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....

Smashburger

Smashburger - Orange County
26541 Aliso Creek Rd, Ste C
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
949-716-3855

1003 The Shops at Mission Viejo
(Inside the mall food court)
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
949-364-1246

www.smashburger.com

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SmashBurger, a chain that started in Denver CO, has recently begun to expand into Orange County. I was invited down to sample some of their offerings. SmashBurger sets themselves apart from their competition by literally smashing their burgers down on a flat top grill. They say that this puts a good sear on the meat and thereby gives the beef patty a good exterior crust while retaining the juices. Below is a video of the process they go through to create a SmashBurger.

It seems that Smashbugers across the country all have regional specialty burgers in addition to the standard SmashBurgers. The two regional burgers for the Orange County area are "The LA Burger" and "The OC Burger." I decided to try the LA burger and V tried the OC burger.

The LA burger consists of a beef patty topped with a crispy wonton, fried egg, cilantro, cucumber, lettuce, tomato and a Japanese Steakhouse ginger dressing. The burger was very good. The cucumbers and the cilantro gave the burger a very fresh, crisp taste. However, I felt that the dressing was a little on the bland side.

The OC burger was topped with baby portabella mushrooms, baby arugula, grilled onions, aged swiss cheese and truffle mayo. V enjoyed her OC burger a lot. She loved that the grilled onions were nice and caramelized instead of barely grilled like at some other burger places. She thought that the truffle mayo was very good but felt that there was a little too much of it on the burger. She said she would definitely get this burger again, but would just ask them to go easy on the mayo.

I also got to try one of their Fresh Mex chicken sandwiches. A chicken breast is pounded out until it is really thin and then grilled on the flat top. The chicken was topped with guacamole, cilantro, pepper jack cheese, tomato, onion, sour cream and chipotle mayo. I would usually never choose a chicken sandwich over a burger, but I think I really enjoyed this sandwich more than my burger. The chicken was cooked well and was not dry at all. The sandwich had a nice spicy kick to it and was full of flavor.

Smashburger offers a variety of side dishes. Their signature Smashfries are tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic. They were very tasty with a pungent kick of rosemary. Fries are also available in sweet potato form and can be smothered with chili and cheese. Fried pickles and onion haystacks are available at the Aliso Viejo location. They also offer fried green beans and carrot sticks.

In addition to burgers, SmashBurger offers a variety of chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and salads. Burgers are also available with a veggie patty. Ice cream shakes and malts are made with Haagen Dazs ice cream and are very rich and decadent. I love the fact that they offer a malt option, instead of just a plain milkshake.

Overall, I was very happy with the food at SmashBurger. I feel that the prices are reasonable and the burgers are much better than your standard fast food joint. I also appreciate the fact that they take the time to present the burgers nicely, instead of just wrapping them in paper and throwing them in a bag. SmashBurger currently has the two location in Aliso Viejo and Mission Viejo and plans to open a third location in San Clemente in the next six months. They are also currently looking for a location in the Irvine area.

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Fish Camp - Huntington Beach

Fish Camp
16600 Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach (Sunset Beach), CA 92649
562-592-2267
www.samsfishcamp.com

I was recently invited down to try the new menu at Fish Camp in Huntington Beach. Fish Camp is a fast-casual dining concept from the owners of the King's Fish House chain. All of the suppliers are the same, so you basically get the same food as you would get at King's, but at a slightly lower price point because they have eliminated the traditional wait-staff. They also offer only a limited selection of beer, wine and a few cocktails instead of a full bar.

As you enter the restaurant, there is a small fish market where you can buy fresh fish by the pound. One difference between King's Fish House and Fish Camp is that Fish Camp mongers all of their fish in the restaurant every day.

We started out the meal with a few appetizers. JL ordered a cup of the Clam Chowder ($2.95 cup, $5.25 bowl, $7.75 sourdough bowl) and an order of the Crab Cakes ($7.95). I started out my meal with the Baja Shrimp Cocktail ($5.75). We split an order of the Ahi Tuna Poke ($8.75) as well. Lastly, we also both had a Cajun Bloody Mary ($5.75) that we both thought was awesome. It was made with Absolut Peppar vodka to give it an extra kick.

JL really enjoyed his clam chowder. He said that it was really creamy and had a stronger seafood flavor than most clam chowders. He thought that the crab cakes were pretty good, but a little dry.


My Baja Shrimp Cocktail kind of reminded me of shrimp on top of a cold gazpacho soup. The cocktail consisted of a cup of a chunky, cold tomato sauce with avocado mixed in. The shrimp were sliced in half lengthwise and placed on top of the sauce. It was served with crispy tortilla chips. This dish would be the perfect, refreshing start to a warm, balmy summer evening spent relaxing on their patio in the cool ocean breeze.

The Ahi Tuna Poke has peanuts in it. I also felt it was slightly underseasoned. The dish wasn't bad, but I feel it could be improved.
For my main course, I ordered the King Crab Legs (market price, $33.50/1-lb. on 2/7/13). The dinner plates come with your choice of two sides. I chose brown rice and cheesy grits. JL ordered the Sea Scallop plate ($16.75) with french fries and cheesy grits. I really enjoyed my king crab legs. The legs had been partially split open with a knife and the crab was easy to remove from the shell. The crab was cooked perfectly. The cheesy grits were very good. JL and I both agreed that it was a very good, however slightly unusual side dish. The brown rice was just plain, steamed rice. I was hoping for it to be slightly seasoned.

JL enjoyed his scallops. He said that they were smaller than a lot of scallops that he has gotten at other restaurants, but that they were packed full of flavor. He described them as dense in a good way and very tasty.

To finish off our meal, I decided to try a piece of their Chocolate Cake ($4.55).

JL got a piece of their Key Lime Pie ($4.45). The key lime pie is made in-house. JL thought that it was very good and has a nice tang to it. The chocolate cake is made by an outside bakery. The cake was served cold and was dense and fudgy, the way I like it.

Overall, I think that Fish Camp is a very good option if you are looking for a fast-casual seafood experience. The seafood is all of very high quality and it is prepared well. One of the managers was telling me that the company is looking to open a new Fish Camp location by the end of the year and they hope it to be in South Orange County. In the near future, they will be focusing on opening more Fish Camp locations than King's Fish Houses. I hope they open one near me soon!

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.

Stonehill Tavern - St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach

Stonehill Tavern
1 Monarch Beach Resort
Dana Point, CA 92629
Tel: 949.234.3318
http://michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/stoc.php

Last week I was lucky enough to be invited down to Michael Mina's restaurant, Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, to try the new tasting menu. I know that sometimes I review fast food joints on this blog. Well, Stonehill Tavern would be as opposite of a fast food joint that you can get. This restaurant is the epitome of fine dining. The food and service at this establishment are truly first-class.

The evening started out on the gorgeous balcony with the Seasonal Shellfish Platter ($29pp). This item is not usually included with the tasting menu. We were also given a couple of Stonehill Tavern's signature cocktails to try, the Violet Turning Violet and the Moscow Mule.



The platter consisted of some of the freshest shellfish from the sea served in a variety of imaginative ways. On the shellfish platter were (from left to right) a kumamoto oyster, giant clam ceviche, marinated abalone sashimi, spot prawn cocktail, dungeness crab leg and uni flan.


Next, we were moved inside to start the tasting menu. The tasting menu is $148 per person. You can add a wine pairing to each course for an extra $95 or a pairing of alternate alcoholic beverages (think cocktails, sake and more) for $65 per person. Below are the courses that we sampled (Selections may vary).

Ahi Tuna Tartar (image courtesy of Stonehill Tavern)


Smoked Salmon with Cucumber Dill Yogurt Sauce and Pumpernickel Toast


"Three Eggs" Layers of Uni Custard, Scrambled Chicken Egg and Wasabi Tobiko Caviar


Dry-Boat Halibut with Asparagus, Green Almonds, Ramps and Pancetta


Lobster Pot Pie


Grimaud Farms Duck with Black Barley and Baby Turnips


Wagyu Striploin with Porcini, Broccoli and Bone Marrow


Melted Camembert on House-Made Brioche with Rhubarb Confiture


Raspberry Curd

The menu included a variety of artfully presented delights. My two favorites for the evening would have to be the Grimaud Farms Duck and the Lobster Pot Pie. All of the above dishes are available in a larger entree size. I am told that if you order the entree size Lobster Pot Pie, it comes in a large copper kettle with an entire lobster inside. S's favorite dish of the night was the halibut.

Overall, I know this restaurant may be out of price-range for a lot of you. If you can swing it though, you are in for a real treat. I have been to many fine dining restaurants in my life and Stonehill Tavern has some of the finest service of any restaurant I have been to. The attention to detail and the presentation that the chef puts into each dish makes each plate a feast for both the eyes and your stomach. The next time you are looking for a fine dining restaurant, make sure that Stonehill Tavern is on your list of considerations.