Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

PAUL STANLEY AND GENE SIMMONS OF KISS SALUTE THE TROOPS ON VETERANS DAY

The Rock Icons’ Rock & Brews Restaurants Will Offer Free Pulled Pork Sandwiches to Veterans, Active Military and First Responders on November 11, 2017.

Rock & Brews, the rock-inspired, family-friendly restaurant co-founded by Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, is paying tribute to veterans, active military and first responders on Veterans Day, November 11, by offering a complimentary meal* at participating restaurants with proof of service.

“We often forget that freedom is only free for those who don’t have to sacrifice to make it possible,” said Stanley and Simmons in a joint statement. “At Rock & Brews, November 11 is a special day and we show our gratitude and support for the women and men who have or continue to put their lives on the line for our country.”

All year round, Rock & Brews locations nationwide partner with local military and veteran organizations to support veterans and military personnel in their communities for their grand opening fundraisers and other events. To date, the Rock & Brews brand has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local organizations directly benefiting veterans and military.

For more information on Veterans Day offerings at Rock & Brews, visit www.rockandbrews.com to get more details regarding your local Rock & Brews restaurant.

*Complimentary meal options vary at participating locations. Only one choice per guest with proof of service. Choices may include pulled pork sandwich; Caesar salad; chicken Caesar salad; two topping pizza; or backstage burger.

About Rock & Brews:  Rock & Brews is a one-of-a-kind, rock-inspired restaurant and entertainment concept designed to engage people of all ages with quality comfort food and local favorites, a broad selection of craft and international beers, and an energized environment that is reminiscent of being at a family-friendly music event.  Founded by rock icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, along with partners, restaurateur Michael Zislis and concert industry veterans Dave and Dell Furano, the first Rock & Brews opened near Los Angeles International Airport in Southern California in April of 2012.  Each of the brand’s 17 locations in the United States and Mexico boasts a backstage environment showcasing a “Great Wall of Rock,” iconic rock art, concert trusses and lighting and multiple flat screens sharing some of the greatest rock concert moments of all time.  Most offer a play area for kids and many are dog friendly.  For more information, please visit www.rockandbrews.com.

By Me:  The above press release is posted in honor of our Veterans.  I respect and appreciate their immense sacrifice for this beautiful country.  As a side note, I had a poster of Paul Stanley on my bedroom wall while growing up.  A poster of him, Adam Ant, David Bowie and a few others.  Back to the important stuff — When I learn of other meals being offered to Veterans, I’ll post the information below.  God Bless our Veterans and the USA.  Photos are from a previous visit to the Rock & Brews in Buena Park, CA.

It’s official — I’ve prepared 100+ Blue Apron recipes.  My husband counted them.  After two-hundred plus total dishes, I decided it was time to try a few other meal delivery companies.  At least three to start… Plated, Hello Fresh and Chef’d.  It’s not because we don’t like Blue Apron.  We love them.  I’m now curious how others’ dishes compare.  Are they as flavorful and international?

The Plated Report — Plated’s box was huge and all was packed within a thick insulation that looked like it should be recycled in the garden.  Different than Blue Apron, but it kept all cold and fresh.

One of the BEST things about Plated is they offer Dessert.  Blue Apron currently does not.

Dessert (recipe and ingredients) costs about $8 more, over Plated’s meal plan — Most comparable to our Blue Apron Meal Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), Plated offers (2 Meals for 2 People = $48 + $6 for shipping = $54).  Shipping is free with $50+ purchases.  I thus added one of Plated’s weekly Desserts to try and to qualify for free shipping.  $56 was our total for 2 Meals and 1 Dessert for 2 People from Plated.  Leon thought all looked good upon arrival (below).  I did too.

Plated’s recipes were well written and somewhat unique, like those offered by Blue Apron.  The pictured Plated meals were good, but none knocked our socks off, like many Blue Apron meals have. We also missed the third meal offered by Blue Apron.  Apples to Apples, the same Blue Apron Plan (3 Meals for 2 People = $60), costs $72 at Plated.  I wouldn’t mind future meals from Plated, but I prefer to save money.  Plated is good, but they charge more for the same comparison of food.

I prepared Plated’s Pan-Roasted Redfish with Baby Kale Risotto (top), Cheese Tortellini with Basil and Spinach in Tomato Soup (above) and Caramelized Pear Shortcakes with Whipped Cream (below).  We liked the Pan-Roasted Redfish the best and the other two recipes were just average.  Plated’s recipe cards are nice and large, but not as glossy as Blue Apron’s.

The Caramelized Pear Shortcakes aka Biscuits were already baked, which made preparation easier, but the Dessert not as homemade.  I may order from Plated again to try a different Dessert if its weekly menu sounds better than Blue Apron’s weekly menu.  I’m currently subscribed to all listed herein, though opt for Blue Apron most of the time.  If interested in trying any meal delivery company, be sure to obtain a coupon or coupon code, as each offers a $20 – $60 discount on your first box.  Don’t miss out on that.  Check back soon to read our Hello Fresh and Chef’d Reports.

Newport Beach Restaurant Week wraps up this Sunday, January 31, 2016.  We attended its kick-off event at the Balboa Bay Resort, along with the Mayor of Newport Beach and the President of the Newport Beach Restaurant Association (on stage above) and many others.  We toasted to NBRW.

It’s always a great time to dine out in Newport Beach — It’s such a beautiful city and prices are especially good now.  When NBRW is happening I like to try new restaurants.  It’s in its 10th year.

We sampled several dishes currently being offered on various prix-fixe menus.

Pictured above is the Grilled Albacore Sandwich available at the Lighthouse Bayview Cafe, a fairly new restaurant on the Balboa Peninsula.  Did you know Newport Beach has 450+ restaurants?

It does — See which restaurants are participating in Newport Beach Restaurant Week here.

The view was gorgeous and well captured above by Matt, my photographer husband below.

We have four more days to enjoy the fruits of Newport Beach Restaurant Week.

We reveled in all this evening — Dine Newport Beach for sure!

Though it’s called Newport Beach Restaurant Week, it’s two weeks long — Newport Beach Restaurant Week(s) starts Monday, January 18th and runs through Sunday, January 31st, 2016. It’s the best time to dine out in Newport Beach.  During that time many restaurants will be offering prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner.  Participating restaurants and menus can be viewed here.

The pictured dishes (from top down) are from four of the restaurants participating in Newport Beach Restaurant Week — Bayside Restaurant, Billy’s At The Beach, Bluewater Grill and Woody’s Wharf.

Nibbles of Tidbits will be attending a special media reception tomorrow at the Balboa Bay Resort to kick off this money saving, tasty annual event — More will be reported here after a few samplings.

Once we select a restaurant (or more), it’s back to beautiful Newport Beach.

Our first meal with Knott’s Berry Farm’s Season Dining Pass was this mega Cheeseburger at Grizzly Creek Lodge in Camp Snoopy.  We each had one, though one Cheeseburger could certainly feed two. They gave us a lot of French Fries too.  Without the Season Dining Pass, the meal comes with a drink and costs $15.29.  We presented our Season Pass Cards and seamlessly received our meals.

The Cheeseburger here is quite thick and large as mentioned, and tastes a little like Salisbury Steak, or the Burgers I used to get in elementary school.  There’s something home-y about it.  It’s old school tasting and I kind of liked that.  It’s not the best Cheeseburger in town and we didn’t expect it to be, but it will suffice.  By the end of the year, we will have tried all items available with Knott’s Season Dining Pass.  It will be interesting to see if the Burgers at the participating restaurants are the same or different.  I hope they will be different, but I suspect they’re the same.  We will see.

Season Pass meals are shown with a red fork, spoon and knife in a yellow circle that’s circled in blue.

I like the large condiment bar at Grizzly Creek Lodge, but it may not end up being our first choice to eat, since it’s in Camp Snoopy and there were a lot of screaming kids inside there this day.  I may be more of a Cantina girl.  The year will tell and so will I.  It’ll be an adventurous time at Knott’s.

We just purchased Knott’s Berry Farm 2016 Season Passes and Knott’s All Season Dining Pass. For around $185 each, we get (1) Lunch and (1) Dinner every day in 2016 at Knott’s Berry Farm. There are no blackout dates.  What a deal!  We technically wouldn’t need to spend anything more on food or entertainment for the entire year.  We can go to Knott’s every single day and eat twice. There’s a (4) hour interval between meals.  Locals should seriously consider this as a good meal and entertainment plan, especially if poor and often bored.  We’re within biking distance and couldn’t pass it up.  We plan to try and report on the food at all participating restaurants.  There are seven.

With a Season Pass Dining Plan one can enjoy Lunch and/or Dinner at each of the following restaurants… Sutter’s Grill, Wilderness Broiler, formerly known as Bigfoot Broiler, Hollywood Hits, Coaster’s Diner, Boardwalk Barbecue, Cantina and Grizzly Creek Lodge — They are listed in the same order they’re pictured herein.  We barely photographed all of them before the sun went down.

Sutter’s Grill is pictured at top, as Matt points out, and its Season Pass Dining Menu is below it.

If you circle Knott’s Berry Farm clockwise from the front gate, you’ll find each of these participating restaurants in the same order they are presented here.  The Wilderness Broiler, also in Ghost Town is pictured next.  They’re grilling up Chicken Sandwiches, Cheeseburgers and Hot Dogs.

It’s hard to see the various menus here (better if enlarged), but they’re all somewhat similar.

Moving into Boardwalk, Hollywood Hits restaurant offers Pizza.

If wanting Pizza instead of a Burger or Hot Dog with Season Pass Dining, go to Hollywood Hits.

Each participating restaurant menu offers four Combos and a Caesar Salad to choose from.

Coaster’s Diner (below), also in Boardwalk is a cute place to eat.

Chicken Tenders and a Southwest Cheeseburger are offered here, differing from the other menus.

Boardwalk Barbecue (below), another participating restaurant is also in Boardwalk.

In addition to a Grilled Foot-Long Hot Dog, Cheeseburger and Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Boardwalk Barbecue offers a Flat Bread Pizza.  And then there’s the Cantina in Fiesta Village, the only restaurant where you can get a Burrito, Taco or Tostada Salad on the Season Pass Dining Plan.

The Cantina is pictured above and below.  Every restaurant offers a Caesar Salad too.

And finally there’s Grizzly Creek Lodge, the largest restaurant of all in Camp Snoopy (below).

It offers dining downstairs and upstairs, inside and out.

Once you have circled the park stopping at each of the participating restaurants on Knott’s Season Pass Dining Plan, there are no new menu offerings at Grizzly Creek Lodge, except for the large condiment bar pointed out by Matt below.  Though the menu items are somewhat repetitive, the deal is good, since each combo costs around $15.  Drinks are not included with Season Pass Dining.

A 2016 All Season Bottle can be purchased for about $25 for Unlimited Free Refills on drinks.  We didn’t purchase that.  I believe we’re allowed to bring a bottle of water into Knott’s (I need to confirm that), which will suffice since we rarely drink sodas.  We’d rather purchase a liquor plan.

We start our Season Pass Dining at Knott’s Berry Farm in 2016.

Check back to see what tastes best there.

Thank you precious United States Veterans!  I will forever honor you and contribute money and time to assist you how I can.  We at Nibbles of Tidbits wish all Veterans a very happy Veterans’ Day. On Wednesday, November 11, 2015, several restaurants will show Veterans how special they are by offering them something special.  Cheers to those that do something special for a Veteran.

Famous Dave’s BBQ – Free Appetizer or Dessert

IHOP Restaurant – Free Red, White and Blue Pancakes

Claim Jumper – Free Dinner or Lunch

Denny’s – Free Grand Slam Breakfast

Applebee’s – Free Meal from a Special Veterans’ Day Menu

California Pizza Kitchen – Free Meal from a Special Veterans’ Day Menu

McCormick & Schmick’s – Free Meal from a Special Veterans’ Day Menu

Wienerschnitzel – Free Chili Dog and Small Pepsi

Additional Veterans’ Day offerings are here.  Show a military ID to receive all of the above and more.

Image Credit

Show your ID at Denny’s on your birthday to receive a FREE Grand Slam Breakfast — Thanks!

Orange County Restaurant Week is over for now, but it’ll be back — I’m not sure when, but you can check here.  Next time, we’ll opt for the Wahoo’s Fish Taco deal more than once.

For $20 it included… (2) Drinks (Beer and/or Wine), an Appetizer (Baja Rolls) to share, (2) Entrees (Two Tacos and/or Two Enchiladas), and Dessert (Churro Chips) to share.

It was the best deal that week — Though it has past, OC Restaurant Week will be back again.

Until then, OC Cocktail Week starts TODAY — Here’s a link to more information about it.

Though full from our Wahoo’s meal, we couldn’t stop eating the Churro Chips, which are similar to those in photo above — We were so busy inhaling them, I forgot to take a photo.

Cinnamon Chips (pictured above) — Photo Credit and Recipe

For Orange County Restaurant Week, we chose Matador Cantina in Fullerton — Mostly because we’re based here now and it’s the best deal offered by 3 participating restaurants nearby.

There’s ample parking and an entrance in the back — It’s dark, but don’t be intimidated.

Enlarge Menu (above) for a better view — We had one of each, pictured herein.

A Ceviche Tostada (above) and/or Banh Mi Tostada (below) were offered for the First Course.

Second Course included Grilled Fish Tacos…

…and/or Chicken Mole Enchiladas.

I especially liked the Cilantro Lime Rice served with the meals.

All was fantastic and I see why Matador Cantina has been voted Orange County’s Best Mexican Restaurant by some.  Third of this Three-Course Dinner for $20 includes a Chipotle Apple Empanada (above) and/or Cro-Churros (below).  We couldn’t taste the Chipotle as much as we wanted to, but all was good and a great pick for OC Restaurant Week.

The X O (above) goes out to my new husband and dining partner for life, Matt (below).  Hi. 🙂

After this week passes, Matador Cantina will continue to offer Weekly Specials.

See Orange County Restaurant Week’s List of Participating Restaurants — It’s HERE, with respective menus and price listings.  We’ll be dining in Historic Downtown Fullerton this year, as it’s near where we just moved and still part of Orange County.  Matador Cantina, The Cellar and/or Hopscotch shall be our choice for lunch and/or dinner(s) next week.

Veterans and active-duty military personnel deserve to take advantage of the day.  It’s Veterans Day and many want to say thanks!  Several restaurants and others are offering FREE meals.  Those qualified should plan their schedule around the options — Start here.

To me, Veterans and Active Duty Military matter the most — Thank you for your sacrifice!  It’s because of that I live free.  And because of that, they’re most deserving of a FREE meal at Applebee’s this coming Veteran’s Day.  Nice job Applebee’s.  See their special menu here.

UH-LOW-HAH Aloha Roll (above) — We can’t wait to go back to Sapporo Sushi (f/k/a Niko Niko Sushi) to have it again.  It’s made with Baked Pineapple, Spicy Tuna, Avocado and Mango.

A Tempura Special Roll of some sort (above) for another table — It sure looked good.

We also had the Hungry Roll (above), which is layer upon layer of texture and flavor.  It’s over the top.  Watching it be made was crazy — It’s got Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna, Popcorn Shrimp, Avocado and Crab.  Sapporo Sushi is near CSULB off PCH/7th Street in Long Beach.

Happy Anniversary Orange County Restaurant Week — What restaurant will you be dining at?

We’re working our way through the best deals in town and Chili’s is alive and kicking.

We’ve previously posted about Chili’s 2 for $20 deal here and here — And since it’s so good, we keep going back for more.  Recently added to the choices is the Mango-Chili Talapia (above) and we tried the Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadilla and we’re still in HEAVY like, next.

At The Getty Center in Los Angeles surrounded by works of art indoors and out.

A tasteful way to spend a day B at the Get-TAY — It ain’t no ghetto. We sang… At the Get-TAY.

A Banquet Piece by Pieter Claesz (1630), a favorite of our food related selections is pictured above — Others are woven between photos of pristine grounds and architecture, spectacular views, and surprisingly great Pizza.  Admission is FREE to see all.  Parking is $15.00.

Flowering Maze over a reflecting pool — Go through it on a boat. JK, it’s just for viewing.

Still Life Tea Set by Jean-Etienne Liotard (Circa 1781).

City and ocean views are framed within 30-inch square grids of travertine — Beauty abounds.

Still Life with Grapes and Other Fruit by Luca Forte (1630).

There are endless angles to appreciate at The Getty Center.

The Restaurant (below) offers Brunch and sophisticated Lunch and Dinner MENUS.

And the Cafe at The Getty Center is located below it.

The Cafe is somewhat cafeteria-style offering convenient, prepared and cook to order food.

We opted for the Pepperoni Pizza, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.

It (above) unexpectedly turned out to be one of the best Pizzas I’ve ever had.

Cheers to the Pizza — I’m ready to go back for IT, more exhibits and new views.

Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Pomegranate by Jacob Van Hulsdonck (Circa 1620).

Just a few of the 360-degree available views.

Still Life with Fish, Vegetables, Gougeres, Pots and Cruets on a Table by Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin (1769) is shown above, and more architectural wonder is modeled below — A photography student’s or wide-eyed explorer’s jackpot is at The Getty Center daily.

Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises (1889) is there too?

Sit amongst courtyard fountains and well manicured trees — Nothing is out of place.

The Museum Store is entertaining in itself with its unique items for play and purchase.

We were at the Get-TAY at the right time to see one of infinity beautiful sunsets.

And A Maid Milking a Cow in a Barn by Gerard Ter Borch (Circa 1652).

Is the cow on the left looking at us?  I loved its face in person and miss him already. 😉

We saw (and ate) some thaaangs!  Don’t miss it.

Dave & Buster’s for the FOOD would be impressive enough, but no, they’ve got everything.

Step inside to experience entertainment in numerous forms — It’s always fun there.

The Eat+Play Combo’s are pretty good deals — Check ’em out before ordering.

The Snow Cone with Cherry Vodka and Blue Curacao is a fun drink, though on the sweet side.

This visit we ate and played really well together.

In the restaurant, before play, we started with the Spinach Dip (above).

And then had the Fire Grilled Salmon (top) and Chicken and Shrimp Rockefeller (above).

The Dining Room at Dave & Buster’s in Irvine (above) is slated to be remodeled to fit in with recent changes in style and direction — Though I’ve liked it as is, I have confidence in what it might look like next, as D & B’s other transformations have been agreeable.

Our food was excellent — The Chicken and Shrimp Rockefeller is especially awesome.

Cheers to more SPORTS at Dave & Buster’s.

Giant screens to watch favorite teams are scattered throughout.

Walk and roll your way to fun and games.

Pool tables, rooms for private parties, FOOD, Drinks, Sports and Games are to be had.

Lots of GAMES to choose from — We had a blast playin’ for tickets to redeem at the…

…Winner’s Circle for a variety of PRIZES.

Save points and return to add-on more to aim for a top prize, or just see what you can get.

It’s a place for adults (especially) and kids alike — Everyone has a good time there.

It’s all fun and games until someone loses a tie. 😉

Goooooooo Dave & Buster’s!  Thanks for being there for us.

There’s another 2 For $20 Deal to be had at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse.  We’ve been trying to find them all — Similar deals are at Chili’s, T.G.I. Friday’s and Applebee’s.  We loved BJ’s Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza, Pickles and all!  It really tastes like a Cheeseburger.

Not sure how long you’ll get 2 Salads, a Pizza and Dessert for $20 — Hopefully really long.

We toast to that — Please offer this deal forever BJ’s!

We had an ideal Wedge Salad and Caesar Salad with no complaints.

The previously mentioned Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza (below) is crazy good.

One-upping other 2 for $20 Deals, BJ’s comes with Dessert.

It’s called a Pizookie and ours was 1/2 White Chocolate Macadamia Nut and 1/2 Cookies N’ Cream — It’s a warm, baked Cookie that’s topped with Ice Cream and a dollop of Mousse.

We happily dissected it pretty well — It’s a fine Trademark Dessert indeed.

Photos were taken at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in Downey, California.

Start the OC Fair New Year’s Eve Block Par-tay early at its Pre-Party Event: It’s Free.

I can’t stop going on-and-on about how thin and crispy Chili’s Tortilla Chips are, and mentioned it here once before.  Though we set out to taste and report about Chili’s $20 Dinner for 2, the Tortilla Chips were triangle-stars (again) amongst generously portioned, flavorful entrees and appetizer.  There’s something HB Strips and Cheese tasting about Chili’s Chips and Salsa, which may make sense to a local!?  Maybe it’s the frying Oil and/or the Salsa is similarly sweet.  Whatever it is, I LIKE IT.  Now onto our $20 Dinner for 2.  What a deal!

We previously tried Chili’s $35 Dinner, Drinks & Dessert for 2 — Some dishes are the same as those offered for the $20 Dinner for 2, and some are different.  The main differences are the Drinks and Dessert, and neither come with the $20 special.  It can’t be that great of a deal.

We’re completely impressed with the large serving sizes and taste of all.

We chose the Crispy Onion & Jalapeno Stack for an Appetizer and the Crispy Honey-Chipotle Chicken Crispers and Grilled Chicken Salad for Entrees — The MENU is here.

Lots of good Entrees to choose from — I like that, and our server Bobby at Chili’s Buena Park location, who was authentically nice and proficient.  A bag of Chips to-go well with 4 ripe Avocados awaiting purpose at home.  Guacamole with more thin, crispy Tortilla Chips, ole.

We set out to have Chili’s $20 Dinner for 2 which includes one Appetizer and two Entrees, but once there we instead opted for Chili’s less advertised upgrade, the $35 Dinner for 2 that includes an Appetizer and Dessert to share, and two Margaritas and two Entrees.

To further surpass the original $20 dinner plan, we upgraded to the Platinum Presidente Ritas.

Enlarge pictured menus to assess options or visit Chili’s.

We chose the Tostada Chips & Fire-Grilled Corn Guacamole for our Appetizer.

LOVE Chili’s thin, crispy Chips — We couldn’t get over how thin they are and would go back just for them.  Have they always been this good?  I don’t remember.  Are they as thin and crispy at all Chili’s?  We hope so, but don’t know.  We dined at Chili’s Buena Park location.

For Entrees we chose the Roasted Red Pepper Grilled Chicken (above).

And the Smokey Chipotle Chicken Fajitas (above and at top).

Fixings for the Smokey Chipotle Chicken Fajitas (above and below).

Shared the Brownie Sundae for Dessert — Usually prefer something light and/or fruity, but it was good and filling.  Overall, we think both the $20/$35 Dinners for 2 are good values.

We’ll try the $20 Dinner for 2 next time, though the Margaritas are tempting.

Similar dinner specials for two can be found at T.G.I.’s Friday’s and Applebee’s.

The 2 for $20 meal — It’s a real deal at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar.

Right now at Applebee’s you get (1) Appetizer and (2) full size Entrees for $20 – See MENU.

This was our first time to an Applebee’s and we learned it’s hipper than we thought.

It’s a welcoming place for the young and the old — I like that.  Its full Bar helps too.

We happened upon “$5 Sangria Saturdays” and appreciated the generous size glass too.

For an Appetizer, we opted for the Spinach & Artichoke Dip and would do so again.

And for Entrees we chose the Chipotle Cream Steak & Shrimp and the Three Cheese Chicken Penne.  Both were good.  Top Sirloin was served as the Steak (above) and it was tender, a must for any Steak — I never like to chew and chew and chew a Steak.

The ‘Welcome Back!’ sign shall apply next time, since we’d go back for this deal.

Cheers to 2 for $20 at Applebee’s and other specials like it — The service, atmosphere and lighting was pleasant too.  We also like the T.G.I. Friday’s 3-Course Menu for (2) for $20.  And Chili’s Grill & Bar has a $20 Dinner for Two that we plan to try (and report on) soon.