New Restaurant Review: Ironwood in Laguna Hills

Recently tried out the new Ironwood Craft Cellar in Laguna Hills. Ironwood opened a few months ago to much hype, especially since their sister restaurant, Vine, in San Clemente is a south county favorite. I've been to Vine several times and agree it's a great place with consistently well made flavorful dishes & fabulous craft cocktails. Needless to say I had VERY high hopes for Ironwood as it's a much closer drive from Tustin to Laguna Hills. ;)

Upon first arrival, the location itself is a bit of a let down as it's located in a typical suburban
shopping center, parked in the corner and easy to miss unless you were actually looking for it - which of course, we were. Once inside though, it's a whole 'nother story as the interior is decorated with stone and reclaimed wood accents which make for a very warm and inviting dining ambiance. As you walk back to the dining room, you have to walk past the bar area which appeared quite popular on the Saturday night we were there with lots of people sitting at the high top bar appearing to have a good time. The dining area itself is lined with booths and tables in the center.  There is also a wrap around covered patio that looks perfect for a romantic evening with lovely views of the nearby hilltops - not a ton of seating out there so make sure you request that when you make a reservation if that's your preference.

Chicken Schnitzel

At first glance, I was quite happy to see that some of the signature items from their sister restaurant were included on the menu here. The pork schnitzel is something I often crave on the menu at Vine as it's cooked perfectly which just the right amount of breading and the perfect seasoning. Trust me, it's not easy to find this German favorite done so well! At Ironwood, they do a version with jidori chicken which is equally amazing and well done - HIGHLY recommend this dish folks! Also borrowed from Vine are the highly revered crispy duck wings and the yummy fried green tomatoes w burrata cheese. You can't really go wrong with either of these favorites!

English Pea Agnolotti

Noteworthy items exclusive to Ironwood that we tried included the Enlish Pea Agnolotti which translates to handmade little bags of perfectly cooked pasta bags filled with sweet English peas tossed in a decadent brown butter sauce and topped with goat cheese & little slivers of basil. These were amazing and are a MUST order for the table as starter. 

Fabulous Bone-In Ribeye

Entrees we tried included the bone-in ribeye served on a bed of smoked blue cheese mashed potatoes and lovingly topped with a flavorful sauce béarnaise. The sauce is what sets this dish apart here as it pairs really well with the marbled meatiness of the rib-eye. Yes, I know rib-eye should be able to stand alone and it does here as well but the sauce just adds that extra little bit of 'umph' to each bite.  

Greek Seabass

We also tried the pan roasted Greek sea bass which was served on a pillow of Russian banana potatoes and topped with a lovely almond, picholine, orange and coriander vinaigrette sauce. This was a great option for someone looking for a slightly lighter dish that's still packed with a huge punch of flavor. 

All in all, I was really impressed with Ironwood and would highly recommend a visit here folks! I'm looking forward to returning soon myself to try out more of the menu!

Ironwood Cellar is located at 25250 La Paz Rd in Laguna Hills.

More info can be found on their website: ironwoodlagunahills.com

Boss Your Burger at the new Burger Boss in Mission Viejo!

It's here Orange County!
The inland empire's favorite burger is now in Mission Viejo!

I was lucky enough to try out the new Burger Boss at the soft opening this week and wow, their reputation for fresh, tasty burgers is well deserved! So why are they coming to Orange County if they've been so successful in the Inland Empire? After tasting their burger and seeing their offerings I can see why - cuz they're the PERFECT fit for the Orange County healthy lifestyle which likes options. This is the kind of place you can go with a group of friends with varied food diets (gluten-free, vegan, meat eater, etc) and everyone can find/create something that will make them happy!

The first thing you'll notice about BB is that YOU are the Boss! You pick every component of your burger from the protein, the bun, to one of the huge selection of sauces!

Proteins include your choice of 100% grass-fed California natural beef, 100% free-range chicken breast, 100% natural turkey breast or their fresh house made vegan black bean patty. They also offer healthy alternative buns like whole wheat and gluten-free. Cheese selection is crazy with 8 different choices including blue-cheese, gouda (who does that?!) to swiss and sharp cheddar.

You can top off your creation with a choice of 15 sauces - a great majority of which are house made and all of the ones I tried were pretty darn tasty! My personal fav was the garlic herb with what tastes like real garlic paste in it. I loved it but make sure you really like garlic - if you do, you'll be in heaven like me. ;)

In addition, they offer a bazillion toppings - mostly leaning towards the healthy-side including grilled onions, mushrooms, jalapenos and EVEN grilled pineapple!

I have to admit it was a lot of fun to put together your own unique creation and basically, get your burger your way with lots of tasty and healthy options! I really get what they mean by Boss Your Burger!

My burger creation - served open face so you can see all the yummy fresh ingredients!

In addition to their yummy burgers, they also offer regular and sweet potato french fries which you can also personalize with cheese and sauces, AND if you're not in the mood for a burger (or rather go bun-free) they can also put your creation in a bowl.

Sweet Potato Fries w cheese
 and thousand island - yum!

Chicken Bowl - no bun but just as tasty!

Don't forget their Grand Opening is Thursday July 14th from 10am - 2:30pm!
They are having all sorts of fun stuff for the event including giveaways and a health fair featuring speakers, specials, photo booths and a even a live DJ! Sounds like a blast and a great way to get acquainted with Burger Boss! For more info on the grand opening check their facebook event:   https://goo.gl/wFqBK9

Burger Boss is located at 27690-B Santa Margarita Parkway in Mission Viejo with lots more OC locations coming soon! Look out Lake Forest cuz you're next!  

Boozy Brunch at The Stag Bar & Kitchen in Newport Beach!

What's better than weekend brunch? A boozy weekend brunch, of course! AND one of the best in the OC is down at Stag Bar & Kitchen in Newport Beach! The Stag went through a full update and started serving food earlier this year. They only started serving brunch a few months back but they've already got it down and running smoothly!

Lychee-Mosa! 

Bloody Mary! 

Speaking of 'boozy' the brunch cocktails at The Stag definitely live up to their feature in the Brunch title! The Stag has a full bar (of course!) but their 'Brunch Cocktails' special menu covers all the bases from a lychee-mosa (yum!) to what IMHO is one of the best bloody mary's in town with a perfectly spiced made in-house bloody mary mixer! Seriously delicious!

Eggs in Hell

The special brunch menu has lots of options including the 'Eggs in Hell' - a tomato sausage mix served with a beautiful runny egg on top. I've never tried anything like it, and it doesn't disappoint!

Breakfast Pizza

The 'Breakfast Pizza' (who does that?!) is also a top notch pick for brunch here. Prepared with a creamy white sauce and topped with fingerling potatoes, mozzarella, crispy pancetta and a sunny side up egg. It all cooks up perfectly with a slightly charred crust and lots of ooey gooey melted cheese. All I can say is YUM on this must-order item!    


I was once told that the true judgement of a Chef is how well he can cook an omelette.  Well, if the ones I tried are any indication then Chef Jeff deserves a couple Michelin stars. ;)  Creamy french style omelettes cooked to perfection served up in so many different ways - 10 unique omelette options here folks!

My personal fav was the 'Green Eggs & Sausage' - the homemade pesto sauce just set this omelette apart, especially when mixed with the creamy ricotta.  I only tried two of the Stag's omelettes but I have NO doubt the others are equally as scrumptious!

Green Eggs & Sausage Omelette - sinful!

         

Omelettes galore!

The Italiano Omelette

The Brunch menu is ONLY available on Saturday and Sunday from 9 -1 PM. 

Stag Bar & Kitchen is located at 121 McFadden Place on the Newport Beach peninsula. 

The Stag Bar & Kitchen is definitely worth checking out! 

If you can't make it down for brunch they have amazing daily specials so what better way to give 'em a try?!

Meatball Mondays - get your own flavor balls for only $2!

Tiki Tuesday - $6 Tiki Cocktails & $6 Hawaiian Pizza

Whiskey Wednesday - Featured Weekly Whiskey Special & Whiskey Flights (Ask about this one!)

Thursday - Locals Night w $5 Personal Pizza (Any 1 Topping) *beginning in February

They also have 11 hour HH from 8am - 7pm Monday - Friday w $1 off Wells & Wine, $3.50 domestics & $5 HH Food 2pm-7pm      

Get Your Fair Face On!

It's almost fair time again!
The 2016 OC Fair starts July 15th and runs through August 14th
(Wed - Sunday ONLY!)
This year it's back with all kinds of new yummy creations!

Pork Belly Corndog French Toast Bacon Bombs! Chicken in a Waffle on a Stick The Daenerys 'Mother of Doggies' Dog! Bacon Wrapped Baked Potato Bacon Cheddar Brat Burger

Check them all out:

• Chicken in a Waffle On a Stick: Chicken Charlie’s making the popular chicken-and-waffles combo portable by cooking fried chicken tenders in a waffle and serving it all on a stick, with a side of maple syrup.
• French Toast Bacon Bombs: Bacon A-Fair’s new breakfast-inspired offering will make French toast desirable any time of the day as sweet dough stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon is deep-fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
• S’moreo Texas Donut: Bigger is better when it’s a soft, Texas-sized doughnut topped with chocolate drizzle, Oreo cookie crumble, graham cracker crumbs and marshmallow cream.
• Bacon Nutella Pickle: Pickle O’ Pete’s takes the popular hazelnut cocoa spread Nutella and fills a dill pickle that gets wrapped in bacon, dipped in a funnel cake batter and deep fried.
• Pork Belly Bacon Dog: At Biggy’s, two feet of bacon are wrapped around a slow-smoked pork belly that is dipped into a corn dog batter and deep fried.
• Deep-Fried Pizza Log: Mozzarella cheese and pepperoni are wrapped inside of thin pizza dough which is deep fried until crispy and flaky. Served with marinara sauce on the side from the Apple Fries booth.
• Diabilito Sundae: Fruit Caboose is going loco and adding to their creamy ice cream the Latin-inspired flavor of tangy Tamarindo and hot chili chamoy sauce.
• Kool-Aid Hot Wings: Chicken Charlie’s taking his breaded wings and tossing them up with his new, slightly-spicy Kool-Aid sauce. He will serve the orange flavor exclusively at the OC Fair.
• Dole Whip: Fairgoers can cool down with this refreshing, pineapple-flavored soft serve dessert available for the first time inside the OC Fair at Crutchee’s Ice Cream.
• Bacon-Wrapped Baked Potato: At Bacon A-Fair, a giant one-pound potato is wrapped in a half pound of bacon and slow cooked in a wood-fired smoker oven. Served with butter, the Bacon A-Fair signature bacon-infused sour cream, grilled veggies, blue cheese and choice of hot buffalo sauce or nacho cheese and jalapenos.
• Bacon Cheddar Brat Burger: Grant’s Tasti Burger is taking burgers and brats to the next level with this massive burger that combines a bratwurst and an Angus beef patty with cheddar, chopped candied pecans, Applewood smoked bacon, Sriracha Bourbon and chipotle sauces, lettuce and tomatoes and served inside a pretzel bun.
• Pink’s Hollywood-Inspired Dogs: The Daenerys Mother of Doggies pays homage to the Game of Thrones’ queen of the dragons with a spicy Polish dog topped with sour cream, sauerkraut, onions, radish sprouts and Sriracha sauce. The Lord of the Rings Dog highlights the mystical movie with an all-beef hot dog encircled by fried onion rings and topped with barbecue sauce.
• Juicys: New this year, OC Fair mainstay Juicys is serving up organic meat and nitrate-free hot dogs and sausages.
• More Offerings: All American Reuben Burger (Grant’s Tasti Burger), Pickle Fries and Pickled Cheese on a Stick (Pickle O’ Pete’s), Shrimp Fried Rice on a Stick (Chicken Charlie’s), Som-Mor-Bacon (Fruit Caboose), Bison Burger (Juicy’s), Lasagna Sandwich (Pignotti’s Pasta), Oreo Churro (Dutchmen’s Funnel Cake).

$2 Sample Day! 
On a new weekday this year, foodies can sample their way through the 2016 OC Fair on Thursdays from Noon-4 p.m. with $2 samples during the Taste of Fair Food promotion. Fair admission is required and samples vary per vendor per week.

Free parking and shuttle service are available on Saturdays and Sundays from the Experian parking structure located off the Bristol St. exit of the 405 freeway. The OC Fair & Event Center is located off the 405 and 55 freeways at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. For more information, please visit ocfair.com, become a fan at Facebook.com/OCFair, follow them at twitter.com/ocfair or call (714) 708-1500. Also, download the free OC Fair iPhone and Android apps available this summer.

Fair tickets Giveaway!The fair has generously given me a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky reader! These include 2 carnival ride cards (good for 3 rides each!)  To enter, leave a comment as to what new food you're most excited to try by the end of the day on July 3rd on my Facebook: Facebook.com/OCFoodiegirl  or
my Instagram Instagram.com/OCFoodiegirl/
A winner will be picked randomly on July 4th and notified via direct message. 

OCFoodieGirl in the SD's visit to 'Bracero Cocina'

I recently traveled down to San Diego to visit friends & family and had to make a side trip to Chef Javier Plascencia's new downtown hot spot, Bracero Cocina. I'd been trying to get my booty down to Bracero since it opened almost a year ago and was so excited to finally be able to check it out. It's been pretty much non-stop accolades since it opened so I had some pretty hefty expectations!


The first thing you'll notice as you arrive at Bracero is it's outdoor seating area and the beautiful glass-encased upstairs deck above you.


The upstairs also has a beautiful wrap-around bar that extends onto the deck - the perfect place to cool off with a drink on a sunny San Diego day! The locals have obviously come to the same conclusion as the bar portion on the outdoor deck was packed on my visit here!

The inside part of the bar...

Once inside you'll be struck by the homey decor - reminiscent of being in your Mexican Grandmother's kitchen. Even so, there's still a modern feel to the space which gives you a hint of the modern Mexican food you're in store for upon being seated. The decor is a really well done blend of old and new.  Of course, even as lovely as the decor is at Bracero, this all means nothing if the food isn't up to par right? ;)

We started our dinner with a cocktail for me and bowl of homemade house guacamole for my avocado-loving friend.

The 'Mahola Guey'

My cocktail, the 'Mahalo Guey' (Hey Buddy!) was super refreshing with a unique combination of green tea infused rum, kalani coconut, lime and orgeat. It was slightly reminiscent of an amaretto sour and was the perfect accompaniment for a sunny day on the deck.

House Guacamole - yummy yum!

The house guacamole was not just your standard mashed avocados - this guacamole was almost a meal all by itself with lentils, chickpeas & blackbean hummus incorporated into creamy avocados. Insanely delicious!

Tijuana Original Caeser!

Seeing as Chef Plascensia also owns the infamous Caeser's Restaurant in Tijuana, where the original Caeser Salad was invented we couldn't resist ordering the 'Original Caesar Salad'. I have to say this doesn't disappoint -- at first glance (see for yourself in my pic) it doesn't look that exciting but the flavors are spot on with the perfect mix of dijon, garlic, parmesan, anchovy and lime. This is a MUST order here if you're a fan of this salad. :)

Shrimp & Bone Marrow Sopes - SO good!

Our hands down favorite dish was delivered next - the Shrimp & Bone Marrow Sopes. Now, I love a good basic sope to begin with but this is way beyond a basic sope. First off, the masa corn cake was perfectly cooked and was the ideal vessel for the delicious bone marrow shrimp mix, topped with fried crispy parsley,radish wedges and a creamy chile de árbol sauce. Heaven on a corn cake basically!

Crispy Brisket & Shortrib

Our final dish was the Crispy Brisket & Shortrib which comes out almost as a stew with an ayocote bean caldillo, chochoyones (corn dumplings), avocado leaf, wood fired baby sweet potatoes and a serrano gastrique sauce. Needless to say it was fabulous - they also brought out some homemade warm corn tortillas (divine all by themselves!) with which to eat the dish. The tortillas were the perfect match for the fall of the bone, flavorful beef, and dipping the tortilla in the sauce just added more of that wonderful flavor to each bite.

Dark Chocolate Mole Cake

Grapefruit Panna Cotta

We couldn't decide on just one dessert from the yummy list so we opted for two - the grapefruit panna cotta and the dark chocolate mole cake. Both were very tasty but the grapefruit panna cotta really stole the show. The minute it hits your tongue you're overcome by the bright citrus flavor melded into the creamy texture of the panna cotta, all perfectly contrasted with the sweetness of the passion fruit sherbet and the salty crunch of ground pistachios. It's a play on unique flavors and textures that works really well together. HIGHLY recommend.

All in all I was very impressed with Bracero and have to say all the accolades are highly deserved! Next time you're heading to San Diego, I highly recommend you make a reservation and indulge your hunger in the wonderful flavors that Chef Plascencia has created at Bracero.

Bracero Cocina is located in the Litte Italy section of downtown San Diego at 1490 Kettner Blvd.  For more information, including menus, hours & to make a reservation, check out their full website here: http://bracerococina.com/

New Restaurant Review: The Rye Truck in Tustin

So I had been trying to get to the Rye Truck for a few months before I was actually able to get there... admittedly, their hours are pretty limited. They are only open three days a week for a total of 7 hours total but trust me, make a point of getting there during one of those precious hours cuz it's well worth the effort!

The first thing that caught my eye upon arriving at the truck were the cinnamon rolls - speckled with cinnamon and slathered with a thick mound of frosting. Just their appearance made it impossible for me to refuse one of these bad boys!

Cinnamon Rolls w yummy icing

                            

The other thing I couldn't resist were the pop tarts. Holy cow... I've had a few gourmet poptarts in my day including some infamous ones like the one at the Nickel Diner in downtown LA but I have to say this is the BEST poptart I've ever tried! It was perfectly flaky and filled with this wonderful homemade berry compote and topped with this sweet, but not too sweet, frosting sprinkled with crispy cereal. 

  

The sinful Poptart - a MUST order when you visit!

They also had several other baked goods that looked very tempting but I couldn't quite justify ordering one of everything, although I wish I had but some of the other items that were hard to resist included the see salt chocolate brioche bun and the blueberry lime muffins. I've also heard they have amazing banana bread and bacon scones but they were sold out of these when I visited - gives me something to aspire for next time I visit! ;)

They also serve the infamous Portland Stumptown Coffee.  Their hours are Tuesday & Friday 8-10am and Sunday 9-noon. The truck is parked during these times in the parking lots of Mrs. B's Consignment Store, on the corner of Main Street and El Camino Real,

Golden Chef Series

The 2016 Golden Chef Series! 

Have you heard about the Golden Chef Series? It's a series of FREE chef demonstrations that showcase local OC Chefs and unfortunately, it's almost over!

There is only one demo left scheduled for Saturday, June 18th featuring Chef Josh LaQuet of Brio Tuscan Grille & 
Chef Alejandro Benes of  Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill.

The event is FREE and takes place near the big wheel at the Irvine Spectrum shopping center. If you'd like a VIP seat you can purchase one for $25 with the proceeds going to the Golden Rule Charity, a local Chefs' charity. Seating is limited to just 40 seats, however these demos encourage as many people as would like to attend as there is plenty of standing space to watch the demos. There will be TV screens and high top tables for all guests to enjoy the demos, as well as fresh fruit provided by Melissa's Produce free of charge.

I just went to the Demo this past Saturday featuring Chef Tony Trujillo from Cucina Enoteca and Casey Reinhardt from Casey's Cupcakes, and it was such a fun event with fabulous food!






Chef Trujillo was up first and walked us through his dish starting with your basic pasta making. He prepared a delicious sweet corn ricotta agnolotti w a side of salty speck and arugula on a bed of wonderful sorrel puree that just brought the dish together beautifully.

 It was so good that when they came around with seconds we gladly accepted them! It was even more delicious than it looks in the picture below!

The Sweet Corn Agnolotti from Cucina Enoteca

Here is the emcee extraordinaire, Wing Lam of Wahoo's personally handing out samples to the VIP section. 

One of the advantages of purchasing a $25 VIP seat is that you get to taste everything! Did I mention the $ goes to charity too?? :)

Casey Reinhardt

 Next up was Casey Reinhardt, owner of Casey's Cupcakes and winner of Cupcake Wars on The Foodnetwork.  Casey walked us through making her popular White Russian Cupcakes starting with the batter which she makes with the surprise ingredients of sour cream and mayonnaise! She then went on to show us how she makes the frosting and filling using real Bailey's Irish Cream! (YUM!)

She also demo'd for us how to fill and frost them, then she surprised us all in the VIP section with our very own cupcake, boxed and bagged for us to take home. They were also handed out to us by her adorable assistants (see below!)

The beautiful AND sinful White Russian Cupcakes from Casey's Cupcakes!

The cutie patootie Casey's girls handing out our treats!

 It was a really fun and educational afternoon! I highly recommend you attend the last demo on June 18th if you're able to... very worth your time! :)

The Golden Chef Series is presented by Fisher & Paykel and DCS is part of of the exciting line-up of pre-eventw fo the highly enaticipated Golden Foodie Awards. 

For more info: http://www.goldenfoodieawards.com/golden-chef-series.html