Happy Hour Week Launch Party at SOL Cocina

I was recently invited down to the launch party for happy hour week at SOL Cocina in Newport Beach. There was a VIP Media tasting of food and tequila before the public was let in. During the tasting, we got to taste three different Peligroso Tequilas paired with food. The three food items we got were:




HOT & RAW CEVICHE paired with Peligroso Blanco:
Fresh albacore, kosher salt, fresh squeezed lime juice, tomato, white onion, mango, pineapple, fresh orange bits, cucumber, habanero chiles, cilantro & avocado


CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SOPE paired with Peligroso Reposado:
Fresh corn masa flavored with garlic & ancho chile, formed into sopes and toasted, then fried. Topped with oaxacan cheese, poblano chiles & onions cooked with cream, epazote leaf, black pepper, salt, roasted chicken with chipotles in adobo & garlic; spicy cabbage slaw and habanero-pickled red onion on top


CORN, SHRIMP & BLACK BEAN CAKE, Tomatillo Salsa & Queso Fresco paired with Peligroso Anejo:
Fresh white corn, shrimp, garlic, black beans, white onions, jalapeno , salt; bound with panko, egg & mayonnaise. Salsa: tomatillos, onion, serrano, cilantro, salt. Queso Fresco made by Los Altos Cheeses in LA.

Each item was pretty tasty. I really liked the ceviche, but I think the corn and shrimp cake was my favorite. I am not sure if these items are available on SOL's everyday menu, but they show that chef Deborah Schneider is able to make tasty, upscale Mexican food that I believe is better than Taleo and rivals the food at Gabbi's. Her use of habanero proves that she isn't trying to cater to the bland palate of the masses, but is truly dedicated to putting her own spin on authentic Mexican food.

In addition to participating in Happy Hour Week, SOL Cocina will now be hosting a weekly taco and tequila Tuesday with street tacos 2 for $2.50, $5 Margaritas and $3 Mexican beers.



Carne Asada Street Taco


Carnitas Street Taco

Noonerz and GriffinEatsOC.com partner up to support Autism Speaks

http://www.noonerz.com


PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS CORNERSTONE CAFE

Inside Javatini's Coffee House
22972 Moulton Parkway
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
949-351-4000

Inside Green Earth Coffee
20025 Lake Forest Dr, Unit 101
Lake Forest, CA 92630

I have decided to walk in this year's Autism Speaks Walk at Angels Stadium of Anaheim on 11/13/2010. Noonerz heard about my participation in the walk and the owner was awesome enough to offer to do a fundraiser to support me.

On Wednesday, October 13th, Noonerz will be donating $2.00 for every sandwich that they sell to people participating in the fundraiser. ***PLEASE MENTION "GriffinEatsOC.com Fundraiser" WHEN ORDERING!!!*** All sandwiches are served with your choice of a side AND a cookie or brownie for dessert.

The sandwiches here are fantastic. I have been eating here since they were known as Cornerstone Cafe. They used to be located on UCI campus and then they moved to Laguna Hills. (UCI Peeps-This is the place that used to have the roundabouts!) Please stop by either location and buy a sandwich on Wednesday October 13th! Please tell your friends, family, neighbors, enemies....everyone!

If you'd like to personally sponsor me, please visit the following URL to make a donation. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!!

http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/orangecounty/griffin

Thai Fuzion Sauce

www.thaifuzion.com

I recently received a free sample of Caprine's Cuisine Thai Fuzion Sauce in the mail. I like to help promote small, local companies that produce a good product, so I thought I'd let you all know about this sauce.

Thai Fuzion is described by Caprine's Cuisine as an exotic dipping sauce that can awaken any food. I first tasted the sauce by itself, straight off of a spoon. The sauce has a great fresh, clean flavor with a good amount of spice. This is not a sauce for people that aren't able to handle a little heat. The flavors that stand out the most in this sauce are Thai chiles, lime and cilantro. Later in the day I poured a generous amount of the sauce on to a block of cold tofu. What a delicious after dinner snack!

If you're a fan of hot sauce and Thai flavors, I would definitely recommend that you try this sauce.

Retail Price $4.99-$5.99 for a 5.5 oz bottle. Available at the following OC retailers:

Gelson's Markets
Pacific Ranch Market-Orange
Promelis-Newport Beach
Marbella Farmers Market-San Juan Capistrano
Plowboys-Fountain Valley
The Meat House-Costa Mesa
Farm to Market-San Juan Capistrano

Leatherby's Cafe Rouge

Rene and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
615 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

714-429-7640

www.patinagroup.com

I was recently invited down to a media dinner at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge to sample the culinary creations from their fairly new executive chef, Ross Pangilinan. Leatherby's seems to be a restaurant that a lot of people in Orange County have never heard of. This is a shame, because the food here is top notch. Leatherby's is located on the first floor of the Rene and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The restaurant is frequented by patrons of the Orange County Performing Arts Center and SCR. Therefore, if you dine there after the nightly shows begin, you will most likely be dining in an almost empty restaurant.

(Please excuse the graininess of the photos. The lighting in the restaurant is dim and I was not using a flash.)

We had a preset menu for the media dinner. The meal started with an amuse bouche sent out by the chef. It was a small cube of compressed watermelon topped with a balsamic vinegar sphere and pop rocks. It was very tasty and very fun to eat with the pop rocks exploding in your mouth.

Our first course was a Fresh Seafood Quartet. The quartet contained octopus, lobster, ahi tuna tartar in a cone and smoked hamachi. Each item on the plate was absolutely delicious. The octopus was the most tender piece of octopus I have ever had. I think my favorite had to be the lobster though, with the tuna cone coming in a close second.

The second course was house made fettuccine with roasted mushrooms and white wine parmesan sauce. The dish was topped with a generous serving of truffle shavings. I enjoyed this dish so much that I waved down the waiter and asked him if there was any way I could get an order of this to take home. I was more than happy to pay any amount for this dish. Sadly, when I got home and opened the container, there were no shaved truffles on top. The truffles are what made this dish truly special. I think the truffle shavings on top may have been special for this media dinner because the online menu for the restaurant only lists "truffle essence" in the description.

For our main course, we had the choice of three dishes, all of which are available on their daily menu. Our three choices were:

Black Striped Bass (Market Fish of the Day, normally market price)
Israeli couscous paella, mussels, shrimp, chorizo, saffron.

Duo of Beef Shortribs (normally $28)
Braised and grilled, raclette potatoes, yellow and green bean salad, mushroom red wine sauce.

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast (normally $29)
Mushroom risotto, caramelized blackberries, Szechuan pepper, cider jus.

All of the dishes sounded fantastic, but I finally decided on the short ribs. The grilled short rib was served on top of the raclette potatoes, which were basically pureed potatoes with a little cheese in them. The braised short rib was served with the yellow and green bean salad on top. Both versions were absolutely delicious. If I had to pick a favorite though, it would have to be the braised. It's just so hard to go wrong with braised short ribs. It was tender, full of flavor and scrumptious.

After dinner, we were presented with an assortment of desserts to share. Pictured are a trio of chocolate desserts, panna cotta, cheesecake and bread pudding. They also served an assortment of gelatos and sorbets. All of the desserts were presented nicely, but were pretty average. The only thing that stood out was the watermelon and black pepper sorbet. Everyone at the table had fun trying to figure out what flavor the watermelon was paired with.

Chocolate Trio

Cheesecake

Panna Cotta

Bread Pudding
Overall, I think that Leatherby's is a fantastic choice if you are looking for a delicious, upscale meal in Orange County. You're not going to get huge portions here, but the food you do get will be amazing. Everyone should treat themselves to this place at least once.

Ochoa's Chorizo Store

220 W. Warner Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 850-0052


I was driving around Santa Ana recently when I saw a sign out of the corner of my eye. The sign read, "Ochoa's Chorizo Store. OC Best Homemade Style Chorizo" I wasn't able to turn my car into the parking lot fast enough. I went in the store and was amazed by what I saw. With the exception of a few bags of chips and packages of tortillas in the corner, this clean, little shop sells nothing but chorizo. I felt as if I had been transported to some kind of chorizo heaven. Racks and racks of fresh chorizo links were being made behind the counter.

(Photo from Yelp, used with permission from Ochoa's Chorizo)

Ochoa's Chorizo store offers 4 different kinds of chorizo. The 4 types are regular, spicy, chorizo verde (green) and chorizo de pollo (chicken). Other than the chorizo de pollo, all of the chorizo is made with ground pork. The chorizo is sold by the link or half link and ranges between $7.00-$7.50 per link. Each link is about 3 feet long and weighs about 1 1/2 lbs! On my first visit, I purchased some spicy chorizo. It was so good that I returned a week or two later and purchased about 6 lbs. of spicy and chorizo verde.

After my first visit, I came home and researched Ochoa's. Apparently the Ochoa family has been making fresh chorizo in Orange County for over 35 years. They used to sell the chorizo out of their home, but it became so popular that they needed to open a retail location. People apparently drive from all over Southern California to buy this chorizo in bulk. I don't blame them. This chorizo is so good that I would happily drive hours to buy some. Luckily though, it's only about a 15 minute drive from my house.

The chorizo from Ochoa's is not your typical grocery store chorizo that transforms into a neon orange, greasy mess when you cook it. This chorizo is made from lean ground pork. The chorizo crumbles and cooks up nicely, similar to lean ground beef.

(One link of chorizo verde, casing removed, cooking up in a pan.)

The flavor of the chorizo is absolutely amazing. If it's not the best chorizo I have ever had in my entire life, it's pretty darn close. Ochoa's will most likely be the only place I purchase my chorizo from now on. I highly encourage all of you to walk, run, drive or whatever down to Ochoa's as fast as you can to get this chorizo. Oh......and I know you all like to mix chorizo with eggs, but in my opinion this ruins it. Make yourself a burrito or some (corn tortilla) tacos with just chorizo, cilantro, diced onions, cotija cheese and your favorite hot sauce or salsa. It'll blow your mind.

Orange County Restaurant Week

Ok. I know I've been slacking off on the reviews. I know the last few posts have been information about events and my posts have been few and far between. I'm going to write a new review soon though.....I swear.....

In the meantime, here is some info about the Orange County Restaurant Week that is coming up in a little over a week. As usual, click on the restaurant name below to view the special price fixed menu that each restaurant has for the week.


ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., AUGUST 2010 – The Orange County Restaurant Association has finalized participation of more than 100 restaurants that will unite for the region’s fastest growing and most anticipated culinary event, Orange County Restaurant Week, featuring the flavors of fall from September 26 through October 2, 2010.

During the week, participating restaurants will offer special three-course menus, many with a cocktail or signature item at no additional charge. Each restaurant will have the freedom and flexibility to showcase its best offerings by talented chefs who will, no doubt, personalize each menu to reflect their culinary style. Participating restaurants will offer prix-fixe menus within three price categories: lunch for $10, $15 or $20, and dinner for $20, $30 or $40. Guests will have the opportunity to search restaurants by cuisine, location and price point, as well as make reservations online at www.OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com.

Following are the restaurants confirmed to date – more information can be found on the official Orange County Restaurant Week website, OrangeCountyRestaurantWeek.com, where diners may go to find a full list of participants, menus, location and reservation information:

• 118 Degrees
• 230 Forest Avenue - Laguna Beach
• 320 Main Street - Seal Beach
• 6ix Park Grill - Irvine
• Anaheim White House - Anaheim
• Andrei's Conscious Cuisine - Irvine
• AnQi
• Antonello's - Santa Ana
• Bayside
• Belacan Grill - Tustin
• Bistango
• Bluewater Grill - Newport Beach
• Bluewater Grill - Tustin
• Brasserie Pascal - Newport Beach
• Canyon - Anaheim Hills
• Canaletto Ristorante Veneto - Newport Beach
• Catal - Anaheim
• Cedar Creek - Brea
• Cedar Creek - Laguna Niguel
• Cedar Creek - San Juan Capistrano
• Cha Cha's Tacos and Tequila - Brea
• Commonwealth - Fullerton
• Commonwealth - Newport Beach
• Crystal Jade
• Don The Beachcomber
• Duke's - Huntington Beach
• ECCO - Costa Mesa
• El Torito Grille
• Fire and Ice
• French 75 - Laguna Beach
• Geisha House - Santa Ana
• Harborside Restaurant - Newport Beach
• Haven Gastropub - Orange
• House of Big Fish and Ice Cold Beer - Laguna Beach
• Il Fornaio - Irvine
• JT Schmid's Restaurant and Brewery - Anaheim
• JT Schmid's Restaurant and Brewery - Tustin
• Kimera
• K'ya Bistro - Laguna Beach
• K'ya Street Fare - Anaheim
• Leatherby's - Costa Mesa
• LUCCA - Irvine
• Lulu’s Crêperie Café - Laguna Hills
• Lumberyard - Laguna Beach
• Mahe - Dana Point
• Mahe - Seal Beach
• Mario's by the Sea - Laguna Niguel
• Marmalade - Tustin
• Marrakesh - Costa Mesa
• McCormicks and Schmicks - Anaheim
• Medieval Times - Buena Park
• Melting Pot - Brea
• Melting Pot - Irvine
• Melting Pot - San Clemente
• Memphis at the Santora - Santa Ana
• Memphis Cafe - Costa Mesa
• Mozambique - Laguna Beach
• Mr. Stox - Anaheim
• Nello Cucina - Costa Mesa
• Newport Landing - Newport Beach
• Nirvana Grille - Laguna Beach
• Nirvana Grille - Mission Viejo
• No Ka Oi - Huntinton Beach
• O'Neill's at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club - Mission Viejo
• Opah - Aliso Viejo
• Opah - Irvine
• Original Mike's
• Palm Terrace at The Island Hotel - Newport Beach
• Phan's 55 - Fullerton
• Phan's 55 - Irvine
• Pinot Provence - Costa Mesa
• Pirates Dinner Adventure - Buena Park
• Pizzeria Ortica - Costa Mesa
• Port - Corona Del Mar
• Prego Ristorante - Irvine
• Primecut Cafe - Orange
• Quattro Cafe
• RA Sushi
• Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen - Anaheim
• RAYA at The Ritz Carlton - Laguna Niguel
• Royal Khyber - Santa Ana
• Ruth's Chris Steak House - Anaheim
• Ruth's Chris Steak House - Irvine
• Rustica - Newport Beach
• Rusty Pelican - Newport Beach
• Sage - Newport Beach
• Salt Creek Grille - Dana Point
• Sandy's Beach Grill - Huntington Beach
• Sapori Ristorante - Newport Beach
• Savannah Chophouse - Laguna Niguel
• Seasons 52 - Costa Mesa
• Shades Restaurant & Bar - Huntington Beach
• Signature Kitchen - Costa Mesa
• Simply Fondue - Mission Viejo
• Simply Fondue - San Juan Capistrano
• SOL Cocina - Newport Beach
• Sorrento Grille - Laguna Beach
• South Coast Winery Restaurant - Costa Mesa
• Sparks Woodfire Grill
• Splashes - Laguna Beach
• Summit House - Fullerton
• Sundried Tomato - Laguna Beach
• Sundried Tomato - San Clemente
• Sundried Tomato - San Juan Capistrano
• Tangata - Santa Ana
• TAPS Fish House and Brewery - Brea
• The Beach House - Laguna Beach
• The Californian - Huntington Beach at the Hyatt
• The Catch - Anaheim
• The Crow Bar and Kitchen - Corona Del Mar
• The Next Door
• The Lido Deck - Newport Beach
• The Matador - Fullerton
• The Ritz Restaurant and Garden - Newport Beach
• The Rooftop Lounge - Laguna Beach
• The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar - Tustin
• Tommy Bahama's Island Grille - Newport Beach
• Tradition by Pascal - Newport Beach
• Watermarc - Laguna Beach
• Wildfish Seafood Grille - Newport Beach
• Wolfgang Pucks - Costa Mesa
• Zov's Bistro - Tustin
• Zov's - Irvine
• Zov's - Newport Beach
  

OC FOODIE FEST ANNOUNCES THE OFFICIAL 50 GOURMET FOOD TRUCKS

Saturday, August 28th at the Honda Center of Anaheim

Anaheim, Calif. – This week, the official food truck meeting took place to lock down the 50 gourmet food trucks participating in the upcoming OC Foodie Fest. The outdoor festival is the first of its kind in Orange County, bringing together 50 of the best local gourmet food trucks to one central location at the Honda Center in Anaheim on August 28th. The one-day event will be the ultimate foodie destination, featuring the best in popular mobile eats with a diverse roster of traditional and fusion cuisines, combined with a unique forum to showcase local entertainment & shopping to help support local charities.

The official 50 food truck list can be seen below, along with Web site and cuisine type details.

For more information about the festival, please visit: http://www.ocfoodiefest.com!

Twitter: @OCFoodieFest
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ocfoodiefest
Website: ocfoodiefest.com

This is how we roll...

Featured Food Truck Partners:

TacoDawg, Ludo Truck and Cart For A Cause.

VIP Area - Food Truck Sponsors:

Dogzilla, Get Shaved, Komodo, Piaggio, TacoDawg, Sweet Trucks and White Rabbit Truck.

The 50 Food Trucks:

AhnJooLA
Barbie’s Q
Barcelona on the Go
Buttermilk Truck
Calbi BBQ
Cart for a Cause
Chunk-N-Chip
Cool Haus
Crepes Bonaparte
Dim Sum Truck
Dogzilla Hot Dogs || VIP Area Food Truck Sponsor||
Don Chow Tacos
Dos Chinos
Dumpling Station
Fishlips Sushi
Flying Pig Truck
Fresh Fries LA
Frysmith
Get Shaved || VIP Area – Food Truck Sponsor||
Great Balls on Tires
Green Truck
India Jones
Komodo || VIP Area Food Truck Sponsor||
Kona Ice Beach Cities
KrazyBBQ
Longboard’s Ice Cream
Louk’s To Go
LudoTruck
Maui Wowie
Morsels Baking Company
My Kabob Express
NaNa Queens
Nom Nom Truck
Oh For Sweet’s Sake
Piaggio on Wheels || VIP Area – Food Truck Sponsor||
Seabirds
Ta Bom
Taco Dawg || VIP Area – Food Truck Sponsor||
Tasty Meat!
The Gastrobus
The Lime Truck
The Manila Machine
The Place LA
The Shrimp Guys
The Sweets Truck || VIP Area - Food Truck Sponsor||
Tropical Shave Ice
Uncle Lau’s BBQ
Vizzi Truck
White Rabbit Truck || VIP Area Food Truck Sponsor||
World Fare

ABOUT THE OC FOODIE FEST

MISSION

The OC Foodie Fest is a partnership between Taco Dawg LLC & OCFoodies.com, brought to you by the Orange County Register to celebrate the love of food and its power to bring the community together. The one-day event is the ultimate foodie destination, featuring the best in popular eats combined with a unique forum to showcase local entertainment & shopping, all to help support charities including Pretend City Children’s Museum, Child S.H.A.R.E. and St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. The inaugural event will kick-off at one of Orange County’s well-known locations, the Honda Center in Anaheim.

ABOUT TACO DAWG

Taco Dawg LLC is Orange County's original mobile restaurant, promoting the exposure of the gourmet food truck movement through creative events and opportunities. The Taco Dawg truck brings eager foodies a fusion of innovative tacos and hot dogs with a simple belief that food isn't complicated. Owner James Foxall James Foxall (CEO) has been an OC resident for the past 10 years since getting out of the armed forces (USMC), he too has been an active member of both the Orange County and Costa Mesa communities. James has spent time as a Senator’s intern and field representative (Dick Ackerman) public relations for the transportation corridor agency (The Toll Roads) and as a sales manager for Encore Credit Corporation currently he is a member of the Costa Mesa Child Care and Youth Services Committee (CCYSC) and sits on the board of Choosing Balance, a non-profit that has ran business, fitness, mentoring, and community service programs with Estancia HS, Back Bay HS, Costa Mesa Public Library, and the city of Costa Mesa.

ABOUT OCFOODIES.COM

OCfoodies.com was created by the OC Restaurant Association, Inc. as a place to discuss all things delicious in Orange County, California. This engaging online community keeps more than 30,000 visitors per month in the know on all things food. OCfoodies covers food news, menus, local food events, recipes, happy hours and everything in between while allowing everyone to be a part of the community and share their thoughts and opinions. To stay in the know on the Orange County Food Scene OCfoodies.com is where its at.