Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

It’s happening NOW folks… OC Wine Week.  It means several of the best restaurants in Orange County are offering prix fixe menus with course wine pairings — That’s FOOD and WINE for one fair price.  It’s a great time to dine out.  And for FOOD and BEER pairings OC Beer Week starts October 2nd, the day after OC Wine Week ends.  Get out there and toast!

Interestingly the Tequila Alquimia may be our favorite part of the LA Luxury Chocolate Salon, just kidding, sorta.  The Chocolates were good too when the lines went down, and the Tequila was needed to tolerate the lines.  The Tequila was smoooooth and we enjoyed the nice family who made and generously poured it.  As for the Chocolates, I just voted for the best.

As part of the Salon Awards Tasting Panel, I got to taste all and vote for my favorites.  The official results will soon be posted, along with additional observations about the event.

Mako Shark, Thresher Shark or Los Angeles County Fair Shark?  They do tricks.  Do you bite?

Opted for a Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog and many more bites.

Smokin’ Meats.

BBQ and Beer.

Sizing up the LA Culinary Arts Competition to see how it compares to the OC.

This Cake is correct and dedicated to all my long time friends — Blessed yes I am.

More Culinary Arts Competition Results — Cakes and Ribbons.

Table Setting Competition Results — I love the Covered Wagon idea.

Moving Dinosaurs — I wonder if they were good BBQ’d by the cavemen.

And Pre-Pulled Pork, Bacon, Carnitas, Chops, Rinds, you get the picture.

Remember all relates to FOOD here, and MILK, one of the best drinks in the world.

Learn how it’s made at the LA Fair aka Pomona Fair.

And had to find the Chuckwagon, the best BBQ Brisket at the OC Fair.

Terri’s Berries is at the LA Fair too, along with much, much, much more — Lots to do and EAT.

Though they taste good, the pictured Chocolates won’t be featured at the Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon this Sunday, as they’re way too basic — It’s for that reason I’m most excited to be on the Salon Awards Tasting Panel.  I want to try the unique, daring and unusual.

To simplify, I get to eat and drink all the Chocolate and Wine I want, then vote for the ones I like best.  Cool or what!?!  I’m ready to pick up the Judges Panel Ticket and get tasting. 🙂

Fancy Smancy or Schmancy who cares, it’s not really a word anyway — This story is most likely played, but it’s still September so the floor is mine.  Available this month only is the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger at Hof’s Hut.  Have you read about it yet?  You can here.

This is our first time purchasing it at the restaurant after having it at the photo shoot.

It was cool to see my name on the menus and table tents as Winner of the Burger Contest.

It’s a splendid tasting Burger too — Hof’s Hut does a great job with it.

Try it before September 30th.

I once lived in the LBC, Belmont Shore to be exact, walking distance from a Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery, now a Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, a new favorite, and I worked across the street from the view above.  Will always have a special place for Long Beach, near most of the remaining Hof’s.  Read about the Burger Contest — Long Beach Post quotes me. 

HH’s 60th Anniversary promotions — Grateful the FSSB Won!

I didn’t order the hit on table tent inserts at Hof’s Hut, but appreciate having one with my name on it.  For the record, my parent’s friends actually asked if they could take it.  I should’ve photographed it instead of scanned it — It’s hard to read, despite its wannabe size progression.  Only 15 more days to get the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger at Hof’s Hut.  Still celebrating…

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of Gorton’s Grilled Tilapia.

It’s not something I usually eat, but it was on special and cooked up fast.  I had yet to prepare pre-cooked frozen Fish in the microwave.  After seeing and eating Gorton’s Signature Grilled Tilapia, I wanted to do it again.  The Tilapia was all white and flakey, mandatory to me.  It really doesn’t have that much of a grilled flavor, but it’s more than all right for a quick bite.

It looked like a frozen block out of the freezer and turned into an enjoyable lunch.

Happy with the results, I tried Gorton’s Grilled Fillets Garlic Butter, but they didn’t measure up.

It appeared to be made of Fish pieces pressed together and had way too many dark strains running throughout — Opposite of the Grilled Tilapia, it was sadly inedible.  No bueno.

What’s up Gorton?  I’m told to trust you — Quality consistency is important.  Who likes a hodge podge of this kind of dark meat?  Not I, but still glad you’re around.  It’s 50/50 for now.

We recently tested the Farmer’s Market Fish Taco currently available at a few Rubio’s.

Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill will officially be offering the Farmer’s Market Fish Taco in October, but right now it’s being tested at select restaurants in Orange County.  I tried it and love it.

I don’t know the ins-and-outs of its future, but will surely seek it out in October.  After that, we vote Rubios put it on the menu.  It’s fresh tasting with Roasted Corn, Avocado and hand battered Fish, and especially good on a Flour Tortilla.  Keep an eye out for its official debut.

09/14/11 Update:  Corrected the name to ‘Farmer’s Market Fish Taco‘ after having it again and learning I didn’t provide its full accurate name.  My bad.  It’s still an excellent Taco.

I’m excited to be a part of The Official Chocolate Salon Awards Tasting Panel at the Los Angeles Luxury Chocolate Salon taking place September 25, 2011 at the Pasadena Center Ballroom.  I get to EAT ALL THE CHOCOLATE I WANT and vote for my favorites — Now that’s a good time!  And YOU CAN TOO if you buy a ticket.  They’re reasonably priced.  The event is a must for Local Chocolate Lovers.  Discover, savor and taste products from some of the Finest Chocolatiers and Wineries in Southern California.  Show highlights include Premium Chocolate Tasting, Artisan Chocolate Demonstrations, Chef and Author Discussions, and Wine and Beverage Tasting.  All is being presented by Taste TV.  Hope to see you there.

The season ends tomorrow at Del Mar Race Track.  Since it’s such a beautiful track and I love the Horse Races, I try to go every year, but man their food seems to suck.  What’s up with that?  It certainly doesn’t match the quality of the view, facilities and entertainment.

On a double decker bus approaching Del Mar, a Race Track with an ocean view.

We liked the Bob’s Card guy the best (least obnoxious), but still didn’t buy his picks.

Probably should’ve bought Bob’s Card, since I didn’t win a dime this day — Oh well.

Chef Lexi of Kids in the Kitchen peeking around a New Castle display.

View from our seats before it got crowded.

And now on to the crappy food… Sorry to say it, but we didn’t like any of the fast choices.

The Oggi’s Pizza was the best, but a little too bready.

We also had a bad Hot Dog, bad French Fries and bad Tacos, not pictured.

I had #6 (a long shot) to Place as it was approaching the finish line, but it fell back to 5th. 🙁

Took the Amtrak down to Solana Beach and then jumped on a double decker bus to Del Mar Race Track.  Look for Cathleen (pictured above) on the train.  She’s a crack up and makes a good Bloody Mary.  And hopefully Del Mar will put a little more effort into serving better food next year.  Please.  This is an official request to do so.

We loved the fresh intense flavors of the Grilled Pineapple and Blueberry Lime Popcicles sold by Front Porch Pops, a small stand amongst several popular Gourmet Food Trucks.

We also tried the Mini Pops Sampler of Lemon, Mango, Strawberry Lemonade and Watermelon.

Surprisingly the Tangy Lemon Cream Pop (white one) was our favorite — TASTE-Tee!

It’s happiness on a stick, Front Porch Pops says — To me it’s sweet, handmade refresh-ness.  I once made unconventional Peaches & Cream Popcicles that tasted pretty good.

Popular contenders of The Great Food Truck Race were also present this Thursday in Irvine.

We really liked this Pulled Pork Taco from The Lime Truck too.  Menus vary.

A BIG THANKS to Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery on this official day — The availability of the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger.  I can’t wait to have it as good as YOU make it!

SONIC also known as America’s Drive-In officially opened in Costa Mesa today.

It’s fun to see a SONIC in the neighborhood, so we chose a car stall on opening day.

And tried the Kickin’ Coney Dog — We like the new Coney’s & Hot Dog Menu. 

Eat in your car or outside — Learn more about the SONIC experience here.

Read about previous SONIC visits and contests here, here and here.

Or just drive through — Supersonic Supersonic.

Do you know where to find 100 Gourmet Food Trucks, an Angels Baseball Skill Camp, a Budweiser Beer Garden, a SOCO Certified Farmer’s Market, Free Snack Giveaways, Live Entertainment, Cooking and Eating Competitions, an Import Car Show, Shopping and a Skyy Vodka VIP Lounge???  All can be found in one place this Saturday, August 27th at the 2011 OC Foodie Fest taking place at Angel Stadium from Noon – 6PM.  Hope to see you there.

I’ve often thanked God on a Friday and everyday for that matter — T.G.I. Friday’s offers a notable special for two that includes 3 Courses (Appetizer, 2 Entrees and Dessert) for $20.

Menu choices (above), T.G.I. Friday’s Bar view and a Droid at The Block at Orange.

We opted for the Chicken Quesadilla as the Appetizer, but would choose something different next time — Ours was too greasy.  It’s okay though, Friday’s has other Apps to pick from.

For Entrees we had the Petite Sirloin and Bruschetta Chicken Pasta — Both were terrific.

Our Dessert was this Strawberry something.

An eye will be on the Banana Split next time — All things considered, it’s a respectable deal!

This weekend we highly recommend VIP Rib Village at the Orange County BBQ Bonanza.

Tender Ribs can be found within Fountain Valley Sports Park August 18th – 21st.

The VIP Rib Village experience includes all you can eat Ribs, Sides, Drinks and Desserts.

Check out The Big 6 National BBQ Cookers to learn more about the Ribs.

Entrance to unlimited Ribs and more.

Of course we tried them all several times.

Just one tasty option from Cowboys

Going back for another plate of everything.

Endless sides above, if you bother — We were diggin’ the bottomless Ribs, Beer and Wine.

There are plenty of tables with umbrellas in VIP Rib Village.

Different bands will be playing throughout the weekend — We enjoyed Grand Junction.

Some were dancing.

Others were eating.

We narrowed down our favorite Ribs to three, then tried them again — TBA.

As noted, VIP Rib Village includes all you can eat Dessert too — The cost for all is $100.  Why not make a day of it?  Enjoy excellent Ribs, good music, dancing and Drinks on a Summer eve.

He’s just sayin’…

More Ribs and Dessert in the Village.

Go in — It’s a messy, fun, flavorsome time.

Tennessee Q ended up being our favorite this kick-off evening.

And Johnson’s was a close runner-up.

You don’t have to spend $100 to try the Ribs — Event INFO is posted here.

The 2011 OC Fair went out with a munch, a moo and an oink and set a record breaking attendance of 1,400,280 attendees. The OC Fair saw a 21 percent increase over last year’s highest attendance record of 1,154,969, it surpassed on Day 20.

“My belief is the 2011 edition of the Fair establishes that the OC Fair has perfected the formula for staging a successful fair,” said Dr. Steven Beazley, OC Fair & Event Center President & CEO. “That formula will now be applied to educate and entertain our community for years to come.”

Fairgoers took the theme “Let’s Eat!” seriously and consumed 10,000 Mexican Funnel Cakes, 3,000 chocolate-covered corn dogs, 125,000 balls of Deep-Fried Kool-Aid, 10,000 slices of deep-fried avocado, 2,000 deep-fried frog’s legs and 75,000 colossal turkey legs.

The top five attended concerts in the Pacific Amphitheatre, in order of attendance, were Big Time Rush/Avery, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Weezer, Blake Shelton and Bob Dylan. Overall, there were nine sold-out concerts in the Fair’s premiere entertainment venue.

In the Action Sports Arena, the top most thrilling events, in order of attendance, were: Orange Crush Demolition Derby, Motorhome Madness Demolition Derby and X-treme Freestyle Moto-X.

The top shows in The Hangar were Sweet & Tender Hooligans (tribute to Morrissey and The Smiths); Moonwalker (THE Reflection of Michael Jackson); Journey Unauthorized; Which One’s Pink?; and Dead Man’s Party (The Oingo Boingo Tribute).

More fun numbers for the 2011 OC Fair:

• 1,000 12-inch-high Jumbo Mexican Funnel Cakes were eaten and only four Fairgoers met the challenge to consume one by themself.
• 284,982 visitors bared the cold visit into the Ice Museum and more than 350 300-pound blocks of ice were used to create its contents.
• More than 20,733 people were the ultimate Fairgoer as holders of their own Super Pass (season pass) compared to 11,100 in 2010.
• 32,439 people took advantage of the free Opening Hour on July 15 compared to 25,461 in 2011.
• 3,668 exhibitors submitted 12,697 entries which received 4,195 award ribbons and won more than $30,065 in cash awards.
• A total of 540 livestock exhibitors presented 3,190 animals, received 2,170 ribbons and were rewarded $30,065 in cash awards.
• For the four “We Care Wednesday” community donation drives, 81,267 generous Fairgoers donated 85,000 pounds of food, 62,736 children’s books, 100,000 pieces of clothing and 100,000 new school supplies.
• Born into the Centennial Farm family this year were two piglets and four goats.

The 2011 OC Fair, themed LET’S EAT!, was July 15 – August 14 and featured 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, action sports and fun, as well as the popular Super Pass (season pass), Pacific Amphitheatre Summer Concert Series, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena. The Fair was open Wednesday-Sunday. The 2011 OC Fair was voted the Best Fair in Southern California by Los Angeles Times’ readers and the 2010 OC Fair was ranked the eighth highest attended fair in the U.S. by Venues Today magazine.

Note:  The above is an official Press Release received from the OC Fair Communications Department.  And ‘record wins’ pertains to the two 1st Place Ribbons and one 3rd Place Ribbon I received this year entering the Culinary Arts Competition — See you in 2012.  Results and ribbons from previous years are pictured here.

Orange County BBQ Bonanza — It’s called The West’s Best BBQ All-In-One Outdoor Family Festival and it’s taking place at Fountain Valley Sports Park on August 18 – 21, 2011.  If attending, be sure to check out VIP Rib Village, a designated seating area whereas you’re served all the Ribs (and more) you can eat.  If unable to choose amongst the top competitor’s BBQ, try them all.  We’ll be there on opening day to take in as much BBQ as possible.

I still can’t believe I won Hof’s Hut’s Burger Contest — It’s been previously reported here.

And I was invited to its photo shoot where I learned that Burger modeling is a serious job.

Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger — A perfect blend of A-1 Steak Sauce and Horseradish Mayonnaise give the Grilled Beef Patty a steakhouse flavor.  Served on a Brioche Bun, it’s extra fancy with Onion Strings, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Baby Greens and a Tomato Slice.

The Burger was created in honor of Hof’s 60th Anniversary — It was (1) of approximately (300) submissions in their Burger Contest.  They narrowed the competition down to (10) and made them all, and then (5) to ultimately choose mine, which will be available during the month of September at all Hof’s Hut Restaurant locations.  And it’s worth having too.

Me smiling proudly with the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger.

It’s a serious job building a perfect Burger for its modeling debut.

All determining what looks best — Trying to make it look as good as it tastes.

Working with food, angles and lighting — I learned a bit.

Would you want the Burger with French Fries?

Or Onion Rings?

It’s all about the Burger, not me.

Hope to see you at Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery in September.

Try it!

It’s almost time for the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger to make an appearance at Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery.  In celebration of their 60th Anniversary, Hof’s will be featuring the pictured Burger during the month of September.  It won a Burger Contest and I created it, as previously reported here.  I was elated to learn the news.  In addition, I won a BBQ and $100 Gift Card.  More will soon be reported about the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger coming your way — Stay tuned to learn about its ingredients, the Burger’s photo shoot, the BBQ to be delivered next week, Hof’s Bakery and the amazing taste of the Burger.  It really is a winner.

Thanks to all the nice people at Hof’s.

Have you heard of the Sunday Night Chef Fights?  We attended and posted about the event last May.  They take place every three months or so in the OC and the next one is happening Sunday, August 21, 2011.  It’s an entertaining competition where YOU get to rate the food (and Wine), then vote for your favorite meal/chef.  It’s like you’re a Judge on Chopped.

You may purchase a ticket here — Knives will be flying at this fight.

In May we reported about the Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery Burger Contest, linked here.  In addition to posting about it, I entered 5 Burgers in the contest.  The challenge was to create a Burger worthy to become Hof’s 60th Anniversary Burger to be featured during the month of September — Having forgotten about the entries, last week I received a call from a Hof’s Hut VP who informed me that I’d won the Grand Prize in the Burger Contest… It’s my Burger, the Fancy Smancy Steakhouse Burger that’ll be featured at Hof’s in September.  I’m attending its photo shoot tomorrow.  It’s unbelievable and exciting.  Can’t wait to try it — Thanks HH!

Note:  The pictured Burger isn’t it.  More to be reported about the actual soon.