Gas Station Gourmet

Last night the hubster and I were too lazy to cook dinner, so after a Costco run (where he didn't feel like having Costco pizza or hot dog for dinner), we decided to drive down a block or two from our apartment to the Valero Gas Station that sits on McFadden where Santa Ana meets Tustin.

Yes, the gas station. And it wasn't even a 7-11 or an Extra Mile convenience store either (he loves the Extra Mile - attached to most Chevron gas stations - hot dog with sauerkraut). He said that every time he drives by (it's right smack in between his work and home... about 2 minutes from home and 3 minutes from work - how nice, right?) around lunch time or after work, he always sees people sitting around eating. So we had to try it. It's a 2-minute drive from our apartment - why the heck not?

Scoping it out. It was almost 9pm by the time we came by and it wasn't crowded at all, just a few people in line and waiting in their cars. The place is open for lunch from 11-3 and dinner from 6-10.

Here it is: Peter's Gourmade Grill! It's attached to the Valero gas station convenience store. It's really just a kitchen with an order/pick-up window and a small outdoor counter with some stools if you want to eat there, but since we're so close to home, we took it to go, like most people do. Or they sit in their car and eat.

In passing, the hubster kept thinking it was a gyro place (based on that neon sign there), but when we went there, it was much more than gyro... sure there ARE gyros and other Greek touches, but we went with the burgers and fries.

This is just the partial menu displayed in the window. We each went with the ABC burger (Avocado Bacon Cheese) with a 100% Angus beef patty. And then before I could say anything, the hubster ordered the Sweet Potato Gooey's. I knew I couldn't have that, and wanted the Greek Fries instead, but I didn't want us going home with two orders of fries, since you know, I really shouldn't be eating fries to begin with. So we went home with an ABC burger each (mine without ketchup because that's pure sugar there) and an order of the Gooey fries.

All I could smell and think about on the 2-minute drive home (darn that red light!) were Sweet Potato Fries! And to be honest, I'm not that big of a fan of sweet potato fries. What are Sweet Potato Gooey's?

THIS is Sweet Potato Gooey's: sweet potato fries with brown sugar and maple syrup, topped with toasted marshmallows. Seriously. Like a yummy, fried alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole... if you like marshmallows and all that sweetness. I stayed away.

And finally, our ABC burger! From bottom to top: soft potato bun, mayo, pickle slices, shredded lettuce, tomato slice, 100% Angus beef patty (looks really fresh, right?), melted cheddar cheese, thick slabs of bacon, fresh and creamy avocado slices, mayo and mustard, soft potato bun. Delish! We gobbled those suckers down QUICK.

The only thing about Peter's Gourmade Grill being so small is that they run out of stuff. By the time we got there (about an hour before closing), they were no longer serving breakfast and Mexican food, and pastrami. The next time we go - and YES, there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time... - I don't know what I'll try, but the hubster will be getting The Rammer (grilled pastrami served on top of a 6 oz. Angus beef burger with mustard, pickles, grilled onions and swiss cheese on a pretzel bun), and I will insist on the Peter's Greek fries (shoestring fries tossed with oregano, feta cheese and topped with gyro meet and served with cucumber sauce). Yummy yummy! And oh yeah... if you're in a hurry, you can also text your order in before hand and will receive a confirmation text in return.

Mini Menus

One of our favorite places is hands down, Honda-ya in Old Town Tustin. It's a quaint little Japanese restaurant (always with a line) that serves not just sushi but yakitori and other traditional Japanese dining options. My go-to has always been a couple of their yakitori (specificially the veggies wrapped in bacon) and then dinner would always be either the sesame fried chicken or the pork tonkatsu (also breaded and fried). When we were super hungry, we'd go with a 2-item dinner combo: comes with miso soup, a salad, bowl of rice, side potato salad and two choices (of which mine would always be vegetable tempura with sesame fried chicken or the pork tonkatsu.. But usually the sesame fried chicken).

My appetite having decreased a whole lot since our last visit to Honda-ya (i'll have to see if I posted our Honda-ya feast fest earlier on), and being diabetic for the time being, Corina and I finally hopped on over (now only a 3-minute drive from my new digs!) for some bacon-wrapped stuff on sticks - YUM!





From left to right: Bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon wrapped cherry tomatoes, bacon wrapped zucchini, and chicken leg meat. I had already demolished the bacon wrapped sausages at this point. But how pretty and delicious does that look?

I don't know why the images always look smaller and grainier when I post directly from my phone even though when I post from my computer (still not hooked up) with photos from my phone, it looks fine.

So maybe our taste buds have changed, or maybe the chef changed, but dinner didn't knock our socks off (if we had been wearing socks) like it used to. Will we return? Of course!!!

- Posted mobile-y (please excuse the typos!)

Lazy Dog!

So there's this place that I always pass in my local Target shopping center. It's called Lazy Dog Cafe and it's a really low-key, cozy, casual restaurant with a somewhat rustic charm, despite the fact that they've got a bar and decent happy hour and everything. The menu has a decent selection, including quite a drink list (alcoholic drink list).

So last night after some shopping at the mall, Corina and I swung by for a "quick" dinner. I mean, we didn't even bother looking at the full menu, we just looked at the starters and small bites section. And well... starters aren't exactly small either.

Corina's order of the nachos with carne asada chili and all the fixin's (7.95)... look at that cozy fire going on back there.

My order of the blackened chicken quesadilla (9.45) was quite tasty. I particularly loved the melted and crispy cheese on top of the tortilla - in fact, I liked it more than the chicken (which was still tasty) on the inside! And the salsa/guacamole/sour cream they provided was not skimpy at all. Gosh that quesadilla looks delicious right now.

Anyhow, would I recommend this place? Sure! The last time I had gone with the hubster, he had ordered a beer sampler which had, I believe 5 beers (ales) come out on what looked like a wooden painter's palette. They weren't large glasses of beer, but decent enough size... at that point, the hubster couldn't even get through them all. But then again, that was a couple of years ago... let's say his alcoholic consumption/tolerance has increased... exponentially... (but then again, he's more of a lager than an ale person anyway)...

Next time I'll have their Sweet Potato Tater Tots. Doesn't THAT sound delicious???

BBQ in Monterey

Back in October, about a week before Halloween, the hubster, kid (our German Shepherd) and I took a weekend trip up to Monterey. The last time we had gone was probably sometime in early 2006, so it's been a few years, and the hubster was itching for another road trip (a shorter one)... so off we went!

Unfortunately, most of the weekend was overcast and drizzly, but at one point towards the end of the weekend, the clouds parted and sunlight shone through. We drove around and found Henry's BBQ. It sounded good and looked like it would be good. It was a no brainer.

It was a very quaint little place, and I wonder if it was converted into a restaurant from a single-family residential house. Quite possibly. There is a small patio on the street front, raised a few feet above sidewalk level that... if it was a clearer day, you can see the ocean over yonder.

Interior shots: quaint, no? Totally looks like it was once-upon-a-time, someone's home.

So quaint, right outside the window where we were sitting at (with the view of the patio and ocean over yonder) was a small flower bush. And a hummingbird. Naturally.

But let's not forget why we're here: to eat!

Oh yes... food mmmm

My appetite hadn't been so great, so I went with a smaller dish (yes, "smaller")... I think it was a tri-tip sandwich? With a side of chili (it looked super liquidy, but was actually quite tasty) and of course, french fries. I think I managed to eat half the sandwich (with about a quarter of total bun) and some of the chili. Oh and of course, the fries. Dipped in the chili.

And the hubster? Ready to get his grub on! After starting with a side salad, he ordered a combo plate that included four types of meat of your choice; we went with the Pork Spare Ribs, Hawaiian Style Pulled Pork, Tri-Tip and Boneless Pork Loin, accompanied again with the beef and bean chili and a couple of slices of their Bert's Bacon Cheese Bread.

As far as food goes, it was good. Enough. I'm not too picky on meats actually, or maybe food in general, unless it's obviously awful. But coupled with the quaintness of the setting, I'd recommend this place.

Romance for two?

After attending the Democratic Rally on the USC campus at the end of October, Corina and I decided to have dinner up in LA rather than return back to the OC, and not one of our regulars - we needed to try something new (to make up for the 4-5 years of not really trying anything new while we were living there I suppose). So we chose to go to La Boheme, located on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The recommendation for there is to go to happy hour. It is worth it. So we arrived within the happy hour time slot, but the happy hour is limited to the first come, first served seating area at the front of the restaurant and on the patio. It's not a big restaurant so the bar area was already filled, and it was chilly out so we opted to go ahead and get seated for dinner.

Since we had arrived pretty early, there was still plenty of free street parking available. Once inside, it was... wow. Quite romantic. Really. We got seated at a nice little corner booth for 2 (super romantic!) and looked around.

Dramatic lighting, giant fireplace, high ceiling with exposed roof rafters, lots of chandeliers and mirrors... there was even a second floor gallery, with booths tucked in against the wall in a row. How many times can I say "Romantic"?

We were then informed that since we were seated in the dining area, we wouldn't be getting the happy hour menu pricing (special drink pricing and half off of all appetizers and sandwiches). Oh well. It wasn't like we were going to order a lot, so it was fine.

The complimentary bread and dip for the table (there were more pieces). The bread was quite tasty on it's own (was it garlic cheese or just butter and herbs? I can't remember, but it was yummy) and the dip was... not quite sure what it was. The closest thing we could think of was hummus, but it didn't quite taste like hummus we were used to.

Our thirst-quenching drinks. I really wanted the Sangria but got the Shirley Temple (why not) and Corina got the... I believe Mango Mojito (lucky girl). And water for the both of us.

Corina's dinner was the Barbeque Duck Quesadilla ($12, would have been 6 if we were in the bar area) and it was really tasty. Subtle duck flavor when you ate the meat, but it wasn't overwhelmingly duck (for those who don't like duck like me... except for Peking Duck). I ordered the Japanese Pumpkin Ravioli (with brown butter sage sauce and candied pumpkin seeds... $13 and was a dinner entree so didn't qualify for happy hour menu anyway) and it was really super delicious. It wasn't too creamy or too sweet and definitely not cheesy. Though 5 pieces may seem like being ripped off, I think I finished off 3-1/2. I also had to (just had to!) order a side of shoestring fries - spicy ($6, so would have been 3 in the bar) and that did not disappoint either!

Although the wait staff was a tad bit on the slower side (which is probably because it's such a romantic restaurant, not being constantly interrupted would probably be appreciated), it was a nice setting and the food was pretty good. I look forward to maybe going back during happy hour and ordering a whole bunch of appetizers to try. Half off - why not???

Roscoe's Chicken n Waffles

One evening back in October, the hubster came home and asked what I wanted for dinner. As usual, I shrugged. "I don't know. You choose." So he said, "Okay, let's go to Roscoe's."

Um, okay. Random. But sure I'll go! I've never been to the one in Long Beach before (just Pasadena and Los Angeles (Mid-City?) locations). Now, I'm going to say something that might be taken quite like blasphemy, but... I think the food there is okay. I mean, don't get me wrong - it is good, but I'm not really picky regarding chicken. Or waffles. Although I think if I had to choose a fried chicken that I like, I might go with Popeye's.

Anyhow, we headed off to Long Beach with a couple of friends for a feast.

(Sorry, these were taken with my phone and it was kind of not well lit in there)

A couple of delicious drinks arrive first: Sunrise and Sunset. I think the Sunrise is lemonade (bottom white portion) with orange juice (top orange portion) and the Sunset was the same, except with additional fruit punch on the very top. I think, I can't remember for sure.

Arrive yummy food - we hungry!

I know I said that I think the food is just okay... it's good, really. It doesn't knock my socks off or anything, but would I return again? Of course! It's Roscoe's!

Dim Sum

So one of the perks of living in a predominately Asian community is that all of the foods that I grew up with and are used to and, dare I say, actually crave sometimes... is right around the corner. No, seriously. Right around the corner. Like yesterday - after the hubster's little incident on Wednesday morning, he decided to call in sick since he still wasn't feeling quite himself. He slept until about 11.

When he was up and ready, we decided to go out to eat. Driving down Bolsa Avenue, aka Little Saigon, the hubster suggested we go to the Asian Garden Mall and eat at the food court (tons of "authentic food" at better-than-restaurant prices). As I turn into the parking lot, I look to my left (to check for cars and pedestrians) and see Seafood Cove. Then I look at the clock. 12:30pm. Then I say, "I haven't had dim sum in a long time" and promptly make a u-turn and drive across the street.

It used to be Dragon Phoenix restaurant, sitting on the second story of the buildings facing the Asian Garden Mall, but recently (about a year ago or so) the owner decided to retire and sold the restaurant to the Seafood Cove people, who fixed up the place a little bit and who, I've noticed, also changed some of the dim sum dishes too.

Now, for those who know me, you probably wonder, what in the world would I be doing at a seafood restaurant? Well. First and foremost, it's a chinese restaurant. Granted most people come for the seafood, but I still like most everything else. And I definitely don't feel deprived. And something about dim sum makes me happy. Something about the food coming to you and seeing it before ordering it (and getting it on the spot), even though I usually end up getting pretty much the same items anyway.

Today we got five dishes, which, surprisingly we didn't finish and needed to package some to go.

From top center (aka 12 0'clock) clockwise: chicken feet (for the hubster only!), steamed rice rolls filled with BBQ pork (one of my staples at dim sum), pork dumplings (steamed in a little aluminum foil pan because it contains broth like the famed Din Tai Fung dumplings - these are kind of comparable, except the dough is thicker), a flakey pastry roll filled with BBQ pork, and steamed tripe. Total bill: about $15.

(if the dishes look half-eaten, it's because they are :) )

I am a happy camper.