Cinnaholic is in Tustin!

A new branch of Cinnaholic just opened at The District in Tustin! Originally from Berkeley, they opened their first location in Brea a few years ago and are finally making their foray a little further south into OC. 









What is Cinnaholic? It's the answer to your cinnamon roll dreams! Not only can you satisfy that cinnamon roll craving but you can BUILD YOUR OWN cinnamon rolls with your choice of 15+ frostings and 20+ toppings! 

A maple frosted cinnamon roll topped with oreo cookies and raspberries? Yep! How about a chai frosted cinnamon roll with apples and pie crumbs? YUM! This unique concept allows for unlimited creations and quite a fun yummy experience!  

Specialty Cinnamon Rolls

For those less creative sorts, they also offer 7 specialty pre-paired cinnamon rolls.  --> 
I especially loved the aptly titled cookie monster which is topped with Cinnaholic's decadent raw cookie dough! 

The best part? Cinnaholic's cinnamon rolls are so INCREDIBLY delicious! Served up warm, they bake a fresh batch every 20 minutes. The rolls are incredibly light with just that right amount of yeastiness, and the frostings are decadent. All the toppings are also super fresh, and all their baked goods are made with a healthier (but still delish!) beet sugar. 



If for some bizarre reason, you're not in the mood for a cinnamon roll (you rebel, you) they also sell cookies, baby buns, brownies and of course, the all-the-rage raw cookie dough by the scoop. ;)

I shared my cinnamon rolls with a few friends and everyone just went NUTS over them. I can't recommend Cinnaholic highly enough!

Cinnaholic is located at 2423 Park Avenue in Tustin, in the center area of The District at Tustin Legacy Shopping Center. As reference they are between Prego and Union Market. 
Open 11am - 9pm, Monday thru Thursday, til 10pm on Friday & Saturday, and 8pm on Sunday. 

Oh, AND all their products are vegan, dairy & lactose-free, egg-free and cholesterol-free BUT trust me, you'd NEVER know it!

For more info visit their website: https://www.cinnaholic.com/

NEW Restaurant Review: Silva's Fresh Eatery and Churrascaria

There's a NEW Churrascaria in town! 

So I don't claim to be a pro when it comes to Brazilian Churrascarias (a.k.a.steakhouses) as I've only ever been to two of them - the highly touted Fogo de Chao in LA and the much closer Texas de Brazil in Irvine.  While I wasn't overly impressed with Fogo, I am a pretty big fan of Texas de Brazil (TDB). 

When I was invited to come check out the new Silva's in

Costa Mesa, I was expecting something along the lines of TDB, but boy was I wrong! At the typical churrascarias, waiters come to your table with long skewers of different slow roasted and seasoned proteins, and slice off a serving for you. It's a never-ending parade of mouthwatering meat that would give any vegetarian nightmares. 








At Silva's it's a more casual approach. Yes, they still have the delicious variety of meats on skewers but instead of the waiter parade, you go up to the buffet and tell them how much of each you would like to try.  Similar to other churrascarias, they also have an extensive salad and side bar, called the Chef's Table at Silva's, where you can fill out the non-protein space on your plate. Be sure to try the truffle mac and cheese and the cheese bread, as they were both absolutely delicious! 



Honestly, the biggest surprise at Silva's was the price.
Typically, churascarria's charge around $50+ per head for their all you can eat dining experience. However, at Silva's I was really surprised to see the All You Can Eat experience is only $22.95 - almost half of the typical cost. 
Now, they only have about 7 different proteins which is less variety when compared to a place like TBD, which typically has about 10-12 different proteins circulating. However, they have two version of the infamous Brazilian picanha which is always the star at churrascarias, and I have to say they were both absolutely delicious at Silva's. I especially loved the garlic picanha - which I've never seen elsewhere, and HIGHLY recommend. 

If you're not an AYCE type of diner, they also offer an a la carte option with entrees ranging from $13.95-16.95, and a child's menu at $5.99.

They also have a cute bar area and do offer Happy Hour Mon-Friday. The dining room itself is really nicely adorned with warm textures and stylish lighting and seating.  It's a great place to meet up with a friend, date or even a large group as there were a few groups of 10 while we were there that were nicely accommodated.  








Silva's is located at 3672 S. Bristol in Santa Ana, in the South Coast Metro area. It is a tad hidden in the northwest corner of a large shopping center, but definitely worth the hunt. ;)
Dining Hours:
The Chef’s Table + Churrascaria 11:30am - 4pm Mon-Fri
Happy Hour Menu 3pm-7pm Mon - Fri
The Chef’s Table 5pm-9pm Mon - Fri
The Chef’s Table 12pm-9pm Sat and Sun
Late Night Menu 9pm -12am Fri and Sat

To see the full menu or read more visit their website:
https://www.silvasfresheatery.com/

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent ya! 

NEW Restaurant Review: SAJJ Mediterranean in Irvine

There's a NEW Mediterranean restaurant in Irvine that you're going to want to try!

SAJJ Mediterranean, a Northern California fast casual staple serving up Mediterranean food in the style of making-your-own bowl, wrap or pita just recently opened their second location in Irvine, on Irvine Center Drive near Sand Canyon.  Earlier this year they opened up their first location in Rancho Santa Margarita, and judging by the raving yelp reviews it's become a local area favorite! 

What sets SAJJ apart, is the way each guest is allowed to customize their dish. Serving up only local hormone-free Halal meats along with organic local sides and housemade toppings, SAJJ focuses on promoting a healthy fresh diet while offering delicious food. 

Protein options include chicken and steak shawarma (my personal fav!), shawafel, falafel and pomegranate chicken. Your selected protein is then served in a choice of pita, wrap, salad, or rice bowl. You then get to fill your selected dish with unlimited toppings including garbanzo beans, eggplant, sumac cauliflower, avocado and many many more! To top it off you also have your choice of sauces, including cilantro mint chutney, hummus, tzatziki,  spicy tahini sauce and more. The combinations of these fresh delicious ingredients are endless!

I had a great time trying out SAJJ as it was the perfect way to eat healthy without lacking on the flavor. They also offer the most refreshing housemade waters including a mint lemonade that I HIGHLY recommend you try with your meal!

The Irvine location is located 6636 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine. 
Hours:  Monday thru Saturday, 10:30 - 8pm, and Sunday 10:30 - 6pm.  

To see the full menu or learn more about SAJJ visit their website at:  www.SAJJStreetEats.com.

Be sure to tell them OCFoodieGirl sent you! 

NEW Restaurant Review: Davios in Irvine

So as those of you who follow me know, I just recently came back from a culinary tour in Italy so I'd like to think my Italian food game is on point! ;)  Needless to say when I heard that Davios Northern Italian Steakhouse had quietly opened up their first location on the west coast in Irvine, I was pretty excited to check them out!

The "Steakhouse" part was especially intriguing to me as one of the best pieces of beef I've ever had was a Florentine Steak in Tuscany.  In addition to regional Northern Italian food, Davios specializes in prime steak grilled to order. Established by Steve DiFillippio in 1985, Davios has been well known for many years on the east coast in Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and NYC, and is now making its first foray to the west coast. 

I visited for dinner, and was pleasantly surprised with the attention to detail that is paid to the food, the service and the ambiance at this lovely new restaurant. Davios is located in what was previously occupied by Prego Ristorante in the Irvine Towers on Von Karmen. The setting is large and upscale, but still manages to be intimate and cozy with its low lit interior and warm decor.  The staff's warmth and attentiveness also makes you feel like you're the only guest there. I was very impressed by the level of service, and the detail provided throughout the entire meal. 

We started our meal with the raw bar served up in a grand silver tureen which made for quite an impressive plating. Included in the raw bar was fresh Maine Lobster, luscious lump crab meat, chilled shrimp, raw oysters, and a lovely tuna tartare, which proved to be my personal favorite of the seafood items. Everything was incredibly fresh and was paired perfectly with the typical sauces and accouterments. It made for a lovely light first course with which to start a grand meal at Davios. 

As a starter, I tried both the America Kobe Beef Meatballs and the Oven Baked Lump Crab Cakes. I was most curious to try the crab cakes as I'm often disappointed by the crab to filler ratio with many crab cakes. I was pleased to see the crab cakes at Davios were filled with the most divine crab and not masked with binding ingredients. They were also served with a lovely lemon mustard sauce that melted in your mouth with every bite of sweet crab.

As excited as I was about the crab cakes, I have to admit that the star of the appetizer show was most definitely the kobe meatballs. Everyone at the table just oooed and aahed over how scrumptious they were - tender, flavorful and served in the perfect hardy marinara sauce that stood up very well to the strong flavor of the kobe beef. This was hands-down my favorite dish that I tried at Davios and a dish I would come back just to order again! 

Staying true to Italian coursing, the pasta dish was served next with a delicious potato gnocchi garnished with organic mushrooms, basil and white truffle oil. Now, I love gnocchi and order it just about anywhere I see it. Davios' rendition was music in my mouth as the truffle oil and meaty mushrooms paired perfectly with the robust gnocchi. I also loved the curls of fresh Parmesan that melted ever so slightly over the gnocchi, adding another level of richness and texture to the dish. I would HIGHLY recommend this dish to any fellow gnocchi lovers! 

As the main, I had opted for the New York Stripsteak as I wanted to try the 'steakhouse' side of Davios. It definitely didn't disappoint. The beef at Davios is local Brandt beef from central California which is then dry aged in-house by Davios.  The flavor and quality of the beef shines through and rivals any top steakhouse in Orange County or otherwise. I also have to mention the delicious goat cheese croquettes that were served as a side with it - these little gems were delicious! 

For dessert (Yes, I managed to squeeze in dessert after all this food!) I shared the warm chocolate cake with homemade vanilla bean gelato. The cake was a chocolate lover's dream for sure but the standout for me was actually the gelato. You could see the specks of vanilla bean and the freshness was evident in every bite. I would've been happy with a bowl of this lovely gelato alone. 

One of the best things about Davios is there's really something for everyone. A typical Italian restaurant this is not, with options for the seafood lover, the beef eater and of course, the pasta fans. I love when a restaurant can not only do multiple things, but most importantly does them right! Davios is a great addition to OC as you don't see a lot of that in our region. I highly recommend you visit soon and see for yourself! :) 

Note: I came for dinner but if you're look for a slightly more casual visit they do serve lunch and have a gorgeous patio which would make for a perfect sunny day excursion. They also have a grab and go menu (on their website here: https://davios.com/irv/menus/go) if you want to try their food but are tasked for time. 

 Davios is located at 18420 Von Karman in Irvine, at the Irvine Towers.  

Open for dinner Sunday through Tuesday; 

Lunch Monday through Friday, 

and Brunch on Sundays. 

Validated complimentary parking is available at the lot directly across from the towers, 

or by valet for a fee. 

Website (and menu): http://davios.com/irv

Phone: 949/477-4810