Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

The Crab Cooker is an oldie, but goodie in Newport Beach.  It’s been open since 1951 and still draws a crowd each day.  The prices are relatively reasonable for a beach area restaurant and the food is consistently fresh.  Most of my recent trips have been to its Fish Market.  Since the restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, we often get the Smoked Albacore to go.  With a little Cocktail Sauce and Tartar Sauce for dipping, you’re set for a beach picnic if you can successfully avoid the pesty seagulls.

The Crab Cooker’s Smoked Salmon and King Crab Legs (pictured above) and their Manhattan Clam Chowder, Scallops on a Skewer and Romano Cheese Potatoes are also favorites of ours.  People travel miles to have the Romano Potatoes, but if you’re looking for New England Clam Chowder you won’t find it here, as they only serve Manhattan, which is different because most seafood restaurants only offer New England.

On this beautiful day in January, we enjoyed our Smoked Albacore on the beach while watching the brave surfers and boogie boarders — The water is still way too cold for me, even with a wetsuit, but it’s entertaining (and warmer) to watch.

Can you tell what’s in the photo below?  It’s our magnified sliced Smoked Albacore with Tartar Sauce and Lemon to go.

FYI:  There’s a second Crab Cooker in Tustin, California.  For location information, the menu and more restaurant history, click here.  Eat lots of fish!

We thoroughly enjoyed the $45 prix fixe meal served at Back Bay Bistro Restaurant on New Year’s Eve — And we’ll definitely be going back again for the Lobster Bisque.  It’s one of the best we’ve had in a long time, due to a perfect balance of complex flavors.  Wow!

Included with the fantastic Lobster Bisque was a fresh Bistro Salad, Surf & Turf (a Petite Filet Mignon and Jumbo Shrimp served with Garlic Whipped Potatoes, Asparagus and Baby Carrots) and Chocolate Mousse with a fresh Raspberry Puree.  All was fantastic.

Back Bay Bistro is a little tricky to get to — It’s tucked back in Newport Dunes near a boat launch.  Be careful walking over and valet parking, so not to get run over by a launching boat.  Once you’re there, it’s a pleasant experience.

We received excellent service from everyone we encountered and were impressed by that alone.  We mistakenly arrived a 1/2 hour before the first seating and were content to hang outside, but a nice manager (Jesse) invited us in early.  That was super cool of him and on this colder evening it was a treat to be sitting inside with a glass of Merlot.

We’ll be going back soon for Happy Hour — It’s an all around good restaurant that’s nice and airy, has interesting views, offers “dog friendly dining” on the outdoor patio, provides on-the-ball service and high quality food.

For all reasons noted above, we were happy with our decision to enjoy our last meal in 2009 at Back Bay Bistro — And we’ll be heading back over in early 2010 for more.

Happy New Year from Nibbles of Tidbits in Newport Beach, near Back Bay Bistro.

We finally visited Tapas Restaurant Night Club in Newport Beach near the John Wayne Airport — It’s only been open about 16 years.  Under the Hot and Cold Tapas Menu, we tried the Lamb Chops Madrilenas, Cheese Fundido and Artichoke Toasts. 

We prefer to emphasize the positive on Nibbles of Tidbits, but we’re also truthful in our reports.  I deferred the Tapas review to my dinner guest, who wants to remain anonymous (she’s infamous, ha).  She wrote the following:

After wondering for years about Tapas Restaurant Night Club in Newport Beach, we finally got the chance to visit this venerable institution, which has been tucked away in a strip mall for the last 16 years. The dictionary definition of Tapas is “small snacks that are often served as an appetizer along with alcoholic drinks, originally from Spain” — Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, after our visit tonight our conclusion is that this concept is all tapped out.

First, the restaurant itself has lost whatever appeal it used to have on a visceral level — it is now dirty, dusty and damaged. Second, the food sounds good on the menu but it is just plain BLAH. For example, the Artichoke Hearts tasted like they came straight out of a can (they even had that can smell to them). The bread was stale and tasteless and the Cheese “Fundido” — which was baked Manchego and Goat Cheese with Spanish Chorizo – sounded divine but was barely edible (congealed). Ditto with regard to the bland Potato (Bomba). The only good Tapas we tasted was the Lamb Chops.

Equally tasteless was the décor, with broken tiles lining the floors everywhere and Spanish outfits hanging from the walls that were literally covered in dust. Finally, we were served on plates that did not even remotely match! In sum, don’t bother with Tapas as they are all tapped out. 

Tapas Restaurant Night Club’s sustainability must be through the night club, bar and entertainment.  We wish all restaurants well, thus hope they take more pride in their Tapas (for its namesake and for Pete’s sake), and why not tidy things up a bit?!

One of our Guest Bloggers, Bonnie recently visited and reviewed Tavern Restaurant in Brentwood (Los Angeles).  She came back raving about their décor, since she’s an Interior Designer, she’s keen to that angle in her reports.

Bonnie’s Review starts HERE:

My parents recommended we spend our Thanksgiving Day at Tavern, a new place in Brentwood (Los Angeles) they had been to twice before in the last 6 months, which served as a good enough recommendation for me. They raved about the hamburger they shared on both occasions, and I was curious after looking at their website and reading the reviews on City Search and Trip Advisor.

Upon arriving for our meal at the slightly unusual time of 1:00 p.m., I was immediately struck by the impressive décor.  Designed by fellow interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks, the former home of Hamburger Hamlet has been completely transformed into an elegant tri-part restaurant. The linear design of the building’s interior consists of a quaint, casual bakery/deli/cafe to the left of the main entrance, a dark yet comfortable bar area on the other side of the entry and once through there, a starkly bright formal dining room.

After being seated at one of the exquisite dining tables that ring the room, our meal began with a persimmon and pomegranate salad with arugula, local walnuts and brie (seal bay triple cream). What a perfect start – especially because I have never tasted persimmons before – and they were quite a treat! The main course was (naturally) herb roasted organic turkey breast and stuffed leg with mashed potatoes and gravy.

While the turkey was good, it was the presentation of the fixings which got my attention as they were all served “family style” in the middle of the table: “Moms” traditional and Suzanne’s chestnut prune and cavolo stuffing; sweet potatoes with sherry and roasted shallots; Brussels sprouts with pancetta and thyme; Italian broccoli with garlic and chili and traditional cranberry sauce. For the finale, the desserts tasted as good as they looked — pumpkin pie and candied pecan with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped sweet cream.

In fact, this was one of the more memorable holiday meals that I have had in a long time, as much as for the personal and attentive service as for the presentation and quality of their food. Suzanne Goin is the Executive Chef and I can’t wait to go back there and try her hamburger, which is why my parents recommended her newest L.A. area restaurant, Tavern, in the first place.

Thanks for the informative report Bonnie — Now I can’t wait to try the Hamburger too.  Since Tavern’s Thanksgiving meal was so good, I’ve attached their New Years Eve Menu as an option for the festivities.

Update (04/05/10):  Tavern was named one of the 10 Best New Restaurants in L.A., by Los Angeles Magazine (March 2010).

We’re excited about the retro priced Burger and French Fries ($2.70) we had for lunch today at Ruby’s Diner.  The service was excellent and the food was fresh and hot at the Irvine Spectrum location.  This should have been reported earlier, but you can get the same before the close of business today (only).  Maybe they’ll offer it again for their 28th Anniversary.

If going to Javier’s Cantina & Grill at the Irvine Spectrum for lunch, early or late after the crowd passes is the best time — It gets busy.  After this lunch we can see why.  What we had here was amazing and many other menu items sound fantastic.  The decor is sexy too, but it ain’t cheap.  The prices are on the high side, but the quality is there.  We started with the Guacamole, one of the best around, thought by all dining together today.

The Carnitas are very good, but wished my cut this day would have been a little less fatty.  Their Refried Beans and Roasted Salsa are incredible.

Callitos Mazatlan— Scallops sauteed in a Butter, Garlic and Chipotle Sauce.  The Scallops were perfectly cooked and even the plain looking white rice tasted special.

And a Chicken Chimichanga, with large chunks of white meat Chicken, plus more Guacamole and Beans — Yum.  There’s definitely remarkable stuff being served at Javier’s.  I want to go back.

Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach recently had its 10th Year Anniversary.  To celebrate they offered a 4-Course Menu that included some of their best dishes and customer favorites over the years — Our Friday the 13th (coincidentally) menu included Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Hawaiian Pineapple Carpaccio and Macadamias.

Fall Vegetable Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Pumpkin Seed Essence and a Balsalmic Reduction.

Lamb Loin with a Port Wine Black Garlic Sauce, Roasted Tomato, Baby Artichokes and Potato Puree — This dish was amazing.

Miso Glazed Chilean Seabass with a Sesame Seaweed Salad and Ponzu Sauce.

Mango Sorbet with Ginger Blackberries.

A Composition of Chocolates with Chambord Raspberries.  And a complimentary Glass of Champagne and Amuse Bouche of Beets, Endive and Goat Cheese.  The high quality4-Course Menu was only $25 per person.  Bayside Restaurant offers a lot of specials, so keep checking their calendar.  They’ll also be serving Thanksgiving Dinner this year, along with many other Orange County restaurants.

I scored because my dinner guest doesn’t like Beets or Champagne — I love ’em both, so guess WHAT?  It was double Amuse Bouche and Champagne for me. 🙂

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!

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill currently serves more than (12) different Tacos.  We’ve tried most, but feature only (4) here.  They’re not necessarily our favorites, but what’s photographed thus far.  We’ll be adding to this post, as we sample others.  Pictured above is the Grilled Portobello & Poblano Taco — It’s pretty messy, but is one of our favorites

This day we also tried the Grilled Mesquite Shrimp Taco, the Carnitas Rajas Taco and the All American Taco (R.I.P.), no longer on Rubio’s menu.  The Carnitas was good and the Shrimp was okay (a little tasteless).

And we love the idea of the All American Taco, a Cheeseburger in a Taco, but the meat served in it was way too tough.  It appears this Taco didn’t sell well, since it’s no longer on the menu.  With a few improvements, we wouldn’t mind having it again.

At most locations, Rubio’s “World Famous Fish Tacos“ are $1.25 every Tuesday from 2:30PM to close.  We also like the price of Rubios Street Tacos, but they’re sure tiny.  View their full menu here and be sure to check back for a sampling of Rubio’s other Tacos.

Cafe R+D is part of the Hillstone Restaurant Group.  Its decor reminds me of Houston’s, one of my favorite restaurants in the group.  This R+D is in Fashion Island, another is in Dallas and one just opened in Santa Monica.  We enjoyed the Newporter Roasted Chicken Salad with Avocado, Bacon & Huntsman Cheese (above) — It’s a fun and tasty deconstructed Salad.

Mediterranean Seared Tuna Salad with Sushi Grade Tuna, Avocado, Cucumber & Goat Cheese.  It’s a good flavor combination and the Tuna melted in our mouth(s).

Cafe R+D Chicken & Spinach Salad with Bloomsdale Spinach, Apples, Cashews & Bacon.  During this visit, we realized that all entrees (above) were served with a Deviled Egg — That’s after we had the Deviled Eggs starter.  You might want to take that into consideration when ordering, although they’re only $4, a small concern compared to other prices on the menu.

The Dip Duo includes Tortilla Chips with Guacamole and a Salsa-Queso type dip with a bit of a smokey flavor — We loved it!  The Chips were endless, but we wished the dip was too.  Back to the Deviled Eggs, half of our group liked them and the other half didn’t care for ’em.  There’s a lot of crunch and sweetness in the R+D Eggs and some were hoping for a high quality traditional flavor.

They have an outdoor patio and a window view into the kitchen from the outside of the restaurant, which is always fun.  This day we watched the Chefs making Huntsman Cheese.  Cafe R+D has a small menu and it’s not cheap, but the food, atmosphere and service makes it desirable.  For more information, read what others are saying on Yelp.

Belmont Shore, one of the best areas in Long Beach hosts a lot of great restaurants.  I spent many fun years living within walking distance from “The Shore” and ate at every restaurant on Second Street.  Too bad Nibbles of Tidbits didn’t exist then — It would’ve had quite the material.  Open Sesame featured HERE wasn’t there during that time, but it now occupies two spots, 5201/5215.

Open Sesame has a corner location (a Cheese Steak Sandwich joint during my days) and another restaurant a few doors down.  If you plan on meeting someone there, be sure to specify which one.

Before visiting, we heard nothing but good things about the place.  We started our meal with artsy Hummus, Pita Bread and Fried Cauliflower, which turned out to be my favorite menu item of the meal.  We also had the Kafta Pita that’s made with ground charbroiled Sirloin and Lamb, and the Chicken Shawarma Pita, made with marinated Chicken breast and thigh meat.  Unfortunately, the Kafta Pita meat was dry and tough, thus we’d opt for a substitute next time.

The service was good and they offer outdoor patio dining at both Second Street locations.  Love that!  Pictured directly above is the Green Hot Tea — And we also tried the Jalab, a combination of Rose Water and Grape Syrup infused with Incense and topped with Pinenuts.  It’s different and refreshingly crunchy.  I’d get it again, especially since I know I’ll be back to visit Belmont Shore (and the Heights), the best part of the LBC.

So far we’ve determined that Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach has the Best Happy Hour in Orange County.  Their Tapas Menu is fabulous.  This visit we had the Crab Cake with Herb Cabbage Slaw and Chipotle Aioli (above) and  Fusilli Carbonara with Bacon and Parmesan (below).

And the Sliced Beef Sirloin with Roquefort Blue Cheese Leek Fondue (below) is divine.  As like our last visit, the Tapas were top quality and excellent tasting.  The Bayside Tapas Menu is served daily from 5 to 9PM in the Lounge and on the Terrace.  Each item is only $5.95 and unique Martinis and select glasses of Wine are available for $6.

Most Happy Hours end at 7PM — We appreciate that Bayside’s Tapas Happy Hour lasts until 9PM.  We’re still searching for a restaurant that can top their selections, service, prices and hours.  If so, we’ll surely report about it.

During the month of September, Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar is offering a few great deals.  Be sure to stop in each Wednesday for a complimentary tasting of their Prime Burger Bar Menu.  They serve 5 Gourmet Burgers that you’ll get to try for FREE — Every Wednesday in September, between 5 – 7 PM, they’ll be serving a different mini version of each Burger.

Nibbles of Tidbits has a Guest Blogger, Bonnie who dines out a lot.  This is her first report about Sol Cocina in Newport Beach.  She offers a unique perspective on a dining experience — Three Interior Designers walk into a restaurant for a birthday celebration and . . .

Greetings and thanks to Nibbles of Tidbits for allowing me to “Guest Blog” today. By way of introduction, I’m an Interior Designer, but have come on board the foodie train since my good friend Shelly started this blog — I will approach this review from that point of view.

Today I am writing after a memorable visit to the brand new SOL Cocina in Newport Beach. First off, you can’t come here without mentioning something about the beautiful view, as this restaurant sits smack on top of Newport Bay. Here, virtually every seat in the house has a stunning water view to begin the dining experience.

Although we didn’t make it to the bar, we began with the House Specialty Margaritas, which are essentially Cadillac Margaritas but obviously made from truly fresh ingredients, just like our server promised they would be. We also tried the Pineapple Serrano Margarita and my favorite, a Tequila Mojito that was to die for! We then started our feast with Naked Guacamole and Toritos. Again, the freshness of the ingredients was what struck us most, but the flavors were memorable too. And ditto for the Black Bean Dip.

Continuing on to our main course, I opted for the Lamb Taco. I am a firm lover of Lamb, and this dish did not disappoint. We also tried the Chipotle Chicken (pictured), which was awesome and worth going back for. The only thing we were a bit perplexed about was that we were served a leg and thigh, rather than a breast for this entree. Perhaps I will ask about this next time. We also indulged in one of SOL’s Street Tacos, which were not only delicious, but at $6.00 for two, proved to be one great bargain. Indeed, the prices at this decidedly upscale restaurant were surprisingly affordable, with the other stand out being the Lamb Taco at $5.25. It’s definitely worth it!

With our birthday celebration coming to an end, we were delighted with a surprise – a complimentary Nacho Desert, which was anything but ordinary. Here, the Desert Nachos consist of Flour Tortillas that are deep fried, sprinkled with Cinnamon, drizzled with Chocolate and normally topped with Whipped Cream, which we had with ice cream. Ole! It made for a sweet and savory desert.

While the food was a definite stand out at this new restaurant, from an Interior Designer’s point of view SOL Cocina is in need of some basic improvement. We could not help but notice that the décor had been completely redone from when it was Mama Gina’s and is quite impressive, but someone completely dropped the ball when it came to the acoustics. Indeed, the restaurant was not even completely full at 8:30 on a Wednesday night when we noticed that it was awfully loud in there.

How about adding some windows that open up to let out some of the noise? This is just one suggestion from us three Interior Designers, who can appreciate the tasteful decor but cringe when we think about going back to a restaurant where the noise level is annoying. Someone definitely needs to take care of this before SOL can, and should — become Newport’s newest spot for contemporary, Baja-style dining.

Sol Cocina DIRECT (251 PCH, former Mamma Gina’s location): http://www.solcocina.com/

There are way better photos than my Guest Blogger took linked directly below.  J.K., but it’s true, although I greatly appreciate the efforts nonetheless. http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/sol-cocina.html

Bonnie Joy Designs: http://www.bonniejoydesigns.com/

It appears that many love Taco Mesa Restaurant — That’s what I’ve heard and it always seems to have a packed patio of diners.  Today we tried a sampling of a few Tacos.  From top to bottom, left to right, we enjoyed their Taco Alambre, Salmon Taco, Al Pastor Taco, Potato Chorizo and Egg Taco, and their Blackened Chicken Breast New Wave Taco.

We like that Breakfast is served all day and that we’re able to have a Potato Chorizo and Egg Taco at night.  All Tacos were good, but we prefer the regular Tacos to the New Wave Tacos.  The New Wave Tacos are served in blue and red Tortillas, which is fine, but they fell apart more easily than their standard Tacos.  We look forward to going back to try the Carnitas Pibil, Carne Asada and Tacos Fritos, since the prices aren’t bad — We’ll report about those Tacos next time.

Taco Mesa MENU & INFO: http://www.tacomesa.net/

Can you believe this is a lunch portion Salad?  I love the large portions served at The Cheesecake Factory, even when they’re supposed to be smaller.  Today we had the Chinese Chicken Salad, Barbeque Chicken Pizza, Crispy Artichoke Hearts and the Pasta Carbonara.

We enjoyed our meals, but found the Pasta Carbonara to be pretty bland and it needed more Sauce — However, with a little Salt and additional Sauce it was much better.  Nibbles of Tidbits has previously posted several Cheesecake Factory reviews and food photos.  Please see links below to view all.

MORE Cheesecake Factory Reviews & Food

Cheesecake Factory MENU

I’ve only just begun to explore the goods offered by Pascal Epicerie and Wine Shop and I’m already hooked on the Salads.  I’ve stopped in 3 of the last 4 days to choose from the Daily Pasta and Vegetable Salads offered by the pound.

So far we can’t get enough of the Bean Salad(s) and Roasted Vegetables — The Green Beans aren’t pictured, but they’re my favorite so far.  Pictured with the aforementioned is the Ratatouille and Beet Salad.  We look forward to trying ALL their Pasta and Vegetable Salads, to be posted here soon.  Pascal Epicerie and Wine Shop is next door to Tradition by Pascal, one of the best restaurants in Newport Beach.

After meeting a work deadline, we were happy to finally be sitting down for a late lunch at the Yard House.  This day we tried the Penne Pasta with Chicken and a Grilled Pastrami Sandwich.  The Garlic in the Pasta overtook our table and car, a little too much — And we were hoping for more of a Marsala flavor, since that’s how it’s described.

The Yard House BBQ Chicken Salad is huge.  Their portion sizes are always generous.

Below is the Portabella Burger, although not its best side, the Eggplant, Roasted Red Peppers and Feta make it a tasty Sandwich.

The Summer Salad includes fresh Strawberries, Avocado, Oranges, Candied Walnuts and Leeks, a fun combination of ingredients.  A White Balsamic Vinegar might be aesthetically better on this Salad than a brown one.  Overall, the Yard House serves a lot of excellent dishes.  Our preference is Happy Hour, when the appetizers are half price.

More INFO and Yard House food photo LINKS:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/08/22/happy-hour-at-the-yard-house/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/11/10/the-yard-house-happy-hour-food-pictures/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/11/27/more-yard-house-12-price-apps-in-the-house/

A fast pop into Las Fajitas Restaurant yielded great service, one of the better Salsa Bars (It includes Sour Cream and Marinated Carrots), and a Carnitas Taco that I would definitely have again.  Las Fajitas Mexican Grill • Seafood • Catering Restaurant is on Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach.  We’ll be going back to try more.  So far, so very good.

Las Fajitas Restaurant direct link and related report.

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.

Have you been to Orange Hill Restaurant?  You’ve had about 40 years to get there.  It’s on the top of a steep hill in Orange, California.  It’s a bit scary driving up there, but the views are spectacular.  And it’s been a great place for wedding receptions, prom dates, special events, romantic dinners and many good times.

Right now, from 4:30 – 6:30 nightly, they’re serving a Sunset Menu for $19.95 — It’s a prix fixe menu that includes a choice of the Orange Hill Salad or Maine Lobster Bisque, and an entree of Prime Rib of Beef (above), Fresh Atlantic Salmon, Chicken Dijonnaise (below) or Portobello Mushroom Ravioli.  And all is served with a slice of House Made Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis.

It’s an excellent deal for really good food and amazing views — A perfect date place.  I was wishing I wasn’t with my friend, HA.

Orange Hill has seamlessly been remodeling room-by-room over the past few months and has just one left.  It’s more up to date than it once was, but has no major changes — They do have a showcase kitchen you get to pass through on the way to one wing of the restaurant.  That’s fun to see.

And you’ll see tons of Koi Fish in the pond as you walk across the bridge towards the restaurant.  It’s pretty cool.  We were there to see the daylight view and watched the sun go down as we dined.

I’d love to go back for the Sunset Menu — It’s a meal deal on a hill.  Others hang out sipping cocktails near the outdoor fire pits.  Orange Hill Restaurant has much to enjoy, once you get past the drive up.

FYI:  Orange Hill Restaurant is not related to the Orange County Mining Co. Restaurant, which is on a different nearby hill.  Some have confused the two.

Have you heard about Rubio’s New All American Taco?  It’s a Burger in a Taco.  I fell in love with the idea and Rubios’ photo of it.  My Taco wasn’t as pretty as the model, but it tasted good.  I especially like the Soft Flour Tortilla and Smokey Garlic Chipotle Mayo, but the Burger Meat on the Taco I had was pretty darn tough — That’s not good.  Overall, with a better Burger the All American Taco could be a home run.  And it’s worth trying again to see if the next one is less chewy.  I hope so.

We’re heading towards the end of National Hamburger Month (May).  It’s a good excuse to hurry and have one, or more.  We celebrated at The Counter Custom Built Burgers.  They have more than 20 restaurants in about 10 states and 3 countries, including Australia and Ireland.  We went to the one in Irvine’s Woodbury Town Center.

The Counter is a restaurant that provides a check-off menu to select exactly what you want on your Burger, starting with Beef, Turkey, Veggie or Chicken.  Our choices today both included Beef — One had Jalapeno Jack, Green Chiles, Tomato, Pickles, Green Onions and Roasted Garlic Aioli, and the other had Tillamook Cheddar, Mixed Baby Greens, Black Olives, Bermuda Red Onion, Grilled Pineapple and a side of Ginger Soy Glaze.

They also offer the above Starter that includes Sweet Potato Fries, French Fries, Crispy Fried Onion Strings and Fried Dill Pickle Chips, and comes with 4 Sauces — Ranch, BBQ, Apricot and Horseradish Mayo (I think).  The Apricot Sauce is served for the Fried Dill Pickle Chips.  It’s not a bad combination.  ALL was very tasty and fun to eat.

And we tried the Hobo Pack, which comes served in baked parchment paper for you to empty into the bowl.  It’s an assortment of Grilled Vegetables with fresh Herbs — I generally love the combination, but the flavor of this one was just okay.  A dash of Balsamic Vinegar would serve it well.

Overall, we really like the place and the service was excellent at this location.  We wish the tables were a little wider, since we had to play musical table stuff a few times.  And I need to go back at least 10 more times to try all the Burger combinations I have in mind.

The Counter DIRECT: http://www.thecounterburger.com/

MENU: http://www.thecounterburger.com/menu/

MORE about National Hamburger Month:
http://foodfrenzy.freedomblogging.com/2009/05/06/holy-cow-its-national-hamburger-month/7185/

MORE Counter Burger PHOTOS:
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jcpo0wZfey_YaNzhk8vmGQ?select=tP23n9LMs-IeGqlnvmo27g