STAX cookie Bar soft opens today - Monday 10/13/2014 Official Grand Opening Event on Saturday 10/18

4187 Campus Drive

Suite M174

University Town Cener

Irvine, CA

(949) 861-2055

www.staxcookiebar.com

Hours: 10:00 AM - Midnight - 7 Days a Week

A new ice cream sandwich shop is set to have their soft opening today at 10:00 AM at University Town Center in Irvine.  Stax Cookie Bar offers a wide variety of freshly baked cookies and ice cream.  You can either choose to purchase the cookies and ice cream separately, or you can order a "Sweet Stax" which is an ice cream sandwich made out of two cookies of your choice and a scoop of ice cream in between.  Stax brags that you can make over 4,000 different combinations for your ice cream sandwich.  

All of the cookies are baked fresh on site.  In addition to regular cookies, Stax also offers a variety of vegan and gluten-free cookies.  Some of the flavors, such as chocolate-chip, will be constant but they will rotate cookie flavors as well.  I was invited down to sample some of the cookies and ice cream.  I believe my favorite cookie was the Sesame Green Tea, followed closely by the classic Chocolate Chip.  Other cookie flavors include Chai Tea, Root Beer Float, Maple Bacon, Red Velvet and more. 

While I really enjoyed the cookies and ice cream, the thing that impressed me the most was the reasonable prices.  Cookies are $1.25 each ($1.50 for gluten-free) and a dozen cookies will only set you back $10.95.  The Sweet Stax ice cream sandwich is $3.75. 

There will be a Grand Opening event on Saturday October 18th with 20% of the proceeds going to support the Irvine Public School Foundation.  

Lemonade - Fashion Island, Newport Beach

Lemonade
Fashion Island
Newport Beach
http://lemonadela.com/
Lemonade, a restaurant known for serving fresh, seasonal, Southern California comfort food, opened earlier this week in Fashion Island. It is located near the Island Cinemas movie theaters. Lemonade offers a unique experience by serving gourmet food in an old-school cafeteria-like environment. You start at the beginning of a long line of tasty delights and point out what you want along the way. Items are priced individually and range from $1-$13. Items are seasonal and change eight times per year. Below are pictures of some of the items they had available during the media preview.






Of the many items I tried, I really enjoyed the snap pea and edamame salad with sesame dressing, the red miso braised shortribs and the white truffle mac and cheese. I then decided that my two favorite items I tried were the Avocado and Cherry tomato salad, and the BBQ braised brisket. The BBQ brisket had a nice spicy kick that I loved.

But then......then....I had the COCONUT CAKE!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THAT COCONUT CAKE WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!! I MUST HAVE MORE NOW!!!!!!! Light fluffy layers of extremely moist coconut cake were layered with frosting that had the perfect amount of sweetness. The cake reminded me a little of a tres leches, because I think the cake was soaked or drizzled with some sweetened condensed milk. It was SO good. Did I mention it was good? I think I'm going to stop writing now so I can go get more of that cake....

Sidecar Doughnuts in Costa Mesa - Opening Date April 12, 2013

270 E. 17th St., #18
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 887-2910
www.sidecardoughnuts.com

The little gourmet doughnut shop that I have been hearing so much buzz about for the past few months, is finally opening it's doors on Friday 4/12/13. Luckily for me, I was invited down to the shop a few days early to try some of their amazing doughnuts.

The doughnut shop is tucked away in a small strip mall off of 17th Street in Costa Mesa. It's kind of in the back, in an area that isn't really visible from the street. There isn't really a sign on the building either, but I'm thinking that maybe it just hasn't been installed yet. I actually drove past the place twice because I couldn't see it. Trust me though, it's there!

Sidecar will have a rotating menu of flavors. They plan to have anywhere from six to ten flavors at any given time, however, Maple Bacon, Birthday Cake and Cinnamon Crumb will likely be constant on the menu. Unfortunately, the flavors I was looking forward to trying the most, guava, passion fruit and rosemary, were not on the menu of opening flavors. They plan to keep the public updated on the current roster of flavors on Facebook (facebook.com/sidecardoughnuts), Twitter (@sidecardoughnts not a typo, leave out the "u") and their website. The flavors I got try try were Huckleberry, Birthday Cake, Malasada, Malasada with Haupia, Raspberry & Cream, Cinnamon Crumb, Meyer Lemon Poundcake, Maple Bacon, Callebaut Chocolate and Toasted Coconut.




Of the 10 flavors I tried, the Toasted Coconut had to be my favorite. A light, fluffy doughnut, covered with a thin layer of glaze was topped with a generous sprinkling of toasted coconut. My second favorite was the Malasada with Haupia filling. A malasada is a Portugese-style doughnut that is often found in Hawaii. Haupia is a coconut milk based custard-like filling.

Sidecar takes great care to make sure that their doughnuts not only have visual appeal, but are made from the finest ingredients. The huckleberries they use for the Huckleberry doughnut are hand-foraged from the wild in the forests of Oregon. This seems a little extreme to me, but it was a mighty tasty doughnut. Because of the high-quality ingredients, prices at Sidecar range from $2-$4 for a single doughnut. This may seem steep when you're used to paying 60 cents to a dollar for a doughnut at your local doughnut shop, but relatively cheap when you consider what some other high-end "gourmet" desserts are going for these days.

I also have to talk about their coffee......oh the coffee..... Sidecar has brought in coffee from Oregon, roasted by Stumptown coffee. I was handed a cup of this coffee when I walked in the door. I casually took a sip, expecting this to be an average cup of Joe. What I experienced though was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. I believe the roast I had was the Indonesia Sumatra. The coffee was rich and perfectly balanced. Drip coffee is available by the cup for $3. Coffee beans are also available by the bag to take home, but come at a premium....about $18 for a 12 oz. bag.


Overall, I think that Sidecar doughnuts is a great place to go and get yourself a quick, gourmet treat. With the prices though, it's likely I won't be stopping in every time I get a hankering for doughnuts. I do look forward to returning and trying the guava, passion fruit, rosemary and other unique flavors that they come out with. I know I'll be keeping a close eye on their Twitter feed and Facebook page to see what flavors are coming next!

FYI. Doughnuts are available from 7AM Monday-Friday and 8AM on the weekends, until they run out. They drop new doughnuts into the fryer about every 30 minutes and their last fry is currently at 12:31 PM.

Hopscotch Tavern - Downtown Fullerton

Hopscotch Tavern

136 E. Commonwealth Ave

Fullerton, CA 92832

714-871-2222

www.hopscotchtavern.com

Housed in the old Fullerton train depot, Hopscotch Tavern will be opening any day now (Most likely Wed 11/21).  I was recently invited to check out the place before it opens to the public.  Hopscotch will offer a full-service menu and a premium selection of whiskeys and craft beers.  Their focus will be on providing a laid-back vibe with high-end drinks, so don't expect to come here and find $2 beer specials.  The atmosphere feels casual and upscale to me at the same time.  The bar is made from old whiskey barrels and there are eye-catching whiskey and beer themed quotes painted on the walls.

Hopscotch will serve lunch and dinner 7-days a week and brunch on Saturday and Sundays.  The menu will consist of comfort foods at a reasonable price.  It seems that a bulk of their menu will consist of barbecue items like pulled pork, pulled beef and pulled chicken with various styles of barbecue sauces.  They will also offer a full rack of ribs for $19.  A selection of cheese-stuffed burgers, that we did not get a chance to try, will also be available.  All of the food from Hopscotch will be made fresh in-house with the exception of their hamburger buns.

The two items that stood out to me were the Huevos Diablos (Deviled Eggs $5) and the Cracklin' Rosemary Flatbread ($5).  The deviled eggs are quite tasty, but a little sweeter than I like.  The star of the night for me was the Cracklin' Rosemary Flatbread.  Butter drenched, rosemary infused flatbread was topped off with crunchy bits of pork cracklins (chicharrones).  It was a flavor explosion that will definitely bring me back.

Hopscotch will also offer a variety of desserts including the ButterSCOTCH cake ($6) that is pictured below.  This is a rich, crumbly, dense butter cake that is infused with a splash of scotch whiskey.

Hopscotch is a place that I would recommend for people looking to unwind with an appetizer or a nice dessert after dinner with a premium glass of whiskey.  I also look forward to trying their brunch.  The brunch items range from $6-$9 and include items such as Hawaiian Bread French Toast, Pulled Pork Benedict, Sweet Potato Waffle and Biscuits and Gravy.

Bruxie Gourmet Waffle Sandwiches

Bruxie Gourmet Waffle Sandwiches
 Rancho Santa Margarita 22205 El Paseo, Suite A RSM, CA 92688 Open Daily Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner 949.207.6570

Brea Downtown 215 W. Birch Street Brea, CA 92821 9am - 9pm Sun - Wed 9am - 10pm Thur - Sat 714.255.1188

Old Towne Orange 292 North Glassell Street Orange, CA 92866 9am - 9pm Sun - Wed 9am - 10pm Thur - Sat 714.633.3900

www.bruxie.com  If you live in Orange County and you haven't yet heard of Bruxie Waffles, you're probably living under a rock.  Bruxie opened their first shop near the Orange Circle about 18 months ago.  Since then, they have expanded to three locations due to their extreme popularity.  In addition to their original location in Orange, they now have locations in Brea and Rancho Santa Margarita.

For those of you that are uninitiated to the waffle sandwich, the concept may sound a little weird, but I assure you that it is good.  Bruxie offers a variety of gourmet sandwiches, but uses freshly made waffles instead of the standard bread.  The sandwiches are inspired by the common street food in Brussels.  The light, airy, crispy waffles take a boring old sandwich and turn it into a culinary delight. 

I was recently able to attend that grand opening celebration of the Bruxie Waffles in Rancho Santa Margarita.  I was able to sample a wide variety of their sandwiches including:





Chicken and Waffles with Maple Syrup $7.95

Hot Pastrami $7.95

Turkey Avocado Club $8.95

Philly Cheesesteak

Roasted Mushroom and Goat Cheese $7.95

Green Eggs and Ham $6.95

Patty Melt

Lemon Cream and Berries (Very Tart! $6.50)

S'mores ($5.95)

Seasonal Creme Brulee ($6.50)


Overall, the fan favorite for the night seemed to be the Hot Pastrami. Shaved Boar's Head pastrami is served hot with Gruyere cheese, cider slaw, spicy brown mustard and half-sour pickles. The flavors all work together well to bring forth an amazing hot pastrami sandwich. Bruxie also offers a selection of frozen custards and old fashioned cane-sugar sodas. You won't find and Pepsi or Coke here. The next time you're out looking for a sandwich, I highly recommend that you stop by your closest Bruxie for a taste experience that you won't soon forget.

Tasti-D-Lite Tustin - My latest obsession

Tasti-D-Lite
13662 Newport Ave, Suite C
Tustin, CA 92780
714-838-8100

www.tastidlite.com
Do you ever wish that there was a tasty frozen treat that had less fat and calories than most frozen yogurt? Do you get tired of picking from whatever 8-10 flavors are on tap at your local soft-serve place? You must be thinking to yourself, "There has to be a better way!" Well now there is! Tasti-D-Lite in Tustin is here for all of your low calorie, all-natural, frozen treat cravings!

Ok....enough with the infomercial spiel. Seriously though, this place is pretty awesome. When you enter the store, they tell you that their product is not frozen yogurt because there are no live, active cultures. They also can't call it ice cream because it has less than the required 10% butterfat to officially be called "ice cream." So they just call themselves a tasty frozen treat. Tasti-D-Lite has around 70 calories and 1.5 grams of fat per serving. The ingredients are all-natural. They have 8 flavors on tap that rotate on a daily basis. Here is the best part though, if you don't see a flavor you like on tap, you can choose from their menu of over 100+ flavors that they can mix up for you on the spot.

Tasti-D-Lite has a very extensive flavor list from Acai to Tropicolada to Rice Pudding and Cinnamon Crunch. The most amazing part is that all of the flavors I have tried taste almost exactly like the item they are trying to mimic. My favorite flavor so far is rice pudding. It actually tastes like homemade rice pudding that has somehow been pureed and frozen. I add a little extra cinnamon to mine and it is just as satisfying as eating a big ol' bowl of rice pudding.

So far this Tustin location is the only location in California. There are many Tasti-D-Lites on the east coast. Hopefully this Tasti-D-Lite is just the first of many to come to OC.
The Custom Flavor Mixing Station Toppings

Cocoa Lounge at The Palm Terrace in The Island Hotel - Newport Beach

The Cocoa Lounge, inside
The Palm Terrace Restaurant, inside
The Island Hotel
690 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Toll Free: 866-554-4620
Phone: 949-759-0808
www.islandhotel.com

Death by Chocolate.... Ok, well maybe not "death" but even the most die hard chocoholic will likely have an out of body experience upon entering The Cocoa Lounge inside The Palm Terrace Restaurant at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. The third annual Cocoa Lounge opens tonight for a limited 3-week run. The lounge is open from 6-PM-10PM Tuesday through Saturday February 4-February 26th, 2010. Admission to The Cocoa Lounge is $18 per person and grants you the privilege of consuming as many gourmet chocolate delights that you would like. If you dine at the Palm Terrace restaurant first and order at least a 2-course meal, your admission to the lounge is free! Free admission to the lounge can also be obtained with the purchase of one The Island Hotel's special Valentine's Day massages packages or Valentine's Day "Him and Her" meals.

When you enter the lounge you find yourself surrounded by dozens of chocolate desserts. Below are photos of some of the desserts that will be available. Selections may vary.




Chocolate Fudge Cookie S'mores

Milk Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cupcakes

Snickers Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Chocolate Pudding Cake with Gianduja Mousse

Vanilla Custard Filled Eclairs

White Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake

White Chocolate Mousses Squares

Manjari Obsession

Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

Pot De Creme

Port Truffles

Fresh Fruit Tarts

Chocolate Caramel Tarts

German Chocolate Cake

Dining in The Cocoa Lounge is chocolate decadence at it's best. You'll find yourself wandering from table to table, unsure of what to pick up first. Everyone in attendance seemed to agree that the Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding and Pot De Creme were the best desserts of the night. I also liked the Pot De Creme, but I really enjoyed the German Chocolate Cake as well. This experience is any chocolate lover's dream. However, I would still highly recommend The Cocoa Lounge to anyone that even has a slight fondness for chocolate. Even if you are not a chocolate fanatic, you will find yourself loving these desserts. All of the desserts are presented beautifully and taste sinfully good. The only thing I found missing from The Cocoa Lounge was a nice cup of hot cocoa to wash everything down. For some reason, when I first heard the name "Cocoa Lounge" I envisioned people sitting in a trendy lounge sipping on gourmet hot cocoa. Since the chefs said that they are constantly updating the selections, I'm hoping they'll add this in the future.

Thank you so much to Marguarite Clark at MCPR for inviting me to this fantastic media preview event.