Quick Bite: Papa Joe's Pizza in "Surf City USA"

Huntington Beach doesn't just claim to be "Surf City USA"... The city sued to win that title! So when it comes to the casual, laid back, California coastal lifestyle, Huntington Beach takes its place as the center of it all (ironically enough) very seriously.

Funny enough, I experienced some of this in action last week when I was in OC. My dad and I were at the beach, and all of a sudden he got hungry. And since he didn't want to walk too far for dinner, we settled for a quick bite at Papa Joe's Pizza, just across PCH from The Pier. It's had a long and storied history in Surf City (how often do you hear THAT in Las Vegas??!!), at one point even facing possible extinction, but it's survived and still stands at its prime location near The Pier.

OK, so this place has plenty of history. How about the food, dammit?! Well, don't expect Settebello.

The top layer of mozzarella did taste a bit too "industrial processed" for my liking. However, the cheese layer underneath was OK and the sauce was actually nice. Oh, and I actually liked the crust. Perhaps I've been spoiled by so many fine, artisan Vegas "pizzazz" to enjoy some old OC flavor. Whatever. I'm a proud picky eater! ;-)

But even considering my proud picky eater sensibilities, I just can't diss this OC classic. At the very least, go and enjoy the "old school surf city" experience while you can.

Quick Bite: Gypsy Den & Another Side of Orange County

When my dad and I needed a pick-me-up last weekend, Gypsy Den in Downtown Santa Ana was there for us.

They do light meals, coffee, pastries, and more in a very hippie-dippie way an "outsider" wouldn't expect "Behind The Orange Curtain".

Below is a glimpse of what we experienced...











Perhaps you'll find even more interesting sights, sounds, and tastes when you stop here and experience what Santa Ana's Artist Village has to offer.

Amore at Mezzaluna?

Ah! There's nothing like a sunny, hot day at the beach to start one's Orange County odyssey. And when in Orange County, do as the Orange Countians do... Which is to "lunch" in style on PCH!

And that I did at Cafe Mezzaluna in Dana Point. It's right off Pacific Coast Highway in Monarch Beach, just across the street from The Ritz-Carlton and Salt Creek Beach. But for such a tony 'hood, the prices were pretty low.

However, the quality of the food wasn't. I ordered ravioli alla vodka, and I got house made pasta stuffed with ricotta and herbs, then topped with tomato sauce spiked with vodka and a touch of cream. The dish had a good balance of tang, spice, and creaminess. It felt like just the right dish to order on a hot, sunny beach day.

And along with the ravioli came a basket of garlic bread. It was like the garlic bread that comes with delivery pizza, only done with real garlic and parmesan, and baked fresh on site. I'm usually not crazy for this kind of "garlic bread", but this was good stuff and I couldn't stop dipping it into the excess tomato vodka sauce. So far, so good.

Since I had worked up an appetite with all my morning beach excursions, and I was about to do more at Salt Creek, I treated myself to dessert. Their New York Cheesecake tasted as authentic as one from an Orange County Cal-Ital ("California style Italian", that is) joint can get away with serving. It was rich and sweet, but still had that nice cream cheese tang, and it was more than light enough to keep me from getting an upset tummy.

All in all, I had a lovely lunch at this pleasant Monarch Beach hideaway. It reminded me of the many things I miss about Orange County, such as the pristine beaches, relaxing sea breezes, and quaint holes in the wall serving good grub that won't bankrupt me. It's not that often I get to enjoy any of that back home in Vegas.





















Style: Beach Casual Cal-Ital
Price: $
Open: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

The Rating
---

Food: 4.6 (out of 5)
Service: 3.0 (out of 3)
Ambiance: 1.9 (out of 2)
Overall: 9.5 (out of 10)
Very Satisfying Good Grub

Z'Tejas Es Z'Bueno!

While I was saddened to have to leave town just as Vegas Uncork'd was arriving, I at least had a few Orange County culinary delights to comfort me. Z'Tejas was one of them.

It's always been one of my favorite restaurants here, and it's been a favorite because it serves great food. It's an interesting Tex-Mex joint from Austin that marries together plenty of Mexican spice with Southern soul... And it actually isn't hokey!

This time, I was in the mood for something sinful (maybe I was homesick for "Sin City" already?), so I ordered their new mac & cheese dish. And much to my delight, it arrived hot, rich, creamy, and cheesy! I was certainly feeling better.

What also helped was the irresistible cornbread served beforehand. It was baked fresh and served piping hot. I could still taste the sweet corn kernels, and it tasted even better with the butter served alongside.

And for dessert? Since I wasn't missing this, I just had to try the key lime cheesecake! It had a lovely, citrusy, tartness balanced by a nice, delicate sweetness. It definitely ranks among the better cheesecakes I've eaten.

Don't believe me? See below!











I know it doesn't make up for missing the most fabulous foodie weekend in Las Vegas. But for Orange County, I could do far worse. I really can't complain. ;-)

Style: Casually Elegant Southwestern
Price: $$
Open: Lunch & Dinner

The Rating
---

Food: 4.8 (out of 5)
Service: 3.0 (out of 3)
Ambiance: 1.9 (out of 2)
Overall: 9.7 (out of 10)
Outstanding, Destination Eating!

The Naked Truth About "Anonymous Critics"... & The Restaurants' Relationship With Them

Just this week, another huge "outing" scandal emerged when a Beverly Hills restaurant, Red Medicine, not only refused to seat LA Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila... But then proceeded to post a photo of her as well!

So yet again, the debate rages on about the role of reviewers and the purpose of criticism... And of course, the need (or lack thereof) for "anonymity".

Gustavo Arellano at OC Weekly thinks Red Medicine crossed the line in outing Virbila...

I have never cared much for Virbila's writings, either, but the actions of the restaurant is the height of douchery: honestly, you can't take what someone may think of your restaurant, so you won't even allow them to try it? It's your right to do that, but expect everyone to ridicule you.

But their taking and posting of Virbila's picture is a different monster.

Anonymity among food critics was once a much-treasured illusion--we all know the stories of Ruth Reichl putting on wigs, and critics making reservations under different names. But with the advent of social media, should food critics even bother for anonymity? I still believe in that, but I remember speaking at a UC Irvine class earlier this year where a student food blogger maintained that letting people know you're reviewing them does nothing to change how they're going to serve you, a disturbing thought that, like fraternity initiation rituals and streaking, I attributed to his young age.

But is it really that big of a deal? Mr. TLV (Mike Dobranski) offered another take after the outbreak of our own critic controversy here in Las Vegas.

So let’s talk a wee bit about “food journalism.” How can a journalist give a proper story when they have relationships with the chefs? My argument is how can they not? Do readers want industry news through the eyes of what a news room tells them, or through the eyes of someone who witnesses it in the real world? Why do you think these embed reporters during the war were so popular? Because they were showing you shit the way it happened, not through some filter of a news room and a bullshit journalism class.

If more writers spent some time in kitchens as well as talked with people in the industry after hours, there is a perspective of reality that is born that is invaluable. How many facades of how restaurants work are continued to be propped up by “journalists” that don’t experience the real world? That’s why John Q. Public actually thinks Wolfgang Puck is still baking bread and that the guy in freshly starched chef’s whites that come out to shake your hand actually cooked your meal. It’s a false, glamorized view of the reality of a restaurant that is purveyed by these “proper journalists.”

I can’t help that I get recognized when I go to restaurants. Anyone who’s seen me in real life understands that I’m not the most difficult fellow to pick out in the room. But I never ask for special treatment, and I certainly never announce I’m going somewhere if I haven’t been to the restaurant several times unannounced. And when I do announce I’m going somewhere, it’s only in the sense that I usually just try to get my Twitter followers to come hang out in real life. I’ve NEVER called a place ahead of time to tell them I was on my way.

So is it that big of a deal that S. Irene Virbila's identity was revealed? Most likely not, since Red Medicine had obviously already figured that out.

But was it wrong for them to treat her the way they did? Absolutely IMHO! That's just not the kind of "hospitality" any restaurant should show any paying customer. PERIOD. And by resorting to personal attacks on Virbila as they kicked her to the curb and proudly beat their chests about it on Tumblr, Red Medicine just looked incredibly petty... And afraid. Seriously, why wouldn't they let her eat? Were they that afraid of her finding their grub unsatisfactory?

Still, despite all the safeguards S. Irene Virbila put into place, she got outed. And maybe it isn't all that big of a deal.

That whole scene, said San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer, sounds "very stupid. I think it's very short-sighted. If it was a good restaurant, they wouldn't be afraid."

But at the same time, Bauer said, "the whole idea of anonymity is almost a moot point these days. … After you've done it for any length of time, a year or more, your image gets out, especially now with camera phones." Virbila said she tries to keep a low profile, not appearing at food and wine events or establishing a Facebook page.

If anything, this seems to prove the point Mike Dobranski made last month about the death of "anonymity" among food critics. So why should local critics like John Curtas be chided for not hiding who he really is? Are food critics really ineffective if they're not "incognito"? And in this age of Facebook, Foodspotting, and Foursquare, is it even really possible to be "anonymous" these days?

Without a doubt, this raises questions of whether 20th century restaurant reviewing standards can really be applied in a 21st century techie foodie world.

SoCal Report (& Vegas Preview!): Comme Ca

When I arrived in LA this week, I wanted to treat my dad to something special. And because I haven't been to LA and tried a David Myers restaurant in a while, I wanted to come here. So we did.

And from the start, we were quite impressed with what we found. The bread we were served tasted fresh, and the wine was a great vintage.

And from there, it was onto my French Onion Soup. And wow, what strong flavors I found! The sweet onion and savory jus went perfectly with the nutty, slightly sweet melted gruyere. Just wonderful.

I soon had a chance to jump into the gruyere and shallot quiche I ordered. And my goodness, I got another grand slam! The quiche was done just right, and the flavors of the shallot and gruyere went along beautifully, alongside the spring greens providing some refreshing, crisp contrast.

Finally, I jumped into my apple tarte tatin dessert. And yet again, I was blown away! The apple was sliced so thinly, I was wondering how it happened. And even better, the apple was caramelized and provided the perfect, hot, tangy sweet bite that went alongside the cool vanilla ice cream (that I'm pretty sure was house made... It had strong vanilla flavor!).

All in all, I had a great lunch here. And more importantly, so did my dad. (He had the roasted beet and goat cheese salad and vol-au-vent au poulet.) I enjoyed my meal at Comme Ca West Hollywood, and I can't wait to try the new Comme Ca at Cosmopolitan soon!

Style: Elegant Casual
Price: $$$
Open: Lunch & Dinner

The Rating
---

Food: 4.9 (out of 5)
Service: 2.8 (out of 3)
Ambiance: 2.0 (out of 2)
Overall: 9.7 (out of 10)
Outstanding, Destination Eating!

SoCal Report: Nello Cucina

So my dad and I were at South Coast Plaza yesterday. And Dad was starting to grumble about his hunger. What was I to do? Luckily, Nello Cucina was nearby. And since I hadn't yet tried any of the Antonello ristorantes, I figured I might as well start now, while I'm in OC.

First off, I should make a note of the slow service we experienced today. I would usually be quite annoyed by what can be considered lack of attention, but considering this is high holiday shopping season and how PACKED (!!!) Nello was today (along with other nearby SCP restaurants), I'm just chalking it to that... And hoping next time I'm back, I'll get more attentive service.
OK then, on to the food! Thankfully, there was nothing to complain about here. The starter bread was very fresh, very soft, and very perfect for gnawing on while waiting as the frantically busy kitchen was catching up on our orders.

Eventually, our bruschetta plate arrived. And interestingly enough, the green onion actually worked! My dad commented that it reminded him of pico de gallo salsa. And yes, in a sense, the bruschetta did taste a bit like "Italianized Pico de Gallo" topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Oh, the joys of Californication!

From there, it was onto the mains. My dad ordered the "Pizza Siciliana", which meant an artisan thin crust (perfectly crispy and slightly charred outside, soft and chewy inside) topped with sliced artichoke, herbs, and mascarpone cheese. It was quite delicious! And so was my linguine con (basil) pesto, which was perfectly cooked FRESH (!!!) linguine topped with a pesto made from fresh, sweet basil and nutty parmigiano reggiano. This was fabulous, solid, delicious food that startled me.

And if that weren't wonderful enough, dessert just made me even more blissful! I ordered a crostata filled with rich dark chocolate and "built" on a buttery, flaky crust. The vanilla ice cream served alongside was a cool complement, along with the fresh strawberry.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by what I found here. Tucked in a corner of South Coast Plaza's West Wing by the Bear Street entrance and bank of elevators, Nello Cucina may just be the best Italian restaurant I've tried so far in OC. :-)

Style: Elegant Casual
Price: $$
Open: Lunch & Dinner

The Rating
---

Food: 4.8 (out of 5)
Service: 2.2 (out of 3)
Ambiance: 2.0 (out of 2)
Overall: 9.0 (out of 10)
Excellent, Worth the Detour

Greetings from "The OC", Bitch!

If you ever wondered where I got my crazy from, then wonder no more.



And amidst all the crazy here, I am finding some time to eat. In the coming days, I'll let you know about what's cooking.

And of course, I'll keep an eye on all the big news coming out of Vegas. Oh jeez, I'm already excited about going home!

But in the mean time, I guess I'll have to settle with this.



;-)