with the floating Cookie Tiara.  Her baked goods are much appreciated by her friends, family, clients, and expanding outward.  And her Cookies are magically better than any we’ve purchased.  She uses the best Chocolate for her Oreos.  That’s just one reason why I’m lucky to be one of her best friends.  And since Valentine’s Day is coming up, she made White Chocolate Dipped Oreos with red stripes.  Everything she makes somehow tastes extra good.  Cookies, Cakes and Candies are her forté, after training clients in her Huntington Beach Pilate’s Studio. 

This day a group of us happily got together to decorate Valentine’s Cookies, and take home pretty boxes of Chocolate Dipped Oreo Cookies, White Chocolate Cherry Kisses and more.  The decorated Cookies will be posted and linked soon.  Gracias Loretta – It’s always a great time!

SPECIAL NOTE:  If you’re local (Orange County) and want your own Chocolate Dipped Oreos by Loretta, please tell Nibbles of Tidbits HERE in a comment.  More Chocolate Dipped Oreos: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1247

The service at The Golden Truffle Restaurant was superb.  We enjoyed the prix fixe New Years Eve Menu.  The food offerings were progressive and broad, which I like.  And the $68 price for four sophisticated courses wasn’t bad.  We enjoyed our food and wine on the outdoor patio under the overhead heater.

Respectively pictured are just a few of our picks — The Cream of Maui Onion Soup, the Tempura Chicken and Avocado Hand Roll with Fresh Wasabi, the Pit Smoked Prime Cowboy Cut Brisket with Whipped Potatoes and Horseradish Jus, the Black Truffle Sauteed Breast of Jidori Chicken with Beaujolais and Mushrooms, the Lavender and Wild Honey Creme Brulee, and the Bitter Chocolate Pot De Creme with Crushed Berries.

The Sauce on the Jidori Chicken and the Brisket were both outstanding.  We hoped for more Black Truffle flavor on the Chicken and more Lavender in the Creme Brulee, but their preparation was perfectly executed.  Overall it was a great experience with well timed and friendly service.  I’d go back for that.  Although it’s a restaurant, The Golden Truffle’s main business is catering.  Long ago they figured they might as well set up a store front too.

Related Links:

http://www.goldentruffle.com/

http://www.jidorichicken.com/

http://www.answers.com/topic/prix-fixe

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuber_(genus)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thanks to my cherished friends (and sis) for delivering the wonderful Appetizers and Desserts to my 14th Annual Christmas Party.  It was a blast like always.  Michelle’s Pesto Loaf (above) was voted Best Appetizer.  Congratulations!  The recipe is linked below.

And every party needs a Fresh Vegetable Platter — Ours was over the top good with Yellow and Red Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers and more.  And continuing on down (L-R), this year we enjoyed Artichoke Dip and Chicken & Lemongrass Spring Rolls.

Chicken Tamales with Colorado Chili Sauce, Salami, Brie and Smoked Cheese with Crackers, and Fresh Homemade Salsa and Tortilla Chips.  The Salsa deserves an honorable mention for its restaurant quality flavor.  I’ve got to get the recipe.

Egg Rolls, Pesto Loaf, and Cream Cheese with Blueberry Preserves and Crackers.  Then moving on to the bakery quality Desserts prepared by Loretta — She took the prize for that category with her Lemon Bars, Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icing, Magic Cookie Bars, and Chocolate Dipped Oreos and Graham Crackers as the Cake presents.

We had more than pictured here, but some photos didn’t quite make the quality cut.  I do appreciate ALL the food!  We mostly enjoyed Champagne, Chardonnay, Juice and Bottled Water, but many options were available.

This year I have a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree — It’s cute, don’t you think?  Here we are in a rare people picture on Nibbles of Tidbits.  I didn’t get my friend’s approval for the posted photo so it could come down if someone doesn’t like the way they look.  You know how some girls can be – HA. 🙂

Related Link:

Winning Appetizer Recipe (Pesto Loaf) – pesto-dip-appetizer

I’m busy getting ready for my 14th Annual Christmas Par-tay, whereas each guest (close friend) brings an appetizer.  I award a PRIZE and RIBBON for the Best Voted Appetizer — It’s a super fun and yummy party.  It’ll be interesting to see what comes this year and every first Friday in December.  Check back.  🙂

Thanks to my Parents for this wonderful Thanksgiving meal.  A few of us can’t hold back from eating the Crispy Turkey Skin (with Salt) before the Turkey is carved, hence its less than pristine exposure. 

And Chef Lexi made Apple Betty for Dessert — She shows how good it was.  More Chef Lexi meals and recipes can be found under the ‘Kid’s In The Kitchen’ section.

Everything was great as usual.  I’m a bit spoiled in that all I have to do is show up and eat.  I’m thankful for all my blessings and I do help with the dishes.

I should have ordered this, but mostly because it’s so colorful, plus the Ranch Dressing wasn’t great on our Side Salads.  The Lettuce was fresh, but (in our three opinions) if having Ranch Dressing it’s hard to beat the taste of homemade/restaurant made Original Ranch Dressing.  Most others are too tart, thick, or just not good.  The one at Glen Ivy is okay, but a Salad is 100% better with any great dressing.

And I’m not a fan of the pre-made Sandwich waiting in the fridge.  We ordered a Turkey Sandwich and they just reached into the fridge, grabbed a Sandwich and handed it over the counter.  Cafe Sole´ looks better than that and should be.  They make their Salads fresh, so I was bummed to see the Sandwich.  

Since the Turkey Sandwich didn’t look bad, we kept it, but later returned it when refrigerator flavor was detected.  Yuck.  I can’t stand that taste.  We weren’t looking for it, but unfortunately it was there. 🙁

On a brighter note, they make the Pizzas in a wood burning oven.  We had the Mediterranean Pizza with Caper Berries, Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes, along with our mud bake, mineral bath, lounge in the pool, pedicures, pool aerobics, Wine and Bellini’s.  It was a beautiful day!  Glen Ivy Hot Springs is a pleasing place to spend the day.  It’s not inexpensive, so we were very happy to have $400 in Gift Cards.  We left with $1.24 remaining — Fabulous!

Related Links:

http://www.glenivy.com/

http://www.glenivy.com/index.php/resort/C18/

http://www.hiddenvalley.com/products/DryDressingDips.php

It’s lunch at Sage on the Coast in honor of a dear friend’s twenty years of service at the distinguished law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  I once worked there myself.  The patio and adjacent garden at Sage are very nice.  It has a retractable roof and a fireplace.  We had a wonderful time in a beautiful environment with great food and wine.

To get an idea of what you might want to eat, I’ve posted a few photos.  Above is the Parmesan Crusted Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup, then moving on down to the Tortilla Soup with Cheddar Cheese, Cilantro, Chicken and Crispy Tortilla Strips.

Farmer’s Market Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese, Marcona Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette.

And this Roasted Cauliflower with Anchoaide Crust turned out to be one of our favorite dishes.

Sautéed Mexican Prawns with Linguine Pasta, chopped Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Spinach, Pine Nuts and Pesto Cream Sauce.

Coconut Crusted Barramundi with Coconut Rice, Bok Choy, Carrots, Shitake Mushrooms and Sweet & Spicy Sauce.  This is the first time I’ve tried “Barramundi.”   It’s a delicious Fish with beautiful white meat and great texture.  My portion was generous too.  I want it again sometime.

And here’s the Grilled Beef Filet Medallion, Hawaiian Ahi Sashimi, and Crispy Duck Confit Spring Rolls, respectively.

Sweet Potato Fries with Papaya Mustard, Grilled Salmon Salad, and House Made French Fries with Smoked Ketchup.

And of course we had Dessert, starting with a Lemon Chiffon Tart with Blackberry Coulis, Cream Fraiche Ice Cream and Lemon Tuile.

Plus an Old Fashioned Rootbeer Float, Farmer’s Market Poached Pear, and Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding.

Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake, and a Cappuccino.

Based on the offerings from the local Farmer’s Markets, Sage prints a new menu almost daily.  And they’ve got a Late Night “Sweet Tooth” Happy Hour for dessert tasting.  That sounds fun.

Related Links:

http://www.sagerestaurant.com/SOC/default.asp

http://www.sagerestaurant.com/

http://www.gibsondunn.com/Pages/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barramundi

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tuile.htm

We saw this recipe in a cookbook I recent bought for my Niece’s Birthday  — We thought it was so clever and cute that we made it during a sleepover at a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead.  That’s us on the cake from left to right, my sister Ami, Niece Lexi, Mom, Me and Niece Bailee.    

We look a bit like zombies, but it was fun to make.  Our heads are Nilla Wafers, the pillows are Marshmallows, and the bodies are Twinkies.  We used Jawbreakers for the eyes, sweet and sour Candy Rope for the bed skirt and trim, and made a Milk Chocolate Cake instead of a Vanilla one.

Here’s a picture of the book cover and recipe.  The original looks more polished — It was harder to make than we expected.  It’s tricky frosting over the Twinkies, we added toothpicks to hold them in place.  The softer the Frosting and bed trim Candy, the better.  It was a cool experience together.

Our Cake was posted on Culinarty by Lore as one of (10) Original Food Photos.  Take a look at it there and check out her other picks.  They are all pretty amazing.  Thanks Lore.

http://culinarty.sapiensworks.com/articles/lores-choice-10-original-food-photos-5/

Related Links:

http://www.cookingwithkids.com/

http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/

http://www.amazon.com/FamilyFun-Cooking-Kids-Deanna-Cook/dp/1423100867

La Siesta Restaurant was working hard, not napping.  They recently catered my friend’s wedding reception and did an excellent job.  The food was very good. 

I had never heard of them before, but I’ve since learned that they’re well loved in San Clemente.  I picked up one of their business cards and it says they specialize in Carnitas.  That’s what I liked the most.  Oh, the reception was very fun too. 

The view from the Ole Hanson Beach Club was spectacular.  It’s a great place for a wedding reception.  La Siesta was set up on the roof.  It’s a winning combination for those looking to tie the knot.  And finally, here’s a picture of the Cake.  It was cool too.  Congratulations Andrea & Mike.

Related Links:

http://www.lasiestasanclemente.com/

http://www.olehansonbeachclub.com/

If you’d like information regarding the Cake, please let us know in a comment.

The event was touted as the 2008 Celebrity Food Show.  It was heavily promoted and looked enticing, so I went with a friend.  We didn’t stay for the Ace of Cakes Show because the food exhibit area was way too small.  We had reservations to see Duff and the rest of the gang at the 4:30 show, but left before it started.  The picture is from a peak at the 2:30 show.

We had arrived at 1:30 to first experience the Cake Making Competition and Food Exhibits, but there wasn’t enough to see to fill the time.  Overall we weren’t impressed.  It seemed more like a glorified swap meet or Costco’s on a Saturday, plus a fair number of vendors weren’t fabulous or even set up.  And we saw way too many Salsa booths.  

All didn’t seem worth the $25.00 entry fee — And no one even asked for our tickets.  People were just wandering in and out of all the open doors.  The pictures below are of a few items we sampled or purchased, and a couple displays that caught our eyes.  The Cake Making Competition pictures will be featured in a future post, since it was the best part of the event.

Related Links:

http://www.celebrityfoodshow.com/

http://www.thesmokestackco.com/index.shtml

http://www.chipotletx.com/

http://www.lacookiestogo.com/Lisa_Anns_Cookies_to_go/Home.html

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=735

http://www.foodnetwork.com/