Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

 

The Orange County Fair closes at midnight tonight, then it’s on to Los Angeles.  You’d better hurry back NOW, if you’ve got to have that certain food item one more time.  We may have tried it all, but will be going back for the final concert, Three Dog Night, and will certainly round up our options and final enjoyments this year.  Until then, we’ve posted previously unpublished OC Fair food photos here.

Thai Tasty Corner Restaurant closed, then moved down the street renamed Thai Tastee.  The rent is better they say.  Although I never ate at Thai Tasty Corner, I gave them a try as Thai Tastee.  I had their Thai Fried rice with Shrimp and regret to report that the first bite included an eggshell — That’s never happened.  Past that, the Rice was good and the staff is very nice.  Thai Tastee is worth giving a try and better suited in its new location (formerly Mazzottis) down the street. 

And Carm’s Coneys will soon be occupying Thai Tasty Corner’s former location.  To continue musical restaurants, Jimmy’s Burger Joint now occupies Carm’s Coneys former location.  We hope all will do well and serve great food.

UPDATE 10/10/09:  It looks like Carm’s Coneys changed their mind about moving to the above location.  The coming soon sign is no longer in the window.  We’ll report if they end up somewhere else in Orange County.

The new Orange County Food Examiner is me, Shelly Borrell.  For information about food in Orange County, visit the Examiner online.  You’ll find restaurant reviews, recipes, cooking tips, food product reviews, food event reports, and a whole lot more.  We’ve only just begun.

http://www.examiner.com/x-17290-Orange-County-Food-Examiner

Nibbles of Tidbits has a Guest Blogger, Bonnie who dines out a lot.  This is her first report about Sol Cocina in Newport Beach.  She offers a unique perspective on a dining experience — Three Interior Designers walk into a restaurant for a birthday celebration and . . .

Greetings and thanks to Nibbles of Tidbits for allowing me to “Guest Blog” today. By way of introduction, I’m an Interior Designer, but have come on board the foodie train since my good friend Shelly started this blog — I will approach this review from that point of view.

Today I am writing after a memorable visit to the brand new SOL Cocina in Newport Beach. First off, you can’t come here without mentioning something about the beautiful view, as this restaurant sits smack on top of Newport Bay. Here, virtually every seat in the house has a stunning water view to begin the dining experience.

Although we didn’t make it to the bar, we began with the House Specialty Margaritas, which are essentially Cadillac Margaritas but obviously made from truly fresh ingredients, just like our server promised they would be. We also tried the Pineapple Serrano Margarita and my favorite, a Tequila Mojito that was to die for! We then started our feast with Naked Guacamole and Toritos. Again, the freshness of the ingredients was what struck us most, but the flavors were memorable too. And ditto for the Black Bean Dip.

Continuing on to our main course, I opted for the Lamb Taco. I am a firm lover of Lamb, and this dish did not disappoint. We also tried the Chipotle Chicken (pictured), which was awesome and worth going back for. The only thing we were a bit perplexed about was that we were served a leg and thigh, rather than a breast for this entree. Perhaps I will ask about this next time. We also indulged in one of SOL’s Street Tacos, which were not only delicious, but at $6.00 for two, proved to be one great bargain. Indeed, the prices at this decidedly upscale restaurant were surprisingly affordable, with the other stand out being the Lamb Taco at $5.25. It’s definitely worth it!

With our birthday celebration coming to an end, we were delighted with a surprise – a complimentary Nacho Desert, which was anything but ordinary. Here, the Desert Nachos consist of Flour Tortillas that are deep fried, sprinkled with Cinnamon, drizzled with Chocolate and normally topped with Whipped Cream, which we had with ice cream. Ole! It made for a sweet and savory desert.

While the food was a definite stand out at this new restaurant, from an Interior Designer’s point of view SOL Cocina is in need of some basic improvement. We could not help but notice that the décor had been completely redone from when it was Mama Gina’s and is quite impressive, but someone completely dropped the ball when it came to the acoustics. Indeed, the restaurant was not even completely full at 8:30 on a Wednesday night when we noticed that it was awfully loud in there.

How about adding some windows that open up to let out some of the noise? This is just one suggestion from us three Interior Designers, who can appreciate the tasteful decor but cringe when we think about going back to a restaurant where the noise level is annoying. Someone definitely needs to take care of this before SOL can, and should — become Newport’s newest spot for contemporary, Baja-style dining.

Sol Cocina DIRECT (251 PCH, former Mamma Gina’s location): http://www.solcocina.com/

There are way better photos than my Guest Blogger took linked directly below.  J.K., but it’s true, although I greatly appreciate the efforts nonetheless. http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/2009/06/sol-cocina.html

Bonnie Joy Designs: http://www.bonniejoydesigns.com/

We’ve recently reported about a few restaurant closures (Mesa Grill & Barbeque, Mazzottis, Taco Surf, etc.) and below is a list of others throughout Orange County.

MORE Restaurant Closures:
http://fastfood.freedomblogging.com/2009/01/15/closure-list-oc-restaurants-out-of-business/11542/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/01/24/mesa-grill-barbeques-irresistible-coupon/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/09/23/mazzottis-is-friendly-pre-established/

We predict that Melissa will be chosen as The Next Food Network Star tonight, 9PM ET/PT — She’s our choice too.  We’ve liked Jeffrey along the way, but believe Melissa pulled ahead in the final stretch.  She’s likable and provides a lot of good information.

More INFO:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/category/food-television/

UPDATE:  It’s been confirmed.  Congratulations Melissa!

http://www.thespreadit.com/melissa-d-arabian-next-food-network-star-2267/

My final contest entry of Scones in the Orange County Fair Culinary Arts Competition awarded me a Third Place Ribbon.  I submitted Lemon Zest Scones with a Pomegranate Glaze.  They were good, but I really wanted a bite of the First Place Scones.  And the pictured Chocolate Loaf won the division.  Stop by the Orange County Fair, near the Promenade Stage to view all Second Show entries. 

Related Links:

• Fine tuning our Scone Recipe
• Single Day Pie Competition
• Culinary Arts Results at the OC Fair
• Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
• Excellent Scone Recipe

Did you know that these foods are illegal or barely legal in the United States?  Check out the link to learn why you cannot eat certain foods in the USA and perhaps why you shouldn’t eat others.

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

Each year the Orange County Fair serves up a new weird food item (E.g., Fried Twinkies, Fried White Castle Burgers, etc.), and this year it’s Chocolate Covered Bacon.   We’ve tried ’em all, thus had to sample the Bacon.  As you can see (above), it’s covered in thick Chocolate — And it’s kinda difficult to bite into, since it’s served from the freezer or fridge.

Overall, the flavor isn’t bad and is reminiscent of Chocolate Dipped Pretzels.  The Bacon has a salty flavor and crunchy texture that goes well with Chocolate.  The OC Fair’s Chocolate Covered Bacon is okay, but we would have preferred full strips instead of broken chunks.

It’s served in Chinese take out boxes with a packet of Salt on top, which seems odd, but whatever — We were done after a few bites, though think it’s better than some of the other crazy food items we’ve tried at the Fair.

More posts about Orange County Fair FOOD

Today we tried the “Cheesey Potato Melt” from Original Bratwurst.  It’s Mashed Potatoes with Cheese with optional Bratwurst on top.  It sounded interesting, but only tasted okay — More flavor/spice is needed.  The Orange County Fair’s Daily Events Calendar has a coupon for a FREE one with the purchase of any Sandwich.

And it was fun to see Pinks at the Fair — I’d been to the Pinks in Hollywood, but it’s more convenient to have their Chili Cheese Dog in Orange County.

We found the Chocolate Dipped Bacon and will be trying it this Saturday.  This visit we opted to simply enjoy its producer in the All Alaskan Pig Races.  They’re so cute — The Races run at 3, 5, 7 and 9PM every OC Fair day, and at 1PM on weekends.

And it was Beef Ribs for the road — YUM.  It’s just another day of food and fun things to see and do at the Orange County Fair.

Related Links:

http://www.ocfair.com/2009/

http://www.pinkshollywood.com/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/07/12/food-preview-at-the-orange-county-fair/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/07/10/the-orange-county-fair-opened-today-yeah/

The results are in for the first phase of the Culinary Arts Competition at the Orange County Fair.  I’m excited to learn that my Ambrosia Bundt Cake won a 2nd Place Ribbon and my Gourmet Nut Clusters won a 3rd Place Ribbon.  Not bad for a first time OC Fair submitter — Two for two.  For the second phase of the Culinary Arts Competition, I’ll be delivering Scones on July 28th, and for the Single-Day LIVE Judging Contest a Pie on July 25th.

This day I met Jaqui Dulebohn (Santa Ana), a Division Winner in the Preserved Foods Competition.  That’s impressive!  It means she won a 1st Place Ribbon, then beat out all the other 1st Place Ribbon winners in the Jam’s Division.  Congratulations to Jaqui on her Apricot Jam.  She looks forward to the competition each year.  ALL entries are displayed in the Home Arts Building.  You’ve got to get to the Fair for all the fabulous food and fun.

OC Fair INFO

Competition & Contest INFO

PHOTOS from 2008’s Culinary Arts Competition

Have you seen our Chili Cheese Fries Comparison post?  We just added these Chili Cheese Fries from SONIC Drive-In to the post.  The report is linked below.  ALSO, we still need an address from two SONIC Drive-In Gift Card Giveaway Winners.  Hurry and get back to us or we’ll need to draw two new winners on July 10th, 2009.  All prizes need a home.

Chili Cheese Fries Comparison Post:
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2008/11/06/orange-county-chili-cheese-fries-comparison/

SONIC Drive-In Gift Card Giveaway:
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/06/25/congratulations-sonic-drive-in-gift-card-winners/

First, thanks to ALL who entered.  I wish I could give each of you a $25 Gift Card to SONIC Drive-In.  It was my pleasure hosting this contest and I hope to present more great FOOD Giveaways in the future on Nibbles of Tidbits — Keep checking back.  Until then, this time the (10) lucky WINNERS are…

 
1.)  Katie D. (Reno, Nevada)
2.)  Shannon C. (Bondville, Illinois)
3.)  J (Bakersfield, California)
4.)  JC (Norwalk, California)
5.)  E-Dawg (Cypress, California)
6.)  Kristen (Gilbert, Arizona)
7.)  Erin DiCarolis (Melbourne, Florida)
8.)  Pam (Rancho Cucamunga, California)
9.)  Richard Halvorson (Graham, Washington)
10.) Andrea Bohn (San Clemente, California)

We’ll be contacting you to learn where to send your Gift Card.  It’s time to eat.  Thanks to all participants and sponsors.  It’s been fun.

Related Link: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/06/18/win-a-25-gift-card-to-sonic-drive-in/

Nibbles of Tidbits is giving away (10) $25 Gift Cards to SONIC Drive-In.  Have you ever been to one?  If you haven’t, we’re giving you a few reasons why you should — If you have (and many would say of course), we would like to give you a $25 Gift Card to enjoy your next meal there.  All can enter to win by simply leaving a comment on this post.  On June 25th, we will randomly draw (10) winners from all who commented.  For better odds, you may enter/comment once a day, but you can only win once.  GOOD LUCK!

SONIC Drive-In is now in South Orange County looking a little different after passing a few stepford regulations imposed by the City of Mission Viejo.  Although the exterior isn’t traditional, they’re serving the same food by carhops on roller skates.  I LOVE that about SONIC — It’s nostalgic and fun.

Although SONIC has been around for more than 50 years and has over 3,500 locations, I had yet to pass one during my travels, until its appearance in Mission Viejo just over two weeks ago.  This was my first visit.  You can consider the items below as potential prizes in the $25 on the 25th SONIC Gift Card Giveaway.

These days all fast food restaurants are working to serve healthy choices.  SONIC is serving a Grilled Chicken Sandwich on a Wheat Bun — It was one of the better ones I’ve tried.  We also appreciated the Fresh Apples with the Low Fat Caramel Dipping Sauce and a Banana as a Side option.  On their website is an itemized calorie meal builder, which can be helpful too.

A few of us gathered to try a lot of food and were happy to learn that Breakfast is served all day long.  The Texas Toast options are different — We chose the Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster, which comes with an Onion Ring.

And we had to get the Tots, since that’s one of the Sides they’re appreciated for.  The Tots were perfectly crispy, but we really liked the Onion Rings that are freshly battered each day.  They’re not frozen — That’s a good thing. 

We were completely stuffed after the Sausage Biscuit Dippers & Gravy, Frito Chili Cheese Pie Wrap, Turtle Pecan & Caramel Bundt Cake and famous Cherry Limeade (aka giant Shirley Temple).  In addition to what’s pictured here, there was more and we particularly loved the Banana Cream Pie Shake.  SONIC’s Drink options are crazy good.  How can you pick one?  We all left with three each, HA.  It appears many will drive for miles to eat at a SONIC.  One pictured below drove all the way from Connecticut.  Okay, she didn’t drive to California just for it, but she did pass many along the way.

Overall, I found SONIC Drive-In to be more than just a fast food restaurant.  It’s a fun experience.  You can sit on the patio or stay in your car parked in one of the Drive-In stalls, to be served by a skating carhop — Or just drive through.  They have a Happy Hour (2-4 PM), $1 Menu and more, but you’ll need to learn the rest from them.

FYI:  The SONIC Drive-In $25 Gift Card Giveaway closes at 11:59 PM (Pacific) on June 24th, 2009.  Enter a comment on this post NOW for a chance to win.  The lucky winners will be notified via e-mail on June 25th and we’ll mail out the Gift Cards the same day, or as soon as an address is provided.

I love a Mango, but they are so darn hard to cut.  It’s the seed.  I can never tell where it is, and sometimes it’s thin and sometimes it’s wide.  Does anyone know the secret?  I haven’t researched it yet.  This post simply mentions its benefits — It’s high in Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene, but I’ll leave that to the health experts.  We’re just posting a couple helpful links to assist with healthy living through FOOD and more.  I appreciated the information.  And now it’s time for a Mango Smoothie, as recommended and linked below.

101 Healthy Smoothies For Your Health
101 Ways to Detox Your Mind, Body & Home
Best Foods for Weight Loss & To Feel Great

Post Title Inspiration — Sorry, there’s a 30 second commercial preceding it.

Radiography Schools report the 50 best foods to eat for weight loss, to feel great and stay healthy.  All are terrific to eat, even if you don’t need to lose weight.  Coincidentally I enjoyed (11) of them yesterday.  The linked report includes some helpful information.

Nibbles of Tidbits was invited to the Grand Opening Party at the New Shorebreak Hotel in the heart of Huntington Beach (aka Surf City).  It was a pretty hip and happening par-tay, but here we emphasize the fashions of the food.  And must mention the spectacular view of the Huntington Beach Pier and Pacific Ocean — The above photo was taken from one of the hotel rooms.  Surf City accommodations don’t get more ideally located than this.

Our invitation included an amazing Family Style Dinner at Zimzala, the Shorebreak Hotel’s Restaurant.  Their unique and high quality dishes offer your taste buds a flavorful trip through the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. 

As a starter before dinner, we shared a Zimzala Mezze Plate.  Our multi-level serving plates included a Moroccan Carrot Salad, White Bean Salad, Hummus, Cheese Filled Moroccan Cigars and more.  Each item had its own intense flavor.  I’m craving the Carrot Salad as I write this.

Prior to dinner we were greeted at the door with a Glass of Cava and a cute guy holding a plate of appetizers, and then several more which included “real” Crab Meat on Cucumbers (that’s refreshing all around) and Mini Salmon Cakes.  During dinner we were served some of the best Salmon I’ve ever had — I believe it’s Zimzala’s Pan Roasted Wild Salmon.  And I didn’t get a piece, but my friend raved about the Moroccan Chicken Tagine.

For dessert we had the Warm Strawberry Galettes with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, and the Chocolate Ganache, which is uniquely served with Grilled Sourdough Bread, Olive Oil and Sea Salt.  The combination works and it’s fun to try.

Shorebreak Hotel hosted a fabulous Grand Opening Party.  After the appetizers and before the dinner, we enjoyed the BBQ Grilled Shrimp, Lamb and Chicken Skewers in the courtyard.

And one of the Ballrooms was filled with Oven-Roasted Bacon Wrapped Dates (We LOVE ’em), Fingerling Potatoes, Fried Artichoke Hearts and the various Mediterranean Salads we enjoyed at dinner.

In addition to the after dinner desserts we shared, Zimzala set up a dessert room that included Fresh Coffee and my favorite Cookies, Madeleines — These were Lemon and I’m kicking myself for not taking one (or 5) to go.  I was stuffed at the time, but wish I had them now.  And above right are the room goodies offered with the view in the first photo.

As if the above isn’t enough for a successful Grand Opening Party, the Shorebreak Hotel hosted a Fashion Show, Live Band, Acoustic Performances, Simulated Surfing, Wine Tasting and Sand Castle Building.  It was a fun time and the service was excellent.  We like the airy and sophisticated feel of the hotel and would love to go back for more of everything.

Bolded food items are known to be on Zimzala’s everyday menu.

In honor of Father’s Day that’s fast approaching, Lucca Café Owner, Chef Cathy Pavlos will lead a group of Dads through a course dubbed “Manly Meats on the Grill.”  Dads will have the opportunity to learn about grilling various Meats — Marinating, brining, sauces and more.  Each attendee will get to feast on the fruits (Meats) of his labor, while sipping wine paired by Lucca Café’s General Manager and Sommelier, Elliott Pavlos.  The price is $50 per Dad and includes tax, tip, FOOD and Wine.  It sounds like a good time if you can get your Dad to go — Mine won’t, HA.  He already knows how to BBQ and prefers his Budweiser.  It’s just the way it is. 🙂

Lucca Café: http://luccacafe.net/index.html (FYI & UPDATE: If you click on this link, you will not be able to use the back arrow to return to Nibbles of Tidbits, not even if you double or triple click it — It appears to be programmed that way.  For the record, I don’t appreciate that in any site and will not be linking to similarly programmed sites in the future.  It’s not convenient for the readers.)

Manly BBQ Grill:
http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/05/08/i-believe-in-the-right-to-keep-and-bear-bbqs/

The Next Food Network Star Season 5 officially started.  Vote for who you would have eliminated — I did.  Voting will also enter you in a sweepstakes to win a Grilling Oasis Package.  It appears my first vote is with the majority for Debbie, who remains on the show.  So far the public differs with the Food Network Judges.

Above from left to right, Jen who was the first to be eliminated, Debbie who most people voted should be eliminated, and Jeffrey my favorite so far.  We’ll see what happens next week.

Related Links:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star-fan-vote-thanks/package/index.html?fvEmail=soup4you@hotmail.com

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/2009/05/19/vote-for-the-next-food-network-star-season-5/

Dare I say, I think Twitter is way over-rated, but nonetheless we’re on there as FoodBlog.  We appreciate our fair amount of followers, but you’ll get more information here than over there.  Ciao.

Twitter Link: http://twitter.com/FoodBlog

We’re heading towards the end of National Hamburger Month (May).  It’s a good excuse to hurry and have one, or more.  We celebrated at The Counter Custom Built Burgers.  They have more than 20 restaurants in about 10 states and 3 countries, including Australia and Ireland.  We went to the one in Irvine’s Woodbury Town Center.

The Counter is a restaurant that provides a check-off menu to select exactly what you want on your Burger, starting with Beef, Turkey, Veggie or Chicken.  Our choices today both included Beef — One had Jalapeno Jack, Green Chiles, Tomato, Pickles, Green Onions and Roasted Garlic Aioli, and the other had Tillamook Cheddar, Mixed Baby Greens, Black Olives, Bermuda Red Onion, Grilled Pineapple and a side of Ginger Soy Glaze.

They also offer the above Starter that includes Sweet Potato Fries, French Fries, Crispy Fried Onion Strings and Fried Dill Pickle Chips, and comes with 4 Sauces — Ranch, BBQ, Apricot and Horseradish Mayo (I think).  The Apricot Sauce is served for the Fried Dill Pickle Chips.  It’s not a bad combination.  ALL was very tasty and fun to eat.

And we tried the Hobo Pack, which comes served in baked parchment paper for you to empty into the bowl.  It’s an assortment of Grilled Vegetables with fresh Herbs — I generally love the combination, but the flavor of this one was just okay.  A dash of Balsamic Vinegar would serve it well.

Overall, we really like the place and the service was excellent at this location.  We wish the tables were a little wider, since we had to play musical table stuff a few times.  And I need to go back at least 10 more times to try all the Burger combinations I have in mind.

The Counter DIRECT: http://www.thecounterburger.com/

MENU: http://www.thecounterburger.com/menu/

MORE about National Hamburger Month:
http://foodfrenzy.freedomblogging.com/2009/05/06/holy-cow-its-national-hamburger-month/7185/

MORE Counter Burger PHOTOS:
http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Jcpo0wZfey_YaNzhk8vmGQ?select=tP23n9LMs-IeGqlnvmo27g

I love the Chocolate goodies at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and appreciate cute stuffed animals, but it’s time to lose or replace the bear.  Do all the stores have one?  They’re a mess — At least the ones I’ve seen in California.  They are sadly stained, faded and weathered.  It can’t be good to bring them in and out of the nice stores.  How about replacing them at least?

Aside from the bear, they offer an excellent variety of Chocolate and fresh Caramel Apples.  I understand it might be hard to give the bear the boot — It was tough to say goodbye to my stuffed animals. 🙂

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory:
https://rockymountainchocolatefactory.com/rmcf/control/portalHome