Dear Food Gods, Thank you for 370 Common

Well hello again friends.  It has been awhile, mostly because it was the holidays, a little because I worked too much, and also because I just was eating too many good foods to have time to share.  But now I am back and I would like to start with one of my new favorite places - 370 Common.

free bread is always a good start to the meal, especially when its pretzel bread

370 Common is tucked away in the cute beach town of Laguna.  Surrounded by other restaurants, bars and stores, it is unassuming and appears to be just another restaurant in the long list of restauarants.  Boy, could that not be more wrong.

a different take on calamari (and peppers)

Walking into 370 Common, there is a lot of hustle and bustle going on.  Date nights, family dinners, friends chatting loudly, and the wait staff running around to best help everyone.  On this occasion, my boyfriend and I had taken his visiting parents to try out a new place.  Casual, yet expensive enough for "special occasions," 370 was spot on for this family reunion.

my go to side dish - brussel sprouts

We ordered a TON of food.  I had to roll out the door when we were done.  But it was so tasty I couldn't control my appetite.  We started with the calamari and broccolini.  The broccoli was probably one of my favorite vegetable dishes.  Although small it had an egg, prosciutto (always a winner), and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top - I highly recommend it.

scallops on peas - a "light dish"

I ordered the mussels and brussel sprouts.  The brussel sprouts were amazing.  Legitimately some of the best I have had.  The mussels were good, but I thought the other dishes stood out.  I am not a big fan of meatloaf, but when I say its a must order I mean it.  Its bacon wrapped meatloaf on top of a huge pile of mashed potatoes.  It is heaven...I still dream about it.

beer bathed mussels

We also ordered the scallops which were quite tasty and the pork loin and mac and cheese.  Everything was so decadent, so tasty, so mouth-watering good that I can't really choose a favorite dish.  I honestly don't know what I will do when I go back - order my beloved dishes or try something new???  The struggle is real people.

pork loin on a "bed" of mac n cheese

370 Common gets a 4.5/5 in my book.  I only ding it because I want a reason to go back and give it more stars.  Definitely a great staple to have in the OC.

Eureka: How UCI got cool.

Okay, I don't know if it will make UC Irvine cool, but this new chain called Eureka is exactly what the campus needed.  Although the pub has been voted best bar in Orange County by OC Weekly, Eureka caters to the community not just students.  As much as I love the pub, it does make me feel like I am trying to relive my glory days.  Eureka doesn't judge me.

the cowboy: bbq burger

For my 100th post I give you the best restaurant in OC - Il Garage

Yes, you read that right.  Il Garage is the best restaurant that I have eaten at in OC.  While I can think of a few places that are as tasty (or tastier), this place brings something that other places don't have - a garden.  Tucked in the middle of nowhere Stanton (yes that is in OC), Il Garage is hard to find.  In fact, you have to drive along Beach Blvd and then keep driving.  Once you have found Park Ave restaurant, you must walk through it into the backyard.  Then, and only then, will you find this treasure.

And with a heavy heart I introduce to you...Iron Press

I really wanted to like this place.  Very badly.  Every time I visit The Mix, or OC Mix Mart, or SOCO, or whatever the hell that place is called, The Iron Press is always packed.  So on one sunny Saturday, I was stoked when there were tons of seats for my friends and I to sit down and grab some lunch.  I had been waiting months to have some chicken and waffles.

A piece of fried chicken and a waffle

Filling Station

Old Town Orange may be one of the cutest places in OC.  It also has some pretty tasty eats.  One night when my parents were in town, we decided to stroll the circle.  It was a nice evening and we weren't too hungry.  By the time we were thinking about dinner we were standing in front of The Filling Station.  

Gyu-Kaku: the gift that keeps on giving.

I first attended this glorious restaurant in LA.  It was new and all the rage when I was in high school.  Unfortunately, that was quite a long time ago.  Anyway, this place is still a fun spot - especially during happy hour.  So when I was trying to think of a place to grab dinner at 8:00 on a Friday, I thought why the heck don't I try this place out again?

Ragin' Cajun in Santa Ana

In a little strip mall a few blocks away lies a mysterious place, unimportant from the outside but full of delicious flavor and excitement inside.  When I first walked into Ritter's Steam Kettle I was blown away.  I expected a fast-casual, counter service, unassuming place.  What I found was a cute family restaurant full of steam kettles lining the brick walls.  Although nothing fancy or overwhelming, Ritter's brings a sense of character and style I just wouldn't expect in Santa Ana.  And the food was just as pleasant.

The Secret to Din Tai Fung

So if you haven't heard of the place yet, you should probably dig yourself out of the hole you have surrounded yourself in.  Din Tai Fung has been in America for a while, but it originated from Taiwan (ya know that non-Chinese Chinese place).  The specialty here is Shanghai dumplings (ironic right?), which are small, soup dumplings usually filled with pork.

Xiao Long Bao

Things to do This Weekend

Sorry I have been MIA again, a packed schedule at work plus a long weekend in San Francisco (post to come soon) means I have zero time for an outside life...and then I got sick.  However, this weekend is too packed with good stuff not to let you in on it.

1.  The Copper Door (one of my favorite bars in the OC) is FINALLY serving food.  If you love craft beer, this bar is a must.  Although dingy, dark and probably dirty, the vibe is a fun underground club with lots and lots and lots of beers on tap.  Their new menu is American- cuisine and currently all items are priced under $10.  Can you believe there is such a place??  Anyway, I am dying to go check it out.

2.  The new Irvine Improv opens with Umami Burger.  Irvine Improv has always been a little low brow, especially when you have to spend money on 2 items of either a horrible cocktail or really bad food.  However, fret no more.  Umami Burger will be served at all shows, beers are actually fairly decent, and if you fancy girl, they have bottle service (I mean really?).  The Improv also has opened up in a new location at the Spectrum, so hopefully it is bigger and better.  I am checking it out this weekend so I will let you know!

3.  Costa Mesa Restaurant Week!  Although restaurant week is not always my favorite, it is a great way to try places you normally cannot afford.  And Costa Mesa has some of the best restaurants in the OC.  Check out the selection here: http://www.travelcostamesa.com/costa-mesa-restaurant-week/.  It starts today and only lasts a week, so plan your meals accordingly!

4.  Orange County is hosting its own music festival this weekend.  The Pacific Festival is being held at the Dunes this Saturday.  If you didn't catch Holy Ghost at Outside Lands this past weekend, they will be finishing up the night.  Tickets are $75.

Hope the weather is great this weekend, because we have a lot of things to do!

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.

A hidden treasure.

I have been trying to follow as many blogs, websites, people, newspapers, etc. as I can lately to learn about the new restaurant openings, closings, and OC events so that I can 1) attend obviously, and 2) try to let you know about it!  So when Stick a Fork In It mentioned a new spot called Fireside Tavern I was so excited to try it.

Reverse Happy Hour is the ISH!

As we know, I have a big thing for sushi - HUGE.  So when my friends mentioned reverse happy hour and on a weekend nonetheless, I ran to Tomikawa as fast as my feet could get me there.

crunchy salmon roll with spicy tuna

A great lunch spot, dinner, and even drinks.

3-Thirty-3 was always a place I avoided in college because it is where the "old people" went to hang out on a Friday night.  Well apparently now I am that "old" person and I am definitely hanging out there on a Friday.

 

build your own burger and sweet potato fries

 

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

Another trip into LA

steak and eggs

I know, I know, I travel far too much on the weekends, but I like to have fun.  This past weekend was no different and I headed up to Los Angeles for the day.  I started out my morning at easily the best brunch spot I have ever had - Eggslut.

I really hate when I get bad service.

Whenever I hear about a new opening, I try to visit the restaurant as soon as possible.  Bosscat Kitchen was no different, and I was even more inclined because it is around the corner from my work and a friend had visited it with great reviews.  So when I needed a place to celebrate my birthday, this was my first choice for my girls' night out.

shrimp and grits

Something fun for the weekend!

If you haven't noticed by now, I enjoy drinking wine.  So when my friend asked if I would try the wine tasting at Hi-Times, it was an easy yes.  Hi-Times used to be this place that I would drive "all the way out to" in order to get our cheap booze  in college (think Popov and Jose).  Well now its where us fancy pants can get craft beer, fancy liquor and the largest assortment of wines I have seen in a store in Orange County for decent prices.  Thank god times have changed...

A cheap(er) trip to Naples

I recently visited Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa for some good ol' pizza and Italian food.  I grew up on this type of food so I would arguably say I have a pretty good palate when it comes to Italian.  Pizzeria Ortica pleasantly surprised my expectations, but the service did not.

Date Night (with some friends)

So now that I work 100s of hours a month, I have to schedule a date night with my boyfriend so that we actually have time to see each other and talk.  It's a weird concept, this growing up thing.  For our date night, we actually decided to invite some other friends to sushi with us.  (We weren't ready to spend alone time, jk, kinda.)  We decided to get together at Jack's Fusion Sushi in Costa Mesa.

:lobster roll:

Plan your weekend around 626 Night Market

What is that you ask?  Only one of the largest collections of outdoor food markets in Southern California.  Normally in Santa Anita, the market has come to Orange County Fairgrounds.

200 booths of food and merchandise, a boba cup for the world record, music, and a little bit of dancing.  It is a huge collection of traditional and modern Asian food of all types.  For a $5 admission (food isn't included), you can walk around the fairgrounds from 4PM-midnight Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  And if nothing else, the ramen burger will be there...if that's your thing.  It's almost like the fair but BETTER (hopefully less kids too).

I will be going this weekend for some treats, will you???