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

Fleming's Steakhouse 5 for $6 til 7

I have recently discovered that Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach has a bunch of amazing happy hour specials, 7 nights a week! Their happy hour is called 5 for $6 til 7 because they have a selection of 5 appetizers, 5 wines and 5 cocktails for $6 each until 7:00 PM. As an added bonus, you can also get a big 'ol cheeseburger with onion rings for $6 as well. I recently had the opportunity to try all of the appetizers that Fleming's offers during the happy hour. The appetizers and the burger are pictured below.


Tenderloin Carpaccio


Sweet Chile Calamari Tossed with Banana Peppers


Wicked Cajun Barbecue Shrimp


Roasted Mushroom Ravioli


Baked Brie in Puff Pastry


Fleming's Prime Burger with Cheese and Bacon


My favorite of all the selections was the Tenderloin Carpaccio. I'm a total sucker for raw beef though. The thinly sliced filet mignon was paired perfectly with some salty capers, diced red onion, fresh basil and hard boiled egg. Absolutely delicious. The burger was also an amazing deal for only $6. This is a gourmet burger with onion rings at a price that is lower than many fast food joints. These food specials, plus the drink specials below, are available 7 days a week, at the bar, from 4-7 PM.

$6 Cocktails
TROPICAL MARTINI, Malibu Coconut Rum
WHITE COSMO, Svedka Vodka
POMTINI, Smirnoff Vodka
LIMONCELLO MARTINI, Smirnoff Vodka
STOLI BOMBSHELL, Stoli Vodka (99 calories)

$6 WINES BY THE GLASS
SPARKLING, Mas Fi Cava, Spain
CHARDONNAY, Canyon Road, California
PINOT NOIR, Mark West, California
MERLOT, Red Diamond, Washington
CABERNET, 14 Hands, Washington

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

The Cocoa Lounge is back! - Palm Terrace Restaurant, 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

The time has come for the 4th annual Cocoa lounge at the Palm Terrace restaurant in The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. For those of you not familiar with it, the Island Hotel hosts a pop-up chocolate lounge, once a year in February. The lounge is open in the evenings only and offers all-you-can-eat chocolate indulgences. Due to the huge surge in popularity, reservations are highly recommended. There is also a pricing adjustment this year. Admission to the Cocoa Lounge is $24 per person. If you dine in the restaurant beforehand and order an entree, your admission to the lounge is only $12. For last year's full coverage of the event, including many pictures, please visit http://www.griffineatsoc.com/2011/02/cocoa-lounge-at-palm-terrace-in-island.html

The lounge is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 6:00 PM-10:00 PM, Feb 3-March 3.

Below is a sample of the chocolate delights that await you, however the menu is subject to change.

Cocoa Lounge Menu – February 2012

Whole Cakes

· Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake

· Espresso Mousse Chocolate Cake

· White Chocolate Red Velvet Cheesecake

· Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream

Mini Pastries

· Chocolate Pudding Cake with White Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Glaze

· Milk Chocolate Mousse Timbales

· Cream Cheese Peanut Butter Brownies

· Orange White Chocolate Pistachio Cake

· Financier S’mores (pictured below)

· Gianduja Chocolate Pot de Crème

· Dark Chocolate Éclairs filled with Almond Cream (pictured below)

· Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (Pyramids)

· Fresh Fruit Tarts

Candies

· Peanut Caramels

· Chocolate Lollipops

· Port Truffles

· Chocolate Hazelnut Clusters

McDonalds debuts new Chicken McBites

Mc Donalds added a new menu item in the past couple of weeks that is supposedly only here for a limited time. The item is called Chicken McBites and is their version of popcorn chicken. It comes in snack size ($1.99), regular size ($2.99) and shareable size ($4.99). The chicken isn't bad, but I actually expected it to have a little more flavor. The snack size would be a nice little supplement to your meal though. The chicken has a very good crunch to it and is moist on the inside. I think I remember KFC popcorn chicken tasting better.

McDonalds Chicken McBites Nutritional Info:

Snack Size-Calories 310, Fat 19g, Carbs 22g, Sodium 490mg

Regular Size-Calories 470, Fat 28g, Carbs 33g, Sodium 730mg

Shareable Size-Calories 1050, Fat 63g, Carbs 73g, Sodium 1620mg

Paul Martin's American Grill, Happy Hour - Irvine

Paul Martin's American Bistro - Irvine
31 Fortune Drive, Suite 302
Irvine, CA

949-453-1144
www.paulmartinsamericanbistro.com

As many of you have heard, Paul Martin's American Grill has opened at the Irvine Spectrum. Paul Martin's in the latest restaurant from Paul Fleming, the creator of both the P.F. Changs and Fleming's chains. Paul Martin's focuses on the "super trendy right now" idea of using organic, local, sustainable food.

I was invited down to sample the happy hour menu at Paul Martin's with a bunch of other foodies. The happy hour menu is available 7 days a week, from 3PM-7PM Monday-Friday 4-7 PM and Sat-Sun 3-6 PM. The happy hour menu consists of two categories of food and drink specials, one for $4 each and one for $8 each.

I decided to sample the lemon drop ($4 happy hour). The drink was well made and very visually appealing. Other $4 happy hour cocktails include a raspberry martini, a cosmo and a mojito. V really liked the raspberry martini.

The first appetizer that was brought out is called "Smoked Chicken & Wings" ($4 happy hour/$8 regular price). The dish included both bite-size pieces of chicken and bone-in chicken wings. The chicken was smoked and then fried until the skin was perfectly crispy. This chicken was amazing. The smokiness of the meat paired with the perfect crunchy exterior made for a perfect munchable appetizer. I can totally see myself eating 2 or 3 plates of this during a happy hour trip to the restaurant. The chicken was also served with some sort of chipotle aioli dipping sauce that was very good as well.

Next came the "street tacos" ($4 happy hour/unavailable on regular menu). The tacos were made with homemade corn tortillas topped with braised and shredded shortrib meat. They also put a squirt of the chipotle aioli on them. This tied with the chicken wings for my favorite dish of the night. The beef was tender and bursting with flavor. The tacos came with diced julienned radishes and a wedge of lemon dipped in coarse salt. These two things really added a "pow" factor to the tacos.

Next up were the chicken skewers and the steak skewers ($4 chicken/$8 steak happy hour). I was pretty disappointed in both of these dishes. The meat was bland, boring and generic. I don't think I'd order either of these. No one else seemed to be a big fan of these dishes either.


This is a picture of the smoked salmon lettuce cups that came out next ($4.00 happy hour). I don't like smoked salmon, so I didn't try them. Other people said they were pretty good though. The smoked salmon was creamed and topped with slices of apple.

The BBQ rib plate ($8 happy hour) came with four meaty ribs and was served with a carolina style slaw. The ribs were very tender and tasty. The sauce had a strong vinegary kick but was also delicious. I wish the sauce had been a little spicier, but I did love the tang.

Our final savory item for the night was the Fried Chicken with Fries ($8 happy hour). This dish was very disappointing. Not only was it a tiny portion for the price, but the chicken was burnt and flavorless. I would much rather have two plates of the chicken wings instead of one order of this chicken.

To top off the evening we were served housemade shortbread cookies. I'm told that the cookies are usually served with their housemade ice cream. the cookies were tender, flaky and full of buttery goodness. I could eat a few plates of these.

Overall I was very pleased with the selection and prices for Paul Martin's happy hour. This is definitely a place to keep in mind if you are in the area between 3-7 PM. I can't wait to return to Paul Martin's to try their full dinner menu.