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....

Burrissimo - Costa Mesa

Burrissimo 

1534 Adams Ave #D 

Costa Mesa, CA 92626 

714-206-1682

www.burrissimo.com

By Guest Writer: Jeff L.

Their theme is “fresh Italian” and their selection of what you could put on your meal was impressive.  The concept behind Burrissimo is similar to Chipotle.  You basically pick your meat and veggies and they then get wrapped up in an Italian herb tortilla with some angel hair pasta and sauce.  Their selection of toppings is very extensive.

We started with the bread sticks which looked underdone and were. They were served with an interesting honey butter which, when they were consistent were good, but a little too much on the honey side and less on the butter side. The first batch was more of an applesauce consistency with the second batch being what you would expect in regard to creaminess. The bread was very light and fluffy.

We then had the pepperoni rolls which were served with 3 sauces, alfredo, pomodoro and ranch. The alfredo sauce had this orange hue so I had to doubletake, it could use a little on the flavor side but did have a little kick towards the end. Pomodoro was a simple marinara sauce.

The Tuscany sausage potato soup was really good. Seasoned perfectly and it was light yet hearty.

The Burrissimo wrap is an intriguing concept, at first I’m thinking an Italian wrap with angel hair pasta inside would be weird, but it works. I had the meatball inside which was good but by the time you put all the veggies on it the meat to total product ratio seems small. They make their meatballs from scratch which I respect. I had a smidgen of diavolo sauce because it was too hot but combined with the pomodoro sauce made for a zesty combination. 

The Zeppoles were a little on the dry side but combined with the dipping sauces it worked.

Bottom line is that if you want fresh, high quality food for a reasonable price point you should try this place.

Editor's note: Jeff was invited to try Burrissimo as part of a media event.

Fleming's "Small Plates, Big Pours" now through 6/30/2013

Fleming's in Newport Beach is currently running an awesome promotion for wine lovers through the end of June.  You can go and get a small plate of amazing food, paired with an extra-large (1.5 times their normal serving) pour of premium wine for $24.95.  Some of these wines run close to $25 a glass by themselves, so this is a great deal.  There are seven different small-plates to choose from.

SLICED FILET MIGNON
shiitake risotto, chili oil, porcini butter drizzle

COLOSSAL SHRIMP SKEWERS
chimichurri dipping sauce, fennel citrus salad

NEW ZEALAND PETITE LAMB CHOPS
pistachio-mint pesto, "F17" sauce, polenta fries

BRAISED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF
boneless, savory arugula and spinach, natural au jus

SEARED AHI TUNA
fresh vegetable salad, spicy mustard sauce

NEW BEDFORD SCALLOPS
meyer lemon-honey glaze, carrots, green beans, asparagus

FLEMING’S LOBSTER TEMPURA
soy-ginger dipping sauce, arugula, jicama salad

I was invited in to try a small plate and some wine.  I chose the Lobster Tempura, V chose the Filet Mignon.  

The lobster was fantastic.  The succulent lobster tail was juicy, tender and fried perfectly crisp.  The jicama salad had a nice spicy kick to it as well.  

V really liked the filet mignon.  She loved the sauces that it came with.  She said that the risotto came in smal nuggets that were slightly pan-fried to give them a slightly crispy exterior that gave way to a creamy interior.  

Fleming's in Newport Beach will also be starting Sunday brunch near the end of this month.  I can't wait to try it!

Burrissimo Costa Mesa - GIVEAWAY!

http://www.burrissimo.com/

Have you guys heard of this new Burrissimo restaurant in Costa Mesa?  They also have a new location coming soon in Brea.  Burrissimo is a fast-casual restaurant that is similar in food-prep style to Chipotle.  The difference though, is that the burritos are made with Italian ingredients!  Burritos come filled with angel hair pasta and a variety of toppings, such as pomodoro sauce, alfredo sauce, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes and so much more!  Burrissimo has offered to give out PRIZES TO 11 OF MY LUCKY READERS!

Ten lucky winners will win a $10 gift card to Burrissimo

One GRAND PRIZE winner will win a Burrisimo prize pack.  The prize pack must be picked up at Burrissimo, Costa Mesa by June 27, 2013. Prize pack consists of:

• A pair of Costa Mesa 60th Anniversary celebration concert tickets for Friday June 28 at 4:00 PM. For more info, visit the Costa Mesa 60th Anniversary Celebration website http://www.travelcostamesa.com/costa-mesa-60/index.html
• $25 Burrissimo Gift Card
• Burrissimo Logo Cap
• Bottle of BSting Signature Hot Sauce
• An order of free Zepoles (Italian Donuts)

By the way, if you visit the restaurant between 6/24 and 6/30, you will receive a free order of Zeppoles with a minimum $7 purchase!  To enter the contest, please use the rafflecopter form below!

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Wahoo's Fish Taco - NEW Citrus Slaw Taco

Wahoo's Fish Taco

wahoos.com

Wahoo's will be introducing a new menu item on Saturday 5/25 as part of the ongoing celebration of their 25th anniversary. I was lucky enough to be able to try this taco before it is officially released. The taco is basically the same as their current taco, but instead of being topped with plain cabbage, it is topped with a cabbage slaw that is marinated in a light citrus dressing. I have always been a fan of Wahoo's tacos, but this new slaw adds a whole new element of flavor. The light, tangy flavor of the slaw was a perfect complement to the taco. Add a little Mr. Lee's sauce to the taco and you have a perfect fish taco. I can't wait to see what they come up with next!

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.

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

SEE BOTTOM OF ARTICLE FOR A SMASHBURGER GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY!

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.

SmashBurger has offered to give away a $20 gift card to one lucky reader! Use the form below to enter! GIVEAWAY VALID ONLY FOR RESIDENTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!

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