Blackie's Originals - Pork Chips

www.blackiesoriginals.com

I happened to be walking through the Farmers Market at the Kaiser in Irvine (Wednesdays) when I spotted a booth offering what they call Crispy Pork Jerky. I tried a sample and discovered that is was not much like jerky, but much more like a crispy meat chip. Fantastic! The company is only 5 months old and currently sells their product at this Farmers Market plus the Huntington Beach Farmers Market and the OC Swap Meet at the Fairgrounds over the weekend. The crispy pork chips are now available in Original and Spiked Pepper. The flavor is a little like a sweet teriyaki glaze on lightly smoked, crispy bacon. New flavors will be coming soon. I hope he comes out with a flavor soon that focuses more on the salty instead of the sweet. These are still a great little snack though. The chips are baked, all-natural and 97% fat-free. Bags are currently $6 each or 2 for $10.

Aria International - The new giant grocery store in town

2505 El Camino Real
Tustin, CA
714-665-8269

The giant space in Tustin that once housed K-Mart and then Sears Essentials finally has a new tenant. The New Aria International Supermarket opened this past week. This grocery store is among one of the biggest I've seen. Apart from the giant size, it is not much different than your standrad grocery store. The store claims to be an international grocer. While I saw many Middle-Eastern and Mexican groceries, I did not see very many Asian items. The produce is currently dirt cheap because of their opening week, but I'm not sure if prices will remain this low. The produce also seems to be a little lower quality than average. The large bakery makes freshly baked Sangak bread for those of you that don't want to stand in the long line at Wholesome Choice. There is a International Food Court in the back of the store, but as of now there is only a single Middle-Eastern restaurant serving food. Here are a few photos from inside the store.


The Giant Store

The Bakery

Mexican Cheese in The Deli Department

Fresh Meat Department

Hot Food - International Food Court