Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

I just love surprises, large or small.  They don’t have to be grand and can even be expected, like The Treasure Box (TTB) — My secretary told me about it.  TTB is described as a week of (family) food at a world of savings.  Almost anything food related for the blog.  Order one, I said.  We decided to split a Treasure Box.  This month’s box, titled Simply Enough was $24.  She picked it up nearby on a specific date and brought it to the office.  Here it is.  Surprise!

Hhhmm.  All was frozen and most items were easy to share, but we negotiated a couple others.  She doesn’t like Peas and I do, and I don’t care for Brown Rice, but she does.  The rest, I wasn’t that enthused about, but will give it a try and update this post if notable.

The whole office wanted a piece of this — Do you want a piece of this?  The menus are here.

Testing out photo editing at the Huntington Beach Farmers’ Market and Art Fair happening every Friday at Pier Plaza from noon to dusk — On skates this day, thus didn’t buy anything to have hands ready for a potential fall.  Was this yesterday or 1975?  And have you ever seen Heirloom Artichokes with purple flowers?  I hadn’t, but the background looks best below.

One day each week I work within walking distance from Cafe Rose Express at The Promenade Event Centre & Gardens by Turnip Rose, and the funny thing is that I just discovered it.  It’s been tucked back behind my office of more than two years, but I rarely take a lunch that day, until I recently saw someone come back to the office with the most amazing looking Sandwich.

Where did you get that Sandwich?

At Cafe Rose Express, I was told — Walking distance from my office.  What a treat.

It’s firstly a catering facility and event location that offers high quality breakfast and lunch weekly to the public through Cafe Rose Express and I’m happy to now know they do.

There are plenty of nice places to dine inside and especially out.

It’s genuinely an Oasis within walking distance.

The surroundings are beautiful and the food is exceptional.

It’s a pleasurable getaway for a half-hour or more.  Your time there seems longer.

People get married here and enjoy lunch on the lawn with a book when free.

The Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with Zucchini Bread is pictured above and the Cafe Rose Classic Salad is below.  All Salads have been fresh and generous in size and ingredients.

We also tried the Chef’s Special, Caramelized Garlic Chicken with Pesto Mashed Potatoes and Spring Vegetable Medley.  Everything I’ve tried at Cafe Rose thus far has been superior.

I’m also converted to Zucchini Bread, as theirs is so moist and delicious.

A portion of available inside dining is pictured below.

Ballroom or event room, an option for weddings and parties.  See what others are saying.

Share a Sandwich on the grass for lunch — It’s humorous, the Sandwich that brought me here for the first time is a Sandwich I’d order last.  It was Egg Salad.  I still haven’t tried it, but it looked so fresh and grand, with loose chopped Eggs and all.  I may get around to it someday.

I just love the grounds and food and look forward to going back.

I ate today’s lunch for dinner too, as the portions are extremely generous.

Fly me to the moon and give me a flashlight — Prime Rib and David Kinwald’s Tribute to Frank Sinatra is at La Cave on Monday Nights.  With Soup or Salad, Potato or Rice, and a basket of the best Garlic Cheese Bread in town, it’s a steal at $19.95.  Make a reservation or go early to be guaranteed a slab and keep tabs on the tab.  Otherwise choose from the above.

Outside La Cave off Irvine Avenue and 17th in Costa Mesa.

Entry looks like 1970’s VIP.

Menu, hours and entertainment schedule (above).

La Cave festivities are underground — Take the elevator (left) or stairs (right) down.

David Kinwald is a good singer and Cool Cat — Enjoyed the show and meal.

As reported, La Cave consistently serves some of the finest Prime Rib in the OC.

We ordered an add-on King Crab Legs, but for $24 it seemed sparse — I want fat legs!

You’re looking at the menu (above), shown with a flashlight and explained by the server in the very dark lounge.  I was happy not to trip walking in and it’s amazing the photos turned out, but do LOVE the old school aspects about the place.  There are no prices to look at, which I don’t love, because I like to know and don’t want to ask — We’re not cheap, but know La Cave isn’t either, but strategically it can be.  Closed Sunday, go Monday or Always, Frank.

It was an unexpected treat to receive all this Yogurt in the mail.  They were still well chilled when transferred to the fridge.  Thank you Voskos — I apologize for not thanking YOU sooner for the chance to run wild with your Greek Yogurt.  Already a Yogurt and Granola fan, I agreed to try it, but didn’t expect all this and cannot complain.  I like the flavors and variety.

I was a little skeptical about the Granola remaining crunchy after being in the fridge, but DAMN, it’s the crunchiest Granola I’ve ever had and its packaging works well.  I now buy it.

After watching the Ultimate Fighting Championship for the first time, I feel better trained to experience Sunday Night Chef Fights, although not like UFC at all, but more like Chopped, though you never know what will happen.  It could get out of control.  I hope so.  Food fight.  This Sunday I’ll be watching, tasting and judging a Chef Fight, another first — And you can too.  For more information, see the official press release posted below.

SUNDAY NIGHT CHEF FIGHTS RETURN TO THE O.C.
AS SMITH-ROSALES DEFENDS TITLE AGAINST BELLAZZI

After claiming the coveted title of Champion Chef of Orange County at the February Orange County Sunday Night Chef Fight, Chef Lindsay Smith-Rosales is ready for her first title defense against Chef Nicola Bellazzi at the next Orange County Sunday Night Chef Fight cooking competition, live Sunday, May 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Standards of Excellence showroom in Huntington Beach.

Chef Smith-Rosales, chef/owner of the Nirvana Grille with locations in Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo, will have to bring her A-game if she wants to defeat her confident challenger Chef Bellazzi, chef/owner of Enne Cucina Italiana in San Clemente, in this high-stakes live cooking competition where the local audience gets to serve as judge, jury, and taste-cutioner. 

Each Sunday Night Chef Fight is a fast-paced, no-holds-barred culinary showdown similar to popular cooking competition shows on TV, but with a few extra twists thrown in. Before each event, both chefs are given three base ingredients, a protein, vegetable, and grain/starch/dairy item that must be included in their creations, a shopping allowance, and a week to plan and prep their dishes for the sixty members of the audience jury. Then, during the Sunday Night Chef Fight itself, each chef and his or her sous-chef will have only 30 minutes to cook and finish samples of each dish for the entire audience as well as incorporate a mystery ingredient into the mix while host Chris Kern peppers him or her with questions.

The audience then gets to sample each dish, rate each chefs creations in three categories, and determine who will receive the Sunday Night Chef Fight trophy, the title of Champion Chef of Orange County, and the opportunity to defend his or her title against a new local chef challenger at the next Orange County Sunday Night Chef Fight at the Standards of Excellence showroom on Sunday, August 7th.

Each Sunday Night Chef Fight also includes on the undercard Vino Vidi Vici, a blind wine tasting competition in which all audience members taste three themed but unlabeled wines, select a favorite, and then have the opportunity to purchase either the winner or the wines they liked best. The name and varietal of each bottle will be revealed over the course of the Chef Fight.

Tickets are currently on sale at SundayNightChefFights.com for the Orange County Sunday Night Chef Fights, which starts promptly at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 15th at the Standards of Excellence showroom in Huntington Beach. The Standards of Excellence showroom is located at 16001 Gothard Street in Huntington Beach. General Seating tickets are $50 per person, which includes the two-hour cooking competition, samples of both chef’s creations, and one pour of each of the three Vino Vidi Vici wines.

A limited number of VIP Front Row seating tickets are also available for $75 per person, which includes priority service, larger portions of each chef’s creations, two pours of each Vino Vidi Vici wine, and the best seats in the house. For more information on Sunday Night Chef Fights, visit SundayNightChefFights.com or e-mail nicky@cheffights.com.

At some point the real Crab Claw Shell begins hidden under the breaded, pressed fake and real Crab combination.  Be careful when nearing the end of the Claw, as Crab Shells are hard.  Don’t get too happy — And there really isn’t need, since they’re not that remarkable, other than the fact they are different.  Although flawed, I appreciate the creativity of ’em and other unique offerings at Fresh & Easy, newly opened within walking distance.  Bite at your own risk.

I appreciate the opportunity to test out Southern Living’s Big Book of Cupcakes.  It became available April 12th and timely arrived, as I had just begrudgingly returned Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes cookbook that was loaned through Bookswim.  And I’m still not done with Cupcakes.

The Big Book of Cupcakes bakes up 150 recipes and provides tips to satisfy any sweet tooth.  It’s reported that its author, Jan Moon transforms basic Cupcakes into brilliantly creative Dreamcakes with the whip of a whisk, although no whisk was needed for the pictured.

I have several pages tabbed, but started with the Monkey Bread Jumbo Cupcakes.

I first chose the Monkey Bread Jumbo Cupcakes, due to ease and the love of Monkey Bread.

No batter is prepared, since they’re made with Biscuits cut into fourths.

The recipe says to spray the Cupcake liners with a non-stick spray — I’m not sure if it’s necessary, but did it anyway.  If I didn’t, would they stick to the paper?  I’m not sure.

The Caramel Sauce aka Syrup mixture is made with Orange Juice, Brown Sugar, Butter and Cinnamon that thickens after boiling — The Biscuit quarters are then coated with the Syrup.

And then placed into Cupcake liners, as shown.

Instead of making 24 Monkey Bread Jumbo Cupcakes with (3) cans of Biscuits, I tested the recipe using (1) can, which produced 6 Cupcakes and leftover Syrup for another batch or two.  Since unsure of its yield, I sprayed more Cupcake liners than necessary.

I saved the Syrup for the next Biscuit purchase — I’ll update this, if something new is learned.

After assembly, they’re baked in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°.

And they’re more beautiful in person than in the book — My co-workers fought over them.

They were easy to make, but a little messy when dunking the Biscuits into the thickened Syrup.  The recipe says to shape the Biscuits into balls, but I found that step unnecessary, since the shapes change when dipping ’em into the Syrup.

Like all Southern Living cookbooks I’ve tried thus far, the Big Book of Cupcakes is a winner.  If you want to make these Cupcakes, the recipe is pictured above, or I recommend buying the cookbook for it and other delicious looking recipes.  Thanks for the review copy!

Somehow I ended up with several wooden clothes pins that come in handy as Chip Clips and various bag sealers.  And I’ve recently discovered a new use — They work well as Improvised Mini Tongs, while cooking Tortillas in the toaster oven.  Can you think of another kitchen use?

Nibbles of Tidbits, Shelly Borrell is on Twitter as FoodBlog — Our last five tweets, so they’re called, are always posted here (below on the right).  FYI: I’m not that into it and frankly think Twitter is a bit overrated, but it does have its benefits.  A presence is necessary to participate in some events/happenings and it comes in handy while traveling to meet up with groups.  The Carrot is poker-faced about the idea, but if you’d like to follow us, see here.

Cheez-It wants YOU to choose the next Cheez-It flavor.  They recently introduced Baby Swiss and are now looking to add another flavor — Asiago, Colby or Romano.  Which sounds best to you?  We’re still unsure.  Six of us tried ’em all, but couldn’t agree.  Our votes were split between all three.  That’s not very helpful to Kelloggs, but we enjoyed eating them all.

You may still be able to obtain free samples to try the same.  Here’s the link.  Voting ends March 31, 2011.  If you already know which Cheez-It to vote for, you may vote here now.

Making its way out from Las Vegas is Nothing Bundt Cakes — They say it’s so yummy you’ll wish it didn’t have a hole.  Wow, provocative.  It and the love of Bundts compelled our visit to their latest franchise that opened in Costa Mesa (off 17th/Santa Ana) this week.

We tried three Bundtlets — Cinnamon Swirl, Carrot and White Chocolate Raspberry.

Free Cake Samples are baked fresh and available daily.

Nothing Bundt Cakes sells a little more than Bundts — The service here was excellent.

They’re open now with Grand ‘O’pening VIP and Charity Events happening this Thursday and Friday — A Ribbon Cutting, Wine, Jazz, Cake, CHOC DAY, face painting and more.

Pick a Bundt — 40 designs and 10 flavors.

Our favorite today was the Cinnamon Swirl.

We’re happy to see Nothing Bundt Cakes in the neighborhood.

Our traveling Guest Blogger and Newport Beach Interior Designer, Bonnie provides her experience meeting Chef Sevaly and reports about his future after The Cooking Store…

What’s cooking at The Cooking Store? It was billed as a “Pre-Valentine’s Day Romantic Dinner,” but the meal served by uber-talented Executive Chef and Owner, Robert M. Sevaly, was actually enjoyed by us three girls, along with about 20 other cooking enthusiasts, for lunch on Sunday. On the menu was a delightful mixture of ingredients.

Mussel Bisque – According to mythology, the goddess of sensuality Aphrodite was born in the sea so it is no surprise that many kinds of seafood are considered natural aphrodisiacs. Mussels are a popular shellfish that for centuries have been considered an aphrodisiac. Now science can back up those claims as studies show that there are chemical compounds in mussels that release sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen.

Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Brie Napoleon – The recipe for this sexy combination is noted below.

Napa Valley Flat Iron Steak

Shoestring Potatoes

Herbs de Provence Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Vegetables

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Molten Lava Cake and Flirtinis

It was quite an experience watching and listening to Chef Sevaly create this extravaganza! Everything was absolutely delicious, and at the end of the three-hour-long demonstration, we came away quite satiated.

If you have never been to The Cooking Store before, now is the time to go as it is closing at the end of April due to the Chef’s aversion to the retail environment. He still plans on in-home demonstrations and catering of private events. And while Chef Sevaly doesn’t know if another school is in his future, he is actively seeking investors, and you can bet that he will attract them, whatever his next adventure is.

Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Brie Napoleon Recipe

1 pack Wonton Skins (cut into 4’s)

1 wedge Brie (cut same size as wontons)

1 package Bacon (cooked in the oven and then cut to the same size as the wonton)

2-3 Onions (minced)

Oil for frying

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

3 tablespoons Honey

Salt and Pepper

Fist measure out the ingredients and complete the knife prep in the above list of ingredients. Use the bacon fat to caramelize the onions nice and slow then add the sugars and set aside. Cook the wontons in a small amount of oil so they stay flat. Build the napoleons by layering a wonton, cheese, onion, bacon, onions, and wonton. Place into a 200 degree oven just to melt the cheese, then serve.

Thanks to Bonnie for the above report and photographs.  I hope to encounter Chef Sevaly someday.  We’ll later provide a contact for him.

Orange County Restaurant Week will be starting again this Sunday, February 27th through Saturday, March 5th.  We always report that it’s the best time to dine out in the OC — The FOOD deals are bigger.  The pictured Cauliflower is from Sage, a participating restaurant.

In less than a minute, Zane Lamprey set a world record opening 31 Champagne bottles with a saber, surpassing the previous record of 27.  What is Sabering?  Watch the video.  He says it took a lot of practice and Champagne, which isn’t cheap — It’s not a Nobel Art for just anyone.  Lamprey will attempt to break his own record soon for an upcoming episode of his HDNet original program, “Drinking Made Easy.”  A new episode airs every Wednesday.  What’s up with the monkey?

There’s not much more to say about the Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts that hasn’t been said or written by many.  I first saw them on the Food Network as one of Giada De Laurentiis favorite snacks.  They looked and sounded so good I made ’em the next day.  I love Nuts and everyone is right, the Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts are superb and easy to make at home.

The Nuts are toasted in the oven at 350° for about 10 minutes, then tossed with a little Butter, Sugar, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper and Rosemary.  That’s it.  They end up with a sweet, salty, smoky, spicy, herby flavor.  Our new favorite snack — The Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts.

While Nuts are toasting in ovens coast to coast, Kids in the Kitchen are playin’ in the NYC snow and we’re ready to toast on an OC beach.  We’re nuts over these Nuts — This time we used Almonds, Pecans, Cashews and Hazelnuts.  Use any Nut you want, and read what others are saying here, here and here.  We’re happy to have the recipe.

Who sent these to me?  I don’t recall being asked to try them?  Let me know if it’s you?  In any event, they are timely.  Just this day I told someone how much I like freeze dried fruit — I usually eat it out of the Cereal before pouring the Milk.  I like ’em crispy.  Thanks Crispy Green.

These Fruitzio Kiwi Snacks are outstanding.  There were a couple tart bites, but I still want more.  I’m not hinting or begging, I’ll be buying.  Most dehydrated fruit I see is fairly expensive.  I hope these aren’t, because I’m eager to try the Pineapple, Peach, Mango and Asian Pear options.  Q’s: If one eats a snack pack and drinks a lot of water, what happens?  Does it grow like capsule dinosaurs, into 10 Kiwis?  Unrelated, have you heard of The Kiwi Game?

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. 🙂

I like that Pinkberry is always coming up with something new — Right now they’re making hearts swirl by introducing the Pinkberry Swirly Gram.  It’s a unique Valentine’s Day Treat that’s delivered.  You can send one now through Valentine’s Day.  Learn how to here.

Pre-Valentine’s Day I happily received a Cupid’s Swirl with a Swirly Spree, respectively translated, a Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Brownie Bites, Raspberries and Shaved Milk Chocolate, and a gift-wrapped Pinkberry Gift Card — All was hand delivered to my office with balloons and a smile. 

Didn’t get a photo of Cupid’s Swirl before melting, but you can tell it’s good.  Senders choose from 3 flavors — Chocolate as described, or Blood Orange Yogurt with Blood Orange Pieces and Waffle Cookies, or PB’s Original Yogurt with Toasted Almonds, Strawberries and Dark Chocolate Crisps.  All combinations sound perfect to me.  I have to try the Blood Orange.

Thank you Pinkberry — I only inhaled the helium from one balloon.

Three who shared in the delivery experience and consumption agreed the Yogurt and toppings were excellent and it was a fun distraction at the office.  Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday.

The day looked brighter as I went back to my office.

I sent the Swirly Spree to a nostalgic friend who reported to like Pinkberry this very day.  Good timing for him — It went to a good home.  Enjoy!  We sure did.  See earlier reports here.

The Blackmarket Bakery is a true find — First you have to find it, and then you’ll discover that the somewhat hidden treasure offers high quality, unique baked goods.  It’s quirky and stylish like its CIA-trained Pastry Chef Rachel Marie and my kind of place.  It can be found off Sky Park Circle, near John Wayne Airport for those passing through.

Although the colorful store front is small, it packs in a variety of fresh baked (and baking) goods and other cool items.  I love the tie dye chef’s jackets too.

In addition to the weekly baked treats, they offer Cooking Classes – Here’s the current schedule.  Recipes, baking tips and generous samples are included with all.

As you can see, Blackmarket Bakery has won a lot of awards.

I was recently invited there to decorate CAKES with other local, fabulous food bloggers.

The Cakes were frosted by Chef Rachel in the flavor of our choice and bloggers were paired to create their own masterpiece.  The Cakes were then split in half for each to take home.

As you can see, pre-frosted it’s no ordinary Cake — They’re delicious and we got to decorate and take ’em home.  How fabulous!  And YOU now get to do the same for a birthday, event or any day.  Order a simple two or three tiered Cake with the flavors of your choice.  You pick the Cake, filling and frosting, then take it home to decorate it however you please. 

Most of us here opted for the Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

The professionals added our chosen Cake borders and we decorated the rest.

It was a pleasure to meet other talented food bloggers at this event — Joseline of Daydreamer Desserts, Kimberlin of Rustic Garden Bistro, Quyen of Kitchen Runway, Priscilla of She’s Cookin’ and Anne of Orange Coast Magazine.  My Cake decorating partner was Todd, who will need to provide his link info — I think our Cake turned out pretty good.

This post provides a few ideas for this DIY concept — It’s fun dressing a naked Cake.

We could run amok with the options, but ultimately learned that simple is often best.

You really don’t need much to make them look good.

The above is our final CAKE, by Team Todd and Shelly.  It turned out better than expected.  Chocolate curls and sugar flowers go a long way — Hooray.

Every Cake looked great and it was the first time decorating for most.

What fun!  Thank you Blackmarket Bakery and Chef Rachel.

A friend gave me a jar of Victoria Taylor’s Smoky Paprika Chipotle Seasoning — I fell in love with it at her house and she surprised me with it for Christmas.  It’s a flawless blend of flavors that lacks nothing.  Lately it has been livening up almost everything savory.  It’s incredibly great tasting.  I hope Victoria never stops making it, as I’m about to go through it fast. 

Testing out the Photo Studio — Do you see a difference between the two photos?

Still learning, but think the top photo looks much better than the has been above.

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?

Taco Asylum opened today at The CAMP.

Taco Asylum is technically presented in lowercase as taco asylum, but I just can’t get myself to write it that way at the beginning of a sentence — Moving on, taco asylum offers unique, totally gourmet Tacos in an industrial styled setting at The CAMP in Costa Mesa.

And Nibbles of Tidbits (we) luckily got to try most Tacos at a preview event.  Love that!  A few Tacos are pictured here, but you can see more and read about ’em on OCFoodies.com.

Our favorite was the Short Rib Taco with pickled Red Onions, Salsa Verde, Cotija Cheese and Cilantro, pictured top-most here.  The Corazon Taco with Confit Beef Heart is directly above.

Peek inside the asylum.

The CAMP is a cool place too, especially if you valet, as parking really sucks there at times.