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!"
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