Erik Schat's Bakkery in Bishop, CA 8-22-2010

If you are ever heading to Bishop for the Mule Days celebration, Mammouth Mountain or Yosemite, you have got to stop and check this place out. Schat's Bakkery in Bishop CA. This place is a feast for the eyes and palate. The smell of the fresh breads and pastries when you walk in, is intoxicating. Everything is made fresh daily and whether you want a pastry for breakfast with coffee, or a sandwich you will definitely want to come back. The variety of breads and preserves is something that will have you browsing their products for a while not to mention the window displays of the morning pastries.  Known for the Sheepherder bread, you will definitely want to grab a loaf of the chili cheese bread. This stuff is amazing. Good at room temp or lightly toasted you will crave this stuff at the thought of a trip to this town. Great to stop by on the way to Yosemite, or Mammouth, you will definitely want to hit this place on the way home. A popular pastry item are the pecan sticky rolls at this really good European bakery. Now under danish ownership this bakery is a haven like Disneyland for carb-lovers including danishes, sweet rolls, cheese breads, doughnuts, hot pepper breads, and whole grain products. The croissants are HEAVENLY and it is not a surprise to know that people will drive up to 500 miles just to stock up on the baked creations of this place.

The Whoa Nellie Deli- Lee Vining, CA

There are several spots on HWY 395 that you need to stop at, Schatz in Bishop, and, without a doubt, you need to add the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining. Known for the fish tacos, the Whoa Nellie Deli is not the usual deli establishment. Situated inside a Mobile gas station, this little gem is quite the place to visit. Don't worry about the cars when you pull in, this is mostly because people are dining here. Great place to check out while on the way to Yosemite, what ever you order, you won't be disappointed. Owned by the chef Matt Toomey the portion sizes are favorable. If crowded inside there are benches outdoors where it is sometimes known to have a live band playing. The view of Mono Lake is worth the cost of any item from the menu.Everything is fresh and made from scratch. If you want something that will stick to your bones this is the place to come to.

22 Vista Point Rd.
Lee Vining, CA 93541

(760) 647-1088

Taste the freshness....... Native Foods -Costa Mesa

I have a few people in my close circle who are vegetarian. Some are actually vegan as well. Though I am neither, there was a time (short time) when I tried being a vegetarian. granted it was for a month, I surprisingly found out that I could actually do it. You may think vegetarian cuisine would be bland and boring, but in actuality it is quite the opposite. There are many selections in vegetarian food that offer some variety and are very tasty. PLUS the food is good for you! Go Figure! Well not too long ago I met a friend for lunch and had to figure out where to take her because I wanted to put her in her own element and cater to her taste buds rather than my own. I had heard about Native Foods and remembered that my friend lived pretty close by so I thought, why not try something new?  Native foods in Costa Mesa is actually in a cool little center. The building itself is pretty neat from an architectural standpoint. They offer vegan and vegetarian menu items ranging from salads, sandwiches, bowls, specials and pizza not to mention desert. We started out with the sweet potato fries which were yummy and then we ordered a salad and a wrap. I had the twister wrap which consisted of Organic greens, fresh avocado and cucumber salsa, creamy chipotle sauce and your choice of crispy or grilled Native Chicken. It was really tasty. The selection of fresh drinks was unique and good. They had lavender, watermelon and native tea which all are a fresh concoction of flavored drinks they make daily. If you have never been there or have friends who are vegetarian I suggest trying this place. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Holy Crepe! August 4, 2010

I have always loved crepes. Though I have only had crepes that were folded like enchiladas, the Crepe Maker is quite the experience. After a day at the movies and lunch with a friend we decided that something sweet sounded good to indulge in. I knew the Crepe Maker was at the Irvine Spectrum but had never actually been there. The menu options are abundant and they range from savory salad crepes to desert crepes. After ordering you can watch them make your crepe and it is quite interesting. They then fold it like a triangle and place it in parchment paper and something that looks like a snow cone holder. You can eat it with a fork or hold it and eat it like a taco. The crepe I tried was AMAZING! Though I do not remember the name of it, it consisted of strawberries, nutella, whip cream and tirimisu. It was the best desert crepe I have ever had and I highly suggest you try this place. You won't be disappointed.

Ten Li Tea Shop- July 26, 2010

Ten Li Tea is a magical place to visit.  It is a place for serious tea drinker and for those looking to learn and enter into the world of tea.  Though most of the space in the place is of lucky bamboo and the range of tea and tea pots.

The number of teapots in this little store is amazing, and a little overwhelming.  But as everyone said, the owner lady Betty is friendly and sweet and more than happy to guide one through all the different varieties of tea and tea accessories. The excitement and enthusiasm of this little lady would make you smile because she is that passionate about her tea. The store can definitely meet all your gung fu tea ceremony needs.  And for those who would like to learn gung fu, the owner lady is more than happy to show you the steps so that you can also try out her tea. A great experience just like drinking fine wine you would never believe there's a method to drinking tea. Definitely swing by if you are ever in the Fountain Valley neighborhood.

Pho Tasia July27th 2010

You know when you are sick the only thing you want to do is cuddle up under a blanket and have some hot soup. Well I've got the soup for you. I remember back five or so years ago I was working at Disneyland and one of the cast members I worked with was Vietnamese. He asked me if I had ever had Pho before and of course I said no. Now word around the camp fire is that there are many interesting dishes in the Vietnamese culture and one could be leery about trying but once you try this soup you will CRAVE it. And especially if you are under the weather it hits the spot. There are many Vietnamese restaurants you can go to in orange county, many of them which are in the Westminster area and I can honestly say that the food is pretty much the same across the board no matter where you go. You just need to find the place where you enjoy dining at. There are only a few I have been to in Irvine and this place used to be known as Pho Bac Ky, but now it is called Pho Tasia. Nestled across the street from the Strawberry Farms Golf Course in a shopping center near a grocery store, gas station and I hop, this place is always crowded. This is by far my favorite one. Pho Bac on Barranca comes in  2nd. Its all about the broth and the seasoning they put in, filled with flavor. My favorite thing to get is Pho with the rare steak. I cannot remember the exact name but it's the # 10 and basically the meat is put in last rare and the heat of the broth cooks everything.. The meat is paper thin that they add and it is great - tender and melts in your mouth after a few chews.

Get the egg rolls and make sure you wrap those guys up in the lettuce and soak them in the sauce...so yummy and the perfect appetizer! Tasty and delicious! The spring rolls are awesome and add a little of the spicy red sauce to the dipping sauce and WA WA WEE WA!  YUM  O!

If you are leery about trying this cuisine fret no more, all I have to say is if you crave some good soup you MUST TRY!  You won't be disappointed and you can always pick the meat you want in the soup or get it with no meat. Add in the trimmings they give you which is the veggies and fresh herbs and voila its GRRRRRRRREAT! and trust me you will crave it later a few months down the road.





Favorite drink is always their green iced jasmine tea.

I have had many of the other menu items but by far best thing they have is the pho.

my only complaint - they should stay open later!!!! and get there before the rush.

Andrea at Pelican Hill Resort July14,2010

For my mother's birthday she wanted to go somewhere near the ocean. My dad suggested to go over to the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Coast for dinner. Though I have never been there I was excited to try something new. When we got there we asked to sit out on the patio which had an amazing view. The menu was really nice with a few dining options to choose from. One was a two course menu, then there was the a la carte menu and the four course menu. I went for the two course and ordered the popular appetizer of the Parmesan risotto. A MUST TRY. IT"S AWESOME!!!!!!  Then we had a light salad and the meal was a chicken dish cooked with kalmata olives. It was fantastic. We finished with a desert of their home made gelato which was to die for. The meal along with the view made for a great evening and the most fortunate guests would be blessed to have the opportunity to get married on the wedding green out over looking the ocean. A great dining experience and definitely a must go for those who want a nice romantic dinner out with a killer ocean view.

Father's Day Brunch at the Bayside

On Sunday my husband and I went out with my parents to celebrate Father's Day.  Usually every year we all try to come up with a restaurant to meet at for lunch. Seems like it is the hardest thing to decide, which can be a little annoying at times. So I thought it would be good to play it safe and go to one of my favorite places to eat. The Bayside in Newport Beach.  It used to be the place to go for our family gatherings and such (ie). birthdays, Easter, and what not, but seemed that lately this forgotten gem was a place we had not frequented in a while. Maybe it was due to the economy and myself being job-less at the moment.  Anyway we decided to give it a go and have brunch there. It was very nice. For $37 a person, you get champagne, appetizer, entree and desert. We all started with the amazing crab cake which I recommend everyone try it is really good.  Then we had the halibut which was great as well & perfectly cooked.. Everything there is great seafood is really delicious and they also have steak and chicken. The deserts are good as well and we ended with a peach shortcake which had a different twist instead of the traditional biscuit it came on a poppy seed muffin. pretty tasty. We all sat out in the terrace at our favorite corner table. The view of the water is great and you can see people moving by in the canal or back bay area on paddle boards and kayaks. For the price you can't go wrong with a great meal on a sunny day with the view of the ocean.

Veggie Grill- Fresh & Tasty Vegan Food

Veggie Grill - Irvine Spectrum

81 Fortune Drive, Irvine, CA 92618

(949) 727-9900

Went to the Irvine Spectrum yesterday for lunch with a friend and had always walked by the Veggie Grill. Every time I have been near the Veggie Grill it is always packed. I thought for a change it would be neat to try something different for a change and eat at a place where we have never been. I had previously read through some reviews online about the place and the sweet heart fries came highly recommended. They are sweet potato fries that they serve with a chipotle ranch sauce.  They were actually really good. The menu is pretty simple, they have salads, sandwiches and burgers which are all made with Tempeh and other protein blends and they also have appetizers and deserts. I decided to have a salad and choose the Baja Fiesta. It was really good and refreshing made with Romaine lettuce and had a citrus dressing and some melon in it as well. Very tasty. Though I am not a vegetarian, I have a few friends who are as well as some vegans and I will definitely recommend this place to them.

FYI

Name:

Jennifer M


Hometown:

Tustin!

Favorite food:

Mexican.

Favorite Good Eats under $10:

An In N Out cheeseburger with onions,

Fresh butter croissant at Chevron (Bake /Trabuco- in Lake Forest)

An everything bagel with cream cheese and avocado (Shirley's Bagels- NB )

Carnitas plate (Jalapenos Mexican Food/ Mission Viejo or Irvine)

Tacos & Co. (Newport Beach) Chorizo burrito (GREAT FOR HANGOVERS!)

Shrimp Tacos at Wahoos

Yogurtland


“MUST” Eats:

The Habit Burger Grill- 2789 N. Main St. Santa Ana, CA 92705

Latest Food Discovery:

Oysters on the 1/2 shell at Bouchon Bistro in Palazzo Casino Las Vegas

Blueberry Pomegranate Martini Palazzo Casino Las Vegas

My Birthday at Charlie Palmer South Coast Plaza

Yesterday Sunday June 6th, I celebrated my 35th birthday with my husband, my parents and my aunt & uncle. I wanted to go somewhere we all have never been and after doing some online searching, I found Charlie Palmer. This modern restaurant had only been open about 2 yrs and what drew me to this place was the design and decor of the restaurant not to mention their newly added Bloody Mary Brunch. Basically you have a DIY Bloody Mary Bar on a pre-fixed two course menu or you have the option of A La Carte and the regular menu minus the Bloody Mary's. It was not long until I found out that both my parents had eaten there before for lunch. At least it was nice, quiet and centrally located for all of us. After brunch I finished off my birthday at the movies with my husband.