Costa Mesa's Corner Retreat: Plum's Cafe

I don't know how I did not visit this place before last weekend.  I have been sorely missing out in life.  Plum's is probably the best brunch that Orange County has to offer.  It has pancakes, bread pudding french toast, breakfast burritos and my fave - eggs benedict.

Lemonade: a fun, healthy counter spot.

Lemonade has recently appeared at Fashion Island's "food court."  Started in Los Angeles, it is another one of those places that you order your pre-made food as you walk down the line to a counter at the end.  (Think "glorified Souplantation".)  The great part is that the food is actually quite extraordinary: fresh ingredients in ways that other restaurants of this type are just not creating.

Kobbideh Kebob

Two of the most magical words known to man kind.  And one of the best places in Orange County is Panini Cafe.  Although its a Southern California chain, they don't skimp on the portions and don't skimp on the taste.  Although you can spend $20 a person, you won't go home hungry.

chicken kebabs

Panini Cafe is open for brunch, lunch and dinner and is located both in Newport Beach and Irvine.  There is always a crowd at both locations, but you usually don't have to wait too long.  On a trip for lunch, we waltzed straight onto the patio and ordered the chicken kebob special and of course, the Kebob of my dreams.  The meals come with either basmati rice (my favorite) or wheat rice pilaf (not bad) and then a choice of three different types of salad.  Believe me when I say you cannot eat it all.

kobbideh!!!

The food is so tasty, and came out hot.  The price is steep [for lunch] (see update below), around $10-$15 for the complete meal, but it's not an everyday lunch spot so I was willing to pay a bit more.  However, on this particular occasion they forgot about our food and didn't really apologize or make up for the situation.  For a "quick" lunch it took them 25 minutes to bring out our food after asking about it twice.  I haven't had issues here before though, so hopefully its just my curse of bad service not an everyday thing.

humus platter

Panini Cafe also has obviously paninis, soups, salads, and other types of kebobs.  I also need to try their brunch because it looks great (and huge).  They also have a to-go menu which I noticed has a family four pack of food.  Yeah I might not have a family of 4 but this is definitely going to be on my list of fast, healthy dinners.  Don't judge me...

breakfast sandwiches

update: I was schooled in the expense part of this post.  It may seem expensive to me at lunch, but you can get out of there for about $15 for dinner and the food is really about two meals.  The chicken kebob special is definitely worth ordering for lunch as its the same amount of food but for only $10.

 

4.0/5 for great food, a good ambiance but so-so service.

Gulfstream...heaven in my mouth.

I am a huge fan of the Hillstone Restaurant Group and quite frequently eat at Houston's, R+D Kitchen and Bandera.  So when I was asked to choose a place for my birthday dinner, it wasn't hard to pick Gulfstream - their "fish restaurant."  I am so glad I did because I now dream about this meal...

Halibut and slaw: seems minimal, but mashed potatoes are hiding under the fish

Great weather means outdoor seating...

This weekend is supposed to be fabulous, and there is nothing better than eating outdoors in Southern California. (Just wear sunscreen!)  As you already know, I am a HUGE breakfast burrito fan, and brunch is kinda a big deal in my life so I thought I would share one of my favorite spots - Rose Bakery Cafe.  I am a little scared to share this secret, but it already is packed so what the hell.

my wacky, windy weekend.

I need a weekend from my weekend sometimes.   I usually love planning events and get togethers. Lately, I have tried to NOT plan anything because I am so tired from working, but somehow I end up busy as ever.  This weekend was no different...

What to do this weekend...

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  I just get so happy listening to KOST and my Christmas Pandora station, seriously people try Christmas music when you are in a bad mood.  Mind blown.

Anyway...this weekend there are a lot of fun activities to check out.

1.  Chill at Queen Mary opened up right before Thanksgiving, but its definitely something you have to see.  There is an ice skating rink, ice tubing, the Ice Kingdom and Santa.  The Ice Kingdom is the thing to go for.  They hand carve statutes from over two million pounds of ice to portray the story of The Nutcracker, this year.  You have to bundle up, which is nice for us SoCal kids who don't get much cold weather (thank god).

2.  Corona Del Mar Christmas Walk is this Sunday.  A fun festival of crafts, beer tents, and music is sure to make for a great Sunday Funday.  The beer garden has an entry fee and then you get tickets for each beer you want.  After walking around the different tables full of fun gift ideas, take your friends and go out to dinner at Sidedoor or walk to the cliffs to see the sunset.