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

Orange Cafe

A charming little locals only spot that you would not have never have guessed to dish out out some spectacular american classics, while occasionally whipping up some awesome new innovations. First step in and you instantly appreciate that place as you look around at all the Americana hanging on the walls. Plus don’t be surprised if the sweet old lady, who I’m sure is there every day, greets you with a smile and would be happy to help you out with anything you have questions about.

Some of my favorites on their permanent menu range all across their omelette selection, the Florentine being my top choice in particular. The fact that use butter for their omelettes is something to die for in both the good and bad sense, you’ll food coma pretty hard if you actually finish the whole thing. Their Corned-Beef Hash was delish, a must try if you like a super hardy breakfast old-school. Pancakes where airy and fluffy, that I MUST recommend you try with the apple-cinnamon jam, along with some butter and maple of course.

But recently I tried one of their current specials of the day was basically “signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours”, the unctuous Chorizo Benedict. Runny yolk egg, atop silky smooth avocado and drizzled with creamy chorizo hollandaise sauce, ugh, hold on I got light a cigarette. But yes, fats on fats on fats this dish was bad intentions from the start and oh man did I embrace it.

Ok, after giving myself a moment, I’m coming back again and again to build up my credit stamps for a free meal. See you there!

(Sorry about the orange hue,no amount of editing can phase it out, the place really lives up to it's name! Haha...)

1608 E Mayfair Ave

Orange, CA 92867

Portland Day 3- Go with the flow

  It's my last day here and I wake up with the realization that I really don't have that much left to do in this city, all of the must does where officially checked off, and all of the recommendations where seen. It wasn't until breakfast till a hostel mate said "Just go out for a run, it's what this city does". After much contemplation, whether or not forsake my (foot) arches & go run in Vans, I decided to go out and brave the popular Willamette River Loop.


  Now for those who love to run, you understand the zen calm you get when you fully take in your surrounds and appreciate little that you never noticed before. My time alongside this river path was highlighted by the passing industrial section  on the north side of the trail path and dodging very agitated geese. But of course nothing could beat the absolutely befuddled expressions on some of the joggers faces. Like I said, this is a city of runners (Nike was born here for Christ's sake) and I was the only schmuck on this trail without running shoes. The amount of concern on one guys face was if he was saying "PLEASE STOP, HERE TAKE MINE". Even the some hipsters I sped by where wondering "why are you even wearing those", but hey I had run off a case of doughnuts somehow.

  Everything else afterwards was picking a point and walk from there, I really had no idea what I was even going for. I ended up on the outer rims of town (the financial & university district) where I encountered a plethora of talented musicians, gorgeous city parks, Keller Fountain Park in particular just captivated me into just sitting down and meditate for an hour. After much roaming across the day I was able discover the somewhat luxurious feeling of having a coffee & cigarette, hipster achievement succeeded.

  By the time I came back there was an impromptu vegetarian potluck brewing. After a quick trip to the market, we where all in the kitchen making or pouring our contribution, where we later made our way out to our little patio. Some of the featured dishes was a Pesto Gnocchi pasta, Beet & Goat cheese spread, citrus kale & walnut salad, and Chevre baked tomatoes provided by yours truly (recipe coming soon). Naturally a congregation of this size, brings in more people and even more contributions. 

After what was once a quiet dinner, turned into a rally for a pub crawl where it inevitably turned into an all nighter of smoke, even more street musicians, and a conquering of a near by park where tunes & random stories where swapped. What a way to close it out, just wish I had more than 30 minutes to catch my bus when I woke up the following day, I've never packed my bags with such speed before. Haha 

I don't anything else I've come to appreciate after today about the fact that not everything should come planned, just take it as it goes. And that it's not necessarily the city that makes the trip but the people you meet. 

Keller Fountain Park

SW 3rd Ave & Clay St

Portland, OR 97255

-Photo Credit to Mariana Rego 

Portland Day 2- Stroll

Being such a beautiful day I decided to go on a little walk about Portland's famous park gardens and trails and get a feel for how truly green city is. Being only a short walk for my place, I hustled over to the famous Washington Park. 

Spent nearly half the day checking out beautiful trails laid out across this enormous stretch of land, nearly forgetting to swing by the International Rose Test Garden on my way back. Portland's known as the "City of Roses", how could I have???? 

Later into the evening the Hostel was having a mini open mic in the backyard patio, where there was a variety of local folk artists strumming away their soulful tunes. All the while the staff where grilling up free-range brats and veggie burgers served with quinoa salad, even the guy with the garage brewery decided to drop by an share his days batch. A true hipsters paradise I might say. (Seriously wish I brought my camera out...)

As the last kegs started to kick, so did some of the acts, as the closing artists started drifting into free association music that nearly brought the whole house down off their chairs (inebriated musicians make for some serious entertainment). 

Feeling like the evening still had some life in it, those still left hanging around the patio shuffled together for another round at the Mission Theater. Tonight's feature, early Martin Scorsese's 'Mean Streets' . 

Portland Day 1- Hitting the ground running

  After what I can call a grueling 24 hour bus trip I finally arrived in Portland!!!!! Things to do? Find the hostel, drop off the bags and make it to walking tour all within the hour of arrival, . But most importantly, find a hot meal because I didn't exactly savor my opportunities to munch on gas station grub.

  Feeling rejuvenated after heaping plate of Kahlua Pork, because all the "breakfast" menu's stopped serving at 11am (what is this McDonalds??), I rush back to the hostel to finally make it in time for the introductions. Saying hi and hello to all the fellow hostel mates, we're lead buy our guide, who I swear looks William H. Macy, except a hell of a lot more quirkier.

  We make our way from our home base in the Northwest district onward to the Pearl, down through the Historic Waterfront, and circling back to the down town district . Picking up neat tid-bits such as the street signs in the Alphabet district, and how they contributed to a lot of the Simpsons characters names (Matt Groening is from here btw). Checked out Mills End Park, smallest park in the world (pictured below), got a little info on the infamous Zoobombers that come out every Sunday night, unchain the bikes shown below and simply haul major buns down the West Hills (something added to my bucket list). By the end I come to find that the city takes pride in being a little "weird", Portlandians will understand.
  Soon at the end of our tour, a few of the hostel mates decide to break off and have some lunch at a couple of the cities food carts, an estimated 500 of these stands are said to be scattered all over this city.

  First was the foodie cult phenom Nong's Khao Man Gai, Thai style chicken & rice. It's the one and only dish this place serves but they have perfected it to a T, simplicity was the key here, but it carried such a complex depth in its taste and aroma (from all the aromatics) that you can't judge it based off looks, you have to taste it.

  2nd up to bat was the aptly named Dump Truck. The story behind this little shack was that the couple that owns the place used to live in Beijing next to a restaurant owner who showed them the ropes. Once they came to Portland they refined their skills and created their own interpretations. Their selection is small but they each carry  their own unique punch of flavor and creativity. Order up Le Sampler, if your a fickle guy like me, and try Mr. Ma's Special (ginger pork), Down to Earth (vegi friendly), Potato Curry (Malaysian style), & finally the Bacon Cheeseburger (yeah seriously).
 Soon after sampling a couple flights over at the Rogue Ales Public House, my companions & I finally gave in to the idea of crossing town to wait in line for some Voodoo Doughnuts!!! Reported to have line waits as long as an hour, it was only a meager half hour+ wait till I was able to make my long awaited order of the legendary pink box. The selection process was overwhelming, since they had so many on display and the added pressure of a ton of people waiting in line behind you, I hated to be that one newb. But here's my picks, 0 regrets, all gluttonous joy. 

-Bacon Maple Bar: Easily my favorite of all time, it combines my number one fave doughnut with thick slices of crispy bacon. Pretty sure I had a big dumb smile after my first bite.
- Voodoo Doll: This one is chocolate little man filled with raspberry jelly (blood) doesn't boast anything out of the ordinary other than poking it with the pretzel stick hoping someone else feels it. Haha
- Old Dirty Bastard: A nod to the Wu, aesthetically it holds true to it's name and so does the mess it makes after you devour it.
- Memphis Mafia: Fried dough with banana chunks and cinnamon covered in a chocolate/peanut butter glaze covered with peanuts & chocolate chips. The King is somewhere blushing right now, 'nuff said. Just go and cancel all immediate appoints if your going to attempt this.
-Ain't that a Peach Fritter: A seriously massive Peach Fritter topped with cream cheese. Say F U to your diet because you're on vacation!
- Mexican Hot Chocolate: The one and only thing I can say that bares worthiness of claiming to resemble "mexican hot chocolate". By which I mean it's not the uber-sweetness most people tend to expect, but rather a dark semi bitter chocolate with some spice in the back end. I love it for that, just wish it wasn't so dry...  

  After trekking around all day I was finally able to get some rest and lay down on an actual bed! After a few hours of some shut eye I woke up to a roomie I met along the tour, thinking of heading out the Mission Theater down the street. The idea behind this place, and many other establishments like this around the city, is to enjoy classic films while drinking some of Portland's finest craft brews. The selection for the night, Woody Allen's 'Sleeper', kooky to say the least. Loving this city already. 

Nong's Khao Man Gai & The Dump Truck

SW 10th & Alder St

Portland, OR 97205

Voodoo Doughnut

22 SW 3rd Ave

Portland, OR 97204

Mission Theater 

1624 NW Glisan St.

Portland, OR 97204

Pikes Market & The Food Tour

  The one thing I loved about the hostel I stayed at was the fact that it was only across from one of the most diverse (and photogenic) markets I've ever been too! 

  Pikes Market was established back in 1907 and has been in the control of the vendors from the very beginning, which allows for one to have access to some of the most quality handcrafted goods. Everyday the market changes a little bit as new vendors come in daily and claim different spots, so no one market is the same per day! Another key factor, is that every stand here has to be it's own supplier and producer in order even be considered, so there is absolutely no doubt in the craftsmanship. The person you meet is the person who created/caught/grew it. 

   On my first day as soon as I check in, I immediately rushed over to have a reunion lunch with friend that lived near by over at the popular Pike Place Chowder shop (Pro-tip: if you have a Yelp app, you can check-in & get a hold of their Chowder Sampler at a discount!). Afterwards we aimlessly wandered around to what seemed to be an endless amount of corridors and pathways, my eyes where bulging at the site of all the amazing stuff at hand. It was all too much to take in at once. Luckily I was signed up for the Market Tour  the following morning.

   It was here where a hostel-mate & I where able to become well acquainted with the market, and some of it's vendors as we where guided through the in's and out's of the whole place, along side getting to know a thing or two of its history, insider tips, etc. One big plus was that I was able to access a variety of amazing samples and discounts given just for being part of tour. But what I got the most enjoyment from was listening to the each vendor proudly talk about there products and the hard work they put in just to be there. Trust me, I came back quite a few times afterwards to support!

  Not to long after followed part 2 of the tour (Seattle 101), where we strolled through downtown & the waterfront, checking out all the neatest locations and happy hour hot spots (this city has some of the best btw). More sampling, more deals, I couldn't have been any happier. One of the places I have the fondest memories of was of Ivar's Fish Bar, where some of the most in-your-face seagulls stare you down till you tossed a french fry at them. All I had to do was extend my arm over the water and watch the mayhem develop. 

  Now with a wealth of knowledge in our heads, my friend and I decide to redo the whole tour on our own for lunch! First stop was to try a highly recommend pairing between Beecher's Handmade Cheese Mac & Cheese then walk over La Buona Tavola down the street and get a generous dousing of White Truffle Oil (pictured above). Now, I'll stop here for a moment to say that this is easily the single best thing I have ever eaten in my life by far. It's not just the oil, but Beecher's have managed to create something so special that when combined, it opens the heavenly gates on your mouth. Only a few bites where had, but I can live having so little, it was perfect.
  
  Before I decided I'd take a permanent residence, my buddy reminded about the fact that there where still brewery passes to be used (acquired on the tour), $1 oysters to be eaten, & baked meat pies to be sampled! What was I thinking, committing to the first place that stole my heart. We must march, there's still sunlight! Everything afterwards was just a hedonistic quest towards oblivion, where we continuously had to tell ourselves "we'll just walk this off". 

   Even the days after this eating excursion, I continued to stop by this place twice daily because there is always something new to discover or run into, there's five floors to this place believe it or not. I basically lived off this market as I worked my way through my time in Seattle. And despite being a tourist trap, this is a real deal foodies paradise. Take full advantage and slow down beyond the crowds frantic shuffling to appreciate the beauty that is Pike's Market. If you feel the need to act like a tourist go watch the fish mongers toss a salmon, but please don't wait in line for the "original" Starbucks with all the other suckers (you'll find better coffee five steps in any direction, besides it's not even the original one...).   

  To those coming to Seattle, I highly recommend taking the tours featured above, these people  have strong ties with the vendors and genuinely take pride in the city they live in. Trust me, you'll learn and eat so much after you spend a day with this organization. And just for the sake of giving you guys a freebie.Go to Von's 1000 Spirits and check yourself in on any major social networking site (Facebook), show the bartender and you'll get a free cocktail, enjoy! 

85 Pike St, 

Seattle, WA 98101

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

Something Something Prosciutto & Pesto

A few months back I mentioned to my co-worker that I was heading over to San Francisco, among the few stops and destinations he happened to mention was one sandwich shop in particular. What made this place so special to him was Prosciutto & Pesto sandwich that he exuberantly proclaimed was one of the best in the city. To this day, for the life of me I cannot even bring a single letter of that shop to the tip of my tongue. What makes it worse is that I haven't seem my co-worker in months! 

The only details I have is that it consists of a freshly baked Ciabatta, Pesto, some type of cheese (Gouda/Parmesan?), and "generous" helping Prosciutto. 

It's been a good while since my last trip to San Fran, and every now & then that idea of what that sandwich might have been still pops up. Yesterday I simply cracked and proclaimed that I must try and recreate it no matter what it takes!

Construction: In the rush of things I couldn't find any fresh Ciabatta rolls in the afternoon (go figure). But the next best thing came along, Half-Baked Panini Rustic Rolls that only need 8 minutes in the oven, resulting in a satisfying warm gold crust that makes you remember why bread is so good.  
Basic Pesto, Mozzarella (Gouda/Parmesan was mentioned, but I was too unsure and stuck with what I had at home), and Cherry Tomato's (sounded like a good idea) . 
As for Prosciutto, I know I said "generous" but I wanted to start off small and not too crazy (this is only the first one).  

Outcome? I can definitely say this will not be my last one, since I will be continuously be experimenting with this sandwich till I nailed my rough concept. 

Ever since I put that idea of a sandwich on a pedestal my mind will never be at ease, I must have the original. It may not sound special to most, but it's my obsession.  If anyone out there has any idea of what place I'm talk about, please let me know, both my mind and my palate will be ever so grateful. 

Backyard Birthday Barbecue

It's summer, it's time to grill, and it's someone's birthday,what a better way to celebrate!?!

Co-hosting this together with J. Kao was a whole lotta fun, and a tad nerve-racking at first, but that comes with the territory. She directed the event and I manned the grilling section for the evening.  Which, I will use as my excuse for the lack of photos later into the evening, aside from the fact that we where all slipping into food comas.

We started off the the afternoon with some simple grilled corn and some Zucchini Spears that where marinated in Lemon Olive Oil (from 41 Olive ) for a couple hours then sprinkled with some Garlic-Pepper just before they hit the grill.

I love Kabobs, but I loathe the process of meticulously sliding each an every bit onto the skewers for over the course of an hour and some change, oy. But honestly it was a labor of love that ended up being a hit, so that goes to show! Haha

The variety we feasted on are originally based from a issue of Men's Health issue I had lying around. Each  marinade batch is enough for 1.5 lbs of meat, which was luckily enough to make one skewer for each of us (9 in total).

-Lemon-Pepper Shrimp w/ Basil, Tomato, & Prosciutto- This one was the crowd pleaser, works well with just about any type of seafood. In a bag just toss 1/3 cup of olive oil + 1 tsp grated lemon zest + 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice + 2 finely chopped garlic cloves + 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp ground pepper.

-Teriyaki Beef w/ Pickled Ginger & Scallions: The grilled pickled ginger comes way out of left field with an unexpected savory profile along side the equally sweet scallions. Originally the types of cuts called for either Blade, Flatiron, or Skirt. I opted for Stew Beef chunks that came out surprisingly well, but one of my friends suggested using Ribeye, which I'll eagerly use for the next time. Same process as above, just toss together in a bag 1 tsp minced garlic + 1 tsp minced fresh ginger + 1/2 cup of soy sauce + 1 tbsp sugar.

-Curried Yogurt Chicken w/ Okra & Smokey Bacon- This one is my personal favorite, as I have secret love for all things curry, combining the complex flavors with the smokiness of the bacon has me sold. As for the type of chicken meat, I'm a thigh guy (boneless), dark meat is more flavorful. I believe you got the idea down, 1 cup full-fat yogurt +  1 tsp curry powder + 1tsp salt + 1/2 tsp ground pepper.

You can go ahead at let them sit in the fridge for a few hours but I did it for almost 24, which undoubtedly makes a great difference.

The Fig Margaritas where absolutely perfect for the warm evening, not too sweet, not too boozy. I just tweaked the tequila portions to 1.5 oz and switched out the sparkling water with sparkling limeade from Trader Joe's (in effect, it added any missing sweetness).

Watermelon Granita was provided in part by Jamie and when paired with some Sugar Cookies it made for a surprisingly delightful combination.

But after few hours of grilling, feasting, and imbibing I have to say there where still some more golden moments to come. One particular event involved the unwrapping of large teddy bear with its hands tied behind it's back (a sight to behold as it was getting carried away). While another was one of our random group discussions that started off about Oliver (the chubby house cat) resembling meatloaf, which turned into talks about the socio-economical impacts on nutrition, to deep space exploration, to Pokemon and somehow back to Oliver being plump. This stuff just happens, we're pretty weird when we get together. 

At the end of the day all I can do is exhale a deep breath of relief and satisfaction as it was time clean up, time just skips so soon on us.

 I would like to thank everyone that attended for coming and making this evening so special, everything you brought was especially delicious! And I would like to include one more Happy Birthday to Kelly, don't let that one year pass you. Hah

The Classic Daiquiri

It's hot, it's been hot and I've looking for something simple and cool to sip on that's not drowned out in fruit juice. It's a classic and to the point cocktail that's been getting a bad rap as another cheap blender mix along side the margarita. But I highly advise those to go and try the real thing.

The standard recipe calls for 2oz of white rum, 1oz lime juice, 1oz simple syrup. Just shake serve straight with a lime garnish.

I opted out with Cachaca (brazilian rum) and Agave Syrup (I used half the measurement because it's much sweeter). This principle is applicable to just about any combination, so go ahead, switch the base out with another spirit and experiment with the sweet and sour components!

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)