Not Your Normal Wiener – The Greasy Wiener – Venice, CA

Finally made my way out to Venice to grab a dog from the Greasy Wiener. The Greasy Wiener is a gourmet food truck that cruises around LA serving up some top-notch dogs. 

These are not like hotdogs when you had when you were a kid that you poured ketchup on. These are kick ass hot dogs that have been perfected over the last 9 years.

Spicy Greasy Wiener!

I have been wanting to try one of these wieners. Adam who is one of the owners suggested I get the "Spicy Greasy Wiener". This dog like the rest of their dogs starts with a deep fried snap dog. This is not your normal grocery store dog. These are dogs made specifically for the Greasy Wiener with their own recipe. How cool is that? This one came wrapped in bacon and was topped with grilled onions and jalapenos with a fresh pickle wedge on the top. This was a work of art in a bun. Nice snap when I bit into it and the grilled onions and jalapenos added the right amount of heat. This was a really good dog.

Iggys!

As you would expect their specialty is hot dogs however they do offer “Iggys”. Iggys are little Angus sliders served up on King’s Hawaiian roles with gooey American cheese, sautéed onions, pickles and some “secret” sauce. These are awesome. The burger was seasoned to perfection and the way the cheese was melted on top just made me want to slam both of sliders down. I had to take time to savor!

I had a chance to chat with Adam a bit and learn more about how they got started. I suggest you check out their story and video. Adam is very proud of what he and his brother and their C.I.A chef partner have been able to put together. After talking to others and from my own experience they should be. One of the best hot dogs I have had.

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Now This is Pizza! - @SliceTruck – Irvine, CA

One of the age long arguments between foodies has been which pizza is better, Chicago style deep dish or New York style foldable pie with a crispy crust. I have lived in southern California or Hawaii most of my life so I would typically copout and say “it depends”. That was until last night; now my new answer is “who cares, you have obviously not been to the @SliceTruck!”

Slice Truck is a Los Angeles based truck that made it’s way down to the Atomic Ballroom in Irvine this weekend. I have heard a lot of good things about the Slice Truck from people on Twitter but never really thought much about it. However whenever a LA based food truck wonders down to the OC we try to make sure to go out and support them. More gourmet food trucks in the OC is a good thing!

Sausage with Roasted Yellow Peppers and Mushroom! WOW!

Pepperoni and Cheese - Round Two! 

If you have not figured it out yet, my wife and I really liked the Slice Truck. On this visit they offered four different options and we ended up getting at least one of each. Three of the four are a more traditional New York style pizza. Each had a spectacular crust that was crispy on the bottom. The thicker part of the crust was like biting into a fresh French baguette. The sauce used on these was amazing as well. It was tomato based with a small bite of spice. In addition there was cheese and fresh basil on top.  

Grandma - Yum!

As good as those were (and they were incredible), the “Grandma” was the star of this show. The Grandma is a square pan pizza with cheese, crushed roma tomatoes, garlic and basil. This one had a thinker more buttery crust that was crunchy on the bottom while at the same time tender. We had to get two slices. In case you were wondering this was is just as good cold! Now that is a dang good piece of pizza.


We started with a piece of sausage and a grandma and because those were so good we went back and picked up the rest.  I was glad we saved some for breakfast the next morning.

The SliceTruck itself is a nice new Freightliner. Very clean and you cannot miss the glowing “OPEN” signs all the way around it. It feels like a pizzeria counter. The owner had the time to chat and was very nice. They tweet out their location and answer questions on Twitter but do not do a ton of interaction beyond that. The only bad thing about this is I hope that it does not discourage people to try them out.


If you are a pizza lover or a food truck fan you have to check out the @SliceTruck! You will not be disappointed.  

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Italian Triple D in the OC – Mama Cozza’s - Anaheim

Soon there will be two Diners, Drive-ins and Dives in the OC. We already visited Paul’s Coffee Shop sometime back and that has become one of my favorite breakfast stops. Now it was time to finally check out Mama Cozza’s in Anaheim. Neither of these have yet been show cased on the show but from what we hear it should be within the next month or so. If you were wondering how we found out about these upcoming episodes head over to FlavorTownUSA.com. If you are into Triple Ds then this site is your friend.


From what we heard from our server, the host of Triple D Guy Fieri has been back since the taping to bring his family. If you watch the show you know that is because he really likes it.

Mama Cozza’s is an old style Italian restaurant that is getting ready to celebrate their 45th anniversary next month. It is a little darker on the inside unlike the new style bright and airy places that are found everywhere. It was relaxing and we did not feel rushed.

We ordered their fried calamari as a starter. The calamari was nice and crispy. Good sized helping like everything they serve. It came with a side of Mama’s red sauce that is one of the better tomato sauces I have had from a restaurant. I like my recipe more but this was really good.

Fried Calamari with Mama's Sauce

Turns out both times Guy visited Mama Cozza’s he ordered their Linguini Domery. Picture a bed of linguini, clams, sausage and a red sauce. It was very fresh and had a ton of flavor. The chewiness of the clams along with the meatiness of the sausage were a perfect combination. I now know why he ordered it twice.

Linguini Domery

My dinner came with a Caesar salad and an egg flower noodle soup with spinach and chicken. The Caesar was nice and stinky because you have the option of having anchovies. Not just on top but we noticed them in the dressing as well. That is a very nice touch. Very few places do that anymore.

Caesar Salad with Anchovies

Egg Flower Noodle Soup with Spinach and Chicken

My wife Kim ordered the Eggplant Parmesan. Their Eggplant Parmesan is prepared like lasagna with lots of layers of breaded eggplant, mozzarella cheese and sauce. It had a fresh homemade taste that could convert non-eggplant lovers. I am sure she would order this one again.

Eggplant Parmesan

When we were done with our meal we were asked if we would like some complementary Anisette.   It is flavored liquor that tastes like black licorice.  Now that was a nice touch.  Nothing like a little after dinner liquor to finish off a great meal.

Anisette

Next time we go I want to save some room for dessert. There was what looked like a nice long list of delicious treats. They do big portions so make sure you plan accordingly. The service was very good. We enjoyed our dinner and will visit them again.

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Now There is a Vegetarian Food Truck in the OC - @SeabirdsTruck - Orange County, CA

Last weekend we heard rumors of a brand new gourmet food truck in the OC. Turns out this alleged truck was parked over at Tanaka Farms in Irvine. We had to go check them out. Turns out the Seabirds truck started serving organic vegetarian and vegan fare in May. I have been to all kinds of trucks in the last serval months. However this is one of the first ones that was completely vegetarian.

I have learned that good food is good food and it comes in many styles. Seabirds serves good food! They have a very simple menu. Couple appies, couple of tacos, couple "burgers" and some very good sweet potato fries. They have a simple truck. Nice and clean as you would expect. They also try to be earth friendly. Even their "plastic" bags are degradable.

Beer Battered Avocado taco

Enough small talk, I know you come here for the food! Seabirds truck is no joke. As with any food truck we visit we had to grab a few items. First was their Beer Battered Avocado taco. Yum! This was a taqueria style taco but with this piece of love in the middle. The piece of love was the crispy but buttery battered and fried avocado topped with cabbage, onions and some sauce. All of this in two warmed corn tortillas. These tacos sell like crazy so make sure you try one if you get a chance.

Seared Tofu Taco

Next was their seared tofu taco. The flavor and texture reminded me of a chicken taco you would get at a taqueria in Santa Ana and you know how good those can be. The tofu had a very nice firm texture and was perfectly seasoned. It was topped with diced onions, fresh cilantro and a spicy green sauce. I wanted to grab another couple of these. Those vegetarians may be on to something.

Seabird Burger

I do not know about you but when I see "Burgers" on a vegetarian food truck I just have to try one out. I picked the self titled Seabird. It is a seed and nut patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and their own seabird sauce. Yeah, this sounded weird to me as well. All I can say is I am now a believer. This almost had the texture of a real hamburger but it had a flavor all it's own. It was like having a veggie burger but without the over powering mushroom taste. It was earthy but distinct. Very good, the other ingredients were super fresh so that added a lot. The bun was nicely toasted. I will get one of these again.

Sweet Potato Fries

Finally it is on to their sweet potato fries. I am not a big sweet potato fan but considering what I was hearing from others on Twitter we had to try them. These were not what you see usually, they are cut and super lightly battered. The nice thing about the batter is they hold their crisp for a long time. My wife Kim said they were some of the best sweet potato fries she has had. Considering the way they prepare them I can understand why!


The only somewhat negative thing I can say about them is we had to wait quite awhile for out food. They had a steady stream of people which is good but it still took much longer than we expected. I am sure they will work the kinks out of there process. I think it is impressive that that was the only "gripe" I had. Nice job Seabirds!


We had a very good lunch and are looking forward to visiting them again. They are on Twitter but they have not quite gotten the hang of it yet. Hopefully they do soon because I think they have a chance to become a hit in the OC.

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It's not Gourmet, it's Just OK – Calbi Truck – Irvine, CA

As you know we have been really enjoying the gourmet food truck craze. It started for us in February and it has really helped to get Saturday Night Foodies up and running. There is so much variety and creativity. Even finding the food trucks can be a lot of fun. It is almost like an Easter egg hunt.


We were very lucky to start our gourmet food truck adventure sampling at Kogi BBQ. They are still one of our favorite trucks and one of the ones we visit time and time again. Kogi is unique in the way they do their food. They take every day food from Korea and Mexico and turn it into gourmet street food. Here is a link to the Kogi review.

As you may have seen there are a few other trucks that have taken a similar approach. One of the most popular is Calbi. They have a number of trucks in LA and one in the OC. We were finally able to visit one recently in Irvine. The first thing you will notice about Calbi is there trucks look very new and clean. In addition they seem very commercial. Almost like a fast food chain on wheels. I am sure there are a lot of people that like that feel. I am a fan of the more small business feel.

Korean Short Rib Taco

Shrimp Taco

With that said lets get to the food. At the end of the day does anything else matter? As always we made sure to try a few things so we can get a good sense of how they do what they do. We got two tacos, one with beef and the other with shrimp. These are similar in size, as you would get from a traditional taqueria in the OC. The beef was lighty Korean marinated short ribs and the shrimp came with their secret sauce. Both tacos were in soft corn tortillas with romaine lettuce and some other veggies. They seemed a little short on filling but they were good, nothing spectacular but still good.

Kim Chi Quesadilla

Next was their kimchi quesadilla. This is one of our favorite things from Kogi. However, this quesadilla was really a let down at Calbi. There was very little cheese and it was hard to taste the kimchi. It really bummed me out. Quesadillas should be something that is easily knocked out of the park and this one struck out. They served the quesadilla with some sort of sauce. The sauce did not add anything to any of the items we got. It had a peanut flavor as well and was good but did not seem to fit in.

Chicken Burrito

Last was their chicken burrito. The chicken was marinated in what tasted like a type of peanut sauce. Not bad and it came with some cheese, lettuce, other mixed veggies and finally a good portion of scrambled eggs. My wife Kim did not think the burrito had much flavor. I like the egg and chicken so no issue for me on taste. The only thing that caught me off guard was once again very small. It must be at least half the size of Kogi’s burritos.


My parents tried Calbi recently as well after hearing us rave about Kogi. They assumed Calbi would be similar and did not want to wait for Kogi. They mentioned Calbi was good but nothing special. Because of that they have not wanted to wait in the traditional long lines that Kogi seems to always have. All I can say is do NOT judge the kogibbq truck based on the Calbi experience. They are not the same. Yes there is some similarity with the menus and the crowds they target but it ends there. Waiting in the long lines at Kogi is well worth the sacrifice.

When it is all said and done I am glad we finally went and visited Calbi. Their customer service gets two thumbs up. The two guys running the T4 truck were very nice. They actually took the time to see if we were eating there or taking away so they could wrap up our lunch for us. It was hot and fresh. However this time the food just missed the mark.


We may have to try them again in the future. Maybe they had an off day. I know I have those every once in awhile.

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Another Great Breakfast in the OC – Anepalco’s Café – Orange, CA

Who knew there were so many good places to get breakfast in Orange County? I used to complain that I could never think of anything other than big chain restaurants. Luckily for me, my wife Kim knows how to shut me up. When it comes to breakfast Yelp.com has become her friend.

This past weekend we visited Anepalco’s Café in Orange. They are about a block north of CHOC. Anepalco’s is a simple little place with indoor and outdoor seating. If you blink you may drive right past it. We chose to sit outside on this beautiful morning. To be honest I did not know what to expect because the name (to me) sounds like it could be Mexican and they are really known for their chilaquiles. When we got their menu we realized that they are more French but have some Mexican flare.

Kim also noticed that a good number of people commented on their coffee so we had to try it. It was not your normal cheap restaurant coffee. It was very smooth and had a nice flavor. Not as bold as either of us are used to but still better than most. Next time we will not feel we have to stop at Starbucks before we get there like we normally do when heading over to other places.

Crepe Le Mexique

We tried two dishes. Of course we had to get a crepe. They offer about 10 different crepes for breakfast. No way we were going to pass that up. Kim chose their “Crepe Le Mexique”. It had scrambled eggs, queso fresco, bacon (Kim passed on the bacon) guacamole, and pico de gallo. This was a very good looking and tasty dish. I did not miss the bacon at all. I actually forgot that it would normally come with it. The crepe was tender, perfect color and just perfect. The guacamole was more of a sauce that was velvety and covered the crepe. It was not over powering at all. The queso and pico added two more layers that finished off the dish nicely. The only thing Kim did not like was the side of fruit that came with the dish. It was apples and what looked like canned pineapple. However it really did not matter because she had to save room for the crepe!

Anepalco’s Chilaquiles

I had their much talked about chilaquiles. Chilaquiles is usually corn tortillas cooked into scrambled eggs with some sort of sauce mixed in. This one was a little different. The chilaquiles were by themselves on the plate with a beautiful scrambled egg layered on top of them. Then on top of the egg was a dollop of guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. Around the outside was another dried chili sauce. This is a dish I am addicted to. I could eat this a couple times a week. The egg was obviously made with the crepe maker. It was nicely folded and the texture was perfect. The chilaquiles were cooked in something that tasted like a cross between enchilada sauce and salsa, so they were bursting with flavor. The sauce on the outside was more oil-based but it was not heavy at all and the queso fresco on top added a touch of saltiness that completed the dish.


We WILL be going here again. This will most likely become one of our regular breakfast stops when we want something more familiar. However, we are not ready for that yet. This Sunday we are planning to try something new. If you have any recommendations of places to try in the OC, please let us know!

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Can a Burger have too Many Options? - The Counter - Irvine, CA

I would have to say yes and no. Yes because it can be a little overwhelming and no because there is something for everyone. Recently we were able to visit The Counter in Irvine. They are a burger “chain” with headquarters in Culver City.

The one we visited in Irvine has a simple but clean décor. There is a counter/bar and I would guess about fifteen tables. It is very open and lively. We went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and the place was full.

The Counter is a little different than most hamburger restaurants. When you sit down you get a clipboard with a check sheet and a menu. The check sheet is how you order your burger. You pick your type of meat from beef to lamb to turkey and so on. Then it is your cheese, and there are at least twelve to choose from. Now the fun part, the toppings, which includes about 30 items! If you are done with this part then you are on the home stretch. Next is the sauce and there are 21 of those and finally the type of bun. I am tired just thinking about it! They have some prebuilt selections if you want the easy way out.

Angus Burger

I chose the Angus beef 1/3 pounder hamburger with Danish Blue Cheese, grilled onions, roasted green chilies, lettuce blend, bacon, on a traditional hamburger bun with a side of country buttermilk ranch. The hamburger was cooked a perfect medium. Wish I could have ordered it medium rare but they will not go less than medium. The one problem I had was I chose too many big flavors. If I had picked something other than blue cheese it would have been better or if I had done less other stuff and just blue cheese it would have worked as well. The burger turned out good. Not the best burger I have ever had but still good.

Turkey Burger on Wheat

Kim got a turkey burger with soft ripened Brie, sautéed mushrooms, organic mixed greens, and dried cranberries, all on a wheat bun. She also got a side of their roasted garlic aioli. The turkey burger was very nice. I was very glad they put as much effort into their non-beef selections. Her combination worked right on. We both really liked hers. The cranberries were a nice touch. The cranberry texture and flavor added a lot to the overall masterpiece.

Onion Rings and Fries

We had to try their French fries and onion rings. I am sure you would agree these are as important as the burger itself. We were not disappointed and we will get them both again! They stayed crispy throughout our meal and we really enjoyed the seasoning. The BBQ sauce and buttermilk ranch dips were also very good.


Overall we had a good lunch. Like I said the place was very simple inside. I am sure there are a lot of people that like that style. The people serving us were friendly. I would go for a burger again, only this time I will narrowed down my choices before I get there.

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Food Tour of Scotland - May 2010

This last May we spent eight days in Scotland. Kim and I like architecture so we zigzagged our way through the country seeing different castles, estates, gardens and homes. We had a great time.

Culzean Castle and Estate

One of the best aspects of the trip was the food. With that said we thought we would share some of the highlights. The only thing these dishes had in common was they were all very good. As you will see some were unique and some were simple. If you are interested in seeing the rest of the dishes we enjoyed, be sure to check out the photo album on Facebook.


First we are starting off in the town of Broadford on the Isle of Skye. The restaurant is called Claymore. We found this place out of almost desperation. After a long day of driving and sightseeing we were getting to the point where we just needed to eat. For miles nothing along the road looked good. Finally we just stopped here, as the only thing we cared about was they were still open. It turns out this was our favorite dinner of the trip.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

Kim started out with Smoked Salmon Chowder that was to die for. We are both big New England Clam Chowder fans but this took it to a whole new level. The soup was thick, with big chunks of potato along with the perfect amount of smoked salmon. It was seasoned to perfection. This could have easily been a meal on it’s own but I am glad we did not stop there.

Haggis, Neeps and Tatties

Friends and fans of Saturday Night Foodies suggested that we try Haggis while we were in Scotland. I think most people said it as a joke. The reason is Haggis is a dish of sheep’s “stuff”. Basically it is the heart, liver and other stuff from the inside of a sheep minced with spices, onion, and oatmeal. Considering that is was a fan suggestion, I figured I could try it out. Worst case I had one bite and that was the end of it. Well I ordered Claymore’s Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (yellow turnips and mashed potatoes) with a creamy whisky sauce. This was actually an amazing dish. Once you get past what you were actually eating this became one the best dishes I had on our trip. I am told it is similar at other restaurants but I am not so sure. Very nice dish!

Queen Scallops

Once again those were “starters”. Kim and I both ordered main courses. She got the Queen Scallops that were grilled in their shells with lemon butter. This is how scallops should be served. A scallop is very similar to a clam or mussel. For some reason in the states we only use a piece of the scallop. I need to research why. These were the whole thing and they were super tasty and had a very nice texture.

Squat Lobster

I ordered the Squat Lobster in garlic butter sauce. From what I could tell these would be very similar to crawfish. Nice thing was they were shelled and sautéed scampi style. Overall a good dish but not as impressive as everything else we had. If you find yourself on the Isle of Skye, check this place out for dinner. Well worth it!

Fish and Chips

The best fish and chips we had on this trip was at the hotel we stayed at in Melrose. One thing I like about Scotland is they actually have tartar sauce. This restaurant takes their tartar sauce seriously! On top of that the fish was fried to perfection. The fish was haddock, which is a very nice fish for frying. It was meaty yet tender. Very simple but well executed dish.

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy

Near the end of our trip we visited the Lake District in England. This evening I had their roast beef with gravy and Yorkshire pudding. This again was a simple dish. The roast beef was sliced about an eighth of an inch thick. Yorkshire pudding is fried batter that usually comes with roast beef and covered with gravy. This was good as well. The gravy itself was simple but flavorful.


As you can see we had a lot of wonderful food and this was just a sample. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the photos on Facebook.

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