A few years back our family did a big roadie to Disneyland with all of the family. It was a big caravan from Centerville to Anaheim and we made sure to stop a lot and swap kids in and out of different vehicles to keep them from getting to crazy. The advantage of traveling for work is you get to know some good local eats instead of your usual chain and fast food joints that are staples on family trips. Of course we hit In-N-Out burger but I talked the family into eating at a few places I enjoy on the road. When you get kudos from ages 5 to 70 on your selections you know you've done well.
My focus in this entry will be on an area just north of Anaheim called La Habra. I spent a few weeks cruising around this area and got to try a lot of really good places. Here are my favorites:
The Cat & The Custard Cup: http://www.catandcustardcup.com/
Visiting the website I did not see the appetizer I got but that's what I like about eclectic restaurants is new menu items that make repeat visits exciting. I was glad to see the Roast Pork Tenderloin. The chipolte bbq hollandaise makes this cut of meat scream for attention. A very unusual marinade that worked very well. The applewood smoked bacon mashed potatos rocked as well. But bacon in anything rocks right??? For dessert go with the creme brulee with fresh raspberries. I also tried the rustic french bread pudding and will definitely have to save room on the next trip. The restaurant itself is very unique and all of the nooks and crannies made you feel right at home at your own table.
El Cholo: http://www.elcholo.com/
An awesome local Mexican food chain located all over SoCal. You cannot go wrong here. Keep it simple and go with their Tacos. You think tacos are cheap and easy right! But this place takes tacos to knew heights and even though they look like any other taco they had a ton of flavor. I went with the combo plate of beef, pork and chicken and love them all. I went back and had the Sonora Style Enchilada as something that has been on a menu since 1923 has to be good and it was. Nothing to fancy just tasty and that's what you want when you are craving Mexican. Good sauce, cheesy and the meat has to be seasoned well. The Mexican tri-fecta! The fried egg made it unique.
Taps Fish House & Brewery: http://www.tapsfishhouse.com/brea/
For a guy who doesn't drink I sure have a lot of Breweries in my posts don't I. I love a good draft root beer or cream soda however. Is that so wrong!!! Again I think breweries have to cater to more than just the drinker and most do really well with there menus. For appetizers I recommend the Maine Lobster Dumplings. Who could think you could bring something from the opposite coast and make it your own but they have here. I was tempted to just order another batch and bag dinner. But I didn't. It's a fish house for crying out loud so I went with Drunken Mahi Mahi. The tomato risotto worked well with this dish as did the crab tostadas. Fantastic menu and I can't wait to get back and try something else....Drunken???
So give these a try on your next visit to Disneyland as they are definitely worth the 30 minute drive north from Anaheim. After all you can only eat so long in the park....although the restaurants there sure have come a long way and I will blog my favorites in and around the park another day.
"It's a small world after all!"
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Houston, TX.
I love Texas. Not only because my beloved Cowboys are located there but because of all the different types of food. You can find mixtures of Cajun, Creole, Southern, Tex Mex, BBQ as well as a melting pot of other worldly cuisine. I worked the summer of 93 down in Corpus, San Antonio and Austin and although it was bloody hot and humid the WHOLE summer it was an awesome experience. So when my bank I work for bought a bank in Texas that was headquartered in Houston I was excited to get back down there.
The city of Houston is huge and like San Antonio you can make one giant loop around the city for easy access to any part of town. My Aunt and Uncle and a few cousins moved down there years ago which made it doubly exciting to visit them and that city for work. I will start near the Galleria which is where I spent most of my time.
Gigi's Asian Bistro: http://www.gigisasianbistro.com/
Start off with their Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Now I know that everyone does a lettuce wrap these days (PF Chang's are awesome) but these lettuce wraps take my prize as the best. The mixture they use is very original and the flavors blow apart in your mouth like Chinese fireworks. My menu item of choice is the Tamarind Chili Cashew Chicken. This was a different take on cashew chicken that I have had elsewhere as the chili spice really worked at giving this dish a unique kick. My work associate swears by the Shaking Beef so I will be trying that on my next visit.
Post Oak Grill: http://www.postoakgrill.com/
This place is very trendy and by trendy I mean the menu is very diverse with signature dishes. Most of the finer places I eat on the road take traditional pasta, meat and seafood dishes and then make them there own and this place does that exceptionally well. For pasta I recommend the Crab/Lobster Ravioli as the mushroom lobster sauce is good enough to eat on its own let alone the stuffed ravioli. For meat I recommend the Three Peppercorn Filet. The sauce is fantastic and the meat was so tender. I will try the seafood on my next visit and let you know.
The Flying Dutchman (Kema): http://www.landrysrestaurants.com/pages/restaurants/pg_rest_dutchman.htm
A work associate from near Kema told me about this place so I followed him down which was about a 45 minute drive southeast of Houston. Which at times he forgot I was following him which made for an adventure but I digress. This boardwalk area was really neat. It had lots of cool shops and eats. Allot of it was destroyed by Katrina but has been rebuilt and better than ever. Definitely worth the drive when you are visiting Houston. My menu item of choice was the Island Redfish but just about any seafood you get will not disappoint as Galveston bay is right there and the fishing is back.
Good Co. Texas BBQ: http://www.goodecompany.com/
My cousin took me for a looksie around Houston one day I was down there and he took me to this place for some awesome Texas BBQ. We went to the original establishment on Kirby. I had the Beef Brisket sandwich on their jalapeno cheese bread and it did not disappoint. The Austin baked beans and cole slaw were some of the best I've had. But what really stands out was the slice of Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie that I got. Now I'm not one for nut custard pies as when you make them at the elevation we are at in Utah they are dry. But being in a humid area must make a world of difference as the pecans were soft and fused well with the custard and flaky crust. YUM!
Other places of choice by my co-workers are Yia Yia Mary's for Greek food. Pappasitos Cantina for Mexican or Pappadeauxs for seafood. I will also check these places out on my next visit and give a full report.
Thank you Sam Houston and remember the Alamo!
The city of Houston is huge and like San Antonio you can make one giant loop around the city for easy access to any part of town. My Aunt and Uncle and a few cousins moved down there years ago which made it doubly exciting to visit them and that city for work. I will start near the Galleria which is where I spent most of my time.
Gigi's Asian Bistro: http://www.gigisasianbistro.com/
Start off with their Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Now I know that everyone does a lettuce wrap these days (PF Chang's are awesome) but these lettuce wraps take my prize as the best. The mixture they use is very original and the flavors blow apart in your mouth like Chinese fireworks. My menu item of choice is the Tamarind Chili Cashew Chicken. This was a different take on cashew chicken that I have had elsewhere as the chili spice really worked at giving this dish a unique kick. My work associate swears by the Shaking Beef so I will be trying that on my next visit.
Post Oak Grill: http://www.postoakgrill.com/
This place is very trendy and by trendy I mean the menu is very diverse with signature dishes. Most of the finer places I eat on the road take traditional pasta, meat and seafood dishes and then make them there own and this place does that exceptionally well. For pasta I recommend the Crab/Lobster Ravioli as the mushroom lobster sauce is good enough to eat on its own let alone the stuffed ravioli. For meat I recommend the Three Peppercorn Filet. The sauce is fantastic and the meat was so tender. I will try the seafood on my next visit and let you know.
The Flying Dutchman (Kema): http://www.landrysrestaurants.com/pages/restaurants/pg_rest_dutchman.htm
A work associate from near Kema told me about this place so I followed him down which was about a 45 minute drive southeast of Houston. Which at times he forgot I was following him which made for an adventure but I digress. This boardwalk area was really neat. It had lots of cool shops and eats. Allot of it was destroyed by Katrina but has been rebuilt and better than ever. Definitely worth the drive when you are visiting Houston. My menu item of choice was the Island Redfish but just about any seafood you get will not disappoint as Galveston bay is right there and the fishing is back.
Good Co. Texas BBQ: http://www.goodecompany.com/
My cousin took me for a looksie around Houston one day I was down there and he took me to this place for some awesome Texas BBQ. We went to the original establishment on Kirby. I had the Beef Brisket sandwich on their jalapeno cheese bread and it did not disappoint. The Austin baked beans and cole slaw were some of the best I've had. But what really stands out was the slice of Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie that I got. Now I'm not one for nut custard pies as when you make them at the elevation we are at in Utah they are dry. But being in a humid area must make a world of difference as the pecans were soft and fused well with the custard and flaky crust. YUM!
Other places of choice by my co-workers are Yia Yia Mary's for Greek food. Pappasitos Cantina for Mexican or Pappadeauxs for seafood. I will also check these places out on my next visit and give a full report.
Thank you Sam Houston and remember the Alamo!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Portland, OR.
Still raining and snowing so I might as well address Portland this time.
I love Oregon! The first time my family and I drove up the coast on vacation in 83 I fell in love with the cool coastal towns like Lincoln City, Newport and Tillamook (Tillamook has the best cheese by the way, in stores now). We somehow missed Portland on that trip but business has taken me up there a few times since and it is an easy city to enjoy some good eats. Just watch your driving as it's easy to end up on the other side of the river on accident. Maddening!
Here are a couple of my favorites,
Steamers Asian Street Bistro: http://www.dumplingsandtea.com/
This is not like any Asian cafe you will have visited. First off I'm a sucker for edamame and their bamboo steamed edamame is the best. Even after a nice helping of ginger pork and szechuan chicken dumplings there is always room for edamame. How many times can I work edamame into this paragraph??? The spicy lemon grass soup is different but gooood. I also had their chicken ginger rice bowl and it was very satisfying. I just recommend trying a few different menu items and enjoy!
Red Star Tavern and Roast House: http://www.redstartavern.com/
This was referred to me by a worker at the Marriott I was staying in and I give it an A+. Start with the Red Star Cornbread. Awesome! My menu item of choice is the Carlton Park Pork Porterhouse. It's not like any pork you will have eaten before. Very tender and flavorful with the rub they put on it and eats like a white meat steak. The Dry Aged Ribeye was really good as well with the crumbled blue cheese (I love co-workers that share). For the side try the Braised Collard Greens. This is not your usual side but the bacon and garlic make it very tasty.
Deschutes Brewery: http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brewery/brew-pubs/portland-pub/default.aspx
Ran into this place on our way to an awesome bookstore. Go with the Brewers Platter to start. A heavenly mix of different tastes and textures. The Large House Pretzel was very good as well but it's a lot of dough so don't over eat before the main course. The Hazelnut Crusted Rockfish was very tasty. There is something about nut crusted fish that I cannot turn down. For dessert go with the Cheeky Monkey Bread Pudding. I'm not much for soggy bread desserts but the waiter talked me into it and I'm glad he did as all of the flavors really worked with this dessert.
I wanted to mention Greek Cusina but apparently it has been closed for awhile while the owner fights with the city. So just do a quick drive by when your downtown to see if its open as it is worth a visit as well.
Make sure you make your way up to the Rose Garden to walk off all of the food you have eaten as there are dozens of different types.
Make sure to let me know what you like!
I love Oregon! The first time my family and I drove up the coast on vacation in 83 I fell in love with the cool coastal towns like Lincoln City, Newport and Tillamook (Tillamook has the best cheese by the way, in stores now). We somehow missed Portland on that trip but business has taken me up there a few times since and it is an easy city to enjoy some good eats. Just watch your driving as it's easy to end up on the other side of the river on accident. Maddening!
Here are a couple of my favorites,
Steamers Asian Street Bistro: http://www.dumplingsandtea.com/
This is not like any Asian cafe you will have visited. First off I'm a sucker for edamame and their bamboo steamed edamame is the best. Even after a nice helping of ginger pork and szechuan chicken dumplings there is always room for edamame. How many times can I work edamame into this paragraph??? The spicy lemon grass soup is different but gooood. I also had their chicken ginger rice bowl and it was very satisfying. I just recommend trying a few different menu items and enjoy!
Red Star Tavern and Roast House: http://www.redstartavern.com/
This was referred to me by a worker at the Marriott I was staying in and I give it an A+. Start with the Red Star Cornbread. Awesome! My menu item of choice is the Carlton Park Pork Porterhouse. It's not like any pork you will have eaten before. Very tender and flavorful with the rub they put on it and eats like a white meat steak. The Dry Aged Ribeye was really good as well with the crumbled blue cheese (I love co-workers that share). For the side try the Braised Collard Greens. This is not your usual side but the bacon and garlic make it very tasty.
Deschutes Brewery: http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/brewery/brew-pubs/portland-pub/default.aspx
Ran into this place on our way to an awesome bookstore. Go with the Brewers Platter to start. A heavenly mix of different tastes and textures. The Large House Pretzel was very good as well but it's a lot of dough so don't over eat before the main course. The Hazelnut Crusted Rockfish was very tasty. There is something about nut crusted fish that I cannot turn down. For dessert go with the Cheeky Monkey Bread Pudding. I'm not much for soggy bread desserts but the waiter talked me into it and I'm glad he did as all of the flavors really worked with this dessert.
I wanted to mention Greek Cusina but apparently it has been closed for awhile while the owner fights with the city. So just do a quick drive by when your downtown to see if its open as it is worth a visit as well.
Make sure you make your way up to the Rose Garden to walk off all of the food you have eaten as there are dozens of different types.
Make sure to let me know what you like!
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