Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

The Turnip Rose Grand Newport Plaza, Celebrations and Elite Catering — A celebration to last throughout the years.  So bring your good times and your laughter too, they’re gonna celebrate your party with you.  Everyone around Orange County come on.  It’s a wonderful place for a memorable wedding (or event) and we got a taste of it.  Wow about everything!

The venue, FOOD, decor and service couldn’t be better and Celebrations couldn’t be hipper.

At a “Taste of Turnip Rose“ we tried a little (and in some cases a lot) of that being offered by The Turnip Rose Elite Catering and we’re still talking about how great it all was.

This is your sample of our sampling of the Grand Buffet, California Classics Buffet and more.

All Chicken was tender and flavorful, not commonly said about wedding reception Chicken.

We’re still marveling that each Filet Mignon being perfectly cooked.

Unique Scalloped Potatoes.

There were self serve and full service stations throughout the Ballroom at the Grand Newport Plaza.  We hit ‘em all more than once and rolled out with giant smiles on our faces — More “Filet Mignon PLEASE” seemed to be our theme of the evening.  Gracias.

And many thank you, thank you, thank you’s and WOW’s.

Mahi Mahi (below) to be plated and topped with a Cucumber Mango Salsa.

Filet Mignon and Mahi Mahi shared our third plate of food.

Flawlessly cooked Filet after Filet after Filet.

Sample table setting.

Pretty Special Martinis.

Hors D’ Oeuvres were passed by well-dressed, friendly and knowledgeable Servers.

The Mandarin Chicken (above) tasted like the Sauce was basted in — Truly tasty alone.

The adorable Gourmet Sliders have Truffle Oil, yum-and-a-half regarding that.

Additional Martini options include the Filet Peppercorn Martini and others below.

Salad Buffet.

Peanut Butter Brownie Shooters and Mini Cupcakes.

Bride and Groom Strawberries.

The service was impeccable and the affiliated DJ played great songs.

We met nice, soon-to-be Brides and Grooms including Nikki & Kyle.  Enlarge for a better view.

Sample food choices/options – You can’t go wrong with The Turnip Rose Elite Catering.

Coffee Stations, a Chocolate Fountain and Liquor injected Strawberries in the courtyard.

Lots to dip.

The Festival of Strawberries, a Sweet Things item with an injection of Kahlua…

…Amaretto, Tia Maria, Drambuie or Grand Marnier, if you so choose.

Love is Sweet! Candy Buffet for guests to pack a box to go.

Fun for all ages — We enjoyed the Candy days after the event, a lingering memory.

On to the hippest, we ended the night with a personal tour of Celebrations.

Celebrations is the most stylish OC wedding venue I’ve seen — Every detail is covered too.

It’s well designed and highlights each Bride and Groom in special ways.

Nice lighting, monogrammed floors, a photo booth, nearby Bars, changing wall photos, etc.

Celebrations is located in the former Club Vegas space, $2M later and way better.

Guests will certainly be impressed with the place now.  We are!

Choose your colors.

The kitchen is pristine too, like everything else there.  Was tempted to show the bathrooms.

As if all isn’t enough, a Farewell Table was set up with Hot Tea, Coffee and Donuts. 

Even the parking is pleasant and close to the Grand Newport Plaza and Celebrations.

We love Kelly, one of the nicest around — He runs all with his Brother and a dedicated team.

Full with a Farewell Table Donut bagged in hand — Let’s celebrate, it’s (more than) all right.

All wasn’t exactly pretty, but it sure was sweet.

Attended the Los Angeles Luxury CHOCOLATE SALON at the Pasadena Center Ballroom.

Chocolate combined with almost anything – One darling was the Chocolate Wine.  Yes it did.

I was on the Salon Awards Tasting Panel and one favorite, Ciel tied for Best in Salon.

And David Bacco Chocolatier (above) with a Balsamic Reduction is Top Artisan Chocolatier.

We had fun trying the heat variations crafted by the Monterey Chocolate Company.

French Macarons, who isn’t loving them these days?!  Cutting ‘em up just didn’t seem right.

We needed more and larger samples in most cases — A true test you know.

As told I mainly anticipated the unique flavor combinations to be had and most were spot on.

And the above Ciel Gift Box would be a fantasy to receive.  It also tied for Gold.

The Official Results are linked here – Gold, Silver and Bronze for all categories.

The Chocolates were sweet, but the space was too small and the lines were too long.

Jer’s Chocolates – I’m not a big Peanut Butter and Chocolate fan, but Jer’s is special.  The people behind it are nice and Jerry happens to be my Dad’s and Bro-in-law’s name.  Go Jer’sss!

Remember the Tequila?  Well, the Chocolate Salon was interesting.  Thank you TasteTV, etc.

Our Guest Blogger, Bonnie sure knows how to pick the cool places.  She recently stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, where she dined at Hampton’s Restaurant with two long-time friends.  When she returned, she said she had one of the best nights of her life.  Wow!  It was a magical explosion of great food, excellent service, beautiful surroundings, good friends, special tours, lots of drinks, laughs and a million dollar wedding to crash, that made her visit so amazing.  I love nights like that.  She reports about it as follows…

As it turns out, you don’t have to go back east to experience the headiness of the Hampton’s Restaurant. All you have to do is visit its namesake restaurant at the stunning Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, California. You won’t be disappointed.

Hampton’s recently introduced two new extravaganzas – on Friday evenings, you can enjoy their “Seafood Sensation” buffet, featuring fresh lobster, chilled crab claws, shrimp and sushi. On Saturday nights, they offer the “Prime Time” buffet, which is what we opted for.

Prior to the food, let me share the setting… The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the hotel, right in front of their fantastic waterfalls. It’s the waterfalls that make this hotel a stand out and luckily for us, we got a “prime” seat with the best view of this delightful, romantic feature.

Once seated, we were immediately introduced to the Hotel’s “Ambassador,” Manager Thomas Humphrey, who graciously treated us to a private tour of the restaurant.

First, we visited the salad buffet. Mind you, this is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill salad buffet – it’s all locally grown by long time farmers in the nearby community of Camarillo. Moving on to the manned carving station, this is where they showcase a rotating selection of organic and sustainable meats such as chicken, pork and prime rib, which are roasted,  grilled, barbecued and slow cooked to perfection.

Then we moved into the kitchen “arena,” where the centerpiece attraction is a mind-blowing 2 ½ ton Bonnet Maestro range, custom made in France for the sum of $250,000 – a quarter of a million dollars! And this hotel is home to not just one, but four of them. Do the math, and you will come up with a pretty heavy-duty investment in “ovens.”

Next we toured the pastry station, which is manned by Chef Laufer, and the interactive Chef’s stations for their made-to-order macaroni and cheese and baked potatoes. Incredible! And as if that’s not enough, when we went back and sat down at our table, they brought out three sizzling skillets with our very own filets in them. Dessert followed, and it all amounted to one of the most amazing, interactive meals we have ever had.

P.S. After closing down Hampton’s, we crashed a wedding at the Hotel that must have cost as much as they invested in their ovens!  Check out the cake.

Thanks Bonnie — I wish I’d been there!

Did you know there’s a Cocoa Lounge in the Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach?  Everything is made of Chocolate and you get to eat as much as you can.  It felt like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory — I started to lick the wallpaper until they stopped me.  Good thing there wasn’t a river.  You can have it all too throughout February.

We learned of this fabulous find while having Executive Chef Bill Bracken’s famous Truffle Mac & Cheese in the Palm Terrace Lounge.  I enjoyed it a couple years back and had a good excuse to have it again, as a friend wanted to tour the hotel for a party she’s organizing for her dad’s 90th birthday.  It was funny, the Chef came over to talk to Bonnie about her party and recognized me from Facebook.  After I wrote about his tasty Mac & Cheese, he befriended me.  That was pretty cool, but it’s been a long time.  It was fun to meet him in person.

We thank Chef Bracken for access to the Cocoa Lounge — We had such a great time.

As mentioned, almost everything was made of Chocolate, centerpieces, card holders…

It’s a unique buffet that’s happening Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 6 to 10pm.

The Cocoa Lounge is complementary to guests who order a two or more course dinner.

It’s otherwise $18 per person — Executive Pastry Chef Michael Owens, the tall one above, created them all, with necessary help from other capable professionals.  Thank you two too!

It was awesome, just wish I could’ve taken home a to-go box, as I could only eat so much.

And I now think of all I should’ve had — Why didn’t I eat a rose or a finger?

We had a grand time exploring the Chocolate options and meeting other people.

Mini from scratch Candy Bars, like Almond Joy’s (below).

One of my favorites was the warm Bread Pudding made with Croissants and Chocolate.

Continuing the homage to Candy Bars was the Snicker’s Cake with Cream Cheese Icing.

I don’t recall the exact name of the Berry Tarts below and wish I had one.

The Cocoa Lounge is in the Palm Terrace Restaurant’s private dining room with the Wine.

The now (and temporary) Cocoa Lounge is dimly lit and decorated in Chocolate brown.

Above is one of our plates.

View before heading back for more Chocolate (above).

View from a suite at The Island Hotel near Fashion Island pre-Chocolate.

Pool and Tennis Courts — The Island Hotel in NB used to be The Four Seasons.

View of Fashion Island and the ocean beyond (above).  And to top off the Chocolate, the view, and meeting the Chefs, look who we ran into in the Ladies Room… It’s Sheree Whitfield visiting Newport Beach from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Looks like I’m wearing She by Sheree.

Who’s gonna check me boo?  ATL inside.

Due to scheduling, I unfortunately missed this event at Endless Food & Fun in Huntington Beach.  It seems like my kind of place too — A giant one-stop destination for endless FOOD, fun and entertainment that includes a Buffet, Restaurant, Bars, an Arcade, Lazer Tag, and so much more.  The possibilities are seriously endless.  Our Guest Blogger, Bonnie was recently invited there and reports about it below.  I can’t wait to go.

Endless Food and Fun lives up to its name! There’s a brand new entertainment complex in Huntington Beach, Endless Food and Fun, and on Wednesday night they sponsored a private, complimentary event specifically for the local hospitality industry. Due to my connection with the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum, which donated numerous items to one of EFF’s themed dining rooms, I scored an invitation.

In fact, I was personally treated to a VIP tour of all 47,000 square feet of this awesome complex.  Our first stop was their upscale restaurant, Delicioso! where parents can dine in comfort and style while the kids play nearby. The attention to detail was very much appreciated by the interior designer in me – they even thought to soundproof the room.

The next stop was the 200 foot long Las Vegas–style buffet, which serves fresh food that changes every night.  They even have a manned pasta “station” where you can personalize the dish any way you want. This night I opted to do just that — I asked the Chef to combine two different sauces, two kinds of cheese, asparagus, garlic and linguine, and my custom creation turned out quite tasty.

I dined with friends from the Museum in the Surf’s Up themed dining room, which is loaded with vintage surfboards and other memorabilia that was donated by the Museum. It even includes an exhibit board that I personally put together for the Museum’s Surfin’ Exhibit back in 2006. Plus, I got to meet two Surf legends, “Local Hero” inductee David Nuuhiwa and first ASP World Pro Champion Peter “PT” Townend.

After dinner, I continued on my personal tour with owner and operator Andrew, who showed me the other three themed dining rooms, the arcade, and the 7 private party rooms, which are used not only for parties, but for tutoring children after school as well. It’s a true multi-purpose facility.

Finally, we came to the pride and joy of EFF, which is their laser tag arena. The room is chilled to 64 degrees on a constant basis and it may be the most innovative laser tag arena in the nation. Though I did not partake in the laser challenge this night, it looks like a lot of fun.

Endless Food & Fun has two bars that serve an excellent selection of beer and wine. One bar is in Delicioso! which is only open on Friday and Saturday nights. I plan to take up their offer of dinner there in the near future, as I really had a great time and can’t wait to go back - Thanks Keeli!

Thanks Bonnie — I can’t wait to go to Endless Food & Fun.  Who wouldn’t want that?

Will this post title be tomorrow’s headline?  We didn’t make it to the casino, but won the lottery instead — All is A-okay now.  True?  I don’t know yet.  Uninformed that our bus to PALA Casino was leaving 45 minutes earlier than originally scheduled this morning, when we arrived at the departure point, it was a ghost town of parked cars.  No people.  It felt like the twilight zone.  We were 30 minutes early, checked and re-checked our watches, and re-read the printed calendar again.  What happened?  Where was everyone?

After returning home, we subsequently learned that the organizers called and left a message for us at an old telephone number.  All travelers received the vital information but us.  Terrific.  Could it be a hint?  Probably not, since we’re usually the life of the party. Later back at the office instead, I was asked to join a lottery pool — Could it be why we missed our bus?  It’s fun to ponder.  Photos are from a previous trip to PALA’s Buffet, one of the best we’ve found.

A Christmas Party and Cost Plus World Market go very well together.  This year I hosted my 16th Annual Girl’s Christmas Party for several long-time dear friends (and the best sister in the world), and Cost Plus fit right in, since my relationship with it spans equally long.  My first apartment in Belmont Shore was basically furnished by them – I was so proud of its style and still have several cool imports and dishes from way-back when.  For this Sweet 16, CPWM generously provided a Gift Card that was used to purchase all snacks, prizes, drinks, wrap, and most stylish and tasty party supplies.  What a great thing!

Each guest brings an Appetizer, Salad or Side Dish, plus a GIFT for a wild gift exchange with plenty of opportunities to steal what you really want — And this year, as always we enjoyed an abundance of FOOD, fun and laughs.

A PRIZE is awarded to the person bringing the Best Voted Appetizer, an incentive to bring something good.  Guests cast anonymous (and sometimes padded and made-up) votes that are tallied to choose a hopefully legitimate winner.

Desserts are always baked by my treasured friend Loretta, whose goodies can’t be beat.

Having one person bring the Dessert is also strategic – In earlier party days, guests/friends  were asked to bring an Appetizer or Dessert and I learned that it would produce too many Desserts and not enough Appetizers.  Now, Loretta automatically receives a prize for her award-winning Desserts and there’s always enough savory stuff to eat.  This year, Patty aka Tricia won a prize for her Salad pictured at top.  All tasted fantastic — And I’m now trying to obtain the recipe for the Tapenade pictured above, which was made by my friend, Nora’s husband Brian.  If allowed, I’ll share it here, as it was truly outstanding and a runner-up to the Salad.

Wouldn’t you know that I had technical difficulties with my camera this evening, which resulted in mostly blurry and poorly lighted food dishes that can’t be shared.

Cost Plus World Market recently to stumbled upon Nibbles of Tidbits, and me who is already in love with them — The result is continuous adoration and perfect party supplies (from around the world) for my Sweet 16th Annual Girl’s Christmas Party.  We girls appreciated it ALL!

Because I like handing out prizes and laughing at people playing the stupid games I come up with, each year we play several new and old favorites – This year Nora won the red and white votive candles, Arlene won the Oil & Vinegar Cruets, Loretta won the colander, soap and bath fizzies, and Heidi won the Chocolate Champagne bottle and more.

The pictured snacks were chosen from CPWM‘s seemingly endless selection of international goods.  It was hard to decide, as one could host a variety of party themes with Cost Plus food.

And a BIG SHOUT OUT needs to go out for the White Cheddar Snowball Puffs!  They have a perfect amount of tasty Cheddar flavor and a nicely crisp puff.  They were a hit and I want to go back for more before they disappear.

Cost Plus is the only place I’ve seen thus far with Red & Green Tortilla Chips that taste and look good.  I served them with a favorite Salsa determined during a Salsa Taste-Off.

And if you don’t know already, Cost Plus World Market offers an amazing selection of Beer and Wine.  We enjoyed Stella Artois, Corona Extra and Skinny Dip New Belgium – Had to get it for the name and we were pleasantly surprised by its likable flavor.

To keep our drinks straight, we used the above drink markers, also from Cost Plus.  I turned ‘em into a game by awarding a prize to the person picking the prized adjective — Whomever chose DESPERATE won.

Photo of this year’s party attendees and BFF’s.

Although I’ve shopped at Cost Plus for years, I haven’t purchased much of their Beer, Wine or other imported beverages, which is probably a bit odd, since many shop there specifically for it.  Since CPWM sponsored most of this year’s party, it was a great opportunity to sample their infinite offerings — And ultimately there was an overwhelming response to the Cristalino Champagne.  It’s terrifically bubbly, fresh and not too sweet.  It’s an excellent inexpensive Champagne.  Other photos reflect prizes happily won by guests.

Do you like my Charlie Brown Christmas Tree?  It’s easy clean up, but I’m starting to miss a real one.  Maybe next year.  Also pictured is a giant bottle of the Champagne noted above.  The large bottle was fun and oh so good — We went through it too fast.  And I probably talked on the microphone too much, but had to get the attention of the rebellious crowd to participate in the next silly game.  There were cool prizes to be won.

Cost Plus is an old friend that made my Sweet 16th Annual Christmas Party extra special and tasty – All friends were joyful about it too!  Merry Christmas to YOU.

When was the last time you had a picnic?  We mustn’t forget the simple enjoyment of a picnic.  It seems Americans don’t take enough pleasure in them.  While traveling through many parts of Europe, you’ll see people having picnics everywhere and often.  It’s a great thing.

We’re inspired to have more picnics and Cost Plus World Market, a favorite destination for unique and imported food items can make it happen on a moment’s notice.  It has everything one could need for a picnic.  We prepared for this one by getting ALL shown from Cost Plus, including the insulated picnic basket that transported the Salami, Cracked Pepper Smoked Salmon, Bruschetta, Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Pepper Jack Cheese, Assorted Crackers, Almonds, Pickles, Olives, Wine and Cookies.

This day it was too windy to show you it was too windy — Meaning, we couldn’t back up for a wide photo, since all hands were necessary to hold down the light stuff during the wind gusts.  It was (kinda) funny, until it blew over our Chardonnay, and it was a bit scary thinking the Smoked Salmon could possibly land on us, but ultimately it was a lot of fun.

We had this picnic in Temecula, near Pechanga Resort & Casino, where we took our Grandma to see her favorite singer, Engelbert Humperdinck.  Prior to the concert, we laughed eating the Orange Chocolate Rolled Wafers – They are sooooo darn good and fodder for immature jokes that transcend generations, Groucho Marx impersonations and more.

If you’re planning a small Cheese & Wine Party, you should be set to have more than one gathering, as a little Cheese goes a long way and one shouldn’t eat the balance alone.  As previously reported, our party was inspired by a recent trip to SideDoor in Corona Del Mar.  We’ll report about our favorite Cheeses after our 2nd (or possibly 3rd) Party.  We’re almost done. It ain’t easy being Cheesy.

Would you believe ALL the food pictured in this post is fake?  It’s true – It’s all phony baloney!  Some of it looks close to real and some obviously counterfeit.  Nonetheless, it’s the best forged food we’ve seen.  It goes well with our favorite Twilight Zone episode titled a Stopover In A Quiet Town.  In it a couple wakes up in unfamiliar surroundings (a doll house) after a night of  partying.  They then discover that everything in the house and town is a prop and that they’re now living dolls for larger people on a different planet.  These party platters would be served there.

All photos were taken at The HoneyBaked Ham Company in Corona Del Mar.

11/09/11 Update:  The Corona Del Mar location is now closed.

Continuing our tour of Casino Buffets, Nibbles of Tidbits recently enjoyed the Lunch Buffet at Choices inside Pala Casino Spa Resort.  We’re not major Buffet fans, but find many of the Indian Reservation Casino Buffets quite impressive and an amazing deal, especially if you join a Player’s Club.  You’ll need to check the details for each Casino, but a free or discounted Lunch or Dinner Buffet is often a perk of joining a Player’s Club.  At Pala Casino, it’s called a Privileges Card – It affords a 20 – 100% discount relative to one’s gambling practices.

Unfortunately our photos don’t capture the full grandeur of Choices Buffet, thus it’s recommended that you try it yourself.  They offer almost everything you can think of… Seafood, Mexican food, Chinese food, Japanese food, an extensive Salad Bar, fresh Fruit, American favorites, Italian food, every Dessert you can imagine, plus more.  And it’s the first Buffet we’ve seen serve Leg of Lamb during lunch – All you can eat Lamb, shucked Oysters and peel and eat ‘em Shrimp is a deal in itself, without mentioning the Ribs, Ham, Turkey, Chicken, Salmon Fajitas, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, etc.

Pala Casino takes a lot of pride in Choices Buffet and wants its customers to truly enjoy their experience.  It’s well kept, clean, fully stocked and ready to be served.  We found the service and attention to detail remarkable.  They’re excited to present their remodeled Buffet (reopened Memorial Day 2009) and interested in customer feedback.  They want to make Choices the best Buffet in town.

We’ve learned that Indian Reservation Casino Buffets are relatively progressive (I wish I’d win it) and sophisticated.  Gone are the days of cheap Buffet food — There’s a lot of competition.  Casino Buffets are quite the production, prepared and maintained by a team of attentive chefs and staff.  Food is often presented as art, as shown by the flower carved out of a Watermelon and a dove carved from I’m not sure what.

As of this date, we think Choices may have the best Desserts seen thus far.  We haven’t found any Buffets lacking Desserts, but we’re extra impressed with the Dessert case pictured directly below.  In addition to offering almost every imaginable Dessert outside the case, those presented below are extra special.  To me, it was like visiting an expensive bakery after the Buffet, whereas you get to pick and eat whatever you want for free.  Elsewhere, each gourmet item may cost $5.  You always want more than you can afford — Here you can just go for it.

It was hard to narrow down our selection of Choice’s Desserts, but we ultimately decided on the Mango Mousse Tower, Tiramisu Mug and Raspberry Mousse Tower (clockwise below).  We’re not sure of their actual names and describe them by taste and design.  All looked like a work of art. 

Pala Casino is situated in a valley among beautiful hills — Below is just one view from the deck near the Food Court, close to more dining offered at Pala Casino.  After this visit, we deem Choices to be one of our favorite Lunch Buffets.

Although not captured in this post, Choices’ design is worth mentioning.  Our Interior Designer (Guest Blogger Bonnie) would have approved.  We particularly liked the giant monitors displayed throughout.  Each had incredible rotating food images to help get you in the mood.  Make sure you bring your appetite to this Buffet.

Note:  We’ll be visiting Casino Pauma’s Buffet in March — Check back for a report on it.

Hip hip hooray, we’re on our way to the Pala Casino Buffet to spend the winnings of Super Bowl Sunday.  It’ll be explained later, but now I’m happy to report a $100 win in a Super Bowl pool, as I luckily did last year.  Is it legal?  I don’t know — Oh well.  In celebration of ALL and because my Dad loves Budweiser, I’ve posted the quotes below.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

- Benjamin Franklin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”

- Dave Barry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Beer: Helping ugly people have sex since 3000 B.C.”

- W. C. Fields

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Remember I before E, except in Budweiser.”

- Professor Irwin Corey

It’s reported that Coca-Cola’s new aluminum bottle design keeps Coke 15% colder (longer) than a standard shaped can – I’m certainly a fan of that.  Nibbles of Tidbits previously ran a contest and the prize was a case (24) of them.  And since that time, I’ve learned they’re quite the hot commodity.  You’ll never see them in a boring grocery store — They’re way too cool!

We attended a Coca-Cola Tasting Event at Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach, steps away from the sand.  It was on their High Rooftop Lounge, that’s broken down into stylish pod groupings overlooking the ocean and city.  We missed the sunset, but the city lights were beautiful too.

At this tasting event, 3 cocktails were made with Coca-Cola Classic®, Coke Zero™ and Diet Coke®, each mixed with a different liquor and served in its respective aluminum bottle.  As common in parts of Europe, drinks are made and served in the same can or bottle.  The bartender at this par-tay mixed the drinks over ice, then funneled them back into the bottles before serving ‘em with a straw.  They were strong, but good — We liked the Lemon Chilled the best.

The appetizers were good too — There’s a fabulous Chef at the Hotel Erwin.  My favorite was the Mini Corn Dog on a Stick.  The batter was light and corny-crunchy, and they were served with a Coca-Cola Ketchup Sauce.  All went together well.

It was fun to meet other bloggers, like Peachhead, Coastal California, The Girl Blogger and their guests.  My Interior Designer guest requested a tour of a couple suites, which added to our overall cool experience – Down to the fun robes in the rooms.

One takes the elevator all the way up, then walks a scenic platform to the High Rooftop Lounge.  This evening we enjoyed appetizers and Coca-Cola’s hottest coldest drinks.  The bottle design is nostalgic and the drinks were served extra cold – Hope you stumble upon them at a hip place soon.

Just went to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino for the day.  It was our second time having their amazing Buffet.  Continuing our tour of local Indian Reservation Casinos and Buffets, so far this one is our favorite.  They seem to offer everything you’d want and all was fresh and delicious during both visits.  This is our first report with photographs.  The Brisket (above) and the Turkey (below) were especially good, perfectly cooked and carved to order.

They offer almost every ethnicity and type of food — American, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Salads, Soups, Fresh Fruit, Grilled Vegetables, Cheese and much more.  We captured a lot, but certainly not all.

And almost every Dessert imaginable, Ice Cream, Bread Pudding, Cheesecake, Pies, Cakes, Cobblers, a Chocolate Fountain and more.

Our lunch this day was only $12.99, which isn’t bad for all you can eat — Unfortunately we could only eat so much.  We wished we could take home doggie bags.

Below is a photo of only one of our plates – We were stuffed and happy by the time we hit the video poker machines.  And we didn’t do too bad at that either.  Fantasy Springs entertainment line-up is pretty good too.  We learned that Morrissey will be playing there on December 5th and are considering going to that.

Check out Nibbles of Tidbits’ Buffet category to see where else we’ve been.  Thumbs up for Fantasy Springs Resort Casino Buffet.

Do you like a good Buffet?  If you join the Player’s Club at Valley View Casino, you’ll receive a FREE Lobster Buffet.  We joined the Player’s Club today and enjoyed a complimentary Lunch Buffet.  Steamed Maine Lobster and Alaskan King Crab is featured on the Dinner Buffet only, and Carved New York Strip (above) is featured during lunch.  Although I would have loved the King Crab Legs, there’s 275 items to choose from otherwise – We captured a few.

The service is good and we were so impressed with this carved Watermelon – It’s the best I’ve ever seen.  I can’t quite figure out where to start to accomplish this.

Buffets are fun, but sometimes the options can be paralyzing – One can only eat so much.  It’s best to have a plan for maximum satisfaction and least waste.  We started with a Salad plate, then an Entree plate, followed by a Dessert plate or two.

TIP:  To avoid a long line, it’s best to arrive at this Buffet right when it opens.  They added more seating, but it gets packed.

Valley View Casino Buffet INFO

MORE Casino Buffets reviewed by Nibbles of Tidbits:  Agua Caliente Casino Buffet in Rancho Mirage