Afternoon stroll at Russian Hill

Recently I've been able to do a couple projects with Spottly, and just this week they opened up their new Submissions page with one my entries to kick it all off. Enjoy.

IL Dolce

I've been anticipating my upcoming trip to New York for over a month now, and the entire time what I've almost instantly been relating to that city is pizza. Don't get me wrong, that city has sooo much to offer aside from this classic staple, but ever since John Stewart's  brazen, if not ballsy professing of how superior NY pizza is over "Chicago-style", it was damn near impossible not to have it on my mind all the time.

Luckily J. Kao finally introduced me to a local shop that she claims is the best I can find anywhere around the OC. She's been talking about this place for so damn long I nearly felt that it was some old wives tale used to tease me, as it took her a couple years to finally bring me here! But I trust her in her claims, having she just been to Italy just a couple weeks ago, I was taken aback when she finally said she'd take me! 

The place is completely unsuspecting, being in the shadow of a strip mall, right off the turn of a freeway that leads straight to the beach. Inside had a very modern appeal despite it actually having a legit mom & pop kind of vibe. Our hostess (mom) was very delightful in taking care of us, and we could easily see pop get to work as soon as he got the orders in. Our orders where as followed.

-Prosciutto & Fig: Terrifically savory, the baked figs added only a nuance of sweetness that brought everything together, the cheese selected (I can't recall off the top of my head) was an excellent closer for the pallet. 

-Margarita: Had a bright, sweeter that expected sauce that rings in a balanced combination with basil. The delightfully chewy crust had that rustic charm as you picked up notes of the char from the wood oven. 

The place looked surprisingly empty for the lunch hour on a sunny Saturday in Newport Beach, we hoped it was some sort of off day for the business because it would truly be a tragedy to have lost such masterful  craftsmanship as a result of lacking a recognition. But I'm glad I was finally able to make an acquaintance with such a hidden gem. My cravings for good pie continues.

With that being said, I'm off to the east coast!

*Chicagoan discretion advised for the John Stewart link.

1902 Harbor Blvd.

Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Jury Duty Lunch Hour

It was time to serve my civic duty (hip hip woo), but for my case the one upside was the fact that the courthouse was right in the middle of downtown Santa Ana. The reason so is that this is one of my absolute favorite spots to visit in Orange County (one of the only few). 

As to why I love this little section of the city, is that it tends to have characteristics of downtown LA, crazy I know. But just walking around I catch the vibe as I admire all the old buildings standing next to the new lofts were local artists reside right above a boutique shop, and all you have to do is turn a block and you're in the middle of a Hispanic shopping strip. See the likenesses? Or am I reading way between the lines?

My first stop was the recently opened The Grilled Cheese Shop: brain-child of the head chef of The Crosby (local hot spot). Aptly located right down the street from its place of origin, it bares similar characteristics of of it's night time counter part. The variety offered featured a set menu of house sandwiches, as well as the ever trendy build-it-yourself menu. The interior is fairly minimal and the small space bares only a couple stools to sit down, fortunately there's enough shelf space to lay your sandwich down. The Three Little Pigs  was a toss up against Dusk Till Dawn, although I don't think I could have ever made a bad choice, just read the menu. My only wish is that they offered The Crosby's phenomenal sweet potato fries, but I guess their stock will run out even before the The Crosby opens.

 While making my round trip back to the courthouse I only found it fitting that I grab some ice cream on a blindingly hot day. This brand new spot in particular just opened back in May and I've been watching it's business boom, especially with the nightlife crowd, I've seen some lines go down the street around 10 o'clock a couple times. Despite it's fresh appearance and pink flare, it's hole-in-the-wall (literally) appearance makes it look like it's been part of the neighborhood. Scanning the expansive menu, I had to choose to their Persian Saffron Pistachio, which emanated a delightful floral sweetness, reminiscent to a nougat confection Jamie got me from Paris. But in all seriousness tho, the amount of flavors they have is just not fair and on top of that it's cheap! I'm already regretting not buying a second scoop...

I find it amazing that it was only a couple years back when the artists village started settling in it's little corner. Resulting in the attraction of a whole new wave of businesses & gourmet restaurants. As such, I keep on discovering places I've never been too before, all ways kept intrigued.

The Grilled Cheese Spot 

318 5th st.

Santa Ana, Ca 92701

&

Tootsie Ice Cream

307 W. 3rd st.

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Vitaly

I came here knowing that there's a new cafe in the OC area that has an awesome ambiance, great coffee served at rates that wont make you flinch. That and I finally get to field test my new camera (Lumix GF3)!!!!!!
Looking around  tend to notice that it's not only just a cafe, but also a casual little eatery that serves up an enticing array  of soups, sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie! On top of all of that they have an amazing array of gelatos and pastries. 

One thing that I tended to notice was that despite all of it's modern appeal, it tends to carry an old world feel.   I can't quite put my finger on it but I get the same I vibe that I feel when I visit an traditional shop such as Claro's over in Tustin.
The thing to be wary here is that it gets pretty crowded, so always be on the lookout for a free spot, otherwise lounge around The Camp and it's laid back scenery.   

2937 Bristol St

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(Located inside The Camp)

Thai Pepper

I'm a guy who loves hole-in-the-wall places, because they're almost guaranteed to have some hidden gems. This one was no exception, the owner was fast talking, so you have to know what you want when you step up to the plate. I was my turn and several seconds later, BOOM, order was taken, I didn't know what hit me. But the one fatal flaw I instantly picked was the high amount of orders coming in on the phone, and it hit me, oh crap... I should've called ahead. 

Realizing what I got myself into, I mentally preped myself for a long haul. Rightfully so too, it was a good 20 minutes before I saw my food come out. Normally I'd be frustrated with this situation, but luckily the local wino decided to come out of the dive bar next door and drag her butt along the pavement yelling "I DON'T NEED CHOPSTICKS" as she skidded by. An interesting event to witness in order to pass the time, to say the least. 

So much fun stuff has been going on I nearly forgot that I ordered my food! haha
To my delight I was started off with a modest little salad covered in this yummy and super creamy peanut sauce, I should've asked for a tub. 

While the main course was the C-7, or Mint Leaves Chicken (Spicy). Read the title of the dish and you got to be curious, and ask yourself what does that taste like? Let me tell yeah, it has a nice bite from the chili's and at the same time a cooling sensation from the mint. A generic description, sure, but you really do have try this to understand. My mouth was intrigued till the end, I just had to dump all of my fried rice in the sauce just so I could continue experiencing it. 

Now first off, CALL AHEAD, don't make a newb mistake I did. Second know what your going to order on the spot otherwise you'll look like a nuisance. Thirdly expect some pretty healthy portions, small places always give you a bang-for-your-buck experience. 
Would've been so much for awesome for me if my ignorance didn't coast me 20-25 minutes.

18023 Beach Blvd
Huntington Beach, CA 92648

Mick's Karma Bar

Damn this place is tricky to get to! I had to drive circles around the corporate area before I noticed this little hole in the wall (The woman at the register tells me of the easy parking next to El Torito). The place looks small but trendy with a colorful hand written chalk menu and the bar seating arrangements made it fell more cozy ambiance. Small, and I loved it.

-Karma Habanero Style: First off, beautifully cooked meat (pink to perfection) and oh my lord what are those tasty No.19 buns made of?? Excellent base for any sandwich. Going back to the theme, thinking habanero would make me expect my mouth to be set ablaze, but in fact it was more of light tingle than anything. Though honestly I’m glad I was able to taste the flavor and not just the heat because the creamy garlic mayo just fused to wonderfully with the chilies. What stood out to me the most about this burger was the Queso Fresco—typically a very mild cheese—somehow stood out very well to my surprise and played an equal role along with other stringer tasting ingredients.

-Strawberry Basil Lemonade: “Wow!” is the first thing you think as this hits your palate. One sip and your taken away on a sweet bliss of berry and herb. The real chinks of strawberry and basil just make you understand how fresh it is. Flavor profile-wise I’m lost for words, just get it.

Photo credit to J Kao 

2010 Main St

Irvine, CA 92614

Mama D's Italian Kitchen

After coming back here several times I have narrowed possibly their best dish, Roma (w. angel hair), Alfredo, and Chicken. This dish will blow you away!!!! I always bring my friends here and introduce them to this dish and they are just struck dumb with the first bite every time. Normally you would expect the Alfredo to be heavy and over bearing but its so light and creamy. It combines well with the taste of the chicken and the bits of artichoke in the Roma. But enjoy the soft chewy texture of the angel hair and veggies just melts in your mouth. I cannot help but drool every time I think about it. Haha

I recommend their pizzas too. So far the Veggie and the Margarita has won me over. I’ve heardthat people have complained that the crust comes out soggy, but they must’ve had a bad stroke of luck, because the crust for me comes out light and crispy every time. The Veggie’s highlights are the shear amount of produce that provide the fresh crunch you would expect and the Margarita is yummy buffalo cheese and basil enough said.

Btw their Garlic Bread & Oil is irresistible! Try making it to your main course without filling up on these..I dare you.

(Photo Credit’s to Jamie Kao)

3012 Newport Blvd

Newport Beach, CA 92663

Cream Pan

We all, hopefully, have that local bakery that serves great coffee. An establishment where you can sit down and enjoy yourself, or in the company of others, for an hour or two. This one is mine. 

Jamie and I have started to frequent here more often for the past several weeks, as her warm up for the cafe's she'll be visiting in Paris (envious).

But we've been coming here for years, regardless of the practice needed for Europe, because it's just that good. What got us and anyone else hooked to this place is their legendary Strawberry Croissants. Simply put, it has a flaky little buttery crust that oozes sweet cream and strawberries with every bite that makes your mouth project thoughts of a golden choir between bites.

Putting the star attraction to side, you got to respect every single one of their sweet and savory confections ranging from their equally good Azuki Cream Puff all the way over to their Chicken Curry Pan & Soki Soba Sandwich.

As for their coffee's they keep in simple and modest, none of those 5 word concoctions you see at Starbucks. It's simple, tasty, and soul warming. You can never go wrong with a Cafe Au Lait.

602 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA 92780

Habuya Okinawan Dining

This was another hole in the wall that I passed several times, and I never thought twice until I saw it Yelp and of course being something as unique as Okinawan I couldn’t resist. The lady upfront, which I assumed is the owner, is very polite and formal. The vibe here is very casual & relaxed (especially with the old-school Japanese pop playing in the background).

- Goya-Kimchi: It has the classic kimchi spice upfront and then the melon bitterness at the end. If you never had bitter melon before be prepared for a strong kick in your mouth, you’ll love it or you’ll hate. My fave.  

-Cod Rod with Cream Cheese: All that encased in a little fried wonton-eque shell, and after one bite you get a gush warm salty creamy bliss (oh my). Served with a baby spinach salad that covered in a sweet vinaigrette sauce that was sprinkled with something that reminded me of ramen powder. 

- Chicken Gizzard: Little fried pieces of chicken guts that have a snap to the bite and a bit of density as you chew for it. Flavor-wise it’s slightly gamey, but mild. Along side are diced scallops covered in a lemon vinegar sauce. 

- Soki-Soba: The broth has a sweet ginger flavored beef stock to it that warmed me up on the first sip. Noodles where thick and chewy, not in a bad way, trust me. The Pork Rib was sooo tender and flavorful from stewing for so long, that it slips off the bone (which you could chew straight through). I must note that they gave me this pepper-infused sake sauce on the side that packs a punch (use sparingly).

- Pork Belly Ramen: I had a couple tastes from my friends bowl, and my initial thoughts where that they did the broth and noodles justice. The star of the dish, pork belly, was literally melt in your mouth good! They say fat is flavor, but it can also, momentarily, make time slow down too.

- Photos courtesy of J Kao 

14215 Red Hill Ave
Tustin, CA 92780