Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

We liked the Crow Burger Kitchen, whew.  Pre Nibbles of Tidbits we ate and drank at The Crow Bar and Kitchen in Corona Del Mar and haven’t been back.  Didn’t have the best experience at the time — Food was not as described and we didn’t like their touted Bloody Mary.  We like unique, but tasty too.  We had high hopes for their distinctive menu and may need to give it another try.  We’ll definitely go back to Crow Burger Kitchen for the Green Bean Fries.

It’s a limited menu at Crow Burger Kitchen — Mostly Burgers, matchless Fries and Beer.

We had the Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheeseburger, which includes Black Pepper Cheese, Cream Cheese and Goat Cheese.  It’s rich but good and comes on a Wheat English Muffin, but we opted for a Buttermilk Bun.  And a friend previously had the Green Label Burger, which was described as “excellent” – It’s 3 ounces larger than their other Burgers.

All Burger meat is fresh and ground in-house and we love the Fry Sauce selection.

And must also mention that the service at Crow Burger Kitchen was outstanding this day.  We will be sure to try The Crow Bar in CDM again, as they must be doing something right – We’ll just have to find and eat [it] next time.  Caw, caw.

It’s a coop in the translation of a “friendly society” of neighbors, friends of friends, long time patrons, regulars and the newly enlightened — It’s The Chicken Coop Restaurant at the point of Old Newport and Westminster Avenue.  Dinner, lunch and/or drinks in the Bar is best.

The Prime Rib (top) was the special of this day.  The Chicken Coop prices are comparably good and most entrees are served with a Salad, Baked Potato, Vegetables and Roll.

Broasted Chicken is a specialty — It’s crispy, juicy and pressure cooked to eliminate grease.

They have an Oyster Bar Menu too that offers Oysters Rockefeller, Steamed Clams, Baked Mussels, Mexican Shrimp Cocktails, Shrimp Scampi, Calamari Tacos and much more.

Enlarge MENUS for a better view. 

Their Cadillac Margaritas and Bloody Mary’s are simply marvelous — Fly me to the Coop.

View from Newport Landing — FOOD soon to be delivered in photos and words.

Takin’ it easy now.

Linked is Food Network Magazine’s compilation of the Best Pizza in each state — To see the magazines choices and learn which Pizza made the cut in your state, click here.  Pictured is one of our local favorites found at The Beachcomber in Newport Beach, California.

Some moments seem so long, but life is really quite short.  Cherish it.  The Crystal Cove Beach Cottages first appeared in black and white, and today The Beachcomber plays in color.

I’d been wanting to explore the Crystal Cove State Park Historic District, the Beach Cottages, and The Beachcomber for some time now, but hadn’t been sure how to get there.

I happily know how to get there now and you will too — It’s easier than you might think.

Park at Los Trancos (cliff side) and PCH to catch the shuttle down Crystal Cove (beach side).

The Beach Shuttle is $1.00 each way – It’s seamless and you’re suddenly there.

After drop off, you pass The Park Store and Visitor Center on the way to The Beachcomber.

The Beachcomber is on the sand, overlooking the Pacific — It was remodeled as a restaurant from an existing Beach Cottage and used to be called the Whistle Stop.

The Beachcomber at Crystal Cove also offers Beach Rentals.

Pictured above is a North Beach Cottage, part of the Phase II Restoration Project.

The Dinner Menu – Starters/Appetizers are the same on the Lunch and Dinner Menu, but the Entries change, as does the menu from season to season.  Blankets are always provided.

The Beachcomber Bar serves Appetizers and Drinks only.

We tried several specialty drinks including the Cucumber Mist Martini (pictured above), the El Morro Margarita, The Real Deal Margarita and the Black & Cran Martini.  All were freshly stiff and thoroughly enjoyed on the patio over a leisurely period.

We all recommend the Tunisian Pizza on Grilled Flatbread with Bleu Cheese, Smoked Bacon, Dates, Roasted Tomatoes and Basil.  It’s sweet, savory and delicious, as described.

On the Dinner Menu is Spinach Truffle Mac and other notable options.

And Center Cut Filet Mignon topped with a Bleu Cheese Gratin.

After consuming all, we played on the beach.

And thought about all that’s transpired here in days gone by.

Some Beach Cottages were constructed in the 1920′s with wood that drifted ashore, after a lumber ship capsized.  And many silent films were shot here, due to the area’s Tahitian, Hawaiian appearance.  It’s most apparent in B & W and appreciated in all colors.

View from the Rotating Exhibit Facility in sepia and color — Do you feel a difference?

Back in black (and white) and wanting to step back in time.

I talked to a young Lifeguard and so badly wanted to ask if he’s making $100K a year + extra for sunscreen, as recently reported, but didn’t inquire — Can’t blame him if it’s true.

Worked off the food with silliness and laughter.

Note:  Be sure to ask for parking validation before leaving The Beachcomber, so your parking is FREE.

We’re here ’cause I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury, lazing on a Sunny Afternoon‘ at the Gulfstream in Newport Beach, corner of PCH and MacArthur/Avocado.

The Gulfstream in the Corona Del Mar Plaza has a huge outdoor patio — On one side you seat yourself for Starters, Desserts and/or Drinks only, and the other side serves the full menu at seated tables.  This sunny day we thoroughly enjoyed the Grilled Artichokes with Remoulade.

And the Dip Trio with Guacamole, Hummus and Smoked Trout Dip.

All with a Hot Fudge Sundae at the end is a great time.

It’s comfortable, casual and upscale.

At the Gulfstream in the springtime…

Happily I’ve never had a bad meal at Benihana – The restaurant chain opened more than 40 years ago.  I’ve dined at several locations across the states and haven’t left any without a smile on my face.  The food is always fresh, cooked perfectly and it’s fun to watch it happen.  And if you join The Chef’s Table, you’ll receive a complimentary meal during the month of your birthday, a $30 value.  It’s a great deal.  If you have a birthday coming up, join now.

This visit we ordered the Land ‘N Sea, which includes Benihana’s Onion Soup and Salad, a Hibachi Shrimp appetizer, Zucchini and Onions, steamed or fried Rice, Ice Cream and Green Tea, as like most meals.  The Land ‘N Sea also consists of Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops that are grilled with Lemon and Butter.  Everything tasted fantastic and the cooking show was entertaining as usual, especially when our chef missed catching an Egg that fell and cracked on the floor — It happens.  Unfortunately that photo turned out blurry.

These photos were taken at Benihana’s Newport Beach restaurant.  We recommend Chef Roberto, who is pretty darn funny and talented.  The service seems extra good at this location.  Management was walking around making sure everyone was happy and satisfied.

Chef Roberto made a heart out of the Fried Rice and a volcano out of the Onions.

Our Filet Mignon and Sea Scallops were perfectly cooked, as usual.

Keep it coming — We’re always stuffed on the way out and have leftovers for the next day.

Although we’ve enjoyed countless meals at Benihana, this is Nibbles of Tidbits’ first report.

We celebrated a couple birthdays at our table, thus appreciated the complimentary photo, beautifully carved Pineapple and song.  Chef’s Table birthday meals are honored without a hitch — Just bring in the printed voucher with an ID and you may redeem it anytime during the month of your birthday.  It’s a terrific deal.

Have you been to A Restaurant in Newport Beach?  It occupies The Arches original location.  We’re sorry to report that we don’t care for the name “A Restaurant” at all, but happily the menu, atmosphere and Happy Hour prices make up for it.  The bar lighting is irresistible too, especially during Happy Hour which starts earlier than most in town (3:00 – 7:00pm).  During that time ALL sophisticated appetizers and drinks are half off.  If trying to save, it’s the best time to treat yourself to A Restaurant food, since it’s a little on the pricey side.

Posted from top to bottom — We tried the Steak Tartar, which is rarely seen on menus these days.  We were excited by its offering, given that it’s been years since we had it.  And we shared the Chicken Liver Terrine.  We liked the creamy Pate, but unfortunately didn’t care for the Tartar, which was chopped too chunky and had too much Worcestershire mixed in.

We loved the Burger with Caramelized Onions, Blue Cheese, Bacon and Arugula that comes with French Fries, and the Flatbread with 3 Cheeses and Bacon is quite rich, but good tasting too.  It’s best to share these appetizers amongst as many as possible.

A Restaurant has A Market next door, which sells freshly baked goods, Wines, Cheeses, Sandwiches, Salads, pre-packaged gourmet foods and merchandise and more.  We couldn’t stop staring at the amazing Cinnamon Rolls.  Both A+ locations are worth frequenting.  Our recommendation is A Market for breakfast and A Restaurant for Happy Hour.

Direct to A Restaurant – They have one of the cutest websites we’ve seen.

I stopped in to visit a friend staying at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort — She decided to treat herself for a couple days while having work done on her house.  And for a couple hours I pretended to be on vacation too, even though it’s pretty much down the street in Newport Beach.  Pictured above is the entrance to The First Cabin.  We haven’t yet dined there, but admire its beautiful entry.

This visit we had appetizers on the outdoor patio at Duke’s Place.  Neither restaurant at The Balboa Bay Club & Resort is inexpensive, but valet parking is free with validation, and the basic items we tried were indeed more tasty than they are at other restaurants – Both in conjunction with the view help to sweeten the deal.

We like all the appetizers listed on Duke’s Place Cocktail Lounge Menu (even the Escargot).  This day we tried the Tempura Fried Crispy Spring Asparagus, which was made with White Asparagus and served with Lemon Garlic Aioli and Ponzu Dipping Sauce.

And we had the Panko Crusted Chicken Fingers — Although the Chicken Fingers look typical, the Chicken was fresh tasting, extra crispy and light, as it should be.

Click HERE for more information about The Balboa Bay Club & Resort.

The pictured meal is from the Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant in Newport Beach.  We love their menu.  It’s always hard to narrow down a selection.  This evening we decided on the Blackened Swordfish (above) and Pacific Sand Dabs with Beurre Blanc Sauce (below).  Both were excellent, although a larger cut of Swordfish would have been nice and perhaps some greenery on the plate would have looked better.  Other than that all was fresh and flavorful.

Bluewater Grill is also gearing up for Orange County Restaurant Week, which starts February 28th and runs through March 6th, 2010.  During that period, they’ll be offering this prix fixe menu.  It’s the best time to dine out, because you get more for your money at participating Orange County restaurants.  View the details here.

And we thoroughly enjoyed our bottle of Pinot Gris from King Estate.  We polished it off with our last bite of Sourdough and Butter, then went home and popped open a bottle of Champagne to celebrate the rain.

The Crab Cooker is an oldie, but goodie in Newport Beach.  It’s been open since 1951 and still draws a crowd each day.  The prices are relatively reasonable for a beach area restaurant and the food is consistently fresh.  Most of my recent trips have been to its Fish Market.  Since the restaurant is within walking distance to the beach, we often get the Smoked Albacore to go.  With a little Cocktail Sauce and Tartar Sauce for dipping, you’re set for a beach picnic if you can successfully avoid the pesty seagulls.

The Crab Cooker’s Smoked Salmon and King Crab Legs (pictured above) and their Manhattan Clam Chowder, Scallops on a Skewer and Romano Cheese Potatoes are also favorites of ours.  People travel miles to have the Romano Potatoes, but if you’re looking for New England Clam Chowder you won’t find it here, as they only serve Manhattan, which is different because most seafood restaurants only offer New England.

On this beautiful day in January, we enjoyed our Smoked Albacore on the beach while watching the brave surfers and boogie boarders — The water is still way too cold for me, even with a wetsuit, but it’s entertaining (and warmer) to watch.

Can you tell what’s in the photo below?  It’s our magnified sliced Smoked Albacore with Tartar Sauce and Lemon to go.

FYI:  There’s a second Crab Cooker in Tustin, California.  For location information, the menu and more restaurant history, click here.  Eat lots of fish!

We finally visited Tapas Restaurant Night Club in Newport Beach near the John Wayne Airport — It’s only been open about 16 years.  Under the Hot and Cold Tapas Menu, we tried the Lamb Chops Madrilenas, Cheese Fundido and Artichoke Toasts. 

We prefer to emphasize the positive on Nibbles of Tidbits, but we’re also truthful in our reports.  I deferred the Tapas review to my dinner guest, who wants to remain anonymous (she’s infamous, ha).  She wrote the following:

After wondering for years about Tapas Restaurant Night Club in Newport Beach, we finally got the chance to visit this venerable institution, which has been tucked away in a strip mall for the last 16 years. The dictionary definition of Tapas is “small snacks that are often served as an appetizer along with alcoholic drinks, originally from Spain” — Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, after our visit tonight our conclusion is that this concept is all tapped out.

First, the restaurant itself has lost whatever appeal it used to have on a visceral level — it is now dirty, dusty and damaged. Second, the food sounds good on the menu but it is just plain BLAH. For example, the Artichoke Hearts tasted like they came straight out of a can (they even had that can smell to them). The bread was stale and tasteless and the Cheese “Fundido” — which was baked Manchego and Goat Cheese with Spanish Chorizo – sounded divine but was barely edible (congealed). Ditto with regard to the bland Potato (Bomba). The only good Tapas we tasted was the Lamb Chops.

Equally tasteless was the décor, with broken tiles lining the floors everywhere and Spanish outfits hanging from the walls that were literally covered in dust. Finally, we were served on plates that did not even remotely match! In sum, don’t bother with Tapas as they are all tapped out. 

Tapas Restaurant Night Club’s sustainability must be through the night club, bar and entertainment.  We wish all restaurants well, thus hope they take more pride in their Tapas (for its namesake and for Pete’s sake), and why not tidy things up a bit?!

A fast pop into Las Fajitas Restaurant yielded great service, one of the better Salsa Bars (It includes Sour Cream and Marinated Carrots), and a Carnitas Taco that I would definitely have again.  Las Fajitas Mexican Grill • Seafood • Catering Restaurant is on Newport Boulevard in Newport Beach.  We’ll be going back to try more.  So far, so very good.

Las Fajitas Restaurant direct link and related report.

It’s lunch at Sage on the Coast in honor of a dear friend’s twenty years of service at the distinguished law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.  I once worked there myself.  The patio and adjacent garden at Sage are very nice.  It has a retractable roof and a fireplace.  We had a wonderful time in a beautiful environment with great food and wine.

To get an idea of what you might want to eat, I’ve posted a few photos.  Above is the Parmesan Crusted Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup, then moving on down to the Tortilla Soup with Cheddar Cheese, Cilantro, Chicken and Crispy Tortilla Strips.

Farmer’s Market Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese, Marcona Almonds and Orange Vinaigrette.

And this Roasted Cauliflower with Anchoaide Crust turned out to be one of our favorite dishes.

Sautéed Mexican Prawns with Linguine Pasta, chopped Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Spinach, Pine Nuts and Pesto Cream Sauce.

Coconut Crusted Barramundi with Coconut Rice, Bok Choy, Carrots, Shitake Mushrooms and Sweet & Spicy Sauce.  This is the first time I’ve tried ”Barramundi.”   It’s a delicious Fish with beautiful white meat and great texture.  My portion was generous too.  I want it again sometime.

And here’s the Grilled Beef Filet Medallion, Hawaiian Ahi Sashimi, and Crispy Duck Confit Spring Rolls, respectively.

Sweet Potato Fries with Papaya Mustard, Grilled Salmon Salad, and House Made French Fries with Smoked Ketchup.

And of course we had Dessert, starting with a Lemon Chiffon Tart with Blackberry Coulis, Cream Fraiche Ice Cream and Lemon Tuile.

Plus an Old Fashioned Rootbeer Float, Farmer’s Market Poached Pear, and Hawaiian Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding.

Butterscotch Pot de Creme, Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake, and a Cappuccino.

Based on the offerings from the local Farmer’s Markets, Sage prints a new menu almost daily.  And they’ve got a Late Night “Sweet Tooth” Happy Hour for dessert tasting.  That sounds fun.

Related Links:

http://www.sagerestaurant.com/SOC/default.asp

http://www.sagerestaurant.com/

http://www.gibsondunn.com/Pages/default.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barramundi

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-tuile.htm